Doowop (also spelled doo-wop or doo
wop) music, American popular vocal music style, c. late
1940s-early 1960s. Doowop is a form of vocal harmony music, usually
unaccompanied, that originated among amateur street-corner singers in major
U.S. urban centers after World War II. It includes a wide range of
vocalists, from bass to high falsetto, often used dramatically in solo spots
for comic or dramatic effect; the use of nonsense syllables (sometimes to
imitate musical instruments); and songs featuring simple melodies,
harmonies, and rhythms. Although the term did not appear in print until
1961, the musical style thrived during the ‘50s with hit-making
groups including African-American vocal groups The Ravens (“Count
Every Star,” 1950), The Orioles (“Crying in the
Chapel,” 1953), the mixed-race group, Frankie Lymon and the
Teenagers, including African-American and Latino members (“Why Do
Fools Fall in Love,” 1956), The Del-Vikings (“Come Go with
Me,” 1957), The Coasters (“Yakety Yak,” 1958, and
“Charlie Brown,” 1959, with its memorable bass refrain,
“Why’s everybody always pickin’ on me?”), and
the Crests (“16 Candles,” 1958). White street-corner singers
also picked up on the style, including Danny and the Juniors (“At the
Hop,” 1958), Dion and the Belmonts (“Teenager in Love,”
1959), and The Capris (“There’s a Moon Out Tonight,”
1960). Doowop was highly influential on the next generation of pop vocal
groups, including The Four Seasons, and the girl groups like The Shirelles
and The Ronettes.
See B. Dahl, Street Corner Symphonies: The Complete Story of
Doo-Wop (2012; CD box set with booklet).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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