Elvis Presley's Favorite Soda May Have Inspired One Of His Most Popular Hits

Elvis Presley was called many things during his reign as one of the most popular artists in the world: The Hillbilly Cat, Elvis the Pelvis, and of course, The King of Rock and Roll. However, when it comes to one of his greatest hits, he might have to borrow a nickname from his future son-in-law, Michael Jackson, The King of Pop. That's because one of Presley's most famous songs, "All Shook Up," seems to have been inspired by his favorite soda, Pepsi.

It's important to note that while Presley was known for his love of food and drink, the Pepsi inspiration wasn't necessarily due to his influence. The story goes that Otis Blackwell, the legendary songwriter behind Presley classics like "Fever," "Return to Sender," and "Don't Be Cruel," as well as hits for other musicians (such as Jerry Lee Lewis' "Great Balls of Fire"), once claimed he could write a song about anything. A record producer named Al Stanton at Shalimar Music decided to put that claim to the test.

In a 1979 interview with Time Barrier Express Magazine, Blackwell said, "Al Stanton walked in one day with a bottle of Pepsi, shaking it ... and said, 'Otis, I've got an idea. Why don't you write a song called 'All Shook Up?' Two days later I brought the song in and said, 'Look, man, I did something with it'" (per Elvis Australia). It was reported that Presley rewrote parts of the song, though that claim is contested by those who say it was made to justify the practice of performers receiving a share of songwriting royalties.

According to Elvis Presley himself, the credit was given because he came up with the title. In a 1957 interview, he said, "I've never even had an idea for a song. Just once, maybe ... I went to bed one night, had quite a dream, and woke up all shook up. I phoned a pal and told him about it. By morning, he had a new song" (per Elvis Australia).

"All Shook Up" was a certified classic from the moment it hit the airwaves, spending eight weeks at number one on the Billboard charts — the longest run for any Presley single. Whether or not Presley contributed to the writing, his distinctive, percussive slapping of the back of the guitar, which underscored the track, was an inspired addition that helped elevate the song. Pepsi has not outright confirmed the connection, nor does it appear the company has used the song in advertising, but it has referenced the rumor on social media.

While The King might not have been as lyrically inventive as Otis Blackwell, his famous love of food was a source of endless creativity. Forget pepperoni — Elvis Presley topped his pizza with one unique meat: barbecued pork. And then there was the sandwich Elvis loved so much, he ate it by the loaf. It's too bad Presley never wrote his own songs — if he had, we might've gotten another one inspired by The King's other favorite drink: orange Gatorade.