Song Viva Las Vegas
Viva Las Vegas is a 1964 song recorded by Elvis Presley written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman for his film of the same name, which along with the song was set for general release the year after.
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Although Elvis Presley never performed the song live, it has since become popular and often performed by others. The RIAA certified the single disc "Viva Las Vegas/What'd I Say" gold on March 27, 1992, having sold 500,000 copies in the United States.
| "Viva Las Vegas" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Elvis Presley | ||||
| B-side | "What'd I Say" | |||
| Released | April 28, 1964 | |||
| Recorded | July 10, 1963 | |||
| Studio | Radio Recorders, Hollywood | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:24 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman | |||
| Elvis Presley singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
History
The song was recorded on July 10, 1963. Released as a single in 1964 with the B-side "What'd I Say" from the same film, "Viva Las Vegas" charted separately from its B-side, reaching No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart. The Elvis version of "What'd I Say" peaked at No. 21, the two sides having equivalent appeal in the marketplace. "Viva Las Vegas" reached No. 17 on the UK Singles Chart, improving to No. 15 after a reissue in 2007. The single reached No. 20 on the Record World chart in the U.S. and No. 14 in Canada. The song was published by Elvis Presley Music, Inc.
In the years since, the song has become popular. In 2002, the city of Las Vegas requested Elvis Presley Enterprises, the company that handles Elvis-related music rights, to allow it to be the official song of the city. Negotiations stalled over the price. EPE had not controlled the copyright to the song since 1993, at which time it became the property of the families of the songwriters Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman.
Use in other media
The song has been adopted as the victory theme for the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Vegas Golden Knights when they win games at T-Mobile Arena, and was played during their victory parade following the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals.
During the trophy ceremony of Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium, Travis Kelce, a tight end for the victorious Kansas City Chiefs, "belted out an impromptu, raggedy chorus" of the song.
ZZ Top version
| "Viva Las Vegas" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by ZZ Top | ||||
| from the album Greatest Hits | ||||
| B-side | "2000 Blues" | |||
| Released | 1992 | |||
| Length | 4:47 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman | |||
| ZZ Top singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
ZZ Top recorded a version of "Viva Las Vegas" as one of two new tracks on their Greatest Hits album (1992). "Viva Las Vegas" was released as a single and reached the Top 10 in both the UK (No. 10) and Ireland (No. 8). This version appeared in a 1993 episode of Beavis and Butt-head.
Dead Kennedys version
San Francisco hardcore punk band Dead Kennedys recorded a version of the song for their debut album Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables. This version has altered lyrics, making references to cocaine and methamphetamine. It appeared on the album as the 14th and final track.
| "Viva Las Vegas" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Dead Kennedys | |
| from the album Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables | |
| Released | September 2, 1980 |
| Genre | Punk rock |
| Length | 2:42 |
| Label | Cherry Red, Alternative Tentacles, Faulty Products, Manifesto |
| Songwriter(s) | Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman |
Charts
Elvis Presley's original version
| Chart (1964) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia | 4 |
| Belgium | 12 |
| Canada (CHUM) Hit Parade | 14 |
| Denmark | 3 |
| Germany | 21 |
| Ireland (IRMA) | 8 |
| Italy | 8 |
| New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade) | 4 |
| Norway | 6 |
| Spain | 16 |
| Sweden | 5 |
| UK Singles Chart | 17 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 29 |
| US Cash Box Top 100 | 16 |
| US Record World | 20 |
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 15 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Silver | 200,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA) | Gold | 500,000^ |
| ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
ZZ Top cover
| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA) | 28 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) | 21 |
| Germany (Official German Charts) | 34 |
| Ireland (IRMA) | 8 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100) | 27 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) | 17 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) | 7 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) | 20 |
| UK Singles Chart | 10 |
| US Billboard Album Rock Tracks | 16 |
References
External links
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