Best Albums of the 1950s

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Listed below are the best albums of the 1950s as calculated from their overall rankings in over 54,000 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	125	5,241	Voice Of The Xtabay (2,112th)by Yma Sumac
1951	141	4,213	Genius Of Modern Music (2,796th)by Thelonious Monk
1952	152	7,057	Bird & Diz (1,962nd)by Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie
1953	194	6,732	Black Coffee With Peggy Lee (1,813th)by Peggy Lee
1954	231	11,132	Chet Baker Sings (681st)by Chet Baker
1955	334	14,961	In The Wee Small Hours (374th)by Frank Sinatra
1956	444	32,554	Elvis Presley (355th)by Elvis Presley
1957	577	45,449	Blue Train (307th)by John Coltrane
1958	577	41,457	Lady In Satin (558th)by Billie Holiday
1959	622	81,259	Kind Of Blue (38th)by Miles Davis
Total	3,397	250,055

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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31.

After School Session

Chuck Berry

Year of Release:

1957

Appears in:

189 charts

Rank Score:

1,402

Rank in 1957:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,260

Average Rating:

77 (155 votes)

Comments:

32.

Ascenseur Pour L'échafaud
Soundtrack

Miles Davis

Year of Release:

1958

Appears in:

187 charts

Rank Score:

1,402

Rank in 1958:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,262

Average Rating:

80 (210 votes)

Comments:

33.

Lady Sings The Blues

Billie Holiday

Year of Release:

1956

Appears in:

188 charts

Rank Score:

1,360

Rank in 1956:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,292

Average Rating:

77 (167 votes)

Comments:

34.

Elvis

Elvis Presley

Year of Release:

1956

Appears in:

199 charts

Rank Score:

1,313

Rank in 1956:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,333

Average Rating:

77 (197 votes)

Comments:

35.

Chega De Saudade

João Gilberto

Year of Release:

1959

Appears in:

143 charts

Rank Score:

1,261

Rank in 1959:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,381

Average Rating:

78 (138 votes)

Comments:

36.

Frank Sinatra Sings For Only The Lonely

Frank Sinatra

Year of Release:

1958

Appears in:

169 charts

Rank Score:

1,252

Rank in 1958:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,393

Average Rating:

77 (194 votes)

Comments:

37.

Ray Charles

Year of Release:

1957

Appears in:

135 charts

Rank Score:

1,070

Rank in 1957:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,611

Average Rating:

76 (105 votes)

Comments:

38.

Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Cole Porter Song Book

Ella Fitzgerald

Year of Release:

1956

Appears in:

165 charts

Rank Score:

1,057

Rank in 1956:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,624

Average Rating:

78 (139 votes)

Comments:

39.

Little Richard

Year of Release:

1958

Appears in:

143 charts

Rank Score:

1,044

Rank in 1958:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,639

Average Rating:

76 (98 votes)

Comments:

40.

Sarah Vaughan

Year of Release:

1955

Appears in:

166 charts

Rank Score:

1,010

Rank in 1955:

Rank in 1950s:

Overall Rank:

1,686

Average Rating:

78 (145 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 4 of 100

Best Albums of the 1950s composition

Year	Albums	%

1950	39	4%
1951	40	4%
1952	59	6%
1953	63	6%
1954	76	8%
1955	82	8%
1956	117	12%
1957	153	15%
1958	173	17%
1959	198	20%

Artist	Albums	%

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

Country	Albums	%

	777	78%
	37	4%
	34	3%
	27	3%
	19	2%
	12	1%
	11	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	942	94%
Yes	58	6%

Live?	Albums	%
No	962	96%
Yes	38	4%

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

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

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