Morning Edition

50 years since Elvis was No. 1 with ‘Suspicious Minds’

Elvis was No. 1 on the Billboard pop chart 50 years ago with “Suspicious Minds.”

The song was originally written and recorded by Mark James, who released it in 1968. The song was not successful commercially, but when Elvis heard it, he loved it. He recorded his own version between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. during an epic studio session in Memphis after his acclaimed comeback special. It would become his 18th and final chart-topping hit.