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   The top song according to our Chartcrush ranking of all songs that earned the majority of their chart ranking points in the year

Artists of the Year   The top three artists based on all charted songs that spent most of their chart runs in the year

1. Perry Como
2. Russ Morgan & His Orchestra
3. Vaughn Monroe & His Orchestra

Artist with Most Charting Songs   Artist(s) with the most charting songs during the year (song count in parentheses)

• Perry Como (12)

Average #1 Artist Age   The average of how old artists who scored #1 hits during the year were when their songs first reached #1

• 36.4

#1 Songs   List of #1 songs that earned the majority of their chart ranking points in the year, and (in parentheses), the month the song first hit #1 and the total number of weeks it was #1

1. Evelyn Knight & The Stardusters – A Little Bird Told Me (January, 7 wks)
2. Blue Barron & His Orchestra, vocal Ensemble – Cruising Down the River (March, 6 wks)
3. Russ Morgan & His Orchestra, vocal The Skylarks – Cruising Down the River (April, 3 wks)
4. Vaughn Monroe & His Orchestra, vocal Vaughn Monroe & Quartet – Riders in the Sky (A Cowboy Legend) (May, 13 wks)
5. Russ Morgan & His Orchestra, vocal The Skylarks – Forever and Ever (May, 1 wk)
6. Perry Como – Some Enchanted Evening (August, 4 wks)
7. Vic Damone – You’re Breaking My Heart (August, 5 wks)
8. Vaughn Monroe & His Orchestra, vocal Vaughn Monroe & The Moon Men – Someday (You’ll Want Me to Want You) (September, 1 wk)
9. Frankie Laine with Jud Conlon’s Rhythmaires – That Lucky Old Sun (October, 8 wks)
10. Frankie Laine & The Muleskinners – Mule Train (December, 6 wks)
11. The Andrews Sisters – I Can Dream, Can’t I? (January ’50, 4 wks)