▁over ▁ 4 ▁million ▁copies ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁on ▁its ▁first ▁release . ▁It ▁was ▁his ▁best - s elling ▁single ▁and , ▁starting ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 5 6 , ▁it ▁spent ▁eleven ▁weeks ▁at ▁number ▁one — a ▁record ▁not ▁e cli ps ed ▁until ▁Bo yz ▁II ▁Men ' s ▁" End ▁of ▁the ▁Road " ▁held ▁at ▁the ▁top ▁for ▁ 1 3 ▁weeks ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 . ▁It ▁stayed ▁in ▁the ▁number ▁one ▁spot ▁until ▁it ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁" L ove ▁Me ▁T ender ", ▁also ▁recorded ▁by ▁El vis . ▁Billboard ▁ranked ▁it ▁as ▁the ▁number ▁two ▁song ▁for ▁ 1 9 5 6 . ▁" H ound ▁Dog " ▁would ▁go ▁on ▁to ▁sell ▁ 1 0 ▁million ▁copies ▁world wide , ▁including ▁ 5 ▁million ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁alone . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 8 ▁the ▁" H ound ▁Dog " /" Don ' t ▁Be ▁Cru el " ▁single ▁became ▁just ▁the ▁third ▁record ▁to ▁sell ▁more ▁than ▁three ▁million ▁copies , ▁following ▁B ing ▁C ros by ' s ▁" White ▁Christmas " ▁and ▁Gene ▁Aut ry ' s ▁" R ud olph ▁The ▁Red - N osed ▁Rein de er ". ▁ ▁Despite ▁its ▁commercial ▁success , ▁" El vis ▁used ▁to ▁say ▁that ▁' H ound ▁Dog ' ▁was ▁the ▁s ill iest ▁song ▁he ' d ▁ever ▁s ung ▁and ▁thought ▁it ▁might ▁sell ▁ten ▁or ▁twelve ▁records ▁right ▁around ▁his ▁fol