LOW: Hollywood

Elvis Presley made 27 films throughout the '60s. Most of them sucked, despite generating sizable box office and soundtrack receipts. Presley himself reportedly said that some his own movies made him physically ill. No wonder. His parts ranged from dual roles as a soldier and a strawberry blond hillbilly in 1963's "Kissin' Cousins" to an Indian rodeo star in 1968's "Stay Away Joe."

 

HIGH: Black Leather

Sick of seeing his credibility drained by years of Hollywood filmmaking schlock, Presley staged his first live appearance since 1961. Col. Parker originally wanted a Christmas show of Elvis singing carols. Thankfully, TV director Steve Binder talked some sense into Parker and used the show as an opportunity to re-establish Elvis' rightful place on his rock throne. It did the trick. Not only was the 1968 NBC special "Elvis," a ratings hit, but it also gave Elvis his recording career back and taught a generation of rockers, from Bono to Billie Joe Armstrong, how to wear leather and dye their hair black.