Introduction
“One Broken Heart for Sale” is a pop song by Elvis Presley, released as a single on January 29, 1963. The track was penned by the renowned songwriting duo Otis Blackwell and Winfield Scott, known for crafting several of Presley’s earlier hits.
This song was part of the soundtrack for the film “It Happened at the World’s Fair,” in which Presley starred.
The recording session took place on September 22, 1962, at Radio Recorders studio in Hollywood, California. Notably, the single version of “One Broken Heart for Sale” was released at a truncated length of 1:34, shorter than its actual recording time of 2:25. Additionally, the track lacked the typical post-production enhancements that provide a polished sound for radio play, resulting in a “flat” audio quality. These factors contributed to the song’s performance on the charts; it peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking the first time a regularly scheduled Elvis single did not reach the Top 10.
Despite not achieving Top 10 status, “One Broken Heart for Sale” showcased Presley’s versatility in the pop genre and remains a notable entry in his extensive catalog. The song’s release, coupled with its role in “It Happened at the World’s Fair,” reflects the synergy between Presley’s music and film endeavors during the early 1960s.