The music of 1950 is all over the board: jazz bebop, classical experimentation, obscure Mexican song & dance and the early beginnings of swingin’ pop. Rock and roll has yet to even be invented. Listed below are the 11 most interesting albums of a strange musical year.

• Top 10 Albums of 1950

Jazz

• The Last Testament of a Great New Orleans Jazzman (Bunk Johnson) A
• Innovations in Modern Music (Stan Kenton) A
• Charlie Parker with Strings (Charlie Parker) A
• The New Sound (Les Paul) A-
• Piano Solos (Bud Powell) A-
• Piano Solos #2 (Bud Powell) A

Swing/Pop

• Ella Sings Gershwin (Ella Fitzgerald) A-
• Swing and Dance with Frank Sinatra (Frank Sinatra) A-
• Sarah Vaughan (Sarah Vaughan) B+

Classical

• Classical Check-Up 
  • Pierre Boulez
  • John Cage
  • Sergei Prokofiev
  • Richard Strauss

Foreign

• Voice of the Xtabay (Yma Sumac) A-
• Sones de Mexico (Trio Aguilillas) A-
  

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