Friday, March 8, 2013

The Top 50 Albums of the 1950s

(3/8/13)

You can check out the top albums of all time or for other decades by clicking here. Here are the top 50 albums of the 1950s according to Dave’s Music Database:

1. Miles Davis...Kind of Blue (1959)
2. South Pacific (soundtrack, 1958)
3. Elvis Presley...The Sun Sessions (archives: 1954-55)
4. My Fair Lady (cast album, 1956)
5. Elvis Presley...Elvis Presley (aka Rock ‘N’ Roll in the UK) (1956)
6. Frank Sinatra...Songs for Swinging Lovers (1956)
7. Dave Brubeck...Time Out (1959)
8. The Sound of Music (cast album, 1959)
9. Harry Belafonte...Calpyso (1956)
10. The King and I (soundtrack, 1956)

11. Frank Sinatra...In the Wee Small Hours (1955)
12. Hank Williams...40 Greatest Hits (compilation: 1947-53)
13. Mario Lanza...The Student Prince (soundtrack, 1954)
14. The Music Man (cast, 1957)
15. West Side Story (cast, 1957)
16. Ornette Coleman...The Shape of Jazz to Come (1959)
17. Charles Mingus...Mingus Ah Um (1959)
18. George Gershwin...An American in Paris (soundtrack, 1951)
19. Henry Mancini...Music from Peter Gunn (soundtrack, 1959)
20. Guys and Dolls (cast, 1950)

21. Little Richard...Here’s Little Richard! (1957)
22. Miles Davis...Birth of the Cool (1950)
23. Howlin’ Wolf...Howlin’ Wolf (aka The Rocking Chair Album) (1958)
24. Gigi (soundtrack, 1958)
25. Jackie Gleason...Music for Lovers Only (1952)
26. Sonny Rollins...Saxophone Colossus (1956)
27. The Kingston Trio...At Large (1959)
28. John Coltrane...Giant Steps (1959)
29. Thelonious Monk...Brilliant Corners (1956)
30. Gypsy (cast, 1959)

31. Howlin’ Wolf...Moanin’ in the Moonlight (1958)
32. Duke Ellington...At Newport (1956)
33. Erroll Garner...Concert by the Sea (1955)
34. Oklahoma! (soundtrack, 1955)
35. Frank Sinatra...A Swingin’ Affair (1957)
36. The King and I (cast, 1951)
37. Elvis Presley...Elvis’ Christmas Album (1957)
38. Frank Sinatra...Sings for Only the Lonely (1958)
39. Ella Fitzgerald...Sings the Cole Porter Songbook (1956)
40. Miles Davis with Gil Evans...Miles Ahead (1957)

41. Elvis Presley...Golden Records (compilation: 1956-58)
42. Johnny Mathis...Johnny’s Greatest Hits (1958)
43. Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers...Moanin’ (1958)
44. Elvis Presley...Elvis (1956)
45. Buddy Holly & the Crickets...The Chirping Crickets (1957)
46. Jane Froman...With a Song in My Heart (1952)
47. The Quintet...Jazz at Massey Hall (1953)
48. John Coltrane...Blue Train (1957)
49. Count Basie...The Complete Atomic Basie (compilation: 1957)
50. Show Boat (soundtrack, 1951)


4 comments:

  1. I have many to add...but I wouldn't eliminate any, either. Just so much great music creation in those days. (Joyous sigh)

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    1. An interesting era to be sure. Show tunes and jazz dominated, rock and roll was creeping into existence, and the album was becoming a viable marketing tool.

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  2. Love your lists Dave. Chuck Berry compilation albums like Great 28 came out decades after the 50's, so I am sure that is why they are not qualify for your 50's album list. Still, for those interested in some the greatest most influential music ever, check some of Chuck's albums that contain his 50's hits.

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    Replies
    1. Correct. There are several compilations here, including Elvis Presley's The Sun Sessions and Hank Williams' Greatest Hits, which were not released in the 1950s but cover that era.

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