Top 28 Music Albums of the 1950s
by 
Romanelli 
- Chart updated: 8 hours ago
- (Created: 12/08/2011 04:54).
- Chart size: 28 albums.
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1957 – SUN
Produced By SAM PHILLIPS
1. The Rock Island Line
2. I Heard That Lonesome Whistle
3. Country Boy
4. If The Good Lord’s Willing
5. Cry! Cry! Cry!
6. Remember Me
7. So Doggone Lonesome
8. I Was There When It Happened
9. I Walk The Line
10. The Wreck Of The Old ‘97
11. Folsom Prison Blues
12. Doin’ My Time
It’s a debut album by a man who had little experience, who had just started seriously writing songs, who was given a band of just two people to record with and who didn’t have a drummer of any kind. It’s barely 27 minutes long…and it’s a stunning and strong beginning of a career that would span six decades and nearly 100 albums. Four of the songs were released earlier…”Cry! Cry! Cry!”, “Folsom Prison Blues”, “So Doggone Lonesome” and “I Walk The Line” were released as singles between 1955 and 1956…all Cash originals, which was pretty rare in that time if your name was not Chuck Berry. Cash wrote five of the songs on this album, with the rest filled out by some great cover choices…songs by Hank Williams (“I Heard That Lonesome Whistle”), Jerry Reed (“If The Good Lord’s Willin’”), and the former Governor of Louisiana, Jimmie Davis (“I Was There When It Happened”).
There is not a single misstep here. Cash and The Tennessee Two (Luther Perkins and Marshall Grant) make this sound like a full band. They keep things upbeat, even without the benefit of drums (on “Folsom Prison Blues”, Cash improvised by putting a piece of paper between his strings and fretboard to get a snare sound), and without any studio tricks. Even more than on the early Sun efforts by Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis, you can feel just how intimate and close these sessions were. It’s all raw, it’s all live, and it’s the beginning of a career that would turn out to be as legendary as they come. Many of these songs are still heard today, more than sixty years later, and for good reason. This was maybe the birth of folk rock, country rock, southern rock…and the birth of the Man In Black and a huge reason why Sam Phillips and his early Sun stable was so important to almost all of the music that came after it. This is an absolute classic. You should definitely have this one. [First added to this chart: 02/18/2019]
Produced By SAM PHILLIPS
1. The Rock Island Line
2. I Heard That Lonesome Whistle
3. Country Boy
4. If The Good Lord’s Willing
5. Cry! Cry! Cry!
6. Remember Me
7. So Doggone Lonesome
8. I Was There When It Happened
9. I Walk The Line
10. The Wreck Of The Old ‘97
11. Folsom Prison Blues
12. Doin’ My Time
It’s a debut album by a man who had little experience, who had just started seriously writing songs, who was given a band of just two people to record with and who didn’t have a drummer of any kind. It’s barely 27 minutes long…and it’s a stunning and strong beginning of a career that would span six decades and nearly 100 albums. Four of the songs were released earlier…”Cry! Cry! Cry!”, “Folsom Prison Blues”, “So Doggone Lonesome” and “I Walk The Line” were released as singles between 1955 and 1956…all Cash originals, which was pretty rare in that time if your name was not Chuck Berry. Cash wrote five of the songs on this album, with the rest filled out by some great cover choices…songs by Hank Williams (“I Heard That Lonesome Whistle”), Jerry Reed (“If The Good Lord’s Willin’”), and the former Governor of Louisiana, Jimmie Davis (“I Was There When It Happened”).
There is not a single misstep here. Cash and The Tennessee Two (Luther Perkins and Marshall Grant) make this sound like a full band. They keep things upbeat, even without the benefit of drums (on “Folsom Prison Blues”, Cash improvised by putting a piece of paper between his strings and fretboard to get a snare sound), and without any studio tricks. Even more than on the early Sun efforts by Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis, you can feel just how intimate and close these sessions were. It’s all raw, it’s all live, and it’s the beginning of a career that would turn out to be as legendary as they come. Many of these songs are still heard today, more than sixty years later, and for good reason. This was maybe the birth of folk rock, country rock, southern rock…and the birth of the Man In Black and a huge reason why Sam Phillips and his early Sun stable was so important to almost all of the music that came after it. This is an absolute classic. You should definitely have this one. [First added to this chart: 02/18/2019]
Year of Release:
1957
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,646
Rank in 1957:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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1958-MCA
Produced By NORMAN PETTY
1. I'm Gonna Love You Too
2. Peggy Sue
3. Look At Me
4. Listen To Me
5. Valley Of Tears
6. Ready Teddy
7. Everyday
8. Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues
9. Words Of Love
10. You're So Square (Baby I Don't Care)
11. Rave On
12. Little Baby
This is the second and last album released by Buddy Holly during his lifetime. And the second in 1958. And considering the way albums were assembled at that time (one single and a rush of filler), this is a pretty astounding feat. Almost every song here is still instantly recognizable when it starts playing. Many were hits then, many later, and many for other artists. They simply did not make records like this in 1958...and yet, here we are.
The genius of Holly is in the arrangements and the performances (he only wrote 3 of the songs here). And every one of them is great. The only negative here is that the entire album clocks in at about 26 minutes, making it almost an EP. It seems like you just get into it and it's over, which is why his compilation albums are actually better. But this is a nice little slice of history. Rave on, Buddy. [First added to this chart: 08/05/2012]
Produced By NORMAN PETTY
1. I'm Gonna Love You Too
2. Peggy Sue
3. Look At Me
4. Listen To Me
5. Valley Of Tears
6. Ready Teddy
7. Everyday
8. Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues
9. Words Of Love
10. You're So Square (Baby I Don't Care)
11. Rave On
12. Little Baby
This is the second and last album released by Buddy Holly during his lifetime. And the second in 1958. And considering the way albums were assembled at that time (one single and a rush of filler), this is a pretty astounding feat. Almost every song here is still instantly recognizable when it starts playing. Many were hits then, many later, and many for other artists. They simply did not make records like this in 1958...and yet, here we are.
The genius of Holly is in the arrangements and the performances (he only wrote 3 of the songs here). And every one of them is great. The only negative here is that the entire album clocks in at about 26 minutes, making it almost an EP. It seems like you just get into it and it's over, which is why his compilation albums are actually better. But this is a nice little slice of history. Rave on, Buddy. [First added to this chart: 08/05/2012]
Year of Release:
1958
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,606
Rank in 1958:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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1959-COLUMBIA
Produced By IRVING TOWNSEND
1. So What
2. Freddie Freeloader
3. Blue In Green
4. All Blues
5. Flamenco Sketches
6. Flamenco Sketches (Alternate Take)
One of the not so few albums by Miles Davis in which he changes the way jazz is played. Kind Of Blue marks the introduction of modal improvisation into his solo work...but more importantly, it's maybe the most beautifully played album of its time. Davis and his twin saxophone attack of John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderly turn in what could be Davis' finest album. This is one record you could listen to for days and never tire of. Every track is as beautiful and stunning as the last.
This is one of the few albums that should be heard by everyone, jazz lover or not. It's simply an amazing work from start to finish, and proof that Miles Davis was maybe our greatest musical treasure. This is a no doubt, all thumbs up, required listen for the fanatics among us. You know who you are. [First added to this chart: 12/08/2011]
Produced By IRVING TOWNSEND
1. So What
2. Freddie Freeloader
3. Blue In Green
4. All Blues
5. Flamenco Sketches
6. Flamenco Sketches (Alternate Take)
One of the not so few albums by Miles Davis in which he changes the way jazz is played. Kind Of Blue marks the introduction of modal improvisation into his solo work...but more importantly, it's maybe the most beautifully played album of its time. Davis and his twin saxophone attack of John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderly turn in what could be Davis' finest album. This is one record you could listen to for days and never tire of. Every track is as beautiful and stunning as the last.
This is one of the few albums that should be heard by everyone, jazz lover or not. It's simply an amazing work from start to finish, and proof that Miles Davis was maybe our greatest musical treasure. This is a no doubt, all thumbs up, required listen for the fanatics among us. You know who you are. [First added to this chart: 12/08/2011]
Year of Release:
1959
Appears in:
Rank Score:
22,245
Rank in 1959:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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1955-MCA
NO PRODUCTION CREDITS
1. Pledging My Love
2. Don’t You Know
3. Never Let Me Go
4. So Lonely
5. I’m Crazy Baby
6. My Song
7. Saving My Love For You
8. The Clock
9. How Can You Be So Mean
10. Still Love You So
11. Cross My Heart
12. Anymore
One of the more curious stories in music. Johnny Ace was a pianist who played with BB King and Bobby Bland before signing as a solo artist in 1952. He had eight hits in the next two years, and was touring with Big Mama Thornton in Houston on Christmas 1954 when he accidentally shot himself in the head (sometimes reported as a game of Russian Roulette). Ace became known forever as the first casualty of rock & roll. The Memorial Album was released the following year as a tribute, and to plug the posthumous single “Pledging My Love”.
Since 1955, the album has been re-released numerous times with different track lists. This list is the original, and it contains pretty much everything he recorded during his short life. Most of the songs are ballads, and his promise is evident. Of particular interest is “How Can You Be So Mean”, which has a very BB King sounding guitar solo. While lacking session notes and a decent biography, The Memorial Album has been almost all there is of Ace over the years, and it remains an important document of the formative years of rock & roll, and a sad picture of what might have been. [First added to this chart: 09/03/2012]
NO PRODUCTION CREDITS
1. Pledging My Love
2. Don’t You Know
3. Never Let Me Go
4. So Lonely
5. I’m Crazy Baby
6. My Song
7. Saving My Love For You
8. The Clock
9. How Can You Be So Mean
10. Still Love You So
11. Cross My Heart
12. Anymore
One of the more curious stories in music. Johnny Ace was a pianist who played with BB King and Bobby Bland before signing as a solo artist in 1952. He had eight hits in the next two years, and was touring with Big Mama Thornton in Houston on Christmas 1954 when he accidentally shot himself in the head (sometimes reported as a game of Russian Roulette). Ace became known forever as the first casualty of rock & roll. The Memorial Album was released the following year as a tribute, and to plug the posthumous single “Pledging My Love”.
Since 1955, the album has been re-released numerous times with different track lists. This list is the original, and it contains pretty much everything he recorded during his short life. Most of the songs are ballads, and his promise is evident. Of particular interest is “How Can You Be So Mean”, which has a very BB King sounding guitar solo. While lacking session notes and a decent biography, The Memorial Album has been almost all there is of Ace over the years, and it remains an important document of the formative years of rock & roll, and a sad picture of what might have been. [First added to this chart: 09/03/2012]
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[First added to this chart: 09/30/2012]
Year of Release:
1956
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,957
Rank in 1956:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 12/22/2012]
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[First added to this chart: 05/07/2023]
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1959 – DEL-FI
Produced By ROBERT KEANE
1. That’s My Little Suzie
2. In A Turkish Town
3. Come On, Let’s Go
4. Donna
5. Boney-Moronie
6. Ooh, My Head
7. La Bamba
8. Bluebirds Over The Mountain
9. Hi-Tone
10. Framed
11. We Belong Together
12. Dooby-Dooby-Wah
How short was the career of Ritchie Valens? From the time he was discovered playing a matinee show in a movie theater up to his sudden death in 1959, his career spanned a total of eight months. When he died, he was just 17 years old. So, how did this kid who was still of high school age, and who never released an album during his lifetime, become such an enduring figure over the last almost 60 years? Part of it was that he had been part of the first real rock and roll tragedy. Valens died in the same plane crash that killed Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper. Part of it was how young he was. And the other part of it was his music. He was, at 17, the one who brought “La Bamba” to the masses, paving the way for a world of Mexican rock and roll (a bigger world than you might think). But he was more than just that song. “Donna” was a song he wrote for his high school sweetheart. And “Come On, Let’s Go” was a surprisingly strong hit as well.
The album Ritchie Valens was released a month after his death. And it’s really the only album by him that’s really necessary. There are a lot of compilations and tracks and scraps swept off of the editing floor out there…this is all you need. Valens wrote half of the songs here, and “La Bamba” is his own arrangement. The album (only 25 minutes long) shows that Valens was not great, but that he was developing, was very talented, and that there was a definite future for him. Unfortunately, this is about all of what exists of his recorded legacy that’s worth hearing. But he is important, because of this music (which influenced a very large number of later musicians). Many of the many compilation albums out there are inferior and contain some cringeworthy tracks. This album is a small, but important part of the evolution of early rock and roll. Was Valens an innovator and a major figure? In many ways, no…not yet. Where was he headed? We’ll never know. [First added to this chart: 09/17/2018]
Produced By ROBERT KEANE
1. That’s My Little Suzie
2. In A Turkish Town
3. Come On, Let’s Go
4. Donna
5. Boney-Moronie
6. Ooh, My Head
7. La Bamba
8. Bluebirds Over The Mountain
9. Hi-Tone
10. Framed
11. We Belong Together
12. Dooby-Dooby-Wah
How short was the career of Ritchie Valens? From the time he was discovered playing a matinee show in a movie theater up to his sudden death in 1959, his career spanned a total of eight months. When he died, he was just 17 years old. So, how did this kid who was still of high school age, and who never released an album during his lifetime, become such an enduring figure over the last almost 60 years? Part of it was that he had been part of the first real rock and roll tragedy. Valens died in the same plane crash that killed Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper. Part of it was how young he was. And the other part of it was his music. He was, at 17, the one who brought “La Bamba” to the masses, paving the way for a world of Mexican rock and roll (a bigger world than you might think). But he was more than just that song. “Donna” was a song he wrote for his high school sweetheart. And “Come On, Let’s Go” was a surprisingly strong hit as well.
The album Ritchie Valens was released a month after his death. And it’s really the only album by him that’s really necessary. There are a lot of compilations and tracks and scraps swept off of the editing floor out there…this is all you need. Valens wrote half of the songs here, and “La Bamba” is his own arrangement. The album (only 25 minutes long) shows that Valens was not great, but that he was developing, was very talented, and that there was a definite future for him. Unfortunately, this is about all of what exists of his recorded legacy that’s worth hearing. But he is important, because of this music (which influenced a very large number of later musicians). Many of the many compilation albums out there are inferior and contain some cringeworthy tracks. This album is a small, but important part of the evolution of early rock and roll. Was Valens an innovator and a major figure? In many ways, no…not yet. Where was he headed? We’ll never know. [First added to this chart: 09/17/2018]
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1955-COLUMBIA
Produced By GEORGE AVAKIAN
1. 'Round About Midnight
2. Ah-Leu-Cha
3. All Of You
4. Bye Bye Blackbird
5. Tadd's Delight
6. Dear Old Stockholm
'Round About Midnight was the first album by Davis on Columbia, where he would stay for 30 years. It features saxophonist John Coltrane, who had not yet become an icon. The interplay between the two here is great, with Davis' melodies being answered by Coltrane's energetic solos. The rhythm section of Red Garland, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones never wavers.
A true jazz classic. One of many Davis albums that are necessary for anyone who's a fan. A beautiful piece of work. [First added to this chart: 12/12/2011]
Produced By GEORGE AVAKIAN
1. 'Round About Midnight
2. Ah-Leu-Cha
3. All Of You
4. Bye Bye Blackbird
5. Tadd's Delight
6. Dear Old Stockholm
'Round About Midnight was the first album by Davis on Columbia, where he would stay for 30 years. It features saxophonist John Coltrane, who had not yet become an icon. The interplay between the two here is great, with Davis' melodies being answered by Coltrane's energetic solos. The rhythm section of Red Garland, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones never wavers.
A true jazz classic. One of many Davis albums that are necessary for anyone who's a fan. A beautiful piece of work. [First added to this chart: 12/12/2011]
Year of Release:
1957
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,815
Rank in 1957:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 11/10/2012]
Total albums: 28. Page 1 of 3
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Top 28 Music Albums of the 1950s composition
| Year | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 0 | 0% | |
| 1951 | 0 | 0% | |
| 1952 | 1 | 4% | |
| 1953 | 0 | 0% | |
| 1954 | 0 | 0% | |
| 1955 | 3 | 11% | |
| 1956 | 3 | 11% | |
| 1957 | 8 | 29% | |
| 1958 | 3 | 11% | |
| 1959 | 10 | 36% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Elvis Presley | 4 | 14% | |
| Frank Sinatra | 3 | 11% | |
| Miles Davis | 2 | 7% | |
| Dizzy Gillespie | 2 | 7% | |
| Miles Davis Quintet | 2 | 7% | |
| Johnny Cash | 1 | 4% | |
| Charles Mingus | 1 | 4% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 28 Music Albums of the 1950s chart changes
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| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
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| ! | 08/20/2020 19:50 | Chrispeater | 138 | 82/100 |
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From 
Sean 12/09/2011 01:39 | #32348
Sean 12/09/2011 01:39 | #32348
Good chart
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | -2 votes (0 helpful | 2 unhelpful)
From Sean 12/08/2011 03:24 | #32259
Sean 12/08/2011 03:24 | #32259
all u need for 50s
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
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