Top Albums of the 1950s
Rank▼ All Time Rank▼ Artist▼ Album▼ Genres▼ Year▼
1
29
 Miles Davis Kind of Blue Cool Jazz, Modal Jazz 1959
2
133
 Elvis Presley Elvis Presley Rock & Roll 1956
3
291
 Frank Sinatra Songs for Swingin' Lovers! Standards, Vocal Jazz 1956
4
293
 Frank Sinatra In the Wee Small Hours Standards, Vocal Jazz 1955
5
303
 Ornette Coleman The Shape of Jazz to Come Avant-Garde Jazz 1959
6
326
 Dave Brubeck Quartet Time Out Cool Jazz 1959
7
365
 Miles Davis Classics in Jazz/Birth of the Cool Cool Jazz 1954
8
383
 Sonny Rollins Saxophone Colossus Hard Bop 1957
9
393
 Little Richard Here's Little Richard Rhythm & Blues, Rock & Roll 1957
10
394
 Charles Mingus Mingus Ah Um Post-Bop 1959
11
408
 The Crickets The "Chirping" Crickets Rockabilly 1957
12
518
 Thelonious Monk Genius of Modern Music (Volume One) Bebop 1951
13
531
 Thelonious Monk Brilliant Corners Hard Bop 1957
14
560
 Duke Ellington Ellington at Newport Big Band 1956
15
604
 Benny Goodman The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert Big Band, Swing 1950
16
615
 Billie Holiday Lady in Satin Vocal Jazz 1958
17
622
 Elvis Presley Elvis Rock & Roll 1956
18
678
 Howlin' Wolf Moanin' in the Moonlight Chicago Blues 1959
19
683
 The Quintet Jazz at Massey Hall/The Greatest Jazz Concert Ever Bebop 1953
20
685
 The Original Broadway Cast West Side Story Show Tunes 1957
21
698
 Cannonball Adderley Somethin' Else Hard Bop 1958
22
703
 Ella Fitzgerald Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook Standards, Vocal Jazz 1956
23
704
 Bo Diddley Bo Diddley Rhythm & Blues, Rock & Roll 1958
24
714
 John Coltrane Blue Train Hard Bop 1958
25
731
 Count Basie Basie/The Atomic Mr. Basie/The Complete Atomic Basie Big Band, Swing 1958
26
737
 Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers [Moanin'] Hard Bop 1959
27
739
 Miles Davis Porgy and Bess Big Band 1959
28
872
 Erroll Garner Concert by the Sea Jazz 1956
29
896
 Johnny Burnette Johnny Burnette and the Rock 'n Roll Trio Rockabilly 1956
30
898
 Bud Powell The Amazing Bud Powell Bebop 1952
31
905
 Tito Puente Dance Mania Guaguancó, Mambo 1958
32
906
 Charles Mingus Pithecanthropus Erectus Post-Bop 1956
33
930
 Frank Sinatra Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely Standards, Vocal Jazz 1958
34
984
 Chuck Berry Chuck Berry Is On Top Rock & Roll 1959
35
1038
 Miles Davis Miles Ahead Cool Jazz 1957
36
1085
 Lennie Tristano Lennie Tristano Cool Jazz 1956
37
1125
 Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong Ella and Louis Vocal Jazz 1956
38
1135
 Ray Charles The Genius of Ray Charles Soul, Vocal Jazz 1959
39
1137
 Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown Sarah Vaughan/Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown Standards, Vocal Jazz 1955
40
1141
 Thelonious Monk Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 2 Bebop 1952
41
1149
 Clifford Brown & Max Roach Daahoud/Clifford Brown & Max Roach Hard Bop 1954
42
1165
 Miles Davis Milestones Hard Bop 1958
43
1173
 Marty Robbins Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs Cowboy 1959
44
1235
 Sonny Rollins Way Out West Hard Bop 1957
45
1250
 Sonny Rollins A Night at the "Village Vanguard" Hard Bop 1958
46
1259
 Ella Fitzgerald Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook Standards, Vocal Jazz 1959
47
1270
 Harry Belafonte Calypso Calypso 1956
48
1359
 Art Blakey Quintet A Night at Birdland Vol. 1 Hard Bop 1954
49
1382
 The Modern Jazz Quartet Fontessa Cool Jazz 1956
50
1438
 Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis Rock & Roll 1958
51
1444
 Art Pepper Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section Cool Jazz 1957
52
1462
 Miles Davis Round About Midnight Hard Bop 1957
53
1492
 Count Basie April in Paris Big Band, Swing 1957
54
1533
 Louis Armstrong Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy Dixieland, Vocal Jazz 1954
55
1568
 Chuck Berry After School Session Rhythm & Blues, Rock & Roll 1957
56
1581
 Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps Rockabilly 1957
57
1587
 The Modern Jazz Quartet Django Cool Jazz, Third Stream 1956
58
1593
 The Art Tatum - Ben Webster Quartet The Art Tatum - Ben Webster Quartet/The Tatum Group Masterpieces, Vol. 8 Cool Jazz, Stride 1958
59
1617
 Billie Holiday Lady Sings the Blues Vocal Jazz 1956
60
1632
 Bo Diddley Go Bo Diddley Rhythm & Blues, Rock & Roll 1959
61
1633
 Thelonious Monk Monk's Music Hard Bop 1958
62
1641
 Big Joe Turner The Boss of the Blues Rhythm & Blues 1956
63
1681
 Buddy Holly Buddy Holly Rockabilly 1958
64
1688
 Sun Ra Jazz in Silhouette Post-Bop 1958
65
1691
 Sonny Clark Cool Struttin' Hard Bop 1958
66
1712
 João Gilberto Chega De Saudade Bossa Nova 1959
67
1729
 The Everly Brothers The Everly Brothers (They're Off and Rolling) Close Harmony, Pop, Rock & Roll 1957
68
1751
 The Original Broadway Cast My Fair Lady Show Tunes 1956
69
1756
 The Weavers The Weavers at Carnegie Hall Contemporary Folk 1957
70
1776
 Ella Fitzgerald Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers and Hart Songbook Standards, Vocal Jazz 1956
71
1849
 Jimmy Smith The Sermon! Soul Jazz 1959
72
1855
 Frank Sinatra Come Fly with Me Standards, Vocal Jazz 1958
73
1867
 Horace Silver Horace Silver Quintet (Vol. 1 & 2)/Horace Silver and The Jazz Messengers Hard Bop 1955
74
1876
 Miles Davis Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet Hard Bop 1957
75
1889
 Ella Fitzgerald Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook Big Band, Vocal Jazz 1957
76
1893
 Sarah Vaughan Images/Swingin' Easy Vocal Jazz 1954
77
1907
 Dizzy Gillespie Groovin' High Bebop 1955
78
1920
 Ahmad Jamal At the Pershing: But Not for Me Jazz 1958
79
1925
 George Russell The Jazz Workshop Jazz 1957
80
1930
 J. J. Johnson With Clifford Brown/The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson Volume 1 Bebop 1953
81
1934
 Sonny Rollins Freedom Suite Hard Bop 1958
82
1956
 Miles Davis Ascenseur pour l'échafaud/Jazz Track Cool Jazz, Film Score 1958
83
1972
 Dinah Washington Dinah Jams Standards, Vocal Jazz 1954
84
1981
 Fats Domino Rock and Rollin' with Fats Domino Rock & Roll 1956
85
1984
 Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie Bird & Diz Bebop 1952
86
1987
 Nat King Cole After Midnight Vocal Jazz 1957
87
1998
 Lambert, Hendricks and Ross The Hottest New Group in Jazz Vocal Jazz 1959
88
2023
 Clifford Brown & Max Roach Study in Brown Hard Bop 1955
89
2029
 Ornette Coleman Something Else!!!! Hard Bop 1958
90
2063
 Lightnin' Hopkins The Roots of Lightnin' Hopkins/Lightnin' Hopkins Acoustic Texas Blues 1959
91
2068
 Stan Kenton New Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm Big Band 1953
92
2072
 Miles Davis Relaxin' with The Miles Davis Quintet Hard Bop 1958
93
2078
 Charlie Parker Charlie Parker with Strings Cool Jazz 1950
94
2081
 Sonny Rollins Tenor Madness Hard Bop 1956
95
2095
 Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong Porgy & Bess Vocal Jazz 1959
96
2104
 Chuck Berry One Dozen Berrys Rock & Roll 1958
97
2125
 Art Blakey Quintet A Night at Birdland Vol. 2 Hard Bop 1954
98
2132
 Lester Young with the Oscar Peterson Trio With the Oscar Peterson Trio #1 & #2/The President Plays with the Oscar Peterson Trio Swing 1954
99
2154
 Louis Prima The Wildest! Big Band, Swing, Traditional Pop 1956
100
2156
 The Everly Brothers Songs Our Daddy Taught Us Close Harmony, Country Pop, Folk Pop 1958
101
2157
 Harry Belafonte Belafonte at Carnegie Hall Caribbean Folk Music 1959
102
2158
 Count Basie Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings Big Band, Swing, Vocal Jazz 1955
103
2209
 Elvis Presley Loving You Rock & Roll 1957
104
2243
 Henry Mancini The Music from Peter Gunn Jazz Pop, Television Music 1959
105
2275
 Jimmy Giuffre Jimmy Giuffre 3 Cool Jazz 1957
106
2295
 George Russell New York N.Y. Big Band 1959
107
2300
 Johnny Cash Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar! Country, Rockabilly 1957
108
2324
 Duke Ellington Such Sweet Thunder Big Band 1957
109
2328
 Billie Holiday Songs for Distingué Lovers Standards, Vocal Jazz 1958
110
2409
 Wynton Kelly Kelly Blue Hard Bop 1959
111
2414
 Ricky Nelson Ricky Sings Again Country 1959
112
2443
 Thelonious Monk Thelonious Monk Trio Hard Bop 1953
113
2448
 Chet Baker Chet Baker Sings Cool Jazz, Standards, Vocal Jazz 1954
114
2476
 Count Basie At Newport Big Band 1957
115
2520
 Anita O'Day Anita Sings the Most Standards, Vocal Jazz 1957
116
2536
 Duke Ellington Anatomy of a Murder Big Band, Film Score 1959
117
2541
 The Louvin Brothers Tragic Songs of Life Close Harmony 1956
118
2584
 B.B. King Singin' the Blues Electric Blues 1957
119
2601
 Champion Jack Dupree Blues from the Gutter New Orleans Blues, Piano Blues 1959
120
2627
 Lambert, Hendricks and Ross Sing a Song of Basie Vocal Jazz 1958
121
2677
 Ray Charles Ray Charles at Newport Rhythm & Blues, Soul Jazz 1958
122
2735
 Elvis Presley King Creole Film Soundtrack, Rock & Roll 1958
123
2764
 Sonny Boy Williamson (II) Down and Out Blues Chicago Blues 1959
124
2774
 Horace Silver Blowin' the Blues Away Hard Bop 1959
125
2781
 Bill Haley and His Comets Shake, Rattle and Roll [1954]/Rock Around the Clock [1955] Rock & Roll 1954
126
2783
 The Original Motion Picture Cast The Wizard of Oz Film Soundtrack 1956
127
2784
 Frank Sinatra Come Dance with Me! Standards, Vocal Jazz 1959
128
2802
 The Lester Young - Teddy Wilson Quartet Pres and Teddy Swing 1959
129
2853
 Steve Lacy Reflections: Steve Lacy Plays Thelonious Monk Post-Bop 1959
130
2859
 Dizzy Gillespie with Roy Eldridge Roy and Diz #2 Jazz 1954
131
2897
 June Christy Something Cool Cool Jazz, Vocal Jazz 1954
132
2912
 Art Blakey Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk Hard Bop 1958
133
2925
 Frank Sinatra Songs for Young Lovers Standards, Vocal Jazz 1954
134
2938
 Thelonious Monk Thelonious Himself Hard Bop 1957
135
2939
 Mahalia Jackson Newport 1958 Gospel 1958
136
2947
 Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie and Sonny Stitt For Musicians Only Bebop 1956
137
2950
 Coleman Hawkins & Ben Webster Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster/Blue Saxophones Post-Bop 1959
138
2969
 Julie London Julie Is Her Name Standards, Vocal Jazz 1955

Albums "bubbling under" the all-time top 3000:
John Cage Indeterminacy Indeterminacy, Spoken Word 1959
Frank Sinatra A Swingin' Affair! Standards, Vocal Jazz 1957
Miles Davis Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet Hard Bop 1959
Dinah Washington What a Diff'rence a Day Makes! Standards, Vocal Jazz 1959
Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins & Sonny Stitt Sonny Side Up Bebop 1958
Clifford Brown & Max Roach At Basin Street Hard Bop 1956
Henry "Red" Allen Ride, Red, Ride in Hi-Fi/World on a String Dixieland 1957
John Coltrane Soultrane/John Coltrane 2-LP Hard Bop 1958
Dizzy Gillespie At Newport Bebop, Big Band 1958
Nat King Cole Love Is the Thing Traditional Pop, Vocal Jazz 1957
Frank Sinatra Where Are You? Standards, Vocal Jazz 1957
Ray Charles Ray Charles/Hallelujah, I Love Her So Rhythm & Blues, Soul 1957
Johnny Griffin A Blowin' Session Hard Bop 1957
Lionel Hampton & Stan Getz Hamp & Getz Jazz 1955
Duke Ellington Ellington Uptown/Hi-Fi Ellington Uptown Big Band 1953
Sarah Vaughan In the Land of Hi-Fi Big Band, Vocal Jazz 1956
Thelonious Monk Misterioso Post-Bop 1958
Serge Chaloff Blue Serge Jazz 1956
John Fahey Blind Joe Death American Primitivism 1959
The "5" Royales Dedicated to You Doo-Wop 1957
Harold Land The Fox Jazz 1959
Peggy Lee Black Coffee with Peggy Lee Vocal Jazz 1953
Tito Puente Top Percussion Afro-Cuban Jazz 1958
Duke Ellington Indigos Big Band 1958
Ben Webster Ben Webster and Associates Jazz 1959
Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges Side by Side Jazz 1959
Art Blakey The Jazz Messengers Hard Bop 1956
Nina Simone Little Girl Blue/Jazz As Played in an Exclusive Side Street Club Vocal Jazz 1958
Bill Evans Everybody Digs Bill Evans Cool Jazz, Modal Jazz 1959
Dizzy Gillespie Birks' Works Big Band 1957
Quincy Jones The Birth of a Band! Big Band 1959
Oscar Peterson Plays Count Basie Jazz 1956
Thelonious Monk The Thelonious Monk Orchestra at Town Hall Hard Bop 1959
Esquivel Exploring New Sounds in Hi-Fi/Exploring New Sounds in Stereo Lounge, Space Age Pop 1959
Cecil Taylor Looking Ahead! Avant-Garde Jazz 1959
Thelonious Monk Thelonious in Action: Recorded at the Five Spot Cafe, New York City Hard Bop 1958
Gerry Mulligan Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster Cool Jazz 1959
Little Richard Little Richard (Volume 2) Rhythm & Blues, Rock & Roll 1958
Art Pepper Art Pepper + Eleven Cool Jazz 1959
The Kingston Trio At Large Folk Revival 1959
Duane Eddy Have 'Twangy' Guitar Will Travel Rock & Roll 1958
The Four Freshmen Four Freshmen and 5 Trombones Vocal Group, Vocal Jazz 1955
Stan Getz and J.J. Johnson Stan Getz and J.J. Johnson at the Opera House Hard Bop 1958
B.B. King The Blues Electric Blues 1958
Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong Ella and Louis Again Standards, Vocal Jazz 1957
Coleman Hawkins The Hawk Flies High Bebop 1957
Fats Domino This Is Fats Domino! Rhythm & Blues, Rock & Roll 1956
Stan Kenton Cuban Fire! Afro-Cuban Jazz, Big Band 1956
Memphis Slim At the Gate of Horn Piano Blues 1959
Clifford Brown Clifford Brown with Strings Hard Bop 1955
Anita O'Day Pick Yourself Up with Anita O'Day Vocal Jazz 1957
Lester Young The Jazz Giants Cool Jazz 1956
Johnny Smith Moonlight in Vermont Cool Jazz 1956
Ravi Shankar Music of India: Three Classical R?gas/Three Ragas Hindustani Classical Music 1956
Sonny Rollins Plus 4 Hard Bop 1956
Fred Astaire The Astaire Story Vocal Jazz 1953
Hampton Hawes Four! Jazz 1958
Hampton Hawes This Is Hampton Hawes: Vol. 2, The Trio Hard Bop 1956
Reverend Gary Davis Pure Religion and Bad Company Acoustic Blues, Gospel 1957
Gerry Mulligan At Storyville Jazz 1957
Max Roach Max Roach + 4 Hard Bop 1956
Dave Brubeck Quartet Jazz Goes to College Cool Jazz 1954
Cecil Taylor Jazz Advance Avant-Garde Jazz, Post-Bop 1956
Ritchie Valens Ritchie Valens Rock & Roll 1959
Frank Sinatra Swing Easy! Standards, Swing, Vocal Jazz 1954
Cannonball Adderley In San Francisco Hard Bop 1959
LaVern Baker Sings Bessie Smith Rhythm & Blues 1958
Bud Powell The Amazing Bud Powell, Vol. 2 Jazz 1954
John Coltrane and Paul Quinichette Cattin' with Coltrane and Quinichette Jazz 1959
Frank Sinatra No One Cares Standards, Vocal Jazz 1959
Kenny Dorham Round About Midnight at the Cafe Bohemia Hard Bop 1956
Don Gibson Oh Lonesome Me Nashville Sound 1958
Ella Fitzgerald Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Songbook Big Band, Standards, Vocal Jazz 1958
Gerry Mulligan What Is There to Say? Cool Jazz 1959
Ben Webster Soulville Cool Jazz 1958
Ravi Shankar The Sounds of India Hindustani Classical Music 1958
Gerry Mulligan California Concerts Jazz 1954
Art Farmer Farmer's Market Hard Bop 1958
Duke Ellington The Duke Plays Ellington/Piano Reflections Jazz 1953
Sonny Rollins Work Time Hard Bop 1956
Charles Mingus The Clown Post-Bop 1957
Oscar Peterson At the Stratford Shakespearian Festival Jazz 1956
Chet Baker It Could Happen to You Cool Jazz, Vocal Jazz 1958
Dizzy Gillespie Duets/Dizzy, Rollins & Stitt Bebop 1958
Shelly Manne The West Coast Sound Cool Jazz 1955
Oscar Peterson The Oscar Peterson Trio at the Concertgebouw Jazz 1958
Miles Davis Miles Davis All Star Sextet/Walkin' Hard Bop 1955
Sonny Rollins Newk's Time Hard Bop 1958
June Christy The Misty Miss Christy Standards, Vocal Jazz 1956
Wanda Jackson Wanda Jackson Rockabilly 1958
Little Richard The Fabulous Little Richard Rhythm & Blues, Rock & Roll 1959
Sun Ra and His Arkestra Super-Sonic Jazz Post-Bop 1957
Miles Davis Vol. 2 Jazz 1953
Mongo Santamaría Mongo/AfroRoots Afro-Cuban Jazz 1959
Tito Puente Cuban Carnival Afro-Cuban Jazz, Mambo 1956
Elvis Presley Elvis' Christmas Album Christmas Music, Gospel, Rock & Roll 1957
Duke Ellington Newport 1958 Big Band 1958
Stan Kenton Kenton in Hi-Fi Big Band 1956
Peggy Lee/George Shearing Beauty and the Beat! Standards, Vocal Jazz 1959
Dinah Washington In the Land of Hi-Fi Standards, Vocal Jazz 1956
Anita O'Day Anita O'Day Sings the Winners Vocal Jazz 1958
Duke Ellington Jazz Party Big Band 1959
Fats Domino The Fabulous Mr. D New Orleans R&B, Rhythm & Blues, Rock & Roll 1958
Thelonious Monk & Sonny Rollins Thelonious Monk & Sonny Rollins Hard Bop 1957
Ornette Coleman Tomorrow Is the Question! Hard Bop 1959
Sarah Vaughan No Count Sarah Big Band, Vocal Jazz 1959
Ella Fitzgerald Ella Swings Brightly with Nelson Standards, Vocal Jazz 1959
Ella Fitzgerald Ella Swings Lightly Standards, Vocal Jazz 1958
Ella Fitzgerald Like Someone in Love Standards, Vocal Jazz 1957
Art Blakey At the Jazz Corner of the World Vol. 2 Hard Bop 1959
Lee Morgan The Cooker Hard Bop 1958
Anita O'Day Anita/This Is Anita Vocal Jazz 1955