Latest Release
- 21 NOV 2024
- 20 Songs
- In Motion Pictures · 1999
- Spike · 1989
- My Aim Is True · 1977
- My Aim Is True · 1977
- The Best of Elvis Costello: The First 10 Years · 1977
- My Aim Is True · 1977
- My Aim Is True · 1977
- My Aim Is True · 1977
- King of America · 1986
- My Aim Is True · 1977
Essential Albums
- Elvis Costello’s 1977 debut album is a literate, poppy-punk masterpiece, and then some. Yes, it tears through angry, pointed material—from sneering looks at the daily grind (“Welcome to the Working Week”) to mocking impossible standards of others (“Miracle Man”). It also mellows on a signature ballad that’s tough and tender (“Alison”), and the delectably spare and weirdly noir-ish “Watching the Detectives” is a mark of songwriting genius. While Costello’s lyrics cut like killer short stories, his musical knowledge is only partly displayed here, which makes the melodic brilliance even more remarkable.
Artist Playlists
- Snarling anthems and soulful ballads fuelled by biting wordplay.
- For Elvis, inspiration is everywhere.
- His fans include alt-rockers, punks, country lovers and everyone in between.
Compilations
Appears On
More To Hear
- Elvis digs up old bones and new reflections on a storied career.
- The singer/songwriter chats about his new album ‘Hey Clockface.’
About Elvis Costello
In the mid-’70s, singer-songwriter Elvis Costello did data entry at a makeup company, while performing in London pubs and trying to land a record deal. ∙ My Aim Is True, his 1977 album recorded with producer Nick Lowe, has been acclaimed as one of pop music’s most impressive debuts. ∙ Costello was famously banned from Saturday Night Live after performing “Radio Radio” against the wishes of producer Lorne Michaels. ∙ This Year’s Model, his first album backed by The Attractions, includes the hits “No Action,” “Pump It Up,” and “(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea.” ∙ Over the years, he and Paul McCartney have written more than 15 songs together, including Costello’s biggest US hit, 1989’s “Veronica.” ∙ T Bone Burnett and Costello were nominated for a Grammy Award and an Oscar for Cold Mountain’s “Scarlet Tide,” performed by Alison Krauss. ∙ He has scored two ballets, composed several orchestral pieces, and collaborated Allen Toussaint, The Roots, Brodsky Quartet, and Burt Bacharach. ∙ Rolling Stone ranked him No. 80 on their 100 Greatest Artists list. ∙ In 2003, Elvis Costello & The Attractions were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and he became an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2019.
- BORN
- 1954
- GENRE
- Rock