Which Elvis Presley recording was his first single, released by Sun Records in 1954?

Elvis Presley’s first single, released by Sun Records in 1954, was “That’s All Right.”

Presley recorded the song at Sun Studio in Memphis with producer Sam Phillips. The track combined Arthur Crudup’s blues song with a faster, energetic performance that drew on country and rhythm-and-blues traditions. Sun issued it as a single in July 1954, backed with “Blue Moon of Kentucky.”

The release launched Presley’s professional recording career and helped create the sound later associated with early rock and roll. Radio listeners and record buyers sometimes debated whether the music was country or rhythm and blues, reflecting the way Presley crossed existing genre boundaries.

“Blue Moon of Kentucky” is a common mix-up because it was the single’s other side and became an important part of the release’s success. “Heartbreak Hotel,” meanwhile, was Presley’s first single for RCA, not his first single overall.