Top 9 Music Albums of 1959
by 
Romanelli 
- Chart updated: 04/16/2026 20:15
- (Created: 04/12/2012 17:17).
- Chart size: 9 albums.
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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: 03/02/2014]
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: 03/02/2014]
Year of Release:
1959
Appears in:
Rank Score:
21,506
Rank in 1959:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 12/08/2019]
[First added to this chart: 10/21/2023]
1959 – COLUMBIA
Produced By TEO MACERO
1. Better Git It In Your Soul
2. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
3. Boogie Stop Shuffle
4. Self-Portrait In Three Colors
5. Open Letter To Duke
6. Bird Calls
7. Fables Of Faubus
8. Pussy Cat Dues
9. Jelly Roll
10. Pedal Point Blues
11. GG Train
12. Girl Of My Dreams
Charles Mingus is responsible for some of the greatest jazz records of all time…Mingus Ah Um, from 1959, is one of his very best. It was not lost in the shuffle of great albums that came out that year, standing alongside Miles Davis’ Kind Of Blue, Coltrane’s Giant Steps, Brubeck’s Time Out and The Shape Of Jazz To Come by Ornette Coleman. He was at his peak, and in the midst of a feverishly proficient time when he released 30 records during a ten year period, many of which still stand as classics today. Mingus Ah Um is bluesy, adventurous, and grooves to the end of the world and back. His bass lines are perfection, and his band is as tight as a drum. Without exception.
That groove on “Pussy Cat Dues” alone is worth the price of admission…Mingus outshines everyone with his bass playing. “Fables Of Faubus”, later recorded with vocals, is one of Mingus’ more political songs (a powerful protest against Arkansas Governor Faubus, who sent troops to stop integration of a high school in 1957). “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” was written for the recently passed saxophonist Lester Young. The CD version is not only 11 minutes longer than the original LP, it also contains three bonus tracks that are fine as well. So much of what Mingus recorded is excellent and important. This is one of many albums by him that are essential. Truly one of the greatest albums of the late 50’s. [First added to this chart: 02/13/2022]
Produced By TEO MACERO
1. Better Git It In Your Soul
2. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
3. Boogie Stop Shuffle
4. Self-Portrait In Three Colors
5. Open Letter To Duke
6. Bird Calls
7. Fables Of Faubus
8. Pussy Cat Dues
9. Jelly Roll
10. Pedal Point Blues
11. GG Train
12. Girl Of My Dreams
Charles Mingus is responsible for some of the greatest jazz records of all time…Mingus Ah Um, from 1959, is one of his very best. It was not lost in the shuffle of great albums that came out that year, standing alongside Miles Davis’ Kind Of Blue, Coltrane’s Giant Steps, Brubeck’s Time Out and The Shape Of Jazz To Come by Ornette Coleman. He was at his peak, and in the midst of a feverishly proficient time when he released 30 records during a ten year period, many of which still stand as classics today. Mingus Ah Um is bluesy, adventurous, and grooves to the end of the world and back. His bass lines are perfection, and his band is as tight as a drum. Without exception.
That groove on “Pussy Cat Dues” alone is worth the price of admission…Mingus outshines everyone with his bass playing. “Fables Of Faubus”, later recorded with vocals, is one of Mingus’ more political songs (a powerful protest against Arkansas Governor Faubus, who sent troops to stop integration of a high school in 1957). “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” was written for the recently passed saxophonist Lester Young. The CD version is not only 11 minutes longer than the original LP, it also contains three bonus tracks that are fine as well. So much of what Mingus recorded is excellent and important. This is one of many albums by him that are essential. Truly one of the greatest albums of the late 50’s. [First added to this chart: 02/13/2022]
Year of Release:
1959
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,803
Rank in 1959:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 07/12/2018]
Year of Release:
1959
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,353
Rank in 1959:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 12/17/2017]
1959 – ATLANTIC
Produced By NESUHI ERTEGUN
1. Lonely Woman
2. Eventually
3. Peace
4. Focus On Sanity
5. Congeniality
6. Chronology
One of the more influential albums in jazz, and a great way to end the fifties into the future of the sixties and beyond. Ornette Coleman’s third album helped pave the way for avant- garde jazz, and his quartet (Don Cherry on cornet, Charlie Haden on bass and drummer Billy Higgins, along with Coleman on alto saxophone) are exceptional. The songs all feature sections of free improvisation, and the album made Coleman a leader in jazz. The centerpiece here is “Lonely Woman”, which became one of his best known songs. The Shape Of Jazz To Come is not a perfect album, but the doors it opened and what it led to are hugely important.
Coleman stayed prolific until the late 90’s, and passed away in 2015. He spent the sixties expanding his free jazz sound, then dabbled in fusion by adding electric instruments in the seventies. He’s not as big as Davis, Coltrane, Mingus…but his place in jazz history is secure, and that’s in large part thanks to this album. Free jazz can be difficult, but if you have the patience for it, the rewards can be massive. This is the best album by Coleman, and a must have if the avant-garde side of jazz means anything to you. It’s not for everyone, but it is important, excellent, and set the stage for large amounts of the music that was to come after it. [First added to this chart: 11/07/2022]
Produced By NESUHI ERTEGUN
1. Lonely Woman
2. Eventually
3. Peace
4. Focus On Sanity
5. Congeniality
6. Chronology
One of the more influential albums in jazz, and a great way to end the fifties into the future of the sixties and beyond. Ornette Coleman’s third album helped pave the way for avant- garde jazz, and his quartet (Don Cherry on cornet, Charlie Haden on bass and drummer Billy Higgins, along with Coleman on alto saxophone) are exceptional. The songs all feature sections of free improvisation, and the album made Coleman a leader in jazz. The centerpiece here is “Lonely Woman”, which became one of his best known songs. The Shape Of Jazz To Come is not a perfect album, but the doors it opened and what it led to are hugely important.
Coleman stayed prolific until the late 90’s, and passed away in 2015. He spent the sixties expanding his free jazz sound, then dabbled in fusion by adding electric instruments in the seventies. He’s not as big as Davis, Coltrane, Mingus…but his place in jazz history is secure, and that’s in large part thanks to this album. Free jazz can be difficult, but if you have the patience for it, the rewards can be massive. This is the best album by Coleman, and a must have if the avant-garde side of jazz means anything to you. It’s not for everyone, but it is important, excellent, and set the stage for large amounts of the music that was to come after it. [First added to this chart: 11/07/2022]
Year of Release:
1959
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,776
Rank in 1959:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 04/03/2025]
Year of Release:
1959
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,541
Rank in 1959:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 04/16/2026]
Year of Release:
1959
Appears in:
Rank Score:
605
Rank in 1959:
Rank in 1950s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 9. Page 1 of 1
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Top 9 Music Albums of 1959 composition
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Ritchie Valens | 1 | 11% | |
| Cecil Taylor Quartet | 1 | 11% | |
| Charles Mingus | 1 | 11% | |
| The Dave Brubeck Quartet | 1 | 11% | |
| Elvis Presley | 1 | 11% | |
| Ornette Coleman | 1 | 11% | |
| Chuck Berry | 1 | 11% | |
| Show all | |||
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