See also: List of years in music, Timeline of trends in music to 1899, Timeline of trends in music (1900-1949), Timeline of trends in music (1960-1969), Timeline of trends in music (1970-1979), Timeline of trends in music (1980-1989), Timeline of trends in music (1990-present)
- 1950 in music
- 1951 in music
- 1952 in music
- 1953 in music
- International trends
- Ghanaian drummer Guy Warren moves to Liberia and then the United States, where he begins recording a series of radical fusions of African drumming with American jazz
- Music of Congo-Kinshasha
- Luambo Makiadi begins recording, and the first full-time Congolese orchestra, African Jazz forms; this is the beginning of a Congolese popular music sound
- Music of Cuba
- Chachachá begins its reign of popularity in Cuba after developing from Haitian immigrant charanga bands
- Music of Greece
- Manolis Khiotis adds a fourth pair of strings to the bouzoúki
- Music of Jamaica
- Count Ossie introduces akete drums and burru percussion styles to Rastafarian communities in West Kingston, leading to a close association between the religion and all forms of Jamaican popular music
- Music of Papua New Guinea
- The Port Moresby Show is held for the first time, established newfound respect for traditional Papuan music
- Music of Slovenia
- The Avsenik Brothers establish the foundation for Slovenian popular music
- Music of the United States
- The Orioles' "Cryin' in the Chapel" is the first record by a black group to be a #1 pop hit
- Elvis Presley makes his first recordings
- 1954 in music
- Music of Algeria
- Cheikha Remitti records "Charrag Gatta" (Tear, Lacerate), an extremely controversial exhortation for young girls to lose their virginity
- Music of the Bahamas
- Bahamanian junkanoo parades, annual celebrations of music and dance, begin to become more organized, eventually helping solidify the sound of junkanoo and move it towards popularization
- Music of Cameroon
- Anne-Marie Nzie begins recording Hawaiian-styled guitar music; she will go on to help innovate a more popular version of folk bikutsi music
- Music of Jamaica
- The rise of the first sound systems dominated by future record producers like Sir Coxsone Dodd, King Edwards and Duke Reid; these parties are playing jump blues, R&B and other, mostly American, musicians
- Music of Nigeria
- Music of Spain
- Hispavox, a Spanish record label, releases Antología del Cantte Flamenco, a popular collection of recordings from the early flamenco masters
- Music of the United States
- 1955 in music
- 1956 in music
- 1957 in music
- 1958 in music
- 1959 in music