I think he could've definitely liked the country pop crossover hits from the early 80s (Eddie Rabbit, Juice Newton), rockabilly 50s tinged stuff like Stray Cats and Huey Lewis or obviously Queen's "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" is very Elvis-y. I could've definitely seen him becoming one of the Traveling Wilburys in 1988 if he was still alive...in fact, the last music Roy Orbison did before he himself died that year is the very kind of music I think he would've been making.

In the 90s or maybe early 2000s I could see him teaming up with Rick Rubin for one last CD that would revive his music to a younger crowd (like Johnny Cash's did) although I think he would've been retired by now being 79 years old.

Wow, this is a tough one but I'll give it a shot. I wasn't around when Elvis's music from the 70's came on the radio but I've watched many clips from his old concerts from 1970-1977 on YouTube and his sound went from country to a bit of gospel and some rock and roll from the time before his demise.

Today in 2014 I would probably see him collaborating with some country artists and maybe some new up and coming ones too. If he had lived a healthier lifestyle instead of all those fattening foods and get himself in shape, he would look better and musically as well too. But Elvis was so much under pressure from his manager Tom Parker that everything took it's toll on him that led to his death in 1977.

Nobody knows what kind of music Elvis would come out with today but I'm sure it would be more country & rock and roll.

I think he died before he became a worse joke. He could have ended up reaching 400 pounds, for all we know. His death made him legendary.

As for his evolving music, I think he might have gone more into ballads and made a career out of that in the 80s. He might have made dance songs in the 80s, but in his own Elvis style, not too much like other 80s synth-pop, but you could probably tell it's 80s!

In the 90s he might've taken a six year break from music, just to recharge, from touring and all. Maybe he'd make acoustic music, that was popular in the 90s.

In the 00s, I would have to agree with everything Howard said on this one.

For the 2010s, I think it would have been his last decade in music, maybe even as early as the 00s. I think he would have remade his 1950s songs into an album, and made it 'modern' for his fans. He also would have made more gospel albums for self interest, and then made more greatest hits albums along with it too. I could also see him remaking his other music from other decades.

I'm sure some of my guesses sound horribly off or just plain terrible, but there you go.

I think he died before he became a worse joke. He could have ended up reaching 400 pounds, for all we know. His death made him legendary.

He became a shell of his former self. It was sad to look at those last concerts and to see that he forgot most lines, he was breathing and panting hard and looking so confused. That's what drugs do to you. :( If he wasn't under so much pressure between 1973-1977 and fired his manager he could've lived a better lifestyle without those drugs and fattening foods like eating more fruits and vegetables instead of eating heavy breakfasts and light lunches and gobbling down on loads of peanut butter and banana sandwiches most of the time.

As for his evolving music, I think he might have gone more into ballads and made a career out of that in the 80s. He might have made dance songs in the 80s, but in his own Elvis style, not too much like other 80s synth-pop, but you could probably tell it's 80s!

I can't imagine Elvis in the 80's making dance music.

He became a shell of his former self. It was sad to look at those last concerts and to see that he forgot most lines, he was breathing and panting hard and looking so confused. That's what drugs do to you. :( If he wasn't under so much pressure between 1973-1977 and fired his manager he could've lived a better lifestyle without those drugs and fattening foods like eating more fruits and vegetables instead of eating heavy breakfasts and light lunches and gobbling down on loads of peanut butter and banana sandwiches most of the time.

I can't imagine Elvis in the 80's making dance music.


Me neither.  :P

I could see him making country music in the 80's (think of the Highwaymen, which was a country supergroup made up of Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson, all of whom were roughly the same age as Elvis). Remember that in the 1950's, Elvis and Cash played together and country and rock 'n' roll hadn't yet become defined as completely separate genres. Not to mention that he was almost certainly exposed to country and its world as a young man growing up in the South. Plus, with country being considerably less youth-obsessed that other genres, I could see him making a comeback a little bit more easily in that sphere than in rock. That said, I think that the 80's were a bit easier on older musicians releasing new material than our present day music industry, so maybe he would have continued with some kind of retro-rock that was somehow palateable to then present-day tastes. After all, as "Back to the Future" shows us, there was plenty of 1950's nostalgia in the 80's that Elvis could have taken advantage of.

In the 90's, I agree about him perhaps focusing on acoustic music. Maybe he could have become pop music royalty singing at Super Bowls like another famed performer of his generation, James Brown.

In general, I think that him taking a similar path to that of Johnny Cash but with a greater rock 'n' roll tendency is quite believable, considering that they were both legendary figures in their respective genres (which as I mentioned, were not completely distinguished from each other when the two were still young men) who suffered from drug use in late youth and early middle age. For that reason, I think that Elvis could have avoided becoming a tabloid laughingstock with the right path and a little good PR. I imagine that he probably would have "found God" or become a born-again Christian as a result of overcoming drug use, considering his generally conservative bent (something he didn't share with Cash, who, IIRC, endorsed Jimmy Carter at least once and criticized the Vietnam War) and Southern upbringing.

I could see him making country music in the 80's (think of the Highwaymen, which was a country supergroup made up of Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson, all of whom were roughly the same age as Elvis). Remember that in the 1950's, Elvis and Cash played together and country and rock 'n' roll hadn't yet become defined as completely separate genres. Not to mention that he was almost certainly exposed to country and its world as a young man growing up in the South. Plus, with country being considerably less youth-obsessed that other genres, I could see him making a comeback a little bit more easily in that sphere than in rock. That said, I think that the 80's were a bit easier on older musicians releasing new material than our present day music industry, so maybe he would have continued with some kind of retro-rock that was somehow palateable to then present-day tastes. After all, as "Back to the Future" shows us, there was plenty of 1950's nostalgia in the 80's that Elvis could have taken advantage of.

In the 90's, I agree about him perhaps focusing on acoustic music. Maybe he could have become pop music royalty singing at Super Bowls like another famed performer of his generation, James Brown.

In general, I think that him taking a similar path to that of Johnny Cash but with a greater rock 'n' roll tendency is quite believable, considering that they were both legendary figures in their respective genres (which as I mentioned, were not completely distinguished from each other when the two were still young men) who suffered from drug use in late youth and early middle age. For that reason, I think that Elvis could have avoided becoming a tabloid laughingstock with the right path and a little good PR. I imagine that he probably would have "found God" or become a born-again Christian as a result of overcoming drug use, considering his generally conservative bent (something he didn't share with Cash, who, IIRC, endorsed Jimmy Carter at least once and criticized the Vietnam War) and Southern upr.


From what I know about him, this sounds really like it hits the nail on the head. :) It's interesting that Johnny Cash's huge circa 2002 comeback just months before his death, came about from him putting his own spin on cover songs. That's something I could've seen Elvis doing too.

Yeah, if he "went 80s" at all it'd probably be with Traveling Wilbury's style retro rock, or just lightly synth-tinged adult contemporary ballads.

If Elvis Presley had survived, I have always visualized him still singing in Las Vages, or various concerts, the same way Tony Bennett is preforming now.

Me neither.  :P


I don't know how it will sound.

For that reason, I think that Elvis could have avoided becoming a tabloid laughingstock with the right path and a little good PR

and a life coach to help him on the right path.

If Elvis Presley had survived, I have always visualized him still singing in Las Vegas, or various concerts, the same way Tony Bennett is preforming now.


and making lots of money from his concerts.

This song was released in 1980, and I've always thought it would have made a great Elvis song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77B6XjE4VBs

Who knows? If Elvis would have taken a year or two off and pulled himself together, maybe he might have covered it.

This song was released in 1980, and I've always thought it would have made a great Elvis song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77B6XjE4VBs

Who knows? If Elvis would have taken a year or two off and pulled himself together, maybe he might have covered it.


I think Elvis would've rocked it.

I can't imagine Elvis in the 80's making dance music.


1992 isn't technically 80s, but this was still in ZZ Top's synthesizer-influenced Eliminator/Afterburner/Recycler phase.  If he'd lived long enough, I think he would have liked it.

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  - ZZ Top, Viva Las Vegas, ca. 1992.

Me neither.  :P





Me neither.  :P


Fine, give him another 20 years.

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- Elvis vs. JXL, a dance version of A Little Less Conversation, ca. 2002

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- Elvis vs. Spankox, with a dance version of Blue Moon of Kentucky, ca. 2008

Elvis kicked ass in the '00s.  He just didn't live long enough to see it.

1992 isn't technically 80s, but this was still in ZZ Top's synthesizer-influenced Eliminator/Afterburner/Recycler phase.  If he'd lived long enough, I think he would have liked it.

gOoKzw3JSCM
  - ZZ Top, Viva Las Vegas, ca. 1992.


That would be a great combo, Elvis and ZZ Top.