Posted on 12/15/2012 12:21:10 PM PST by JoeProBono
This list represents the biggest and most popular doo-wop songs of all time, as determined by Billboard chart rankings. These are not necessarily the best doo-wop songs ever -- although they're classics all -- but they remain the most popular, the ones that have stuck with us through decades of changing trends and styles. 1. "At The Hop," Danny and the Juniors Singular 711 (11 November 1957) b/w "Sometimes" recorded October 1957, Philadelphia, PA
Originally conceived by the songwriter as "Do The Bop," no less an authority than Dick Clark convinced Danny and the Juniors to rename this song to take advantage of the record/sock hop craze (after all, Danny and the Juvenairs -- as they were known before their manager got to them -- were discovered at a hop). Modeled as a sort of doo-wop take on Jerry Lee Lewis' "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," this went on to define an era where you could calypso and chicken. 2. "Duke Of Earl," Gene Chandler Vee-Jay 416 (13 January 1962) b/w "Kissin' In The Kitchen" recorded November 1961, New York, NY
Already dated when it was cut, perhaps, but time smooths out those edges in our memory, anyway, and Chandler's whole rep is based on this late-period doo-wop classic. The Dukays, Gene's group, turned their vocal "doo doo doo"s into "Duke"s, and Dukay Earl Edwards provided the finishing touch to the name. The result is a pledge of fidelity only matched in its era by Ben E. King's "Stand By Me." 3. "Blue Moon," The Marcels Colpix 186 (February 1961) b/w "Goodbye To Love" recorded 15 February 1961, New York, NY
Laid down in the last ten minutes of a recording session and done in one unbelievable take, this came about because the Marcel's producer wanted the group to combine the intro of one song, the Collegians' "Zoom Zoom Zoom," with the Rodgers-Hart standard "Heart And Soul." One problem: the band didn't know that song. But they did know another standard by the same team. The rest, as they say, is history. Murray the K made this one a smash, playing the acetate over and over before it was even turned into a record! 4. "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," The Tokens RCA Victor 47-7954 (September 1961) b/w "Tina" recorded 21 July 1961, New York, NY
One of the stranger anomalies in rock history, "Lion" began life as a spontaneous recorded outburst by a Zulu tribesman, morphed into a misinterpreted folk smash, found its way to a Noo Yawk doo-wop group, and eventually wound up in the hands of the Sam Cooke producing duo known as Hugo and Luigi, who added tympani, silly woodwinds, and an opera singer. You have to hear it to believe it. But you already have. 5. "Little Star," The Elegants Apt 25005 (June 1958) b/w "Getting Dizzy" recorded October 1957, New York, NY
Staten Island made its most enduring contribution to New York Italian-American doo-wop with these five teens, who adapted the words if not the actual melody of Mozart's "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" (itself an adaptation) to create one of the era's most breathlessly beautiful odes. Recast as a romantic idyll, it shot up the charts, but the Elegants, like many of their brethren, never found success again. 6. "Stay," Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs Herald 552 (October 1960) b/w "Do You Believe" recorded July 1960, New York, NY
Written way back in '53 by the composer of "Little Darlin'," this was one of the finer entries in doo-wop's latter-day Golden Era; if it sounds flat, that's because the producer wanted the vocals sung just that way so that Joe Average could hum it on the street. And that's just what happened. Matters may have been helped by the abbreviated length (1:36), as this remains the shortest ever Number One record. 7. "Little Darlin'," The Diamonds Mercury 71060 (February 1957) b/w "Faithful And True" recorded February 1957, Chicago, IL
When is a parody not a parody? This white quartet (Canadians, no less!) takes a lot of heat to this day for covering the (black) Gladiolas' original and then inserting a silly spoken-word bridge. But if it's just a joke, then why is it such an improvement, right down to those immortal opening castanets? Writer Maurice Williams went on to front the Zodiacs ("Stay") and the Diamonds went on to "The Stroll. 8. "16 Candles," The Crests Coed 506 (30 November 1958) b/w "Beside You" recorded 12 August 1958, New York, NY
A real crowd favorite, this sweet little number -- originally titled "21 Candles" but quickly changed once the teenage market started booming -- retained its popularity long enough to inspire a Eighties teen sex comedy. The Crests never had another big hit after this ode to the coming-of-age milestone, but leader Johnny Maestro went on to success with the Brooklyn Bridge ("Worst That Could Happen"), while writer Luther Dixon went on to pen hits for the Shirelles. 9. "There Goes My Baby," The Drifters Atlantic 2025 (May 1959) b/w "Oh My Love" recorded 6 March 1959, New York, NY
One of the strangest and yet most breathtaking productions in rock history, this number -- another important soul milestone, but more urbane and filled with Latin inflections and off-tune tympani -- caused Atlantic's Jerry Wexler to threaten to throw the master out the window. There's no denying the dizzying romantic swell of the orchestration, however, which would guide singer Ben E. King through his own solo career. 10. "Come Go With Me," The Del-Vikings Fee Bee 205 (December 1956), Dot 15538 (16 February 1957) b/w "How Can I Find True Love" recorded November 1956, Pittsburgh, PA
Another example of a hit that shouldn't have been; this integrated group of Air Force buddies recorded this classic, written by their bass vocalist, as the b-side. One of the rare doo-wop records from this era that incorporates the feel of a real rock and roll band, it led to two more hits -- rather, two more hits for members using the group name. (It's complicated.)
It's tough to distinguish among those. In my opinion, "doo-wop" features group harmony, so for an opus to be labeled "doo-wop," it would have to have more than one singer. There could be as few as two--The Teen Queens, Marvin & Johnny and Don & Juan are among the duets who waxed some fine "doo-wop" discs.
Dion and the Belmonts...the best of the best.
I love Steve & Eydie, we saw them in Vegas, at the Stardust, right before it was torn down.
I will always count that as one of the great experiences of my life.
I Put the Bomp--Frankie Lymon
One of the first 45s I ever owned was, ‘Go Away Little Girl’. I was probably 8 or so. I literally found the record laying in the street. I loved it!
That deserves to be answered!
By the way, I also loved Steve’s cameo as band manager Maury Sline in ‘The Blues Brothers’:
“Five thousand dollars? Who do you think you are, the Beatles?”
What or who is a doowap
Are you referring to the Jocko that was on A station out of Newark N.J. I think it was WNJR? My memory is dusty & I could be wrong.
“Annie Had a Baby—Hank Ballard & The Midnighters”
That, and their hit Work With Me, Annie generated a whole slew of “Annie” songs such as these:
Annie Pulled a Humbug—The Midnights
I’m the Father of Annie’s Baby—Danny Taylor
Annie’s Answer—The El Dorados
My Name Ain’t Annie—Linda Hayes & Group (the group is the Platters)
Annie Kicked the Bucket—The Nu-Tones
The Wallflower—Etta James & the Peaches
Roll On—The Lamp Lighters
Hey! Henry!—Etta James & the Peaches
Henry’s Got Flat Feet—Hank Ballard & the Midnighters
Annie Met Henry—The Champions
The Wallflower—Georgia Gibbs
I have the Flamingos album. I have been trying to get my son to put it on a cd for a long time but to no avail.
No Money--The Blue Diamonds
How about the Drifters White Christmas? It is so good I can listen to it in August.
The Del Vikings did a good version of White Cliffs Of Dover also.
That is TRUTH! To me, rock and roll pretty much ceased to exist after the 60s. Of course, some people think that the junk that came out of the late 70s, 80s, 90s, and the 00s is good. Pity.
Too many of the songs people are posting, while great songs, are oldies but NOT doo-wop.
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