Elvis Presley remains the single most important figure in twentieth century popular music.
As the most prominent performer of the rock\'n\'ro.
He cannot quite be reduced to a placeholder for the contradictions of commerce.
By 2005 the \'Memphis Flash\' sold over a billion records worldwide, yet his cultural significance cannot be measured by these extraordinary sales figures alone.
To many commentators, however, he has simply embodied the benefits and problems of uncritically embracing capitalism.
Elvis Presley remains the single most important figure in twentieth century popular music