The Billboard top pick and the Grammys were not born until 1955 and 1957 respectively

Song of the Year 1950

The Tennessee Waltz - Patti Page

Top Songs of 1950

I Can Dream, Can't I? -  The Andrews Sisters
Rag Mop - The Ames Brothers
Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy - Red Foley
Music! Music! Music! - Teresa Brewer
If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked a Cake - Eileen Barton
The Third Man Theme - Anton Karas
Mona Lisa - Nat King Cole
Harbor Lights -  Sammy Kaye
The Thing - Phil Harris
The Tennessee Waltz - Patti Page

Top Albums of 1950

American Folk Songs - Jo Stafford
Auld Lang Syne - Bing Crosby
Autumn in New York - Jo Stafford
Barber Shop Ballads - The Mills Brothers
Bird & Diz - Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie
Blue of Night - Bing Crosby
Capitol Collectors Series - Jo Stafford
The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert - Benny Goodman
Charlie Parker with Strings - Charlie Parker
Christmas Greetings - Bing Crosby
Cole Porter Songs - Bing Crosby
Country Feelin - Dinah Shore
Drifting and Dreaming - Bing Crosby
The Fat Man - Fats Domino
Frankie Laine (Ver 2) - Frankie Laine
Going My Way - Bing Crosby
Historical America in Song - Burl Ives
King Cole Trio - King Cole Trio
King Cole Trio Volume 2 - King Cole Trio
Live at Carnegie Hall - Benny Goodman
Oh! Susanna - Al Jolson
Porgy and Bess - Various Artists
Pure Ella - Ella Fitzgerald
Sing a Song of Christmas - The Ames Brothers
Sing and Dance with Frank Sinatra - Frank Sinatra
Songs By Gershwin - Bing Crosby
Songs of Faith - Jo Stafford
Songs for Sunday Evening - Jo Stafford
Songs for Young Lovers - Frank Sinatra
Tea for Two - Doris Day
Two Loves Have I - Frankie Laine
Young Man with a Horn - Doris Day

The Tony's (Musicals) 1950

Outstanding Musical: South Pacific
Outstanding Musical Actor: Ezio Pinza - South Pacific
Outstanding Musical Actress: Mary Martin - South Pacific
Outstanding Supporting Actor: Myron McCormick - South Pacific
Outstanding Supporting Actress: Juanita Hall - South Pacific
Outstanding Direction: Joshua Logan - South Pacific
Outstanding Choreographer: Helen Tamiris - Touch and Go
Outstanding Libretto: Oscar Hammerstein II & Joshua Logan - South Pacific
Outstanding Score: Richard Rodgers - South Pacific

Folk Music 1950

"The Weavers are out of the grassroots of America. I salute them for their great work in authentic renditions of ballads, folk songs, ditties, nice antiques of word and melody. When I hear America singing, The Weavers are there." Carl Sandburg

Around the World with The Weavers

The Weavers led by the Father of American Folk Pete Seeger had their first big hit with Goodnight, Irene. As advocates for unions and social justice they were soon black balled by McCarthyism and the US House of UnAmerican Activities Committee. The Weavers

Jazz 1950

Miles Davis - Birth of the Cool was recorded in sessions from 1949 to 1950 but the album was not released until 1957. It defined Cool Jazz as a mix of inspired by classical music and post-bebop jazz. Birth of the Cool

Music News 1950

In January 1950 Sam Phillips opened a music recording studio on Union Street in Memphis Tennessee with the slogan "We Record Anything-Anywhere- Anytime." By 1952 he committed himself to the R & B scene and named his company Sun Records. B.B King and Howlin' Wolf became his first big stars. He went on to launch the careers of Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash to name a few. Sam Phillips and Sun Records Story

Rogers and Hammerstein musical play South Pacific was loosely based upon James Michener's first literary success Tales of the South Pacific. Starring Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza it became the catalyst for making the 1950s the Golden Age of Broadway Musicals. The South Pacific musical play site

RCA introduced the 33rpm LP (long play) record, it and the 45rpm had groves 4 times smaller than that of the standard of the time the 78rpm. The new records not only gave better sound but more time as well; the 12" 33rpm slowly moved up to about 40 minutes per side and the 45rpm at 4 minutes per side. The new records were also made of plastic vinyl rather than the "drop it break it" shellac 78s. The 45 became popular because weighing far less and taking up less room, the Juke Box industry bought into it heavily. The 33 and the 45 ruled the music industry until 1990 with the Compact Disk (CD). History of vinyl records

Leo Fender's guitar company introduced their Broadcaster and Esquire models, the first mass-produced solid body electric guitars.

Popular 1950

Top 10 Hit Parade 1950

Mona Lisa - Nat King Cole

Nat King Cole made his mark as a jazz pianist of the 1940's, but his soothing baritone voice led him to the top of the American pop charts. He is considered one of the most important musical personalities in United States history for so seamlessly crossing the racial divide. The Nat King Cole Story

Rhythm & Blues 1950

Teardrops From My Eyes - Ruth Brown

The Fat Man - Fats Domino
Please Send Me Someone To Love - Percy Mayfield
Mardi Gras In New Orleans - Professor Longhair
Rollin' Stone - Muddy Waters
Double Crossing Blues - Johnny Otis

Country & Western 1950

In 1950 Canadian new comer Hank Snow had three number one hits on the country charts with "I'm Moving On", "The Golden Rocket" and "The Rhumba Boogie". In 1954 his popularity allowed him to force the Grand Ole Oprey to have a young kid named Elvis Presley perform. There Snow introduced Elvis to Colonel Tom Parker. Hank Snow Bio