Best Albums of the 1950s

« View best albums of the 1940sView best albums of the 1960s »

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

Year	Albums 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.
1950	122	5,231	Voice Of The Xtabay (2,059th)by Yma Sumac
1951	140	4,243	Genius Of Modern Music (2,767th)by Thelonious Monk
1952	150	6,929	Bird & Diz (1,989th)by Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie
1953	193	6,515	Black Coffee With Peggy Lee (1,834th)by Peggy Lee
1954	229	11,182	Chet Baker Sings (676th)by Chet Baker
1955	322	14,897	In The Wee Small Hours (380th)by Frank Sinatra
1956	434	32,570	Elvis Presley (364th)by Elvis Presley
1957	565	45,472	Blue Train (301st)by John Coltrane
1958	567	41,427	Lady In Satin (570th)by Billie Holiday
1959	609	82,010	Kind Of Blue (38th)by Miles Davis
Total	3,331	250,476

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.

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33.

Lady Sings The Blues

Billie Holiday

Year of Release:

1956

Appears in:

190 charts

Rank Score:

1,364

Rank in 1956:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,284

Average Rating:

77 (167 votes)

Comments:

34.

Frank Sinatra Sings For Only The Lonely

Frank Sinatra

Year of Release:

1958

Appears in:

173 charts

Rank Score:

1,320

Rank in 1958:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,324

Average Rating:

77 (195 votes)

Comments:

35.

Elvis

Elvis Presley

Year of Release:

1956

Appears in:

197 charts

Rank Score:

1,290

Rank in 1956:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,350

Average Rating:

77 (194 votes)

Comments:

36.

Chega De Saudade

João Gilberto

Year of Release:

1959

Appears in:

137 charts

Rank Score:

1,177

Rank in 1959:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,470

Average Rating:

79 (133 votes)

Comments:

37.

Little Richard

Year of Release:

1958

Appears in:

137 charts

Rank Score:

1,083

Rank in 1958:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,586

Average Rating:

76 (92 votes)

Comments:

38.

Ray Charles

Year of Release:

1957

Appears in:

133 charts

Rank Score:

1,079

Rank in 1957:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,593

Average Rating:

76 (102 votes)

Comments:

39.

Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Cole Porter Song Book

Ella Fitzgerald

Year of Release:

1956

Appears in:

161 charts

Rank Score:

1,069

Rank in 1956:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,610

Average Rating:

78 (137 votes)

Comments:

40.

Sarah Vaughan

Year of Release:

1955

Appears in:

157 charts

Rank Score:

947

Rank in 1955:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,777

Average Rating:

78 (140 votes)

Comments:

41.

Come Fly With Me

Frank Sinatra

Year of Release:

1958

Appears in:

131 charts

Rank Score:

942

Rank in 1958:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,788

Average Rating:

74 (119 votes)

Comments:

42.

N° 4

Jacques Brel

Year of Release:

1959

Appears in:

95 charts

Rank Score:

933

Rank in 1959:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,806

Average Rating:

75 (85 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 943. Page 4 of 95

Best Albums of the 1950s composition

Year	Albums	%

1950	39	4%
1951	40	4%
1952	58	6%
1953	61	6%
1954	77	8%
1955	87	9%
1956	117	12%
1957	152	15%
1958	173	17%
1959	196	20%

Artist	Albums	%

Various Artists	19	2%
Billie Holiday	18	2%
Miles Davis	16	2%
Sonny Rollins	15	2%
Frank Sinatra	15	2%
Ella Fitzgerald	13	1%
Elvis Presley	11	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	781	78%
	39	4%
	30	3%
	26	3%
	20	2%
	12	1%
	11	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	943	94%
Yes	57	6%

Live?	Albums	%
No	963	96%
Yes	37	4%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	977	98%
Yes	23	2%

« View best albums of the 1940sView best albums of the 1960s »

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Best Albums of the 1960s
1. Abbey Road by The Beatles
2. Revolver by The Beatles
3. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles
4. The Velvet Underground & Nico by The Velvet Underground & Nico
5. Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys
6. The Beatles (The White Album) by The Beatles
7. In The Court Of The Crimson King (An Observation By King Crimson) by King Crimson
8. Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan
9. Rubber Soul by The Beatles
10. The Doors by The Doors
11. Blonde On Blonde by Bob Dylan
12. Are You Experienced by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
13. Led Zeppelin II by Led Zeppelin
14. Let It Bleed by The Rolling Stones
15. Electric Ladyland by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
16. Led Zeppelin by Led Zeppelin
17. Astral Weeks by Van Morrison
18. Forever Changes by Love
19. A Love Supreme by John Coltrane
20. Magical Mystery Tour by The Beatles