Best Albums of the 1950s

Listed below are the best albums of the 1950s as calculated from their overall rankings in over 54,000 greatest album charts.

Best albums by year or decade
Decade:
Year:
1950s decade summary
YearAlbums 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.
19501265,257
19511424,239
19521556,474
19531976,717
195423311,061
195534214,944
195645632,649
195758645,670
195860341,833
195964981,767
Total3,489250,611

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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Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1958
Appears in:
Rank Score:
22
Rank in 1958:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1957
Appears in:
Rank Score:
22
Rank in 1957:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1959
Appears in:
Rank Score:
22
Rank in 1959:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1957
Appears in:
Rank Score:
22
Rank in 1957:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1953
Appears in:
Rank Score:
22
Rank in 1953:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1952
Appears in:
Rank Score:
22
Rank in 1952:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1958
Appears in:
Rank Score:
22
Rank in 1958:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1954
Appears in:
Rank Score:
22
Rank in 1954:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1952
Appears in:
Rank Score:
21
Rank in 1952:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1958
Appears in:
Rank Score:
21
Rank in 1958:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 1,000. Page 100 of 100

Best Albums of the 1950s composition

Year Albums %


1950 40 4%
1951 40 4%
1952 58 6%
1953 62 6%
1954 76 8%
1955 82 8%
1956 116 12%
1957 154 15%
1958 174 17%
1959 198 20%
Country Albums %


United States 780 78%
France 34 3%
Mixed Nationality 33 3%
United Kingdom 27 3%
Brazil 19 2%
Canada 13 1%
Austria 11 1%
Show all
Compilation? Albums %
No 944 94%
Yes 56 6%
Live? Albums %
No 962 96%
Yes 38 4%
Soundtrack? Albums %
No 977 98%
Yes 23 2%
Popular  Charts
1. The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time by New Music Express (2013)
2. 200 Greatest Albums of All Time by Uncut (2016)
3. 100 Best Albums - 2024 Edition by Apple Music (2024)
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5. The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time by Rolling Stone (2020)
6. Top 100 Albums by ABC (2006)
7. The Definitive 200 by National Association of Recording Merchandisers (2007)
8. Virgin All-Time Top 1000 Albums by Virgin (2000)
9. Los 48 mejores discos de la historia by Esquire España (2022)
10. 100 Greatest Albums Ever by Q (2006)
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12. Die 20 besten Alben der Geschichte by Musikexpress.de (2011)
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15. The 300 Greatest Albums of All Time (1-100) by Paste (2024)
16. Die 100 Alben des Jahrhunderts by Spex (2000)
17. Mojo Readers: The 100 Greatest Albums Ever Made by Mojo (1996)
18. Greatest 100 Albums of All Time by The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums with NME (2006)
19. Die 100 besten Platten des Jahrhunderts by Wiener (1999)
20. Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by Melody Maker (2000)
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