Elvis: 10 Best Songs From The Movie, Ranked By Spotify Streams

The new motion picture Elvis starring Austin Butler and Tom Hanks is the latest Baz Luhrmann film to combine various genres of music. From classic rock to contemporary hip-hop, the accompanying soundtrack to Elvis is varied, just as the songs for Luhrmann’s films The Great Gatsby and Moulin Rouge! were eclectic and diverse in scope.

There are 36 tracks on the Elvis album, most of which are featured in the film over the course of its nearly three-hour run time. Fans of the movie have clearly taken to several of the songs from the album, which have been ranked according to their streaming count popularity on Spotify.

Note: Spotify listener counts will continue to grow, so these rankings may differ from the time of publication.

“Baby, Let’s Play House” (598,569 plays)

This rockabilly song was originally recorded by Presley in 1955 and is one of the few Elvis songs to have its own full musical number within the film. Performed and re-recorded by Austin Butler, “Baby, Let’s Play House” shows off Butler’s uncanny vocal transformation.

The scene in which “Baby, Let’s Play House” is featured reflects a pivotal moment in Luhrmann’s retelling of Elvis Presley’s life. As narrated by Col. Tom Parker (Tom Hanks), Presley’s performance of this song is what inspired Parker to manage the artist. Butler’s performance of the song also pays homage to Presley’s magnetic stage presence and physicality.

“Don’t Fly Away (PNAU Remix)” (759,607 plays)

One of the songs featured in the credit sequence of Elvis gives a classic Luhrmann-esque spin on Presley’s music. “Don’t Fly Away” is a medley of two Elvis Presley songs (“Suspicious Minds” and “Any Day Now”), which have been reinterpreted with a thumping dance beat by the Australian group PNAU.

Luhrmann’s contemporary spin on Presley’s original music demonstrates the lasting impact the rock and roll singer has on popular culture and on the landscape of music as consumers know it today. In an interview via RCA Records’s YouTube page, Luhrmann comments on how this medley of sad songs playing over a disco beat is true to the juxtaposition of sadness and uptempo music in much of the history of disco.

“It’s Only Love” (1,268,919 plays)

Perhaps most surprisingly, one of the most streamed songs on the Elvis soundtrack is the ballad “It’s Only Love.” This 1971 Presley recording was itself a cover. The original 1969 song was recorded and released by B.J. Thomas. Presley’s version was released during the latter part of his career (Presley died unexpectedly in 1977 at the age of 42).

Though it does not get its own extended musical number in the film, “It’s Only Love” is a memorable ballad anchored by Presley’s emotive and resonant vocals. The inclusion of this song on the film’s soundtrack also reflects Luhrmann’s portrait of Elvis as a talented artist whose ability to express vulnerability and emotion through his vocals sometimes got overshadowed by the more flashy performances for which he became famous.

 “Tupelo Shuffle” (1,395,146 plays)

“Tupelo Shuffle” is an original piece off of the Elvis soundtrack and served as the album’s second single. Performed by Swae Lee and Diplo, the song incorporates references to Elvis (sung by Austin Butler) while mixed with a subtle contemporary dance beat, a hip-hop sensibility, and guitar by Gary Clark Jr.

Luhrmann described the idea behind “Tupelo Shuffle” in his video commentary via RCA Records. He expressed a desire to demonstrate the musical influences Elvis had on culture, but also the musical influences of Tupelo, Mississippi itself. Swae Lee, Diplo, and of course Elvis himself were all from Tupelo, Mississippi, and this song represents the patchwork quilt of cultures and sounds that are a part of the city.

“Trouble” (1,573,332 plays)

Another one of Austin Butler’s energetic musical performances in the film is undoubtedly his performance of “Trouble.” The song is featured at a concert when Elvis is advised not to move or dance so as to not upset a more conservative audience. This is one of the key moments in the film in which the audience bears witness to Elvis standing in defiance of what he “should” do.

In addition to its significance to the film’s plot and portrait of the singer, Austin Butler’s work in this scene is charismatic and seductive. He captures this aspect of Elvis’s persona while imbuing the character with a universally human desire to be unapologetic and fully himself on stage and in the public eye.

“Can’t Help Falling In Love” (1,710,991 plays)

This song is probably one of the most recognizable in the Elvis Presley cannon, so much so that it appears twice on the soundtrack of Luhrmann’s biographical film. However, this version is a cover that plays in the background briefly in the movie and is performed by Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves.

Musgraves brings her usual softness and effortless breathy vocals to the track, bringing out a unique emotional vulnerability to the piece. This version opts for simplistic piano, whereas Elvis Presley’s original recording includes more instrumentation and background harmonies.

“Any Day Now” (1,760,956 plays)

The other big streaming hit off of the album that is also an original Elvis Presley recording is the remastered version of “Any Day Now.” This is one of the few songs on the album that does not include a contemporary flourish but rather showcases Elvis’s talent and musicianship for what it was.

It seems appropriate that Luhrmann included the occasional unaltered Presley recording on the album. The choice corresponds with his approach to the film itself, which finds power in moments when the frenetic contemporary style slows down and focuses merely on the man’s talents.

“If I Can Dream” (3,368,954 plays)

Like the Kacey Musgraves cover of “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” Italian rock band Måneskin put their own interpretation on Presley’s “If I Can Dream.” This pairing on the album is surprising given that Måneskin is perhaps more associated with uptempo tracks, yet their take on “If I Can Dream” shows a new side to the band.

Luhrmann has commented (via his RCA Records commentaries) on his fascination with Måneskin and his surprise at their request to cover “If I Can Dream” after he reached out to them about collaborating. Once again, Luhrmann found a way to infuse Elvis into a contemporary sound while also taking a highly modern band like Måneskin and bringing them into the Elvis Presley catalog.

“The King and I” (5,965,444 plays)

Another hit single from the Elvis soundtrack is the original song “The King and I” performed by rapper Eminem and R&B singer CeeLo Green. The song includes a sample of Presley’s “Jailhouse Rock” while also incorporating several lyrical references to the original hit. The title of the song is a tongue-in-cheek reference to Elvis’s nickname as the King of rock and, of course, the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical.

This is not the first time Eminem has brought his talents to the soundtrack of a major motion picture. “Lose Yourself,” one of his signature tracks, won him the Academy Award for Best Original Song for the film 8 Mile. His work on “The King and I” could put him in awards contention this coming year, as his fast-paced delivery and verbose lyricism are on full display.

“Vegas” (85,048,287 plays)

The most successful song from the new Elvis movie is not an original remastered recording from the King himself, nor is it a cover or musical number performed by Austin Butler. Instead, the song with the most streams on Spotify is the original track “Vegas” recorded by rapper/singer Doja Cat.

“Vegas” was first revealed in the trailer for the film and created instant hype for what an artist like Doja Cat would bring to Elvis Presley-inspired material. The song is featured briefly in the film after showing Presley’s musical influences from Black artists. “Vegas” parallels this idea by sampling Presley’s “Hound Dog,” which itself was a cover of a song originally recorded Big Mama Thornton. “Vegas” perfectly exemplifies Baz Luhrmann’s vision of keeping the music of Elvis Presley in cultural conversations with the past and present.