BBC Radio 2 reveals ‘Ultimate Elvis Song’

Radio 2 announces that Suspicious Minds is the nation’s favourite Elvis Presley song…

Suspicious Minds takes the Number 1 spot in Your Ultimate Elvis Song, the Top 40 chart of single releases by Elvis as voted for by the station’s listeners – with over 100 000 votes cast – to mark what would have been his 90th birthday on 8th January 2025.

Hosted by Vernon Kay, Your Ultimate Elvis Song was broadcast on Radio 2 from 3-5pm and on BBC Sounds today and also featured some special words for the listeners from Priscilla Presley who introduces the Number 1 track. In the Number 2 spot is In The Ghetto, Number 3 is If I Can Dream, Number 4 is Always On My Mind and Number 5 is Can’t Help Falling In Love.

Vernon Kay:

“The King has earned another crown! Radio 2 listeners have had their say and I couldn’t be happier with their favourite hit, and to have it introduced by Priscilla Presley is such an honour. I’m a huge Elvis fan so I can’t wait to bring you two hours of the very best from his incredible catalogue of unforgettable songs.”

For the vote, which launched in November in Vernon’s mid-morning show and closed on 13th December, listeners were asked to select up to five of their favourite tracks from Elvis’s 90 Top 20 UK hits. In Your Ultimate Elvis Song, Vernon counted down the listeners’ Top 40 chart and revealed more extraordinary facts and stats and behind-the-scenes insights from BBC Archive interview clips with Elvis himself.

Jailhouse Rock, Elvis Presley

Elvis is also celebrated on the station later today, New Year’s Day, with Elvis Presley, My King (7-8pm) presented by the host of the Radio 2 Blues Show, Cerys Matthews, and When Wales Welcomes The King (8-9pm), presented by Radio 2’s weekday early breakfast presenter, Owain Wyn Evans.

Helen Thomas, Head of Radio 2:

“We love to showcase the broad musical tastes of our listeners at Radio 2 and, as more than a hundred thousand votes have been cast, the enduring appeal of Elvis’ music, decades after he first serenaded his way into our hearts in the 1950s, is more than proved. These seminal songs have crossed through to new generations ever since, and I’m looking forward to tuning in on New Year’s Day.”

All the programmes are available on BBC Sounds from New Year’s Day in a new Radio 2 Celebrates Elvis collection which includes the late Johnnie Walker Meets Priscilla Presley – first broadcast in 2015 – where Priscilla talks about her life with one of the world’s greatest figures and the love of her life. Highlights include her childhood, their first meeting in Germany, Elvis’ love of gospel and opera, his career and the ’68 comeback special

There is also an Elvis Night on BBC Two on Saturday 4th January featuring Elvis Presley: ’68 Comeback Special (8.20pm), Jailhouse Rock (9.35pm), Tales Of Rock And Roll: Heartbreak Hotel (11.10pm), and …Sings Elvis (11.45pm).

Catch up with BBC Sounds

GI Blues – Elvis Presley