The story behind the song
It’s Now or Never stands as one of Elvis Presley’s most important achievements, with over 20 million copies sold since coming out in July 1960. This operatic pop ballad was the turning point that changed Elvis from a rock-and-roll rebel into a flexible, mainstream star.
While serving in the U.S. Army stationed in Germany, Elvis heard There’s No Tomorrow, which was based on the famous 1898 Italian song ‘O Sole Mio. He wanted his publisher to create new English words for it. Songwriters Aaron Schroeder and Wally Gold came up with the lyrics in just 30 minutes.
On April 3, 1960, Elvis laid down the track at RCA Studio B in Nashville. As a baritone singer, Elvis stretched his voice into a powerful tenor range to deliver the dramatic, operatic high note at the end. He got the final version right in only four complete takes.
Showing off Elvis’s incredible vocal abilities, the song became his personal favorite that he recorded, reaching #1 on the US charts for five weeks and #1 on the UK charts for eight weeks. It’s Now or Never also did really well on the Billboard R&B chart, hitting #7 in 1960.
AT A GLANCE