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 54,000 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	125	5,249	Voice Of The Xtabay (2,140th)by Yma Sumac
1951	142	4,226	Genius Of Modern Music (2,785th)by Thelonious Monk
1952	153	6,991	Bird & Diz (1,949th)by Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie
1953	197	6,739	Black Coffee With Peggy Lee (1,812th)by Peggy Lee
1954	232	11,105	Chet Baker Sings (681st)by Chet Baker
1955	342	14,926	In The Wee Small Hours (380th)by Frank Sinatra
1956	454	32,512	Elvis Presley (352nd)by Elvis Presley
1957	582	45,625	Blue Train (294th)by John Coltrane
1958	599	41,453	Lady In Satin (558th)by Billie Holiday
1959	644	81,542	Kind Of Blue (37th)by Miles Davis
Total	3,470	250,367

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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31.

Ascenseur Pour L'échafaud
Soundtrack

Miles Davis

Year of Release:

1958

Appears in:

188 charts

Rank Score:

1,406

Rank in 1958:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,247

Average Rating:

81 (215 votes)

Comments:

32.

After School Session

Chuck Berry

Year of Release:

1957

Appears in:

191 charts

Rank Score:

1,402

Rank in 1957:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,249

Average Rating:

77 (159 votes)

Comments:

33.

Lady Sings The Blues

Billie Holiday

Year of Release:

1956

Appears in:

189 charts

Rank Score:

1,360

Rank in 1956:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,288

Average Rating:

77 (172 votes)

Comments:

34.

Elvis

Elvis Presley

Year of Release:

1956

Appears in:

199 charts

Rank Score:

1,312

Rank in 1956:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,332

Average Rating:

77 (199 votes)

Comments:

35.

Chega De Saudade

João Gilberto

Year of Release:

1959

Appears in:

143 charts

Rank Score:

1,249

Rank in 1959:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,396

Average Rating:

78 (139 votes)

Comments:

36.

Frank Sinatra Sings For Only The Lonely

Frank Sinatra

Year of Release:

1958

Appears in:

171 charts

Rank Score:

1,248

Rank in 1958:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,399

Average Rating:

77 (194 votes)

Comments:

37.

Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Cole Porter Song Book

Ella Fitzgerald

Year of Release:

1956

Appears in:

168 charts

Rank Score:

1,067

Rank in 1956:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,609

Average Rating:

78 (139 votes)

Comments:

38.

Ray Charles

Year of Release:

1957

Appears in:

135 charts

Rank Score:

1,065

Rank in 1957:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,617

Average Rating:

76 (106 votes)

Comments:

39.

Little Richard

Year of Release:

1958

Appears in:

144 charts

Rank Score:

1,042

Rank in 1958:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,642

Average Rating:

76 (101 votes)

Comments:

40.

Sarah Vaughan

Year of Release:

1955

Appears in:

166 charts

Rank Score:

1,013

Rank in 1955:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,673

Average Rating:

78 (148 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 4 of 100

Best Albums of the 1950s composition

Year	Albums	%

1950	40	4%
1951	40	4%
1952	59	6%
1953	63	6%
1954	76	8%
1955	82	8%
1956	116	12%
1957	154	15%
1958	172	17%
1959	198	20%

Artist	Albums	%

Billie Holiday	18	2%
Various Artists	17	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	%

	777	78%
	36	4%
	34	3%
	27	3%
	19	2%
	13	1%
	11	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	943	94%
Yes	57	6%

Live?	Albums	%
No	962	96%
Yes	38	4%

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

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