Doo wop was a notable genre for a number of reasons, possibly the least of which being that seemingly nine out of ten doo wop group names consisted of some sort of pluralized noun prefaced by a definite article (e.g. the Tokens, the Orioles, the Penguins, etc.). Musically, its origins lay in the 1950s a cappella groups of young males who would congregate on urban street corners and harmonize about girls, city life, and girls--sort of an update of barbershop quartets, only in a rock-and-soul context with background vocalists singing madcap twaddle like "a-weem-a-wap-a-weem-a-wap." With an ultra-deep bass voice usually holding down the low end, a set of mid-range vocalists singing wordless backing, and a main vocalist crooning an impossibly catchy lead melody, doo wop's easy-does-it mood reflected its cardigan-clad times. Different groups took varying approaches to the same end: the Ravens adopted jazzy instrumental backing, while the Drifters used strings to add melodrama to their pristine harmonies. Although the well-behaved genre died out with the advent of the much edgier British Invasion in the early '60s, its graceful vocal style has continued to influence generation to musical generation.

Notable Artists: The Platters, the Cadillacs, the Drifters, the Moonglows