Fender has noted a considerable uptick in guitarists learning Elvis Presley songs on their app, Fender Play, since the release of the Baz Luhrmann biopic Elvis in June.
The Independent shared that the amount of people seeking out Presley’s songs to learn via the guitar-learning platform has doubled in the wake of Elvis coming out. Among the more popular songs being selected, as mentioned by the report, are ‘Jailhouse Rock’, ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ and ‘Burning Love’.
In a statement to the publication, Matt Watts, the senior vice president of marketing for Fender, noted that “the lasting impact of an artist like Elvis is undeniable”.
“His music is still inspiring people across the globe, young and old, to begin their own musical journeys – and this is evident via this spike in activity we have seen,” Watts said.
Presley himself was primarily a rhythm guitar player, playing mostly acoustic guitars and being joined by various lead guitar players throughout his career. Among them was the late Scotty Moore, who was portrayed by Australian actor Xavier Samuel in Elvis.
In a four-star review, NME described Elvis as “a big-screen epic we can’t help falling in love with”.
“Though it plays like a glitzy musical in the mould of Bohemian Rhapsody, Elvis also works as a much-needed lesson about America’s cultural history,” it read.