The Groove

The greatest albums of the 1950s

659 albums ranked by the Groove — music.nw’s own measure of renown. Not an opinion, a fact computed from the record. Why?

No. 1

Jazz: Red Hot and Cool

The Dave Brubeck Quartet · Columbia · 1955

211.560

Why this number?

The full board

Workin’ With the Miles Davis Quintet Miles Davis Quintet · Prestige · 1959 190.650

3 Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Gershwin Song Book, Volume 1 Ella Fitzgerald · Verve · 1959 143.620

4 Go Bo Diddley Bo Diddley · Chess · 1959 104.550

5 The “Chirping” Crickets The Crickets · Brunswick · 1957 104.130

6 Taboo Arthur Lyman · 1958 103.700

7 One Dozen Berrys Chuck Berry · Chess · 1958 99.180

8 The Genius of Ray Charles Ray Charles · Atlantic · 1959 96.000

9 The Wildest! Louis Prima · Capitol Records · 1956 91.160

10 Dave Digs Disney The Dave Brubeck Quartet · Fontana · 1957 90.100

Pithecanthropus Erectus Charles Mingus · Atlantic · 1956 84.480

12 Other Worlds Other Sounds Esquivel and His Orchestra · RCA Victor · 1958 82.650

13 Word Jazz Ken Nordine · Dot Records · 1957 79.200

The Clown Charles Mingus · Atlantic · 1957 77.440

15 Ritchie Valens Ritchie Valens · 1959 75.680

The Fabulous Johnny Cash Johnny Cash · Columbia · 1958 69.660

17 Greatest! Johnny Cash · Sun Record Company · 1959 68.890

Satch Plays Fats: A Tribute to the Immortal Fats Waller Louis Armstrong · Columbia · 1955 68.730

19 Exotica Martin Denny · Liberty · 1957 67.200

20 Lonely Girl Julie London · Liberty · 1956 63.910

Jazz Impressions of Eurasia The Dave Brubeck Quartet · Columbia · 1958 63.080

In the Land of Hi-Fi Sarah Vaughan · EmArcy · 1955 61.770

23 The Everly Brothers The Everly Brothers · Cadence Records · 1958 61.420

24 Pal Joey Rodgers · Capitol Records · 1957 60.840