(B-list) Album Chart of the 1950s

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(B-list) Album Chart of the 1950s

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

FATS DOMINO SWINGS
Fats Domino
Imperial LP-9062 (1958)

“A classic” Blues / Rhythm n Blues

Jukebox picks: “Blue Monday” (10) • “Going To The River” (10) • “Ain’t That A Shame” (9.8)
Released December 1958 (Imperial LP-9062). Fats first proper greatest hits set, with 10 of the 12 pooled from the first ...more →

FOLK SONGS VOLUME 1
Woody Guthrie and Cisco Houston
Stinson SLP-44 (1952)

“Brilliant” Folk

Jukebox picks: “Buffalo Skinners” (9.6) • “John Henry” (9.5) • “Blowin’ Down This Road” (9.1)
Recordings from 1944-45. 4 of these have appeared on his previous album sets thus far. Cisco Houston appears on several,...more →

TALKING UNION AND OTHER UNION SONGS
The Almanac Singers / Pete Seeger and Chorus
Folkways Records FH-5285 (1955)

“Really good” Folk

Jukebox picks: “The Almanac Singers - Talking Union” (9.7) • “Pete Seeger and Chorus - Hold The Fort” (9.3) • “The Almanac Singers - Which Side Are You On?” (8.9)
This 12" LP on the Smithsonian Folkways label was as themed as themed could be. 13 songs for the working man and his tra...more →

ZULU MUSIC AND SONGS
Various Artists
Decca LF-1054 (1951)
–
“Good” Africana

Jukebox picks: “Herman Magwaza and Caleb Chamane - New Look Thanagan” (8.3) • “The Royal Amanzimtoti Entertainers - Solata Nje” (8.1) • “Gumede’s Swing Band - Madala” (7.2)
This 10” LP, issued by Decca in the UK (LF-1054) and London in the US (LPB-431), was probably the first 33 rpm record to...more →

ANTHOLOGY OF AMERICAN FOLK MUSIC
Various Artists
Folkways Records FP-251/252/253 (1952)
–
“Good” Folk; Blues / Rhythm n Blues; Soul; Country; Jazz

Jukebox picks: “Floyd Ming and his Pep-Steppers - Indian War Whoop” (9.6) • “The Carolina Tar Heels - Peg And Awl” (9.5) • “Blind Willie Johnson - John The Revelator” (9.3)
Compiled by musicologist Harry Smith from his personal collection of Hillbilly, Gospel, Blues and Cajun performances fro...more →

CLASSIC SCOTS BALLADS
Ewan MacColl with Peggy Seeger
Tradition Records TLP-1015 (1956)

“Good” Folk

Jukebox picks: “Mormond Braes” (8.2) • “The False Lover Won Back” (7.7) • “Aikendrum” (7.3)
4 of these titles had recently appeared on “The English and Scottish Popular Ballads” albums on Riverside Records, 1 had...more →

SOMETHING NEW IN AFRICA
Various Artists
Gallotone GALP-1015 (1957)
–
“Decent enough” Jazz

Jukebox picks: “Romantic Boys - Pilani Kwela” (8.8) • “Romantic Boys - Timothy Baby” (8.4) • “Basement Boys - Upstairs Jump” (7.6)
A compilation of Kwela (pennywhistle jive) recordings featuring five black groups, all naturally gifted with a sense of ...more →

ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK [1955]
Bill Haley and his Comets
Decca DL-8225 (1955)

“Decent enough” Rock n Roll / Rockabilly

Jukebox picks: “Shake, Rattle And Roll” (7.9) • “Rock-A-Beatin’ Boogie” (7.6) • “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around The Clock” (7.5)
Neatly compiles the whole of the preceding “Shake, Rattle And Roll” 10" LP (Decca DL-5560) with 4 recent single sides fr...more →

CHANSONS DES CAFÉS DE PARIS [1950]
Édith Piaf
Decca DL-6004 (1950)

“Average” Crooner / Cabaret

Jukebox picks: “Sophie” (8.3) • “Les Cloches Sonnent” (7.0) • “Monsieur Ernest A Reussi” (6.5)
Decca DL 6004. All recorded between 1945-1948. Essentially, this 10" LP re-compiles the triple 78 set of 1948 (Decca US ...more →

BILLIE HOLIDAY VOLUME TWO [1950]
Billie Holiday
Commodore FL-20006 (1950)

“Below average” Crooner / Cabaret

Jukebox picks: “Strange Fruit” (7.8) • “I Love My Man” (7.5) • “Fine And Mellow” (5.6)
Her early LPs – themselves collections of earlier 78 rpm singles – are now collector’s items. Her two Commodore 10-inch ...more →

SONGS TO GROW ONː VOLUME ONE - NURSERY DAYS
Woody Guthrie
Folkways Records FC-7005 (1950)

“Poor” Folk

Jukebox picks: “Car Song” (7.1) • “How Doo Doo” (5.7) • “Wake Up” (5.2)
Woody Guthrie wrote more songs in his lifetime than most people ever sing. Fortunately, he also found time to turn his a...more →

AT MISTER KELLY’S
Sarah Vaughan and her Trio
Mercury MG-20326 (1958)

“Lame” Jazz

Jukebox picks: “Just A Gigolo [live chicago '57]” (5.6) • “September In The Rain [live chicago '57]” (5.1) • “Thou Swell [live chicago '57]” (4.8)
Recorded between August 6-8, 1957, Mister Kelly’s, Chicago. Half new material / half versions of previous singles and LP...more →

NINA SIMONE AND HER FRIENDS
Various Artists
Bethlehem BCP-6041 (1959)
–
“Terrible” Jazz

Jukebox picks: “Carmen McRae - Try A Little Tenderness” (4.5) • “Nina Simone - I Loves You, Porgy [1958 album version]” (4.3) • “Nina Simone - African Mailman [instrumental]” (4.3)
Bit of a shady release this one, Nina and her "friends", Carmen McRae and Chris Connor, having left Bethlehem Records an...more →

BIMBO
Jim Reeves
RCA Victor LPM-1410 (1956)

“Terrible” Country

Jukebox picks: “Bimbo” (5.5) • “How Many” (4.1) • “Where Does A Broken Heart Go” (3.9)
Released October 1956. RCA bought the rights to the Abbott material and "Bimbo" served as a compile of the singles 1953-...more →

BIRTH OF THE COOL
Miles Davis
Capitol Records T-762 (1957)

“Terrible” Jazz

Jukebox picks: “Moon Dreams” (5.5) • “Jeru” (4.2) • “Venus De Milo” (3.5)
Compiles 11 tunes from his critically acclaimed 1949-1950 sessions, 8 of which had previously featured on his 1954 10" L...more →

SHOWCASE OF HITS
Frankie Laine
Philips BBL-7263 (1958)

“Terrible” Pop; Crooner / Cabaret

Jukebox picks: “Cool Water” (5.0) • “Jezebel” (4.0) • “The Girl In The Wood” (3.9)
Frank Harvey's enthusiastic liner notes would make you wary before a note was heard: For innumerable reasons Frankie...more →

SHOWCASE OF HITS
Guy Mitchell
Philips ‎BBL-7265 (1958)

“Dire” Pop; Crooner / Cabaret

Jukebox picks: “Look At That Girl” (3.4) • “Singing The Blues” (3.3) • “She Wears Red Feathers” (3.2)
Reading between the lines, Frank Harvey's liner notes tell you all you need to know: One of the most eminently satisf...more →

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