In the 24th Anniversary issue of Elvis International magazine, this writer hammered cable channel VH1 pretty good for their shabby treatment of Elvis in their various Top 100 Greatest lists. So, it's only fair to give them praise for their “100 Sexiest Artists Of All Time.”
Elvis ranks #2 on the list, trailing only Madonna. As the sexiest male rocker of all time, Elvis is followed on the list by Mick Jagger, Prince, Jim Morrison, and Sting. For once, Elvis killed the Beatles on a VH1 list. They rated only the 25th sexiest artists.
However, VH1 left me shaking my head with the corny comments in their web-site feature on the Top 100 list. “Even before 50's teens had seen Elvis' bad boy good looks, the languid drawl of “That's All Right Mama” made them aware of a world spinning below their belts. When he finally hit the TV screen, he became Public Enemy # 1 of sex.”
What the heck does that mean? It is obviously from the reference point of teenage girls, but I can speak for the teenage boys of the day, We wanted hair like Elvis, attitude like Elvis, clothes like Elvis. Basically, we wanted the sex appeal of Elvis. He was our Public Envy # 1.
© 2005 Philip R Arnold