Calypso
by Harry Belafonte

Calypso by Harry Belafonte
Year: 1956
Overall rank: 2,820th   
Average Rating: 
70/100 (from 82 votes)
     
Accolades:
Award Top 20 albums of 1956 (16th)
Award Top 100 albums of the 1950s (85th)
Award Best albums of all time (2,820th)

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Product Details
Availability

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HARRY BELAFONTE Calypso LP RCA Victor LSP-1248(e) SEALED NOS Vintage Stereo VTG
Condition: New


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Harry Belafonte✨CALYPSO 1956 MONO Record ✨RCA Victor LPM-1248
Condition: Used


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Harry Belafonte - Jump Up Calypso 12" Record 1961 RCA Victor Calypso 33RPM
Condition: Used


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Harry Belafonte bestography

Calypso is ranked as the best album by Harry Belafonte.

Harry Belafonte album bestography « Higher ranked
-
This album (2,820th)
Calypso
Lower ranked (9,483rd) »
Jump Up Calypso

(N.B. Bestographies include all albums by an artist (and their variations), but do not include albums ranked outside the top 100,000).

Upcoming concerts

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White Oak Music Hall - Upstairs , Houston, United States. United States
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Aleman & Gera MX - Rich Mafia Tour US 2026
Brooklyn Paramount, Brooklyn, United States. United States
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Calypso track list

   The tracks on this album have an average rating of 76 out of 100 (all tracks have been rated).

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Track
Rating/Comments
1.
Average Rating: 83 (36 votes)Comments: View 0
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2.
Average Rating: 76 (17 votes)Comments: View 0
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3.
Average Rating: 80 (21 votes)Comments: View 0
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5.
Average Rating: 74 (14 votes)Comments: View 0
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6.
Average Rating: 76 (16 votes)Comments: View 0
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7.
Average Rating: 75 (18 votes)Comments: View 0
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8.
Average Rating: 73 (14 votes)Comments: View 0
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9.
Average Rating: 75 (16 votes)Comments: View 0
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10.
Average Rating: 77 (17 votes)Comments: View 0
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11.
Average Rating: 77 (15 votes)Comments: View 0
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Calypso rankings

Rankings summary
Overall rank: 2,820th | 1950s rank: 85th | 1956 rank: 16th

Calypso collection

Calypso ratings

Average Rating: 
70/100 (from 82 votes)
   Help Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.

Showing latest 5 ratings for this album. | Show all 82 ratings for this album.

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RatingDate updatedMemberAlbum ratingsAvg. album rating
 
65/100
 !
12/23/2025 23:45 Exist-en-ciel   6,10570/100
 
50/100
 !
10/25/2025 01:31 xhitmanx   1,37784/100
 
70/100
 !
09/13/2025 10:59 Tamthebam   22,95469/100
 
75/100
 !
07/19/2025 22:57 TastyandTemptin   2,92072/100
 
60/100
 !
06/22/2025 12:10 cicadelic   11,58273/100

Rating metrics: Help Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some albums can have several thousand ratings)

This album has a Bayesian average rating of 69.7/100, a mean average of 68.7/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 69.4/100. The standard deviation for this album is 16.6.

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Calypso favourites

Showing all 11 members who have added this album as a favourite

Calypso comments

Showing all 5 comments |
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Rating:  
70/100
From 02/03/2021 17:00 | #265676
Anyone interested in diving into Calypso should probably check out this album, but don't forget to check out the Trinidadian Calypso from this era as well. Prior to Trinidad & Tobago's independence from the UK, a lot of Calypsonians used their music to talk about the systemic oppression of Trinidadian people by the British. Belafonte's music hits a bit of a lighter note more palatable for American ears at the time. All still wonderful music though.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
65/100
From 09/23/2020 20:41 | #258598
'Day-O' and 'Jamaica Farewell' are some favourites. Certainly an improvement from his previous effort on 'Belafonte'. A good album overall.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
60/100
From 08/14/2019 02:07 | #241145
This is fun, but not as strong as his previous album, Belafonte.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 09/11/2016 21:55 | #174793
not exactly my style but i thoroughly enjoyed it
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
70/100
From 02/12/2016 04:12 | #159416
Fun.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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Best Albums of 1956
1. Elvis Presley by Elvis Presley
2. Songs For Swingin' Lovers! by Frank Sinatra
3. Pithecanthropus Erectus by Charles Mingus
4. Ellington At Newport by Duke Ellington And His Orchestra
5. Ella & Louis by Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
6. Lady Sings The Blues by Billie Holiday
7. Elvis by Elvis Presley
8. Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Cole Porter Song Book by Ella Fitzgerald
9. J.S. Bach: The Goldberg Variations (1956) by Glenn Gould
10. The Wildest! by Louis Prima
11. This Is Fats Domino! by Fats Domino
12. Johnny Burnette And The Rock N' Roll Trio by Johnny Burnette & The Rock 'n Roll Trio
13. Music Of India (Three Classical Ragas) by Ravi Shankar
14. Jazz At Massey Hall by The Quintet
15. Bluejean Bop by Gene Vincent
16. Calypso by Harry Belafonte
17. Moondog by Moondog
18. Rock And Rollin' With Fats Domino by Fats Domino
19. Gospel Train by Sister Rosetta Tharpe
20. Tragic Songs Of Life by The Louvin Brothers
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