In April 1960, after Elvis Presley 's two-year service in the United States Army, he recorded this song because of pressure from his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" was Parker's wife, Marie Mott's, favorite song but EP still did NOT want to record it. Parker put pressure on him and had his wife ask (beg) him to record it...and he did for her, but still didn't like the song! He later did not regret recording it...it was a big seller and did very well in the charts.

The song debuted on Billboard's Top 40 at number 35 on November 14, moved a week later to number two, and topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart by November 28 (replacing Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs ' "Stay").