The 4 Greatest Albums of the 1950s
The 1950s contribute 4 of the music canon's all-time entries, led by Kind of Blue (1959). Rankings aggregate 9 authoritative lists; every entry links to its full evidence.
1. Kind of Blue
Kind of Blue is a studio album by American jazz musician Miles Davis, released on August 17, 1959, by Columbia Records. For this album, Davis led a sextet featuring saxophonists John Coltrane and Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, pianist Bill Evans, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Jimmy Cobb, with new band pianist Wynton Kelly replacing Evans on "Freddie Freeloader".
2. In the Wee Small Hours
In the Wee Small Hours is the ninth studio album by the American singer Frank Sinatra, released on April 25, 1955, by Capitol Records. Produced by Voyle Gilmore with arrangements by Nelson Riddle, the album's songs deal with themes such as introspection, melancholy, lost love, failed relationships, depression and night life; as such, it has been called one of the first concept albums.
3. Here's Little Richard
Here's Little Richard is the debut studio album by the American musician Little Richard, released on March 4, 1957. Promoted as "six of Little Richard's hits and six brand new songs of hit calibre", the album compiles many of the A-sides and B-sides from Richard's hit singles including the Billboard top 40 entries "Tutti Frutti", "Long Tall Sally", "Slippin' and Slidin'", "Rip It Up" and "Jenny, J…
4. Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley (released in the UK as Elvis Presley Rock n' Roll) is the debut studio album by American singer Elvis Presley, released by RCA Victor on March 23, 1956. The recording sessions took place on January 10 and January 11 at the RCA Victor Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, and on January 30 and January 31 at the RCA Victor studios in New York.