Frank Sinatra's 9th studio album was released on 25 April 1955.
Often considered one of the first "concept albums" (and Sinatra's first 12" LP), In the Wee Small Hours concentrates on the themes of lost love and loneliness.
While Sinatra's career had declined in the early 1950s, with poor record sales, poorly attended concerts, and Columbia Records dropping him in 1952, his comeback began with the film From Here to Eternity (1953), earning the 37-year-old an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, which also revived his singing career.
In his 3rd collaboration with arranger Nelson Riddle, the album features material from the "Great American Songbook," featuring songs by Hoagy Carmichael, Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, and others, but unified around its central themes (Capitol record executives did not believe listeners would want an entire album of "dark" songs, but Sinatra was adamant).
Sinatra conceived of the album as a single whole, best suited for the relatively new 12" format, and while it was also released on the then popular 10" discs, In the Wee Small Hours is credited with starting the domination of the 12" album.
The album peaked at #2 in the US and stayed on the Billboard chart for 18 weeks.
In the Wee Small Hours is not only a high point in Sinatra's career, it is also a high point in American popular music, the album is considered to be a masterpiece, and has been cited as one of the Greatest Albums of All Time by numerous publications, including Mojo, Rolling Stone, and Time).













