Album Chart Of The Decade: 1950s (part 2)

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WHEN TRAGEDY STRUCK
Hank Snow
RCA Victor LPM-1861 (1959)

“Poor” Country

Jukebox picks: “The Letter Edged In Black” (7.0) • “The Prisoners Prayer” (5.7) • “Old Shep” (5.6)
The Canadian’s brand of country pop is not too shabby – and occasionally strikes a really positive chord with Rebel sens...more →

SATAN IS REAL
The Louvin Brothers
Capitol Records T-1277 (1959)

“Poor” Country

Jukebox picks: “He Can Be Found” (6.7) • “The Kneeling Drunkard's Plea” (6.0) • “The Drunkard's Doom” (5.9)
Highly-acclaimed album from Ira and Charlie, who decided upon a country-gospel theme for this one. Check that cover! Des...more →

KENYA
Machito and his Orchestra
Roulette R-52006 (1957)

“Poor” Latin; Orchestra Dance

Jukebox picks: “Wild Jungle” (5.9) • “Frenzy” (5.8) • “Kenya” (5.5)
Mambo mania! Or not, as the case may be. Machito’s gang deliver a brassy brand of Latin Orchestra dance where big band s...more →

SINGING DOWN THE LANE
Jim Reeves
RCA Victor LPM-1256 (1956)

“Poor” Country

Jukebox 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 →

DANCE MANIA
Tito Puente and his Orchestra
RCA Victor ‎LPM-1692 (1958)

“Poor” Latin

Jukebox picks: “Hong Kong Mambo” (6.5) • “El Cayuco” (6.2) • “Mambo Gozon” (5.2)
I’m not Latin. Nor am I dancer. I dislike the vast majority of Jazz records I’ve ever heard. But even I can dig a tune o...more →

THE DAY THE RAINS CAME
Jane Morgan
Kapp Records KL-1105 (1958)

“Poor” Crooner / Cabaret

Jukebox picks: “The Day The Rains Came” (10) • “Le Jour Ou La Pluie Viendra (The Day The Rains Came)” (10) • “Almost In Your Arms (Love Theme From "Houseboat")” (6.3)
Fifth album from the classy, multi-lingual chanteuse. Having been thoroughly and forever enchanted by sheer sexiness of ...more →

THE MORSE CODE
Ella Mae Morse with Orchestra conducted by Billy May
Capitol Records ‎T-898 (1957)

“Poor” Crooner / Cabaret; Big Band / Jive / Swing; Jazz

Jukebox picks: “Dream A Little Dream Of Me” (6.4) • “My Funny Valentine” (5.9) • “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive” (5.4)
“The Morse Code” came entirely from Ella Mae’s final recording sessions in June 1957. Producer Lee Gillette allowed her ...more →

ÉDITH PIAF SINGS AGAIN
Édith Piaf
Columbia FL-9520 (1951)

“Poor” Crooner / Cabaret

Jukebox picks: “Le Chevalier De Paris” (6.2) • “C’est D’la Faute” (5.2) • “Tous Les Amoureux Chantent” (4.8)
The first of three new Édith Piaf LPs to be issued in 1951, and the first which could perhaps be deemed as a true new mu...more →

SONGS TO WARM THE HEART
Jim Reeves
RCA Victor LPM-2001 (1959)

“Poor” Pop Ballad; Country

Jukebox picks: “How’s The World Treating You” (8.3) • “Am I Losing You?” (6.6) • “Satan Can’t Hold Me” (5.2)
Jeezo, even Jim Reeves was banging on about Satan in 1959. What the hell was happening back then? Right c’mon everybody,...more →

THE AMAZING NINA SIMONE
Nina Simone
Colpix Records CP-407 (1959)

“Lame” Big Band / Jive / Swing; Blues / Rhythm n Blues; Jazz; Songwriter

Jukebox picks: “Chilly Winds Don’t Blow [1959 album version]” (9.4) • “Children Go Where I Send You [1959 album version]” (7.2) • “Blue Prelude” (4.2)
A move up the coast, from Atlantic City to New York, and a change of label culminated in “The Amazing Nina Simone”, the ...more →

TRIBUTE TO THE LADY - BILLIE HOLIDAY
Sam Cooke
Keen A-2004 (1959)

“Lame” Jazz; Crooner / Cabaret

Jukebox picks: “Comes Love” (6.6) • “T Aint Nobody’s Bizness (If I Do)” (5.5) • “I’ve Got A Right To Sing The Blues” (4.7)
Sam’s third album for Keen Records, issued in April 1959. The concept looks good on paper; one soulful African American ...more →

THE MUSIC FROM PETER GUNN
Henry Mancini
RCA Victor LPM-1956 (1958)

“Lame” Jazz

Jukebox picks: “Peter Gunn” (9.4) • “Dreamsville” (5.0) • “Brief And Breezy” (4.9)
Highly regarded by jazz enthusiasts, and a huge commercial success, hitting No.1 in the Billboard album charts – a notab...more →

GIRLS I HAVE KNOWN
Jim Reeves
RCA Victor LPM-1685 (1958)

“Lame” Pop Ballad; Crooner / Cabaret

Jukebox picks: “Goodnight Irene” (6.6) • “Anna Marie” (6.2) • “Marie” (6.0)
I’ve always had a little soft spot for the richly baritoned one, a regular on my Nanna’s booming old gramophone player, ...more →

LADY IN SATIN
Billie Holiday
Columbia CL-1157 (1958)

“Lame” Crooner / Cabaret; Jazz

Jukebox picks: “I'm A Fool To Want You” (6.0) • “You Don't Know What Love Is” (5.6) • “You've Changed” (4.5)
There's a morbid fascination in delving into the last Billie Holiday album released in her lifetime, her well-documented...more →

HITS FROM “LA P’TITE LILI”
Édith Piaf
Columbia FL-9535 (1951)

“Lame” Crooner / Cabaret

Jukebox picks: “Demain” (5.4) • “La Valse De L’Amour” (5.3) • “Rien De Rien” (5.2)
All recorded and released in 1951 – how refreshing. “La P’tite Lili” (The Maid Lili) was a short film directed by French...more →

GUNFIGHTER BALLADS AND TRAIL SONGS
Marty Robbins
Columbia CL-1349 (1959)

“Terrible” Country

Jukebox picks: “Big Iron” (6.0) • “Utah Carol” (5.9) • “Billy The Kid” (5.2)
Recorded in a single day, “Gunfighter Ballads” was a homage to the Wild West, smoothly sung with a pop-leaning croon. A ...more →

SINGS THE GEORGE AND IRA GERSHWIN SONG BOOK
Ella Fitzgerald
Verve Records ‎MGV-4024-8 (1959)

“Terrible” Crooner / Cabaret; Big Band / Jive / Swing

Jukebox picks: “The Half Of It, Dearie, Blues” (7.4) • “Boy! What Love Has Done To Me!” (6.2) • “Slap That Bass” (6.1)
A hugely ambitious 5 disc project from the 41 year old jazz singer, arranged and directed by Nelson Riddle. Even by the ...more →

JANE IN SPAIN
Jane Morgan with orchestra conducted by Frank Hunter
Kapp Records KL-1129 (1959)

“Terrible” Crooner / Cabaret

Jukebox picks: “Perfidia” (6.7) • “Be Mine Tonight (Noche De Ronda)” (5.7) • “I Get Ideas (Adios Muchachos)” (5.5)
The impressive multi-linguist tackles original Spanish lyrics as well as English translations in this Latin flavoured se...more →

SINGS
Jim Reeves
Abbott 5001 (1955)

“Terrible” Country

Jukebox picks: “Mother Went A Walkin’” (5.5) • “Where Does A Broken Heart Go” (4.7) • “I’ll Follow You” (4.5)
Having lost his star performer to RCA earlier in the year, Fabor Robison decided upon one last hurrah, rounding up Jim’s...more →

JIM REEVES
Jim Reeves
RCA Victor LPM-1576 (1957)

“Terrible” Pop Ballad; Pop

Jukebox picks: “Teardrops In My Heart” (6.5) • “I Get The Blues When It Rains” (5.1) • “Need Me” (4.4)
Nothing doing on the third Jim Reeves album – he’s become as ovaltiney as Pat Boone....more →

KIND OF BLUE
Miles Davis
Columbia CS-8163 (1959)

“Terrible” Jazz

Jukebox picks: “So What” (5.1) • “All Blues” (4.0) • “Freddie Freeloader” (3.6)
An enormously influential set from the trumpeter, bandleader and composer. Miles Davis is widely considered one of the m...more →

SONGS FOR SWINGIN’ LOVERS!
Frank Sinatra
Capitol Records W-653 (1956)

“Terrible” Crooner / Cabaret; Big Band / Jive / Swing

Jukebox 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 →

IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS
Frank Sinatra
Capitol Records ‎W-581 (1955)

“Terrible” Crooner / Cabaret

Jukebox picks: “In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning [1955 version]” (5.8) • “Mood Indigo” (5.2) • “Glad To Be Unhappy” (4.8)
His lonely and blue concept album, with a mood and performance drawn from a deep pool of his own messy relationship expe...more →

CLASSICS IN JAZZ
Miles Davis
Capitol Records H-459 (1954)

“Terrible” Jazz

Jukebox picks: “Moon Dreams” (5.5) • “Jeru” (4.2) • “Venus De Milo” (3.5)
For the last release in Capitol’s “Classics in Jazz” 10” LP series, Miles Davis was the featured artist and tunes from h...more →

GOD BE WITH YOU
Jim Reeves
RCA Victor LPM-1950 (1959)

“Terrible” Pop Ballad; Country

Jukebox picks: “The Flowers, The Sunset, The Trees” (4.4) • “How Long Has It Been” (3.9) • “Padre Of Old San Antone” (3.9)
A bit of a nightmare for atheist punkers it has to be said. ...more →

BRILLIANT CORNERS
Thelonious Monk
Riverside Records RLP 12-226 (1957)

“Terrible” Jazz

Jukebox picks: “Brilliant Corners” (4.5) • “Bemsha Swing” (4.2) • “Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are” (3.3)
Off-kilter prog-jazz from the revered pianist which does nothing for me. According to Down Beat magazine, Brilliant Corn...more →

SONGS TO GROW ON FOR MOTHER AND CHILD
Woody Guthrie
Folkways Records FC-7015 (1953)

“Terrible” Folk

Jukebox picks: “Grass-y, Grass, Grass” (4.5) • “Swim-y, Swim, Swim” (4.0) • “Write A Word” (4.0)
This compilation was first issued in 1953 according to both “Goldmine Standard Catalog of American Records 1948-1991” by...more →

MORE MUSIC FROM PETER GUNN
Henry Mancini
RCA Victor LPM-2040 (1959)

“Terrible” Jazz

Jukebox picks: “Spook!” (7.3) • “Walkin’ Bass” (4.3) • “Timothy” (3.6)
As with the preceding “Peter Gunn” album, this jazzy oasis of nothingness cannot be saved by one especially good piece a...more →

LET’S DANCE TO THE HITS OF THE ’30S AND ’40S
The New World Theatre Orchestra
Trans-World TW-3100 (1957)

“Terrible” Orchestra Dance

Jukebox picks: “Cheek To Cheek” (3.9) • “Dancing In The Dark” (3.7) • “I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm” (3.4)
The New World Orchestra were one of the fabricated “in-house” monikers used by Trans-World, a part of Miller Internation...more →

NO ONE CARES
Frank Sinatra
Capitol Records W-1221 (1959)

“Dire” Crooner / Cabaret

Jukebox picks: “I Can’t Get Started” (4.6) • “Stormy Weather” (4.0) • “A Cottage For Sale” (3.1)
Sinatra described this as his "suicide album" adding that it should be sold with a hand gun. Altogether now… “The f...more →

OSCAR MOORE [1954]
Oscar Moore
Skylark SKLP-19 (1954)

“Dire” Jazz

Jukebox picks: “Blues In B Flat” (3.7) • “Roulette” (2.9) • “The Nearness Of You” (2.2)
A joyless 21 minutes, during which the outstanding technical proficiency of the jazz guitar wizard leaves me stone-cold ...more →

OSCAR MOORE [1955]
Oscar Moore
Tampa LP-10 (1955)

“An embarrassment” Jazz

Jukebox picks: “Warm Up” (3.0) • “Up Tempo” (2.8) • “Samson And Delilah Theme” (2.0)
Proto-George-Benson fretwork frolics from the critically acclaimed jazz guitarist. Some added character comes from the b...more →

RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN’S SOUTH PACIFIC
Rodgers and Hammerstein
RCA Victor LSO-1032 (1958)

“An embarrassment” Crooner / Cabaret

Jukebox picks: “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair” (5.2) • “Happy Talk” (4.0) • “South Pacific Overture” (3.2)
The stylish “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair” is superior to anything else on this cheese-fest, and “Happy T...more →

see also: (B-list) Album Chart of the Decade: 1950s

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

“B-list”

1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s