10 Elvis Presley Songs Which Will Change How You Think About The King

Presley's music had roots in blues, country and gospel, and it is the latter that we are concerned with here. Elvis' range as a singer and performer remains under-appreciated by many. Alongside rock, pop, country, funk and soul, the singer cut three excellent albums of gospel-based material. How Great Thou Art, the title-track from Presley's ninth studio album, released in 1967, is one of his best.

It''s a song that has a long and complicated history. Based on a traditional Swedish melody put to a poem by Swedish poet Carl Boberg, the song was first translated into German, then from German to Russian, and finally from Russian to English, this last by missionary Stuart Hine, who composed two additional verses.

Presley recorded religious, or spiritual music, on and off throughout his career, and always rose to the occasion. The How Great Thou Art sessions are significant in marking the singer's first non-movie-soundtrack material in over five years. The album achieved critical and commercial acclaim.