It 's Now or Never ( song ) - wikipedia It 's Now or Never ( song ) `` It 's Now or Never '' Single by Elvis Presley B - side `` A Mess of Blues '' Released July 5, 1960 Format Vinyl single Recorded April 3, 1960, RCA Studios, Nashville, Tennessee Genre Pop Length 3 : 15 Label RCA Victor Songwriter ( s ) Wally Gold, Aaron Schroeder, Eduardo di Capua Elvis Presley singles chronology `` Stuck on You '' / `` Fame and Fortune '' ( 1960 ) `` It 's Now or Never '' ( 1960 ) `` Are You Lonesome Tonight ? '' ( 1960 ) `` Stuck on You '' / `` Fame and Fortune '' ( 1960 ) `` It 's Now or Never '' ( 1960 ) `` Are You Lonesome Tonight ? '' ( 1960 ) `` It 's Now or Never '' is a ballad recorded by Elvis Presley in 1960. It is one of two popular songs based on the Italian song `` ' O Sole mio '' ( music by Eduardo di Capua ), the other being `` There 's No Tomorrow '', recorded by U.S. singer Tony Martin in 1949, which inspired Presley 's version. The lyrics were written by Aaron Schroeder and Wally Gold. The single is the second best - selling single by Presley, and one of the best - selling singles of all time. In the late 1950s, while stationed in Germany with the U.S. Army, Presley heard Martin 's recording. According to The New York Times, quoting from the 1986 book Behind The Hits, `` he told the idea to his music publisher, Freddy Bienstock, who was visiting him in Germany... Mr. Bienstock, who many times found songwriters for Presley, returned to his New York office, where he found songwriters, Mr. ( Aaron ) Schroeder and Wally Gold, the only people in that day. The two wrote lyrics in half an hour. Selling more than 20 million records, the song became number one in countries all around and was Presley 's best selling single ever... a song ( they ) finished in 20 minutes to a half hour was the biggest song of ( their ) career. '' In 1960, `` It 's Now or Never '' was a number - one record in the U.S., spending five weeks at number one and the UK, where it spent eight weeks at the top in 1960 and an additional week at number one in 2005 as a re-issue, and numerous other countries, selling in excess of 25 million copies worldwide, Elvis Presley 's biggest international single ever. Its British release was delayed for some time because of rights issues, allowing the song to build up massive advance orders and to enter the UK Singles Chart at number one, a very rare occurrence at the time. `` It 's Now or Never '' peaked at number seven on the R&B charts. A live version featuring `` ' O Sole mio '' is available on the 1977 live album Elvis in Concert. `` ' O Sole mio '' is sung by tenor Sherrill Nielson. In early 2005, the song was re-released along with the other Presley singles in the UK, and again reached number one on the UK Singles Chart for the week of 5 February 2005. The re-release held the record for the lowest selling number - one single in UK chart history until Orson 's `` No Tomorrow '' in 2006. The song also appears in the TV mini-series Elvis. Contents 1 Charts and certifications 1.1 Weekly charts 1.2 Year - end charts 1.3 Sales and certifications 1.3. 1 Chart succession 2 John Schneider version 3 Uses in popular culture 3.1 Chart performance 4 See also 5 References 6 External links Charts and certifications Weekly charts Chart ( 1960 -- 61 ) Peak position Australia ( Kent Music Report ) Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders ) Germany ( Der Musikmarkt ) Netherlands ( Single Top 100 ) Norway ( VG - lista ) UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) US Billboard Hot 100 US Billboard Hot R&B Sides 7 US Singles ( Cash Box ) Chart ( 1977 ) Peak position UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) 39 Chart ( 2005 ) Peak position France ( SNEP ) 86 Ireland ( IRMA ) 6 Netherlands ( Single Top 100 ) 58 Sweden ( Sverigetopplistan ) 47 UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) Year - end charts Chart ( 1960 ) Rank US Billboard Hot 100 7 US Singles ( Cash Box ) Sales and certifications Region Certification Certified units / Sales Finland ( Musiikkituottajat ) 31,000 Germany ( BVMI ) Gold 1,000,000 United Kingdom ( BPI ) Gold 1,300,000 United States ( RIAA ) Platinum 1,000,000 shipments figures based on certification alone Chart succession Preceded by `` Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini '' by Brian Hyland US Cash Box number - one single August 13, 1960 -- September 3, 1960 ( 4 weeks ) Succeeded by `` The Twist '' by Chubby Checker US Billboard Hot 100 number - one single of 1960 August 15, 1960 -- September 12, 1960 ( 5 weeks ) Preceded by `` Only the Lonely ( Know the Way I Feel ) '' by Roy Orbison UK Singles Chart number - one single 3 November 1960 -- 22 December 1960 ( 8 weeks ) Succeeded by `` I Love You '' by Cliff Richard and The Shadows Preceded by `` A Mess of Blues '' by Elvis Presley European Hitkrant number - one single 1 October 1960 -- 21 January 1961 ( 17 weeks ) Succeeded by `` Are You Lonesome Tonight ? '' by Elvis Presley Preceded by `` Goodies '' by Ciara featuring Petey Pablo UK Singles Chart number - one single 30 January 2005 ( 1 week ) Succeeded by `` Like Toy Soldiers '' by Eminem John Schneider version `` It 's Now or Never '' Single by John Schneider from the album Now or Never B - side `` Stay '' Released 1981 Genre Country Length 3 : 22 Label Scotti Brothers Songwriter ( s ) Wally Gold, Aaron Schroeder, Eduardo di Capua John Schneider singles chronology `` It 's Now or Never '' ( 1981 ) `` Them Good Ol ' Boys Are Bad '' ( 1981 ) `` It 's Now or Never '' ( 1981 ) `` Them Good Ol ' Boys Are Bad '' ( 1981 ) American country music singer and actor John Schneider released in 1981 a cover of the song as his first single and the title track of his debut album Now or Never. Schneider 's version was a top five hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and peaked at # 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. Uses in popular culture An instrumental version is used in a scene from Masahiro Shinoda 's 1964 film Pale Flower. Presley 's version appears in a 2017 TV commercial for Jose Cuervo. Chart performance Chart ( 1981 ) Peak position Canadian RPM Country Tracks 7 Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks 5 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 14 U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks 5 See also List of best - selling singles List of best - selling singles in Germany List of number - one hits in Norway List of Hot 100 number - one singles of 1960 ( U.S. ) List of number - one singles from the 1960s ( UK ) List of number - one singles from the 2000s ( UK ) References Jump up ^ Collins, Ace ( 2005 ). Untold Gold : The Stories Behind Elvis 's # 1 Hits. Chicago Review Press. pp. 155 -- 162. ISBN 9781569765074. Jump up ^ Martin, Douglas ( December 6, 2009 ). `` Aaron Schroeder, Writer of Hit Songs for Elvis Presley, Dies at 83 ''. The New York Times. Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 2004 ). Top R&B / Hip - Hop Singles : 1942 - 2004. Record Research. p. 468. Jump up ^ O'Brien, Jon ( 17 March 2016 ). `` 15 songs from the 00s you probably forgot made number one ''. Metro. Retrieved 2 July 2017. Jump up ^ Kent, David ( 2005 ). Australian Chart Book : 1940 - 1969 : the Hit Songs and Records from Thirty Years of Specially Compiled Charts. Australian Chart Book Limited. Retrieved 2013 - 03 - 04. Jump up ^ `` Ultratop.be -- Elvis Presley -- It 's Now or Never '' ( in Dutch ). Ultratop 50. Retrieved March 4, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Elvis Presley - It 's Now or Never ''. Charts.de. Media Control. Retrieved March 4, 2013. ^ Jump up to : `` Dutchcharts.nl -- Elvis Presley -- It 's Now or Never '' ( in Dutch ). Single Top 100. Retrieved March 4, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Norwegiancharts.com -- Elvis Presley -- It 's Now or Never ''. VG - lista. Retrieved March 4, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Official Singles Chart Top 100 ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 4, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Elvis Presley -- Chart history '' Billboard Hot 100 for Elvis Presley. Retrieved March 4, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Elvis Presley - Awards ''. Allmusic. Retrieved March 4, 2013. Jump up ^ Joel Whitburn 's top pop singles 1955 - 2006. Record Research. 2008 - 01 - 08. Retrieved March 3, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Official Singles Chart Top 100 ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 4, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Lescharts.com -- Elvis Presley -- It 's Now or Never '' ( in French ). Les classement single. Retrieved February 27, 2014. Jump up ^ `` The Irish Charts -- Search charts ''. Irish Recorded Music Association. 2008. To use, type `` Now or Never '' in the `` Search by Song Title '' search var and click search. Archived from the original on 2011 - 10 - 12. Retrieved 2013 - 03 - 04. Jump up ^ `` Chart Track : Week 4, 2005 ''. Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved March 4, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Swedishcharts.com -- Elvis Presley -- It 's Now or Never ''. Singles Top 100. Retrieved March 4, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Official Singles Chart Top 100 ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 4, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Billboard Top 50 - 1956 ''. Billboard. Longbored Surfer. 1956. Retrieved 2013 - 03 - 04. Jump up ^ `` The CASH BOX Year - End Charts : 1960 ''. Cash Box Magazine. 1960. Retrieved 2013 - 03 - 04. ^ Jump up to : `` Elvis Presley '' ( in Finnish ). Musiikkituottajat -- IFPI Finland. Retrieved August 20, 2012. ^ Jump up to : Murrells, Joseph ( 1978 ). The Book of Golden Discs ( 2, illustrated ed. ). Barrie & Jenkins. ISBN 0 - 214 - 20480 - 4. Jump up ^ Copsey, Rob ( August 17, 2017 ). `` Elvis Presley 's Top 50 biggest selling songs revealed ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 16, 2017. Jump up ^ `` American single certifications -- Elvis Presley -- It 's Now or Never ''. Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH External links It 's Now Or Never lyrics Preceded by `` Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini '' by Brian Hyland Billboard Hot 100 number one single August 15, 1960 ( five weeks ) Succeeded by `` The Twist '' by Chubby Checker Elvis Presley singles discography 1950s 1954 `` That 's All Right '' / `` Blue Moon of Kentucky '' `` Good Rockin ' Tonight '' / `` I Do n't Care if the Sun Do n't Shine '' `` You 're a Heartbreaker '' 1955 `` Baby Let 's Play House '' `` I Forgot to Remember to Forget '' / `` Mystery Train '' 1956 `` Heartbreak Hotel '' / `` I Was the One '' `` I Want You, I Need You, I Love You '' / `` My Baby Left Me '' `` Do n't Be Cruel '' / `` Hound Dog '' `` Blue Suede Shoes '' / `` Tutti Frutti '' `` Money Honey '' `` I Got a Woman '' `` Tryin ' to Get to You '' `` Blue Moon '' `` I 'll Never Let You Go ( Lil ' Darlin ' ) '' / `` I 'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry ( Over You ) '' `` Shake, Rattle and Roll '' / `` Lawdy Miss Clawdy '' `` Love Me Tender '' 1957 `` Too Much '' / `` Playing for Keeps '' `` All Shook Up '' `` Peace in the Valley `` ( Let Me Be Your ) Teddy Bear '' `` Paralyzed '' ( UK ) `` Jailhouse Rock '' `` Party '' / `` Got a Lot o ' Livin ' to Do ! '' ( UK ) 1958 `` Do n't '' `` Wear My Ring Around Your Neck '' `` Hard Headed Woman '' / `` Do n't Ask Me Why '' `` King Creole '' ( UK ) `` One Night '' 1959 `` I Need Your Love Tonight '' / `` A Fool Such as I '' `` A Big Hunk o ' Love '' 1960s 1960 `` Stuck on You '' / `` Fame and Fortune '' `` It 's Now or Never '' `` Are You Lonesome Tonight ? '' 1961 `` Surrender '' / `` Lonely Man '' `` I Feel So Bad '' / `` Wild in the Country '' `` ( Marie 's the Name ) His Latest Flame '' / `` Little Sister '' `` Ca n't Help Falling in Love '' / `` Rock - A-Hula Baby '' 1962 `` Good Luck Charm '' / `` Anything That 's Part of You '' `` She 's Not You '' `` Return to Sender '' / `` Where Do You Come From '' 1963 `` One Broken Heart for Sale '' `` ( You 're the ) Devil in Disguise '' `` Bossa Nova Baby '' / `` Witchcraft '' 1964 `` Kissin ' Cousins '' / `` It Hurts Me '' `` What 'd I Say '' / `` Viva Las Vegas '' `` Such a Night '' / `` Never Ending '' `` Ask Me '' / `` Ai n't That Loving You Baby '' `` Blue Christmas '' 1965 `` Do the Clam '' / `` You 'll Be Gone '' `` Crying in the Chapel `` ( Such an ) Easy Question '' `` I 'm Yours '' `` Puppet on a String '' / `` Wooden Heart '' 1966 `` Tell Me Why '' / `` Blue River '' `` Frankie and Johnny '' / `` Please Do n't Stop Loving Me '' `` Love Letters '' `` Spinout '' / `` All That I Am '' `` If Every Day Was Like Christmas '' 1967 `` Indescribably Blue '' `` Long Legged Girl ( With the Short Dress On ) '' / `` That 's Someone You Never Forget '' `` There 's Always Me '' / `` Judy '' `` Big Boss Man '' / `` You Do n't Know Me '' 1968 `` Guitar Man '' `` U.S. Male '' / `` Stay Away '' `` You 'll Never Walk Alone '' `` Your Time Has n't Come Yet, Baby '' / `` Let Yourself Go '' `` Almost in Love '' / `` A Little Less Conversation '' `` If I Can Dream '' / `` Edge of Reality '' 1969 `` Memories '' / `` Charro '' `` How Great Thou Art '' `` In the Ghetto '' / `` Any Day Now '' `` Clean Up Your Own Backyard '' `` Suspicious Minds '' / `` You 'll Think of Me '' `` Do n't Cry Daddy '' 1970s 1970 `` Kentucky Rain '' `` The Wonder of You '' `` I 've Lost You '' `` You Do n't Have to Say You Love Me '' / `` Patch It Up '' `` I Really Do n't Want to Know '' / `` There Goes My Everything '' 1971 `` Rags to Riches '' `` Life '' / `` Only Believe '' `` I 'm Leavin ' '' `` It 's Only Love '' `` Merry Christmas Baby '' / `` O Come All Ye Faithful '' 1972 `` Until It 's Time for You to Go '' `` He Touched Me '' `` An American Trilogy '' / `` The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face '' `` Burning Love '' / `` It 's a Matter of Time '' `` Separate Ways '' / `` Always on My Mind '' 1973 `` Steamroller Blues '' / `` Fool '' `` Raised on Rock '' / `` For Ol ' Times Sake '' `` I 've Got a Thing About You Baby '' `` If You Talk in Your Sleep '' / `` Help Me '' `` Promised Land '' / `` It 's Midnight '' `` My Boy '' / `` Thinking About You '' `` T-R-O-U-B-L-E '' `` Bringing It Back '' / `` Pieces of My Life '' 1976 `` Hurt '' / `` For the Heart '' `` Moody Blue '' 1977 `` Way Down '' `` My Way '' / `` America the Beautiful '' 1978 `` Unchained Melody '' / `` Softly as I Leave You '' Book Portal WikiProject John Schneider Studio albums A Memory Like You Home for Christmas Notable singles `` It 's Now or Never '' `` Dreamin ' '' `` Are You Lonesome Tonight '' `` I 've Been Around Enough to Know '' `` Country Girls '' `` It 's a Short Walk from Heaven to Hell '' `` I 'm Gonna Leave You Tomorrow '' `` What 's a Memory Like You ( Doing in a Love Like This ) '' `` You 're the Last Thing I Needed Tonight '' `` At the Sound of the Tone '' `` Take the Long Way Home '' `` Love, You Ai n't Seen the Last of Me '' `` When the Right One Comes Along '' Related articles MCA Records The Dukes of Hazzard Best - selling singles by year in the United Kingdom 1952 -- 1969 1952 : `` Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart '' -- Vera Lynn ( UK ) 1953 : `` I Believe '' -- Frankie Laine 1954 : `` Secret Love '' -- Doris Day 1955 : `` Rose Marie '' -- Slim Whitman 1956 : `` I 'll Be Home '' -- Pat Boone 1957 : `` Diana '' -- Paul Anka 1958 : `` Jailhouse Rock '' -- Elvis Presley 1959 : `` Living Doll '' -- Cliff Richard ( UK ) 1960 : `` It 's Now or Never '' -- Elvis Presley 1961 : `` Wooden Heart '' -- Elvis Presley 1962 : `` I Remember You '' -- Frank Ifield ( UK ) 1963 : `` She Loves You '' -- The Beatles ( UK ) 1964 : `` Ca n't Buy Me Love '' -- The Beatles ( UK ) 1965 : `` Tears '' -- Ken Dodd ( UK ) 1966 : `` Green, Green Grass of Home '' -- Tom Jones ( UK ) 1967 : `` Release Me '' -- Engelbert Humperdinck ( UK ) 1968 : `` Hey Jude '' -- The Beatles ( UK ) 1969 : `` Sugar, Sugar '' -- The Archies 1970 -- 1989 1970 : `` The Wonder of You '' -- Elvis Presley 1971 : `` My Sweet Lord '' -- George Harrison ( UK ) 1972 : `` Amazing Grace '' -- The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Band ( UK ) 1973 : `` Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree '' -- Tony Orlando and Dawn 1974 : `` Tiger Feet '' -- Mud ( UK ) 1975 : `` Bye Bye Baby '' -- Bay City Rollers ( UK ) 1976 : `` Save Your Kisses for Me '' -- Brotherhood of Man ( UK ) 1977 : `` Mull of Kintyre '' / `` Girls ' School '' -- Wings ( UK ) 1978 : `` Rivers of Babylon '' / `` Brown Girl in the Ring '' -- Boney M. 1979 : `` Bright Eyes '' -- Art Garfunkel 1980 : `` Do n't Stand So Close to Me '' -- The Police ( UK ) 1981 : `` Do n't You Want Me '' -- The Human League ( UK ) 1982 : `` Come On Eileen '' -- Dexys Midnight Runners ( UK ) 1983 : `` Karma Chameleon '' -- Culture Club ( UK ) 1984 : `` Do They Know It 's Christmas ? '' -- Band Aid ( UK ) 1985 : `` The Power of Love '' -- Jennifer Rush 1986 : `` Do n't Leave Me This Way '' -- The Communards ( UK ) 1987 : `` Never Gonna Give You Up '' -- Rick Astley ( UK ) 1988 : `` Mistletoe and Wine '' -- Cliff Richard ( UK ) 1989 : `` Ride on Time '' -- Black Box 1990 -- 2009 1990 : `` Unchained Melody '' -- The Righteous Brothers 1991 : `` ( Everything I Do ) I Do It for You '' -- Bryan Adams 1992 : `` I Will Always Love You '' -- Whitney Houston 1993 : `` I 'd Do Anything for Love ( But I Wo n't Do That ) '' -- Meat Loaf 1994 : `` Love Is All Around '' -- Wet Wet Wet ( UK ) 1995 : `` Unchained Melody '' -- Robson & Jerome ( UK ) 1996 : `` Killing Me Softly '' -- Fugees 1997 : `` Something About the Way You Look Tonight '' / `` Candle in the Wind 1997 '' -- Elton John ( UK ) 1998 : `` Believe '' -- Cher 1999 : ``... Baby One More Time '' -- Britney Spears 2000 : `` Can We Fix It ? '' -- Bob the Builder ( UK ) 2001 : `` It Was n't Me '' -- Shaggy featuring Rikrok ( UK ) 2002 : `` Anything Is Possible '' / `` Evergreen '' -- Will Young ( UK ) 2003 : `` Where Is the Love ? '' -- The Black Eyed Peas 2004 : `` Do They Know It 's Christmas ? '' -- Band Aid 20 ( UK ) 2005 : `` Is This the Way to Amarillo '' -- Tony Christie featuring Peter Kay ( UK ) 2006 : `` Crazy '' -- Gnarls Barkley 2007 : `` Bleeding Love '' -- Leona Lewis ( UK ) 2008 : `` Hallelujah '' -- Alexandra Burke ( UK ) 2009 : `` Poker Face '' -- Lady Gaga 2010 -- present 2010 : `` Love the Way You Lie '' -- Eminem featuring Rihanna 2011 : `` Someone Like You '' -- Adele ( UK ) 2012 : `` Somebody That I Used to Know '' -- Gotye featuring Kimbra 2013 : `` Blurred Lines '' -- Robin Thicke featuring T.I. & Pharrell Williams 2014 : `` Happy '' -- Pharrell Williams 2015 : `` Uptown Funk '' -- Mark Ronson ( UK ) featuring Bruno Mars 2016 : `` One Dance '' -- Drake featuring Wizkid and Kyla ( UK ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=It%27s_Now_or_Never_(song)&oldid=806594292 '' Categories : 1960s ballads 1960 singles 1981 singles 2005 singles Debut singles 1960 songs Elvis Presley songs John Schneider ( screen actor ) songs Songs written by Aaron Schroeder Billboard Hot 100 number - one singles UK Singles Chart number - one singles Number - one singles in Norway Songs written by Wally Gold RCA Victor singles Scotti Brothers Records singles Pop ballads Hidden categories : CS1 Finnish - language sources ( fi ) Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for Belgium ( Flanders ) Singlechart usages for Dutch100 Singlechart usages for Norway Singlechart usages for United Kingdom Singlechart usages for Billboardhot100 Singlechart making named ref Singlechart usages for France Singlechart usages for Ireland Singlechart usages for Sweden Certification Table Entry usages for Finland Certification Table Entry usages for Germany Certification Table Entry usages for United Kingdom Certification Table Entry usages for United States Talk Contents About Wikipedia Dansk فارسی Français Bahasa Indonesia עברית Norsk nynorsk Português Русский Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 23 October 2017, at 00 : 40. 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Question: who sings the song it's now or never
Answer: Elvis Presley