On 21st April 1956 the record Heartbreak Hotel became the first number 1 hit in the US charts for Elvis Presley.

The song, however, had not been an instant hit for Elvis. Heartbreak Hotel was released on 27th January 1956 and was slow in becoming popular, despite its iconic status today. In the UK popular musical establishment it did not get a good reception.

Written by  Mae Boren Axton and Tommy Durden, with credit being given also to Presley, he recorded it on January 10, 1956, in a session with his band, the Blue Moon Boys, the guitarist Chet Atkins and the pianist Floyd Cramer.

Despite the BBC placing ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ on its restricted play list, the song has become a fantastic hit in the UK. In the USA Heartbreak Hotel is only the second single in history to reach all three Billboard charts, and went on to become the biggest selling single of 1956.