Everyone who is alive knows that Elvis was labeled “The King”. Exalted as the king of Rock n Roll, Elvis’s records went platinum and he became one of the most popular artists of all time, but why? He rarely wrote his own music, his style was copied from jump blues artists, and the term “rock n roll” was coined by Allen Freed. Let’s break down a few things. First off, he was white. I’m not supporting the argument that just because he was white he was popular, but artist like Little Richard and Chuck Berry sounded almost identical to Elvis but didn’t receive nearly the same amount of fame. His race allowed him to be popular amongst a white and black audience where as Chuck Berry might have been forbidden to be listened to by some teenagers with racist parents (presumably). Second off, he hit the wave at the right time. The market was over saturated with crooners and doo wop bands. Everyone got a taste of fast paced blues for the past few decades in the form of jump blues, electronic blues, and urban blues. Elvis blended them together at the exact right moment for his music to be a hit. Third, and most importantly, he launched the concept and style of the American rock star. He danced provactively, dressed in wild clothes, had a model wife, got drunk and high before shows, and died on a toilet. These things might not have been new to artists, but he made them public. He made these traits to be admirable and Elvis alone is the reason that rock music was associated with “bad boys”. Generations of rock stars have come and gone but they never would have existed if Elvis didn’t pioneer their behavior. It’s almost like he made a rockstar handbook. His biggest contribution wasn’t the music, that’s not what made him “the king”; His contribution and title was earned through his his actions.