Friday Blog Question

This week, Mariah Carey announced that she had surpassed Elvis Pressley’s record for most No. 1 singles on Billboard’s Popular Music chart. Now the estate of Elvis Pressley says that he actually had 18 No. 1 songs, while Carey’s latest, “Touch My Body,” is only her 17th. They are claiming that the singles “Don’t be Cruel” and “Hound Dog,” while sold together on a 45 single, are two separate songs that reached No. 1. Question: Given the fact that these questions go largely unanswered every week, am I too obviously pandering for your feedback on this tangentially-PR related story? Any comments on the story are welcome too. What the hell.

Elvis will always be more talented than Mariah Carey. - Ellen Stevens

If you self-proclaim that you have the most, you've mssed the point entirely of having the most. And for Mariah's peeps to forcefully put her in the same conversation as the king is akin to HRC putting herself in the conversation about sniper fire in Kosovo. At the same time, Elvis' peeps even wasting 10 seconds to address it is sad. At the end of the day, the comparative cultural impact isn't even close. I betcha the king has more search volume in the grave than Mariah does today. - Jason Baer

It's impossible to pander without giving up something more valuable - credibility - in the process. Mariah's a sold-out has-been. When was the last time she actually sang anything? "Touch My Body" is no "Butterfly", "Emotions", or "I'll Be There." And Elvis is... dead. Mariah automatically wins simply for not being dead, and therefor having no current upper limit (either in total number of No. 1 songs or her ability to pander more and more trash.) - Joseph Jaramillo

If you are asking if I am siding with Mariah or Elvis, there is only one clear answer, he is The King and she is... well she isn't. The pure fact that the name of the song she claims broke the record is "Touch My Body" is almost insulting to the legend that is Elvis. Ultimately Mariah's peeps should give this one up, I am sure she will have another #1 in her career thereby passing Elvis up without argument from anyone. Let's just hope the next hit has a more respectable title. - Michelle Zimmerman

Mariah Carey is still releasing albums? That people buy? And…listen to? Sorry, I can’t move past that fact to answer your question. Sara Wachter-Boettcher

Yes. - Brian Renner

Hey, whatever works - at least this week you're getting some answers! - Me

You're not pandering. This issue must be addressed! For Mariah Carey and her camp to draw comparisons - in any way - no matter how significant they might think it is, with "The King" is utterly preposterous! Mariah's untalented, unmelodious screeching is oceans away from the classic rock n roll abilities of Elvis. Can Mariah say she's inspired a generation of music lovers? I think not. Can Mariah say she has influenced the industry with her ground breaking style? Sadly, or should I say happily not. Can Mariah say she's changed the face of music? Need I say more? This boast goes further than just numbers, it's insulting to real talent - whether that talent is a "one hit wonder" or has longevity because of their originality. Nowadays, the amount of #1 hits a performer has doesn't necessarily mean they're talented, many times it just means the studio knows how to package and produce. Or maybe the audience just doesn't know music and talent anymore? - Ruben Munoz

Until Mariah Carey comes out with commemorative dinner plates, she’ll always be playing second fiddle to the King. - Chris Sietsema

I’m still trying to think of some blog questions for ya, I like the Friday questions but haven’t had a chance to send off enough responses lately. - Brian Renner

About the Author: Eric Reid

I am the Social Media Services Manager for Off Madison Ave. I've been with the company since 2006, when I was hired to do SEO, and link building in particular. When social networking sites started cropping up, at first I started using them to create backlinks - but they weren't the best for that, given all of the "nofollow" attributes. However, I did see the potential for all of the direct referral traffic they represent. Since then I've been actively pursuing both tactics for clients: Links that can help them for search, and social postings that get them involved in the conversation. It's about the coolest job you could ever get. ;)