Records are sounding much, much better thanks to vinyl and the brand new LP and 45 formats, and recordings are getting more sophisticated thanks to another innovation: the record producer! Big Band Swing is extinct and Jazz is off into Bebop-land, but “Sweet Bands” are making good-timey records, emotive Crooners and Pop Singers are making waves, and Country-Western is breaking through.
#1 Song of the Year
Artists of the Year
- Perry Como
- Russ Morgan & His Orchestra
- Vaughn Monroe & His Orchestra
Artist with Most Charting Songs
- Perry Como (12)
Average #1 Artist Age
- 36.4
#1 Songs
- Evelyn Knight & The Stardusters – A Little Bird Told Me (January, 7 wks)
- Blue Barron & His Orchestra, vocal Ensemble – Cruising Down the River (March, 6 wks)
- Russ Morgan & His Orchestra, vocal The Skylarks – Cruising Down the River (April, 3 wks)
- Vaughn Monroe & His Orchestra, vocal Vaughn Monroe & Quartet – Riders in the Sky (A Cowboy Legend) (May, 13 wks)
- Russ Morgan & His Orchestra, vocal The Skylarks – Forever and Ever (May, 1 wk)
- Perry Como – Some Enchanted Evening (August, 4 wks)
- Vic Damone – You’re Breaking My Heart (August, 5 wks)
- Vaughn Monroe & His Orchestra, vocal Vaughn Monroe & The Moon Men – Someday (You’ll Want Me to Want You) (September, 1 wk)
- Frankie Laine with Jud Conlon’s Rhythmaires – That Lucky Old Sun (October, 8 wks)
- Frankie Laine & The Muleskinners – Mule Train (December, 6 wks)
- The Andrews Sisters – I Can Dream, Can’t I? (January ’50, 4 wks)
