Elvis: The Rock ‘N Roll Legend That Trends On Twitter

Here at Evans Media Group, there is a generational gap that brings over 75 years of experience to our agency.  Yet, the younger of the partners, the one that happened to be born after Elvis officially “left the building” in 1977, was adamant about writing a blog post to commemorate Elvis’ 75th birthday.

Validation came when it became a trending topic on Twitter, yet disappointment crept in when Google overlooked it, and opted to ignore the 75th birthday of the King. This revelation, coupled with our senior partner’s utter love of rock and roll, resulted in our attempt at celebrating his contribution across so many industries and genres.

It is an inspiration to see that we still celebrate the true legends and don’t seem to forget them but use tools that didn’t even exist in his prime to memorialize him. Fans showed up in droves to celebrate him at Graceland despite cool temps and the potential for snow.

The turnout in person and in the social space show that Elvis continues to live in the hearts and minds of so many Americans.  With video montages on YouTube, the #Elvis trending topic on Twitter, his Facebook fan page touting nearly 500,000 fans and features on the Today Show, NPR, Rolling Stone magazine, Elvis struck up some serious buzz in cyberspace.

While most of us, even members of Gen Y, “Can’t Help Falling In Love” with this iconic symbol of rock and roll, another symbol of our times, Google, chose to pass on a great opportunity to commemorate the legend, it did not go unnoticed by fans or the Googlebots. A fan posted a question on Google’s forum, has yet to see a response, but does find itself atop the Google search.

Great images, videos, and songs were shared across numerous social network sites, transporting many back to the time when he was first on the scene performing rockabilly, an uptempo fusion of country and rhythm and blues with a strong backbeat.  In his commercial breakthrough in 1956, he was recognized as the leading figure of the new fad, rock and roll, though his antics were highly controversial. His well-known uninhibited performances were popular with many of the young ladies from his very first performance. Though he was shaking his legs in response to the rhythm and due to nervousness, as his wide-cut pants emphasized his movements, the women began to scream, the crowd went wild, and the rest is what we are still talking about on his 75th birthday.

Elvis Presley is regarded as one of the most important figures of pop culture in the twentieth century, and continues to be the best-selling solo artist in the history of popular music.

75 years later, the King still shows us that while the trending topic on Twitter may not be “Elvis Is Back” but that music he recorded in the 60s provided “Something for Everybody” and proves to us all that fans worldwide are wishing you Happy 75th Birthday and still … “Loving You.”

Written by: Sara Paxton, managing partner, CTO, and Social Media Officer of Evans Media Group, Kansas City’s Social Media Agency, a boutique agency located in Overland Park, KS that specializes in traditional marketing, social media marketing, online marketing, and public relations.