AS John Lennon once said of rock 'n' roll: "Before Elvis there was nothing." And Herald Sun readers agree. Readers have rated Elvis Presley as the greatest of the world's deceased rockers. Presley gained 27 per cent of the vote, beating the Beatle who idolised him by just three percentage points. Such was Lennon's love of Elvis, he was also quoted as saying: "If there hadn't been an Elvis, there wouldn't have been a Beatles."

Jimi Hendrix finished third on 13 per cent, with the highest-placed Aussie rocker, AC/DC's wild-living Bon Scott, getting 7 per cent. Music commentator Glenn A. Baker said it was appropriate that Presley and Lennon headed the poll.

"Elvis was innately the greatest rocker who ever lived because he created this absolute firestorm when he fused black rhythm and white country music," he said. "And when rock 'n' roll seemed to be dying in the late 1950s, bands in England kept it alive. One of those at the forefront was John Lennon.

"The Beatles can be credited with keeping rock 'n' roll alive during that period when Elvis was in the army and things were going wrong for the original rockers." Over 2650 votes were cast in the www.heraldsun.com.au poll,
 

Posted:  9th. June 2008