Best Albums of the 1950s
Explore the best albums of the 1950s, based on over 2 million album rankings across 61,000 charts
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Last updated: 2 hours ago
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"Great record though it seems to always be touted as some jazz gateway record which I've never really understood. I bought it way back without any jazz knowledge and didn't appreciate it at all. I only loved it after other avenues into jazz via hip hop, funk, jazzfunk etc. If you don't like this a..." Reply
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Graeme2 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 7
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Year of Release:
1959
Appears in:
Rank Score:
20,948
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""Mingus Ah Um" is, in my opinion, the ideal album to discover the giant genius Charles Mingus. Those who do not like jazz should start with this album, it contains all the pleasant elements of jazz. This record dates from 1959, and yet, the quality of the recording is superb. This album is one of..." Reply
Year of Release:
1959
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,786
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"I like the way Steve Huey reviewed this album on allmusic.com. "Dave Brubeck's defining masterpiece, Time Out is one of the most rhythmically innovative albums in jazz history, the first to consciously explore time signatures outside of the standard 4/4 beat or 3/4 waltz time. Buoyed by a hit sin..." Reply
Year of Release:
1959
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,307
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"Blue Train is one of John Coltrane's best albums. Alongside Giant Steps, it is the best work he did during his hard bop years. THe title track and "Lazy Bird" are the best tracks on the album, but "Moment's Notice" and "I'm Old Fashioned" are almost a=on par, with "Locomotion" being just a step b..." Reply
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souplipton | Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 1
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Year of Release:
1958
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,384
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"Best album by The King? Yea. But still.. more important as an influence than actual great musicianship. But.. LONG LIVE THE KING." Reply
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Jasonconfused | Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 4
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Year of Release:
1956
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,064
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"if you ever do LSD, listen to this album. even though the lyrics are depressing, the mood it creates is a wonderful air of chill nostalgia. i can only compare it to a 3 year old on christmas morning" Reply
Year of Release:
1955
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Rank Score:
4,521
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"Everything that is good about rock and roll condensed into 12 songs. If rock and roll had never moved past this point...well it never should. And the reason some folks believe today's music has no soul is because we've lost our roots. So here you go. New Orleans boogie-woogie shouters. Great ones..." Reply
Year of Release:
1957
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,184
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"One of the greatest jazz albums ever. The shape of jazz to come, is quirky, challenging, and still sounds totally fresh after all these years. The album has a musical theme running through it's playing time that gives you a sense of familiarity as the music shifts from one place to another. A bea..." Reply
Year of Release:
1959
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,833
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"An interesting jazz record with some very good instrumentation and enjoyable performances from the whole ensemble. Moanin' is the standout track on here and it kicks this album off in style. The rest of the music carries on from where the first song left off but I don't think they reach that high..." Reply
Year of Release:
1958
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,533
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"If you want to know what the definition of rock and roll is, just listen to this." Reply
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tgarritsen | Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 1
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Year of Release:
1959
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,530
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Total albums: 787. Page 1 of 79
Best Albums of the 1950s composition
| Year | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 49 | 5% | |
| 1951 | 44 | 4% | |
| 1952 | 57 | 6% | |
| 1953 | 60 | 6% | |
| 1954 | 71 | 7% | |
| 1955 | 91 | 9% | |
| 1956 | 116 | 12% | |
| 1957 | 153 | 15% | |
| 1958 | 169 | 17% | |
| 1959 | 190 | 19% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Miles Davis | 22 | 2% | |
| Billie Holiday | 18 | 2% | |
| Sonny Rollins | 16 | 2% | |
| Frank Sinatra | 16 | 2% | |
| Various Artists | 15 | 2% | |
| Thelonious Monk | 14 | 1% | |
| Ella Fitzgerald | 13 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| |
787 | 79% | |
 |
34 | 3% | |
 |
33 | 3% | |
 |
24 | 2% | |
 |
17 | 2% | |
 |
13 | 1% | |
 |
10 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Best Albums of the 1950s chart changes
| Biggest climbers Biggest climbers in top 100 since last month |
|---|
Up 9 from 81st to 72nd |
Up 6 from 67th to 61st |
Up 3 from 59th to 56th |
| Biggest fallers Biggest fallers in top 100 since last month |
|---|
Down 4 from 74th to 78th |
Down 2 from 25th to 27th |
Down 2 from 56th to 58th |
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