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	125	5,235	Voice Of The Xtabay (2,074th)by Yma Sumac
1951	141	4,186	Genius Of Modern Music (2,817th)by Thelonious Monk
1952	151	6,928	Bird & Diz (1,986th)by Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie
1953	194	6,687	Black Coffee With Peggy Lee (1,848th)by Peggy Lee
1954	230	11,112	Chet Baker Sings (671st)by Chet Baker
1955	327	14,827	In The Wee Small Hours (382nd)by Frank Sinatra
1956	435	32,209	Elvis Presley (367th)by Elvis Presley
1957	568	45,273	Blue Train (309th)by John Coltrane
1958	570	41,280	Lady In Satin (558th)by Billie Holiday
1959	614	81,394	Kind Of Blue (37th)by Miles Davis
Total	3,355	249,130

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.

Ellington At Newport
Live

Duke Ellington And His Orchestra

Year of Release:

1956

Appears in:

209 charts

Rank Score:

1,469

Rank in 1956:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,206

Average Rating:

79 (191 votes)

Comments:

32.

Ascenseur Pour L'échafaud
Soundtrack

Miles Davis

Year of Release:

1958

Appears in:

185 charts

Rank Score:

1,457

Rank in 1958:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,213

Average Rating:

80 (207 votes)

Comments:

33.

Lady Sings The Blues

Billie Holiday

Year of Release:

1956

Appears in:

187 charts

Rank Score:

1,358

Rank in 1956:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,292

Average Rating:

77 (166 votes)

Comments:

34.

Elvis

Elvis Presley

Year of Release:

1956

Appears in:

198 charts

Rank Score:

1,326

Rank in 1956:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,320

Average Rating:

77 (193 votes)

Comments:

35.

Frank Sinatra Sings For Only The Lonely

Frank Sinatra

Year of Release:

1958

Appears in:

171 charts

Rank Score:

1,273

Rank in 1958:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,366

Average Rating:

77 (194 votes)

Comments:

36.

Chega De Saudade

João Gilberto

Year of Release:

1959

Appears in:

138 charts

Rank Score:

1,162

Rank in 1959:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,495

Average Rating:

78 (135 votes)

Comments:

37.

Little Richard

Year of Release:

1958

Appears in:

140 charts

Rank Score:

1,097

Rank in 1958:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,574

Average Rating:

76 (93 votes)

Comments:

38.

Ray Charles

Year of Release:

1957

Appears in:

134 charts

Rank Score:

1,080

Rank in 1957:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,598

Average Rating:

76 (103 votes)

Comments:

39.

Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Cole Porter Song Book

Ella Fitzgerald

Year of Release:

1956

Appears in:

162 charts

Rank Score:

1,058

Rank in 1956:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,623

Average Rating:

78 (137 votes)

Comments:

40.

Sarah Vaughan

Year of Release:

1955

Appears in:

159 charts

Rank Score:

957

Rank in 1955:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,772

Average Rating:

78 (141 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 4 of 100

Best Albums of the 1950s composition

Year	Albums	%

1950	41	4%
1951	40	4%
1952	58	6%
1953	62	6%
1954	76	8%
1955	85	9%
1956	117	12%
1957	150	15%
1958	174	17%
1959	197	20%

Artist	Albums	%

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

Country	Albums	%

	778	78%
	39	4%
	32	3%
	26	3%
	21	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%

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

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