From his signature look and fashion choices to his seemingly never-ending string of unforgettable hits, Elvis Presley was — and continues to be — one of the most important artists in pop and rock’n’roll music.

Yet many people today don’t realize just how much of an impact he had during his lifetime — and the lasting effects of his influence that continue to permeate pop culture today.

Here are just four of the many ways that Elvis Presley changed music history throughout his long, successful career:

He was the first gold recording artist

On March 23, 1956, Elvis released his first full-length studio album, a self-titled record on RCA records. It was a smash success, fueled by his electrifying television appearances like the notorious Elvis performance on the Ed Sullivan Show. As a result, it became the first-ever album to reach more than $1 million in total sales, and is the first gold-certified album in recorded history.

He was the best-selling musician of his time

Elvis Presley has sold nearly 208 million albums. During his career, he was undoubtedly the most popular artist on earth — and even today, he remains second to only The Beatles on the list of top-selling musicians.

He had the first live performance to be aired via satellite

“Elvis Aloha From Hawaii,” which aired in February 1973, was the first-ever live entertainment special to be broadcast around the world — 40 countries — by satellite as it happened. This Elvis show in Hawaii was also the most expensive entertainment event of its time, costing about $2.5 million to produce — however, all proceeds from ticket sales went to charity.

He has the most hit singles of any artist

With an astonishing 107 top 40 singles hitting the charts during his career, no artist has yet come close to matching or beating Presley’s record for chart success. He has also had 10 of his songs go to the No. 1 chart position in a row!

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