lvis Presley had enjoyed one of the most spectacular chart careers of any artist in the history of rock 'n' roll, but by the 1970s his popularity had faded. Still there were reminders of his charisma and talent, and one such reminder gave him the final Billboard Top 10 hit of his career.

Debuting in the Billboard Top 40 on Sept. 9, 1972, "Burning Love" was Elvis Presley's 95th Top 40 hit and peaked at No. 2 on Oct. 28, 1972. The gold single was the lead track on an Elvis compilation, Burning Love and Hits from His Movies, which entered the Billboard Hot 200 on Nov. 11, 1972. It peaked at No. 22 and remained on the chart for 25 weeks.

"Burning Love" was written by Dennis Linde, but it would have been more accurate to say that Elvis was feeling burned by love. After five years of marriage, he and Priscilla had legally separated, and by August 1972, divorce proceedings had begun. During that time Elvis found some comfort with the new woman in his life, girlfriend Linda Thompson. She explained how the two of them had come together. In Elvis Up Close she stated, "I met Elvis on July 6, 1972. I was Miss Tennessee at the time, and we were introduced by a mutual friend when I was invited to go to the Memphian theater. My friend Jeanne LeMay and I went together, and Elvis and I met. From the moment on we had a real affinity for each other -- a real common bond. We both had grown up in the same area, and we just kind of clicked."

Although Elvis's personal life was in transition, his chart career was running more or less on autopilot. He hadn't had a Top 10 hit since the 1970 #9 single "The Wonder of You," but his hopes were high for "Burning Love." Debuting at #90 the song climbed to #2 in 11 weeks, Elvis's slowest climb to the runner-up position during his career; nevertheless the song sold more than a million copies. The single's flip side, "It's A Matter Of Time," became a #36 Country hit and reached #9 on the Adult Contemporary charts.

To capitalize on the song's success, "Burning Love" was quickly packaged with several of Elvis's hits from movies like Spinout, Fun In Acapulco, Double Trouble, Blue Hawaii, and Girls! Girls! Girls!. The song was also included in his television special, Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii, where it found a home beside covers of "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," "My Way," and "Something." The show's soundtrack became Elvis's last #1 album.

When "Burning Love" hit #2, it proved that Elvis was still capable of rewriting the record books. It became his fifth #2 single, tying him with Creedence Clearwater Revival for the most #2 hits over the course of a career. He also maintained a chart span of 14 years and six months between the peak of his first #2 single, "Wear My Ring Around Your Neck," and his last #2 single, a testament to his enduring popularity. His remaining years saw ups and downs; he earned a Grammy for Best Inspirational Performance in 1972, but his divorce was finalized in 1973. While nobody doubted Elvis Presley's ability to make a comeback, time didn't allow for it. He died on August 16, 1977.

- Christopher G. Feldman, The Billboard Book of No. 2 Singles, Billboard, 2000.

 

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