In this study, the magneto-thermoelastic disturbances in a homogeneous isotropic perfectly conducting thermoelastic semi-infinite medium caused by the hydrostatic initial stress is investigated. The theory of fractional order two-temperature generalized thermoelasticity associated with one relaxation time parameter is used. The normal mode analysis technique together with the method of displacement potentials are used to obtain the exact formulas of the two temperatures, displacement components, and stresses. Arbitrary application is chosen to enable us to get the complete solution. The considered field variables are presented graphically for a hypothetical material and then discussions are made for the obtained numerical results. © 2017, Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.