Rock and roll legend Elvis Presley has returned to the top of the US album chart, 25 years after his death.

His record, Elvis' 30 Number One Hits compilation, was released worldwide on 24 September and went to the top of the US chart after selling 500,318 copies.

According to industry analysts Nielsen Soundscan, this is the first time an Elvis Presley album has debuted at number one in the US.

Last Sunday, the album went straight to number one in the UK album chart.

Presley first hit the music scene in the late 1950s

If it maintains its position this weekend, it will mark the first time in more than 40 years that Presley has topped the album charts both sides of the Atlantic in more than 40 years.

Presley last pulled off the coup of hitting the top slot in the UK and US in 1961 with his Blue Hawaii album.

Charlie Stanford, of the BMG label, said: "It's amazing just how enduring the legend of Elvis has become. This proves just how important Elvis is to every generation of pop fan."

Classics

The Presley collection was released as part of the global commemorations of the rock and roll star's death.

BMG backed it with a multi-million dollar global marketing and promotion campaign.

The collection features songs like Don't Be Cruel, Jailhouse Rock and Return To Sender.

The Beatles matched Presley's UK singles record for 25 years

It also went straight to number one in Spain, Belgium, Argentina, New Zealand, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Chile, Switzerland, Austria and the United Arab Emirates.

Earlier this year, Presley made chart history in the UK when the remix of his little known track A Little Less Conversation went to number one.

Idol

It meant that Presley had notched up more number one singles than any other artist.

He had shared previously shared the singles record of 17 singles with the Beatles. Then Dutch DJ JXL added his own touch to the Presley tune.

Kelly Clarkson won the US version of Pop Idol

As well as being given a fresh sound, the song was boosted by its inclusion in a high-profile Nike World Cup advertising campaign.

Meanwhile, the winner of American Idol - the US version of TV talent show Pop Idol - remained at number one in the US single chart for a second week.

Kelly Clarkson's double A-side single A Moment Like This/Before Your Love sold 146,000 copies last week, bringing the single's total sales to 384,000 since its release on 12 September.

Clarkson's chart success mirrors that of UK Pop Idol winner Will Young, with his debut double A-side single Evergreen/Anything Is Possible.