Best Albums of the 1950s

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Listed below are the best albums of the 1950s as calculated from their overall rankings in over 53,000 greatest album charts.

Best albums by year or decade

Decade:

Year:

1950s decade summary

Year	Albums The number of albums from each year featuring in the greatest album charts.	Score Total rank score for each year (made up of the total rank score from all albums in that year)	Top Ranked Album The top ranked album from each year and where it ranks in the overall chart.
1950	124	5,299	Voice Of The Xtabay (2,068th)by Yma Sumac
1951	141	4,237	Genius Of Modern Music (2,769th)by Thelonious Monk
1952	150	6,942	Bird & Diz (1,980th)by Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie
1953	194	6,724	Black Coffee With Peggy Lee (1,823rd)by Peggy Lee
1954	230	11,154	Chet Baker Sings (673rd)by Chet Baker
1955	326	14,929	In The Wee Small Hours (382nd)by Frank Sinatra
1956	435	32,542	Elvis Presley (365th)by Elvis Presley
1957	567	45,625	Blue Train (303rd)by John Coltrane
1958	570	41,514	Lady In Satin (564th)by Billie Holiday
1959	613	81,822	Kind Of Blue (38th)by Miles Davis
Total	3,350	250,788

The best artists of the 1950s were Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, Frank Sinatra, Charles Mingus, Elvis Presley, Art Blakey, Thelonious Monk, The Dave Brubeck Quartet, Billie Holiday and John Coltrane.

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141.

Palo Congo

Sabu

Year of Release:

1957

Appears in:

55 charts

Rank Score:

267

Rank in 1957:

Rank in 1950s:

141

Overall Rank:

5,048

Average Rating:

71 (67 votes)

Comments:

142.

Du Chant À La Une!...

Serge Gainsbourg

Year of Release:

1958

Appears in:

46 charts

Rank Score:

266

Rank in 1958:

Rank in 1950s:

142

Overall Rank:

5,073

Average Rating:

72 (52 votes)

Comments:

143.

The Boss Of The Blues Sings Kansas City Jazz

Big Joe Turner

Year of Release:

1956

Appears in:

54 charts

Rank Score:

265

Rank in 1956:

Rank in 1950s:

143

Overall Rank:

5,083

Average Rating:

72 (33 votes)

Comments:

144.

Unforgettable
Compilation

Nat King Cole

Year of Release:

1952

Appears in:

45 charts

Rank Score:

263

Rank in 1952:

Rank in 1950s:

144

Overall Rank:

5,124

Average Rating:

73 (46 votes)

Comments:

145.

Bound For Glory

Woody Guthrie

Year of Release:

1956

Appears in:

43 charts

Rank Score:

262

Rank in 1956:

Rank in 1950s:

145

Overall Rank:

5,143

Average Rating:

72 (35 votes)

Comments:

146.

Lightnin' Hopkins

Year of Release:

1959

Appears in:

60 charts

Rank Score:

260

Rank in 1959:

Rank in 1950s:

146

Overall Rank:

5,165

Average Rating:

73 (41 votes)

Comments:

147.

Songs Of Ireland

Mary O'Hara

Year of Release:

1958

Appears in:

36 charts

Rank Score:

259

Rank in 1958:

Rank in 1950s:

147

Overall Rank:

5,189

Average Rating:

74 (33 votes)

Comments:

148.

Down And Out Blues
Compilation

Sonny Boy Williamson

Year of Release:

1959

Appears in:

62 charts

Rank Score:

257

Rank in 1959:

Rank in 1950s:

148

Overall Rank:

5,224

Average Rating:

72 (38 votes)

Comments:

149.

Ahmad Jamal At The Pershing
Live

Ahmad Jamal

Year of Release:

1958

Appears in:

41 charts

Rank Score:

256

Rank in 1958:

Rank in 1950s:

149

Overall Rank:

5,243

Average Rating:

77 (29 votes)

Comments:

150.

Art Pepper Meets The Rhythm Section

Art Pepper

Year of Release:

1957

Appears in:

53 charts

Rank Score:

251

Rank in 1957:

Rank in 1950s:

150

Overall Rank:

5,342

Average Rating:

78 (40 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 15 of 100

Best Albums of the 1950s composition

Year	Albums	%

1950	39	4%
1951	40	4%
1952	58	6%
1953	62	6%
1954	77	8%
1955	87	9%
1956	116	12%
1957	152	15%
1958	173	17%
1959	196	20%

Artist	Albums	%

Various Artists	19	2%
Billie Holiday	18	2%
Miles Davis	16	2%
Frank Sinatra	15	2%
Sonny Rollins	15	2%
Ella Fitzgerald	13	1%
Elvis Presley	11	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	781	78%
	39	4%
	32	3%
	26	3%
	20	2%
	12	1%
	11	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	942	94%
Yes	58	6%

Live?	Albums	%
No	963	96%
Yes	37	4%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	977	98%
Yes	23	2%

« View best albums of the 1940sView best albums of the 1960s »

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Best Albums of 1965
1. Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan
2. Rubber Soul by The Beatles
3. A Love Supreme by John Coltrane
4. Bringing It All Back Home by Bob Dylan
5. Help! by The Beatles
6. Otis Blue / Otis Redding Sings Soul by Otis Redding
7. Pastel Blues by Nina Simone
8. My Generation by The Who
9. The Beach Boys Today! by The Beach Boys
10. A Charlie Brown Christmas by Vince Guaraldi
11. Mr. Tambourine Man by The Byrds
12. Here Are The Sonics!!! by The Sonics
13. Out Of Our Heads by The Rolling Stones
14. Maiden Voyage by Herbie Hancock
15. Spiritual Unity by Albert Ayler Trio
16. Jackson C. Frank by Jackson C. Frank
17. Live At The Regal by B.B. King
18. I Put A Spell On You by Nina Simone
19. Turn! Turn! Turn! by The Byrds
20. Bert Jansch by Bert Jansch