1951 was another year in which popular music had no clear direction. Although the most noteworthy musical developments were happening in jazz — including the first A-plus record of the decade — disparate genres such as country and avant-garde classical had unique advancements of their own. Legendary performers ranging from Duke Ellington to Hank Williams released several classic LPs in 1951.
Jazz
- The New Sounds (Miles Davis) A-
- Masterpieces by Ellington (Duke Ellington) A
- Piano Interpretations (Wynton Kelly) A
- City of Glass (Stan Kenton) A-
- Genius of Modern Music (Volume One) (Thelonious Monk) A+
- Lester Young Trio (Lester Young) A-
Pop
- Lullaby of Broadway (Doris Day) B
- On Moonlight Bay (Doris Day) B
- I’ll See You In My Dreams (Doris Day) B+
Folk/Country
- Songs of Jimmie Rodgers (Lefty Frizzell) B+
- The New Sound, Vol. 2 (Les Paul and Mary Ford) A
- The Unquiet Grave (Andrew Rowan Summers) B+
- Hank Williams Sings (Hank Williams) A
Classical
- Classical Check-Up
- Pierre Boulez
- Benjamin Britten
- Elliott Carter
- Henri Dutilleux
- Igor Stravinsky
The Music of 1951
