How did Frank Sinatra help popularize the concept album?

Frank Sinatra is widely credited with popularizing the concept album—a collection of songs unified by a specific theme or mood—though this attribution is sometimes considered inaccurate.1

During his tenure at Capitol Records starting in 1953, Sinatra moved away from his earlier style to produce a series of cohesive LPs. By collaborating with master arrangers like Nelson Riddle, Billy May, and Gordon Jenkins, he created albums where the musical arrangements and his own emotionally charged vocal performances were carefully tailored to sustain a consistent atmosphere.1

Masterpieces such as In the Wee Small Hours (1955), Songs for Swingin’ Lovers! (1956), and Only the Lonely (1958) exemplified this approach, demonstrating how a singer could use the long-playing record format to explore a singular narrative or emotional arc rather than simply compiling unrelated tracks.1