Elvis Presley’s Amazing Comebacks
From “A Big Hunk O’ Love” to “Burning Love”
Elvis Presley did not simply have hit records—he had a remarkable ability to return just when people thought they had already heard his best. Two songs, released thirteen years apart, show that power perfectly: “A Big Hunk O’ Love” in 1959 and “Burning Love” in 1972.
Both songs came from very different chapters of his life. One arrived during his Army years, while the other came during his electrifying 1970s concert era. Yet each proved the same thing: when Elvis cut loose on a hard-driving rock-and-roll song, the world still listened.
The 1959 return
“A Big Hunk O’ Love” was recorded on June 10, 1958, during Elvis’s Army service and released as a single on June 23, 1959. It became a major return to the top, spending two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“Elvis never just came back—he returned with more fire, more soul, and a reminder that a true legend never leaves the stage.”
Elvis had been away from the regular music scene while serving his country, and people wondered if the wild rock-and-roll sound that made him famous could still shake the charts. “A Big Hunk O’ Love” answered with confidence, swagger, and a driving beat.
The record sounded alive. Elvis sang with that familiar blend of playfulness and power—smooth one moment, fierce the next. It was not a quiet return. It was Elvis reminding everyone that the King of Rock and Roll still knew how to take over a song.
The 1972 comeback
Then came “Burning Love.”
Released on August 1, 1972, “Burning Love” became Elvis’s final Top 10 hit on the American Billboard Hot 100. It peaked at No. 2 in October 1972, becoming his 40th and final Top 10 hit on that chart.
By then, Elvis had already made an astonishing return to live performance. His 1968 television special brought back the leather-clad rock-and-roll fire, while his Las Vegas shows and national tours proved he could command a stage like few entertainers in history.
But “Burning Love” was something special. It was fast, bold, passionate, and full of the energy people remembered from his early rock records. It did not sound like a man trying to relive the past. It sounded like a performer proving the fire was still burning.
The power of the band
Elvis did not stand on that stage alone. His live shows were powered by the TCB Band, including guitarist James Burton, pianist Glen D. Hardin, drummer Ronnie Tutt, bassist Jerry Scheff, and guitarist John Wilkinson. Their musicianship gave Elvis’s concerts a powerful sound—rock and roll, country, gospel, soul, and rhythm all moving together.
The backup singers added even more elvis presley last song lift and excitement. Groups such as the Sweet Inspirations, the Imperials, and later the Stamps helped turn the concerts into huge musical events, giving Elvis the soaring harmonies and call-and-response energy that made a live performance feel like a revival.
When Elvis hit the stage and the band kicked in, the room came alive:
“When Elvis came back, he did not ask for the stage; he owned it.”
The guitars rang out, the drums thundered, the backup singers answered, and Elvis stood in the middle of it all—huh huh, yeah—setting the stage on fire night after night.
Two songs, one spirit
“A Big Hunk O’ Love” and “Burning Love” are separated by years, changing music styles, movies, military service, television appearances, and countless concerts. But both songs carry the same Elvis spirit: rhythm, confidence, attitude, and a voice that could turn a simple love song into an event.
In 1959, Elvis returned to the top of the charts after his Army service. In 1972, he returned to the Top 10 with one of the most exciting rock performances of his later career.
From “A Big Hunk O’ Love” to “Burning Love,” Elvis showed the world that real talent does not disappear.
It comes back stronger.
Chuck Berry’s novelty song “My Ding-a-Ling” kept Elvis Presley’s “Burning Love” from reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972. “My Ding-a-Ling” held the top spot for two weeks while “Burning Love” peaked at No. 2.
Its all about “My Ding-a-Ling "honey ???????? sorry Elvis huh! huh! yea
ROY DAWSON | THE ROYELVISBAND