Smooth, low-key Crooning is out and emotive singing is in as the Silent Generation thinks global and ethnic sounds score big. But A&R visionary Mitch Miller mines Country for Pop hits and starts a genre gold rush. Meanwhile Nat “King” Cole targets Teens and sells millions, Les Paul takes studio tech next-level, and the year’s top hit mirrors anxieties about new threats, shocking betrayals and “progress.”

#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. Tony Bennett
2. Mario Lanza
3. Patti Page

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

• Guy Mitchell (10)

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

• 31.1

#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. Patti Page – The Tennessee Waltz (December ’50, 13 wks)
2. Perry Como – If (March, 9 wks)
3. Les Paul & Mary Ford – How High the Moon (May, 8 wks)
4. Nat “King” Cole – Too Young (June, 5 wks)
5. Rosemary Clooney – Come On-a My House (July, 8 wks)
6. Tony Bennett – Because of You (September, 9 wks)
7. Tony Bennett – Cold, Cold Heart (November, 2 wks)
8. Eddy Howard & His Orchestra, vocal Eddy Howard – (It’s No) Sin (December, 4 wks)