Best Albums of the 1950s

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

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	122	5,295	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 (1,981st)by Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie
1953	194	6,725	Black Coffee With Peggy Lee (1,823rd)by Peggy Lee
1954	230	11,156	Chet Baker Sings (673rd)by Chet Baker
1955	326	14,931	In The Wee Small Hours (382nd)by Frank Sinatra
1956	435	32,552	Elvis Presley (365th)by Elvis Presley
1957	567	45,614	Blue Train (303rd)by John Coltrane
1958	570	41,516	Lady In Satin (564th)by Billie Holiday
1959	613	81,859	Kind Of Blue (38th)by Miles Davis
Total	3,348	250,828

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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491.

Harmony Time Vol.2

The Chordettes

Year of Release:

1951

Appears in:

14 charts

Rank Score:

Rank in 1951:

Rank in 1950s:

491

Overall Rank:

17,554

Average Rating:

69 (12 votes)

Comments:

492.

Rock 'N' Roll Stage Show

Bill Haley And His Comets

Year of Release:

1956

Appears in:

19 charts

Rank Score:

Rank in 1956:

Rank in 1950s:

492

Overall Rank:

17,558

Average Rating:

73 (19 votes)

Comments:

493.

1ère Série: Félix Leclerc Chante Ses Derniers Succès

Félix Leclerc

Year of Release:

1951

Appears in:

13 charts

Rank Score:

Rank in 1951:

Rank in 1950s:

493

Overall Rank:

17,643

Average Rating:

70 (11 votes)

Comments:

494.

Calendar Girl

Julie London

Year of Release:

1956

Appears in:

15 charts

Rank Score:

Rank in 1956:

Rank in 1950s:

494

Overall Rank:

17,661

Average Rating:

71 (15 votes)

Comments:

495.

A Modern Jazz Symposium Of Music And Poetry

Charles Mingus

Year of Release:

1958

Appears in:

15 charts

Rank Score:

Rank in 1958:

Rank in 1950s:

495

Overall Rank:

17,774

Average Rating:

68 (13 votes)

Comments:

496.

The Hit Makers!

Les Paul & Mary Ford

Year of Release:

1953

Appears in:

13 charts

Rank Score:

Rank in 1953:

Rank in 1950s:

496

Overall Rank:

17,791

Average Rating:

72 (7 votes)

Comments:

497.

At The Cafe Bohemia, Volume 1
Live

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers

Year of Release:

1956

Appears in:

18 charts

Rank Score:

Rank in 1956:

Rank in 1950s:

497

Overall Rank:

17,801

Average Rating:

72 (17 votes)

Comments:

498.

Stan Getz & J.J. Johnson At The Opera House

Stan Getz & J.J. Johnson

Year of Release:

1958

Appears in:

15 charts

Rank Score:

Rank in 1958:

Rank in 1950s:

498

Overall Rank:

17,858

Average Rating:

71 (16 votes)

Comments:

499.

Exotica

Martin Denny

Year of Release:

1957

Appears in:

13 charts

Rank Score:

Rank in 1957:

Rank in 1950s:

499

Overall Rank:

17,900

Average Rating:

69 (18 votes)

Comments:

500.

Ratu Kembang Katjang

Waldjinah

Year of Release:

1958

Appears in:

5 charts

Rank Score:

Rank in 1958:

Rank in 1950s:

500

Overall Rank:

17,957

Average Rating:

68 (4 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 50 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%
Sonny Rollins	15	2%
Frank Sinatra	15	2%
Ella Fitzgerald	13	1%
Sarah Vaughan	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 1969
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2. In The Court Of The Crimson King (An Observation By King Crimson) by King Crimson
3. Led Zeppelin II by Led Zeppelin
4. Let It Bleed by The Rolling Stones
5. Led Zeppelin by Led Zeppelin
6. The Velvet Underground by The Velvet Underground
7. Five Leaves Left by Nick Drake
8. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere by Neil Young & Crazy Horse
9. In A Silent Way by Miles Davis
10. Hot Rats by Frank Zappa
11. Tommy by The Who
12. Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
13. The Band by The Band
14. Arthur Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire by The Kinks
15. Crosby, Stills & Nash by Crosby, Stills & Nash
16. The Stooges by The Stooges
17. Green River by Creedence Clearwater Revival
18. Stand! by Sly & The Family Stone
19. Willy And The Poor Boys by Creedence Clearwater Revival
20. Karma by Pharoah Sanders