Although jazz albums once again dominate the Top 25 Albums of 1958, this marks the first time that a rock and roll album tops the list. Buddy Holly’s self-titled debut — a direct precursor to the early works of The Beatles — represents a seismic shift in popular music history.
Overall, 1958 was a year of pleasant surprises. Alongside Top 25 mainstays like Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins and Thelonious Monk, unheralded appearances by the likes of Lee Morgan, Duane Eddy and Art Tatum makes for a very unpredictable list.
