File:It's Now or Never.ogg

Audio sample from "It's Now or Never" by Elvis Presley

Sample from Elvis: From Nashville to Memphis

• Artist: Elvis Presley
• Songwriters: Eduardo di Capua/Giovanni Capurro/Aaron Schroeder/Wally Gold
• Copyright: RCA/BMG

Elvis Presley

21 seconds (of original 3:20)

Quality reduced to 62 kbit/s

This song is an example of one of Elvis Presley's most famous ballad recordings. It reached number one on the Billboard chart in 1960. It demonstrates a quasi-operatic style of ballad singing that was entirely new for Presley, and would come to typify later examples of his work, such as "Surrender". The sample presents the end of the song, in which Presley "soar[s] up to an incredible top G sharp", a notable demonstration of his vocal range and expressive skill. Words alone are inadequate to describe the song, and presenting the sound of this song alongside ones from earlier and later in Presley's career is necessary for a complete understanding of its nature and its contrast with material from other periods, and hence of the way Presley's music evolved and his aesthetic reach expanded over the course of his career. Additionally, this song is historically significant, due both to its great popularity and influence on singers who would pursue similar styles, such as Roy Orbison and Del Shannon.

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