| ← 1955 |  |
1957 → |
| Album Chart of 1956 |
10 tracks, runtime 40m. The playlist features the highest-rated track from each album (subject to what's available on YouTube) in chart order, with a minimum individual track-rating of 6.5 required for inclusion. To view the full tracklist, access shuffle-play or avoid in-play interruption due to territorially blocked videos, it might be best playing directly via YouTube 
FATS RULES THE ROOST
With his first three LPs all making my Top 5 for 1956, there's little doubt as to my top dog in this years album chart. Pictured in November 1956, the great man looks quite pleased with himself.
In this years chart, the piano-playing blues legend has genre company from Piano Red.
On the Rock n Roll front Bill Haley had some album company at last. As well as his own there were true Rock n Roll albums in this year from Elvis Presley, Gene Vincent and Johnny Burnette. Unfortunately, I don't own them all. Hopefully I will, in the fullness of time.
Old school swinger Louis Prima plays a big part in what shapes up as quite an exciting Top 10.
The Jukebox Rebel
26-Oct-2015
Fats Domino
Imperial LP-9004
“Excellent” Blues / Rhythm n BluesJukebox picks: “Going To The River” (10) • “Ain’t It A Shame” (9.8) • “The Fat Man” (9.5)
Released March 1956 (Imperial LP-9004) and issued in the UK on London Records as “Carry On Rockin’”. The Imperial Label ...more →
Fats Domino
Imperial LP-9028
“Brilliant” Blues / Rhythm n BluesJukebox picks: “Blue Monday” (10) • “Blueberry Hill” (9.7) • “So Long” (9.1)
Released December 1956 (Imperial LP-9028). Fats was buzzin’ on his a-game in 1956 – this was his third LP of the year an...more →
Elvis Presley
RCA Victor LPM-1254
“Brilliant” Rock n Roll / Rockabilly; Rock n Roll BalladJukebox picks: “Blue Suede Shoes” (9.2) • “One Sided Love Affair” (9.0) • “Blue Moon” (8.4)
“Let’s go cat” encourages Elvis… Scotty Moore on guitar rises to the challenge on the exciting album opener… “aw...more →
Louis Prima featuring Keely Smith with Sam Butera and The Witnesses
Capitol Records T-755
“Really good” Big Band / Jive / Swing; Blues / Rhythm n BluesJukebox picks: “Oh Marie” (9.7) • “Night Train” (8.4) • “Buona Sera” (8.2)
Ever since the trumpeter / singer / songwriter began away back in the mid-1930s he had been re-inventing himself, moving...more →
Fats Domino
Imperial LP-9009
“Really good” Blues / Rhythm n BluesJukebox picks: “Swanee River Hop” (8.3) • “Fat’s Frenzy” (8.1) • “I’m In Love Again” (7.9)
Released August 1956 (Imperial LP-9009). Fats second LP in 5 months is led by his recent pop smash “I’m In Love Again...more →
Ewan MacColl accompanied by Alf Edwards and Brian Daly
Riverside Records RLP-12-609
“Decent enough” FolkJukebox picks: “The Bonnie Lass O' Fyvie” (8.3) • “Lassie Wi' The Yellow Coatie” (7.6) • “The Wee, Wee German Lairdie” (7.5)
As Ewan tells in his sleeve notes, the collecting and publication of Scots folk music has been something of a national s...more →
Elvis Presley
RCA Victor LPM-1382
“Decent enough” Rock n Roll / RockabillyJukebox picks: “So Glad You’re Mine” (7.3) • “Rip It Up” (6.8) • “How’s The World Treating You?” (6.5)
Following “Elvis Presley” in March came “Elvis” in October. This time it was a clean, straight-forward, affair with all ...more →
Gene Vincent and his Blue Caps
Capitol Records T-764
“Average” Rock n Roll / Rockabilly; Blues / Rhythm n BluesJukebox picks: “Who Slapped John” (7.1) • “Bluejean Bop” (6.8) • “Jump Back, Honey, Jump Back” (6.6)
A quick scan of the cover versions on the debut LP from the supposed wild man of Rock n Roll leaves me bemused, and a li...more →
Piano Red
Groove LG-1002
“Average” Blues / Rhythm n BluesJukebox picks: “Got You On My Mind [live ’56]” (8.3) • “Pay It No Mind” (7.5) • “Goodbye” (7.1)
Probably somewhere around late 1953 RCA decided that they would make a stab at breaking into the R n B market in a bigge...more →
Duke Ellington
Columbia CL-934
“Below average” JazzJukebox picks: “Diminuendo And Crescendo In Blue [live ’56]” (7.7) • “Jeep’s Blues [studio ’56]” (5.7) • “Blues To Be There [studio ’56]” (5.5)
A full 21 years before The Sex Pistols, “Team Ellington” had pulled off the great Jazz ‘n’ Swing Swindle. Live albums we...more →
Ewan MacColl
Riverside Records RLP-12-605
“Below average” FolkJukebox picks: “The Muckin' O' Geordie's Byre” (6.4) • “A Wee Drappie O't” (6.2) • “The Brisk Young Lad” (6.0)
Ewan tackles 19 auld Scots drinking songs, 13 of which are sung as they would have been in their traditional bothy form ...more →
The Louvin Brothers
Capitol Records T-769
“Poor” CountryJukebox picks: “Mary Of The Wild Moor” (6.1) • “Alabama” (6.0) • “Knoxville Girl” (5.7)
Released in October, “Tragic Songs Of Life” was critically acclaimed from the off and has been held in high regard by co...more →
Jim Reeves
RCA Victor LPM-1256
“Poor” CountryJukebox picks: “Highway To Nowhere” (5.7) • “Beyond A Shadow Of A Doubt” (5.6) • “Waltzing On Top Of The World” (5.4)
Gentleman Jim settled into his new home at RCA with a typically dependable set for which he would become famous over the...more →
Frank Sinatra
Capitol Records W-653
“Terrible” Crooner / Cabaret; Big Band / Jive / SwingJukebox picks: “I've Got You Under My Skin [1956 version]” (5.1) • “Makin' Whoopee” (4.8) • “You Make Me Feel So Young” (4.7)
The tenth “A-lister” from the recently turned 40 year-old arrived in March 1956 and was an altogether snazzier, more up-...more →
| see also: (B-list) Album Chart of 1956 |
Album Charts by year
“A-list”
1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
“B-list”
1943 1945 1946 1950 1951 1952 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Album Charts by decade
“A-list”
1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s