Are You Lonesome Tonight?
Elvis Presley | Artist Essentials
First released: 1960 (year verified)
Original studio recording with the spoken passage
MusicAtlas editorial note: The spoken passage changes the scale of this intimate ballad; let its theatrical turn play out.
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Release evidence and recording details
First released: 1960 (year verified)
The original release is documented by the cited label catalog. The year identifies this recording's first issue; session dates, later compilations and remasters do not set the date.
Recording: Original studio recording with the spoken passage
Credit: Elvis Presley
Role in this collection: Primary artist
Original single: Are You Lonesome Tonight? / I Gotta Know
Are You Lonesome Tonight? - official Sony/Elvis original-release catalog
Original November 1960 studio single, paired with I Gotta Know. The 1961 annual chart association is a carryover, not a first-release date. | Reviewed 2026-10-17
In the yearly lists
These are listening-list appearances, separate from the first-release date.
About Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley's early records brought country, blues, gospel, R&B and pop into a new rock-and-roll setting during the 1950s. His singing and physical stage style helped carry that mixture to a large audience. His career also moved through film work, ballad singing and later concert performances, so the familiar early rock records represent only one part of his repertoire. Gospel and quieter vocal interpretations continued alongside the more rhythmic material associated with his breakthrough.
Artist background sources
Elvis Presley - Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
1950s blend of country, blues, gospel, R&B and pop; early stage style, film work, ballads and later concerts. | Retrieved 2026-10-17
Profile reviewed: 2026-10-17. Artist background does not establish a song's creative origin or release date.
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