It seems that no matter how much time goes by, the music Elvis Presley made during his lifetime will never completely fade from popularity. Occasionally, the rock and roll icon returns to charts in Western nations, either with a successful compilation or a hit song or two.
The superstar returns to the iTunes Top Albums chart in the United Kingdom with a new album which accompanies a just-released film all about him, and fans of the King in that nation have turned the set into a fast top 10 bestseller.
Epic: Elvis Presley in Concert Debuts Inside the Top 10
On Friday (February 20), a new film titled Epic: Elvis Presley in Concert was released to IMAX theaters in parts of the world. The documentary (of sorts) is helmed by director Baz Luhrmann, whose most recent scripted film, Elvis, earned multiple Academy Award nominations and performed well at the box office back in 2022. Epic comes paired with a soundtrack of the same name, and it’s already become a big winner in the U.K. only hours after its release.
Epic Soars Into the Top 10
As of the time of writing, Epic sits at No. 6 on the iTunes Top Albums chart in the U.K. The tally ranks the bestselling full-lengths and EPs on that one download platform in that one country.
On this new music Friday, when the majority of new releases are shared by major artists, the chart is dominated by U2’s surprise-released EP Days of Ash. The Irish rockers shared the set mid-week, and it surged straight to the summit.
Four additional debuts land just ahead of Presley. New albums by Mumford & Sons (Prizefighter), Leigh-Anne, formerly of Little Mix (My Ego Told Me To), rock band Rush (a remastered version of Grace Under Pressure), and pop singer Hilary Duff (Luck… or Something) settle in at Nos. 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively at the beginning of this new tracking week in the music industry.
Just one more title opens inside the top 10 on the U.K.’s iTunes Top Albums ranking. Yungblud, who recently won his first Grammy earlier this month, dropped the complete edition of his nominated album Idols, which listeners in the U.K. have already sent to No. 8.
Epic Features Elvis Presley Classics
Epic features 27 songs, many of which are live recordings labeled the “Epic Version,” since fans will already know the originals. Classics like “In the Ghetto,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Oh, Happy Day,” “Suspicious Minds,” and multiple takes of “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” among others, are present on the track list. Production group PNAU, known for its big hit with Elton John and Dua Lipa – the global smash “Cold Heart” – reworked “Don’t Fly Away,” putting a new spin on the cut and potentially helping Epic score a contemporary hit.
Elvis Presley Returns With Multiple Bestsellers
Presley claims a trio of bestsellers on the iTunes Top Albums roster in the U.K., as Epic gets off to a top 10 start. The singer’s compilation The 50 Greatest Hits reenters the list at No. 113. Further down on the tally, Elv1s: 30 #1 Hits dips ever so slightly to No. 157.
