Introduction
Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love” stands as one of the most enduring ballads in popular music history. Crafted by songwriters Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, and George David Weiss, the song was written for Presley’s 1961 film Blue Hawaii and released as a single on November 21 of that year . Intriguingly, its melody is drawn from the 18th-century French love song Plaisir d’amour, composed in 1784 by Jean-Paul-Égide Martini .
Recorded at Radio Recorders in Hollywood on March 23, 1961, the session brought together a notable ensemble: guitarists Scotty Moore and Hank Garland, pianist Floyd Cramer, bassist Bob Moore, drummers D.J. Fontana and Hal Blaine, saxophonist Boots Randolph, pedal steel guitarist Alvino Rey, celesta, harmonica, ukulele, and backing vocals from The Jordanaires. Elvis nailed the vocals after 29 takes .
In the U.S., the single peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent six weeks atop the Adult Contemporary chart . Across the Atlantic, it topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks in 1962 . It became a signature song for Elvis—closing his late-’60s and ’70s live performances—including his 1968 NBC special, his globally televised Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite in 1973, and his final concert in Indianapolis on June 26, 1977, where it was the last song he ever performed live.
Beyond Elvis, the song has been widely covered. UB40’s 1993 reggae-pop version reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks. Over the years, artists from Perry Como and Doris Day to more contemporary names like Pearl Jam, Twenty One Pilots, and Kacey Musgraves have reimagined the melody .
Ranked No. 403 on Rolling Stone’s 2003 list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time,” the song remains an unwavering favorite at weddings and anniversaries, beloved across generations.