The story behind the song
Wear My Ring Around Your Neck is a 1958 rock and roll hit by Elvis Presley that marks an important turning point in his career. The song was written by Bert Carroll and Russell Moody, and it captures the 1950s youth culture of “going steady,” where a girl would wear her boyfriend’s ring on a chain around her neck.
The song was recorded on February 1, 1958, at Radio Recorders in Hollywood. This was Elvis’s last scheduled recording session before he was about to be drafted into the U.S. Army. The studio had a really tense feeling. Famous songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller were supposed to be in charge of the session, but Leiber suddenly got sick with pneumonia and had to go to the hospital. Elvis didn’t want to record without them, so he had a tough time that day. After doing a bunch of exhausting takes on other songs—including 48 annoying attempts at the B-side, Doncha’ Think It’s Time—Elvis and his band finally finished Wear My Ring Around Your Neck after 22 hard takes.
Since Elvis dropped this song while he was still in the military, the upbeat, rock vibe from before he joined the army was super important for marketing. It made sure Elvis stayed in people’s ears on the radio and kept him known as the ‘King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’ even though he wasn’t making new music, which basically got everything ready for his huge comeback after he got out of the army.
When RCA Victor released the song in April 1958, it became notable in chart history because it famously ended Elvis’s amazing run of 10 straight #1 pop hits that he had gotten over the last two years. The song got stuck at #2 on the American pop charts (Billboard Hot 100), but it still topped the Billboard R&B chart at #1 (making it his sixth R&B number-one hit).
AT A GLANCE