Best-selling albums of the 1950s

According to the BSA Ranking, the best-selling album released in the 1950s is ELVIS' CHRISTMAS ALBUM / IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME by ELVIS PRESLEY, with over 17.2 million copies sold. The sales figures throughout this ranking include physical album sales as well as digital track downloads and audio and video streaming, converted into album-equivalent units using industry-standard formulas. For more information, see the certification criteria used in different countries.

★ Highlights:
ELVIS' CHRISTMAS ALBUM / IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME by ELVIS PRESLEY is the best-selling male solo album released in the 1950s.
The best-selling compilation album released in the 1950s is ELVIS' GOLDEN RECORDS, VOLUME 1 by ELVIS PRESLEY, with over 6.16 million copies sold.
MY FAIR LADY (ORIGINAL CAST) is the best-selling soundtrack album released in the 1950s, with over 3.1 million copies sold.
The best-selling live album released in the 1950s is BELAFONTE AT CARNEGIE HALL by HARRY BELAFONTE, with over 500,000 copies sold.
FROM THE HUNGRY I by KINGSTON TRIO is the best-selling group album released in the 1950s, with over 500,000 copies sold.
CONNIE'S GREATEST HITS by CONNIE FRANCIS is the best-selling female solo album released in the 1950s, with over 500,000 copies sold.

Please note that this ranking reflects the cumulative sales of albums released in the 1950, from their original release to date. It does not represent the best-selling albums of the decade itself. For contemporary decade-end rankings, see the Decade-End Lists published in various countries.

№	Album	Total Sales	BSA Ranking
1	ELVIS' CHRISTMAS ALBUM / IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME ELVIS PRESLEY 1957	17,220,000	Rank in 1957 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 1 1 59
2	KIND OF BLUE MILES DAVIS 1959	6,464,718	Rank in 1959 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 1 2 449
3	ELVIS' GOLDEN RECORDS, VOLUME 1 ELVIS PRESLEY 1958	6,160,000	Rank in 1958 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 1 3 503
4	MERRY CHRISTMAS JOHNNY MATHIS 1958	5,000,000	Rank in 1958 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 2 4 729
5	MERRY CHRISTMAS / WHITE CHRISTMAS BING CROSBY 1955	4,897,000	Rank in 1955 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 1 5 743
6	MY FAIR LADY (ORIGINAL CAST) SOUNDTRACK 1956	3,100,000	Rank in 1956 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 1 6 1,417
7	JOHNNY'S GREATEST HITS JOHNNY MATHIS 1958	3,000,000	Rank in 1958 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 3 7 1,553
8	TIME OUT DAVE BRUBECK 1959	2,325,000	Rank in 1959 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 2 8 1,946
9	SOUTH PACIFIC SOUNDTRACK 1958	2,303,681	Rank in 1958 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 4 9 1,960
10	A JOLLY CHRISTMAS FROM FRANK SINATRA / THE SINATRA CHRISTMAS ALBUM FRANK SINATRA 1957	2,100,000	Rank in 1957 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 2 10 2,395
11	OKLAHOMA! SOUNDTRACK 1955	2,000,000	Rank in 1955 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 2 11 2,835
12	1812 OVERTURE - TSCHAIKOVSKY ANTAL DORATI & THE MINNEAPOLIS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 1956	1,250,000	Rank in 1956 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 2 12 3,914
13	SKETCHES OF SPAIN MILES DAVIS 1959	1,100,000	Rank in 1959 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 3 13 4,858
14	UNFORGETTABLE NAT KING COLE 1952	1,100,000	Rank in 1952 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 1 14 4,859
15	ELVIS ELVIS PRESLEY 1956	1,060,000	Rank in 1956 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 3 15 5,127
16	ELVIS PRESLEY ELVIS PRESLEY 1956	1,032,600	Rank in 1956 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 4 16 5,472
17	ELVIS' GOLDEN RECORDS, VOLUME 2 ELVIS PRESLEY 1959	1,000,000	Rank in 1959 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 4 17 6,880
18	HEAVENLY JOHNNY MATHIS 1959	1,000,000	Rank in 1959 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 5 18 6,881
19	GUNFIGHTER BALLADS AND TRAIL SONGS MARTY ROBBINS 1959	1,000,000	Rank in 1959 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 6 19 6,882
20	CHRISTMAS WITH CONNIFF RAY CONNIFF 1959	1,000,000	Rank in 1959 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 7 20 6,883
21	STAR CAROL Tennessee Ernie Ford 1958	1,000,000	Rank in 1958 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 5 21 6,884
22	GEMS FOREVER MANTOVANI 1958	1,000,000	Rank in 1958 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 6 22 6,885
23	STRAUSS WALTZES MANTOVANI 1958	1,000,000	Rank in 1958 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 7 23 6,886
24	TCHAIKOVSKY CONCERTO VAN CLIBURN 1958	1,000,000	Rank in 1958 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 8 24 6,887
25	JAILHOUSE ROCK EP ELVIS PRESLEY 1957	1,000,000	Rank in 1957 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 3 25 6,888
26	FILM ENCORES VOLUME I MANTOVANI 1957	1,000,000	Rank in 1957 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 4 26 6,889
27	LOVE IS THE THING NAT KING COLE 1957	1,000,000	Rank in 1957 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 5 27 6,890
28	THE MUSIC MAN (ORIGINAL CAST) SOUNDTRACK 1957	1,000,000	Rank in 1957 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 6 28 6,891
29	ELVIS VOLUME 1 EP ELVIS PRESLEY 1956	1,000,000	Rank in 1956 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 5 29 6,892
30	THE REAL ELVIS EP ELVIS PRESLEY 1956	1,000,000	Rank in 1956 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 6 30 6,893
31	HYMNS Tennessee Ernie Ford 1956	1,000,000	Rank in 1956 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 7 31 6,894
32	CAROUSEL SOUNDTRACK 1956	1,000,000	Rank in 1956 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 8 32 6,895
33	CHRISTMAS CAROLS MANTOVANI 1953	1,000,000	Rank in 1953 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 1 33 6,896
34	AN AMERICAN IN PARIS SOUNDTRACK 1952	1,000,000	Rank in 1952 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 2 34 6,897
35	BLUE TRAIN JOHN COLTRANE 1958	704,100	Rank in 1958 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 9 35 7,873
36	SONGS FOR SWINGIN' LOVERS FRANK SINATRA 1956	600,000	Rank in 1956 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 9 36 8,971
37	IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS FRANK SINATRA 1955	560,000	Rank in 1955 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 3 37 9,349
38	PORGY & BESS SOUNDTRACK 1959	550,000	Rank in 1959 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 8 38 9,657
39	BLUE HAWAII BILLY VAUGHN 1959	500,000	Rank in 1959 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 9 39 13,639
40	BUDDY HOLLY STORY BUDDY HOLLY & THE CRICKETS 1959	500,000	Rank in 1959 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 10 40 13,640
41	PROVOCATIVE PERCUSSION VOL. I ENOCH LIGHT 1959	500,000	Rank in 1959 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 11 41 13,641
42	HANDEL'S MESSIAH EUGENE ORMANDY 1959	500,000	Rank in 1959 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 12 42 13,642
43	COME DANCE WITH ME FRANK SINATRA 1959	500,000	Rank in 1959 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 13 43 13,643
44	BELAFONTE AT CARNEGIE HALL HARRY BELAFONTE 1959	500,000	Rank in 1959 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 14 44 13,644
45	PETER GUN (SOUNDTRACK) HENRY MANCINI 1959	500,000	Rank in 1959 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 15 45 13,645
46	JEANETTE MACDONALD & NELSON EDDY FAVORITES JEANETTE MACDONALD & NELSON EDDY 1959	500,000	Rank in 1959 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 16 46 13,646
47	FAITHFULLY JOHNNY MATHIS 1959	500,000	Rank in 1959 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 17 47 13,647
48	MORE JOHNNY'S GREATEST HITS JOHNNY MATHIS 1959	500,000	Rank in 1959 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 18 48 13,648
49	OPEN FIRE, TWO GUITARS JOHNNY MATHIS 1959	500,000	Rank in 1959 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 19 49 13,649
50	FROM THE HUNGRY I KINGSTON TRIO 1959	500,000	Rank in 1959 Rank in 1950s Overall rank 20 50 13,650

1950s albums ranked by sales