Best Albums of the 1950s

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
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.
19501225,223
19511394,218
19521506,903
19531936,474
195422911,223
195532114,888
195643332,566
195756345,511
195856341,327
195960882,304
Total3,321250,638

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.
View chart at point in time
 Show this chart as it was on the following date
Share this chart
Share | |
Collector's summary (top 1,000)Log in or register to discover the great albums that are missing from your music collection!
Sort by
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1959
Appears in:
Rank Score:
127
Rank in 1959:
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:
127
Rank in 1952:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1959
Appears in:
Rank Score:
126
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:
126
Rank in 1957:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1955
Appears in:
Rank Score:
126
Rank in 1955:
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:
126
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:
126
Rank in 1952:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1959
Appears in:
Rank Score:
125
Rank in 1959:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1959
Appears in:
Rank Score:
125
Rank in 1959:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1956
Appears in:
Rank Score:
124
Rank in 1956:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 1,000. Page 28 of 100

Best Albums of the 1950s composition

Year Albums %


1950 39 4%
1951 40 4%
1952 59 6%
1953 62 6%
1954 76 8%
1955 86 9%
1956 118 12%
1957 152 15%
1958 173 17%
1959 195 20%
Country Albums %


United States 780 78%
Mixed Nationality 39 4%
France 31 3%
United Kingdom 27 3%
Brazil 21 2%
Canada 12 1%
Austria 10 1%
Show all
Compilation? Albums %
No 943 94%
Yes 57 6%
Live? Albums %
No 963 96%
Yes 37 4%
Soundtrack? Albums %
No 978 98%
Yes 22 2%
Popular  Charts
1. The Top 100 Albums by VH1 (2001)
2. 200 Greatest Albums of All Time by Uncut (2016)
3. The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time by New Music Express (2013)
4. The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time by Rolling Stone (2020)
5. The Definitive 200 by National Association of Recording Merchandisers (2007)
6. Virgin All-Time Top 1000 Albums by Virgin (2000)
7. Top 100 Albums by ABC (2006)
8. The Greatest Rock Albums by uDiscoverMusic (2015)
9. Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by Melody Maker (2000)
10. The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time by Consequence of Sound (2022)
11. Die 100 Alben des Jahrhunderts by Spex (2000)
12. Mojo Readers: The 100 Greatest Albums Ever Made by Mojo (1996)
13. Die 100 besten Alben der Musikgeschichte by radioeins (2019)
14. Greatest 100 Albums of All Time by The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums with NME (2006)
15. Die 20 besten Alben der Geschichte by Musikexpress.de (2011)
16. Die 100 besten Platten des Jahrhunderts by Wiener (1999)
17. The 100 Greatest Albums Of All Time by Absolute Radio (2012)
18. 100 Greatest Albums Ever by Q (2006)
19. Die besten Alben aller Zeiten by Rolling Stone Deutschland (2004)
20. Greatest Albums Of All Time by Hartbeat! (1996)
Back to Top