The 100 Greatest Doo-Wop Songs of All Time

For my money, there is no sub-genre of music as consistently joyful as doo-wop. Even the ballads sound happy. Doo-wop originated in the 1940s, becoming one of the Black community’s greatest artistic exports, especially in cities like New York, Detroit and Los Angeles. It redefined the concept of vocal harmony, turning acapella singing into a pop chart mainstay. The songs are melodramatic and, more often than not, full of lyrics about love both unrequited and long-lasting. Doo-wop found its commercial apex in the 1950s and ‘60s, taking songs from the ‘30s (“Blue Moon” and “Heart and Soul”) and transforming them into ecstatic, bubblegum hits remaining close to their Tin Pan Alley origins.

The Ink Spots are credited as being the pioneers of doo-wop, thanks to the commercial legacy of songs like “I Didn’t Care” and “I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire”—songs that are undoubtedly crucial in the doo-wop lexicon, having slowed down the pacing of swing time with easy-going, syrupy production and instrumentation. And then there are the Mills Brothers, who got their four-part sound from that of barbershop quartets. Other consequential performances included the Four Knights’ “Take Me Right Back to the Track” and the Cats and the Fiddle’s “I Miss You So,” both of which were war-time crowd-pleasers.

Thanks to groups like the Orioles and the Spaniels, doo-wop music surged in popularity in Chicago and Detroit in the ‘50s, and acts like the Penguins, the Cadillacs and the Flamingos later helped shoulder the genre into the good graces of popular culture then and long after. What defines a doo-wop song is up for debate, as its qualities often overlap with those of soul and girl-group music extensively. What separates the Ronettes from the Chantels is strictly a matter of minute detail and instrumental approach. But, at the same time, if there’s an artist on here whose musical identity is a bit more complex than this or that, don’t worry about it! Guys like Dion and Bobby Darin weren’t always pumping out doo-wop songs, but they certainly made their mark on the genre and ought to be lauded for it.

Normally with long lists, I like to write a good, concise blurb for every entry. But we’re talking about a lot of songs that not only predated any kind of internet, but we’re talking about songs that exist but are not substantially researched online. So, I’ll do my best to offer good commentary wherever I can. There’s a playlist at the bottom with all of these songs, which I highly recommend you listen to. This music can stir far more sweetly than my words ever could. But thanks for coming along on this ride. Here are the 100 greatest doo-wop songs of all time.

100. The Wrens: “(Will You) Come Back My Love”

Penned by Bobby Mansfield in 1954 and released by Rama Records a year later, the Wrens’ best song, “(Will You) Come Back My Love,” made very little noise on any charts in the United States but, after Darts covered it during the doo-wop revival in England, it peaked at #2 on the UK Singles Chart. The Cardinals, who will make an appearance deeper into this list, covered the song in 1955, too.

99. The Marcels: “Heartaches”

John Klenner and Al Hoffman wrote “Heartaches” 30 years before the Marcels made it a Top 10 hit in 1961. The group would make far catchier and successful tracks (see #43), but few doo-wop acts mastered the “bomp-bada-bomp-ba-bomp” better than the Marcels. Fun fact, this song was sampled by the Lonely Island in “I’m So Humble.”

98. The Mystics: “Hushabye”

Great band name, great song title. The Mystics’ “Hushabye” became a Top 20 hit in 1959, and it was their debut single. The story goes that the group recorded “Wimoweh,” a South African folk song known in America as “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” that same year, only for Laurie Records to shelve it due to its lacking hit potential. We all know how that went for the Tokens later on, but the Mystics would eventually go back into the studio and, with the prompt to make something like the Elegants’ “Little Star,” come out with “Hushabye.”

97. The Solitaires: “Walking Along”

The Solitaires had the same kind of “bomp-bada-bomp-ba-bomp” rhythm as the Marcels, but I’ve always been enchanted by “Walking Along,” the Harlem group’s Top 30 track from 1958. Herman Dunham (Curtis)’s lead vocal, paired with a walloping sax solo, still pulls me in even after a hundred listens.

96. Dion: “Runaround Sue”

More rock and roll than doo-wop, but still undoubtedly important to the latter genre, “Runaround Sue” was one of Dion’s earliest hits after he split from the Belmonts. Reaching #1 in 1961, the track became one of the singer’s signatures, which he co-wrote with Ernie Maresca. Dion’s penchant for writing his own material is what takes him out of a lot of “best ever” conversations around doo-wop, if only because part of the genre’s magic stems from the songwriting teams triumphing quietly in the background of most of these entries. That being said, “Runaround Sue” was a critical piece of a bridge between doo-wop and rock music.

95. The Cadillacs: “Gloria”

Though unrelated to the Doors and Patti Smith songs of the same name, “Gloria” became one of the most foundational tracks in the Cadillacs’ history. This is, of course, thanks in large part to the lead singing of Earl Carroll, who was among doo-wop’s greatest bandleaders and vocalists. “Gloria” became a staple among doo-wop bands of the era, performed later by the Modernaires and the Passions, among others.

94. The Coasters: “Yakety Yak”

While I wish the Coasters were better known for a song like “Searchin,’” or “Poison Ivy,” or “Young Blood,” there is no doubting that their 1958 #1 hit “Yakety Yak” put them on the map and made them one of the biggest performing acts of the era. In fact, the Coasters pretty much dominated the R&B charts for three years in the late ‘50s. I rarely seek this Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller-penned single out on my own, but its legacy is far more important than my personal taste.

93. The Beltones: “I Talk to My Echo”

Though it came out in 1957, the Beltones sound like they were from another century when they recorded and released “I Talk to My Echo.” The vocals are distantly and out of focus, but the backing harmonies make for a sublime lullaby. This sounds like the template for every great hypnagogic pop record that’s come out in the last 25 years.

92. The Silhouetes: “Get a Job”

A song I usually associate with the gimmicks of something like “Yakety Yak,” there’s something very sentimental about the Silhouettes’ “Get a Job.” It got the group on American Bandstand a number of times, and it’s one of the best “sha-na-na” songs of all time, landing them at #1 on the pop charts in 1957. I love imagining a function getting down to the rhythms of a record about gainful employment—that’s the American Dream right there.

91. The Flamingos: “Mio Amore”

One of the greatest vocal groups of all time, I love the Flamingos—one of Chicago’s greatest pop exports. You are likely better-versed on another hit of theirs, but “Mio Amore” was just one of numerous great tunes they released between 1959 and 1961. It only peaked at #74 on the US chart, but it’s just so terrifically sweet on the ears.

90. The Tymes: “So Much in Love”

There are no bad songs on this list. In fact, there are no good songs on this list. I think all 100 entries here are certifiably great, thus “So Much in Love” might be the greatest #90 entry on any list ever. A #1 hit in 1963, the Tymes capitalized on the final days of doo-wop’s place on America’s mantle of popular music. This is a song that holds the secrets to why those early Beatles records were so damn good—have you ever heard a multi-part harmony so pretty? It’s a question that will certainly come up numerous times across the next 89 songs.

89. The Regents: “Barbara-Ann”

Yes, the Regents sang “Barbara-Ann” before the Beach Boys covered it in 1965. Now, I don’t prefer the Regents’ version over the Beach Boys’, but this is a song that is so elemental to doo-wop that ignoring it would be an insult to the genre’s legacy. It hit #13 on the Hot 100 in 1961, three years after the Bronx-born group first recorded it.

88. The Diamonds: “The Stroll”

Normally, I can listen to a doo-wop song anywhere, anytime. But, “The Stroll” is a tune I can only hear in the car. It’s a cruising song, and one of the Diamonds’ best—hitting #4 on the pop chart in 1957. Brenda Lee, Chubby Checker and Frankie Avalon would sing it later on, but I’ve always loved the nagging, strobing tone of the song’s horn arrangement. It’s got swagger.

87. The Crows: “Gee”

Rama may just be the most underrated label represented on a list like this. They were pumping out no-doubters throughout the ‘50s, including the Crows’ “Gee,” which hit #2 on the R&B chart and #14 on the pop chart. Not too shabby for a song released a few years before doo-wop truly began reaching the mainstream. Some argue it’s the first rock and roll hit by a group, but what’s not debatable is its place in the genre’s history.

86. The Avons: “Baby”

Few formulas are a sure thing in the music business, but putting “baby” in the title of a doo-wop song came pretty close 70 years ago. The Avons released “Baby” in 1959 and it became their signature recording, and one of the best Roulette singles ever.

85. The Orlons: “The Wah-Watusi”

I do not know what a “wah-watusi” is, but I do know that it “makes you feel good” and it’s at the heart of the Orlons’ meteorically catchy song of the same name. If it weren’t for Bobby Vinton’s “Roses Are Red (My Love),” the Orlons would have had a #1 hit. But a silver medal is still great, and so were the Orlons, who watched “The Wah-Watusi” sell a million copies in 1962.

84. The Chips: “Rubber Biscuit”

As a palate cleanser, I present to you the quirked up gibberish of “Rubber Biscuit,” a song that didn’t chart but became a major player in the East Coast doo-wop sing, putting the Chips on tours with the Cadillacs and Bo Diddley in 1956. But that slow climb towards success couldn’t stop the Chips from breaking up a year later. A flash in the pan, sure, but one that would later end up on the Blue Brothers’ Briefcase Full of Blues and be featured in both Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets and John Waters’ Cry-Baby, a potent double-feature.

83. The Crescendos: “Oh Julie”

The backing harmonies of “Oh Julie” are worth celebrating. The song, performed by the Crescendos in 1957, was a Top 5 hit on both the R&B and pop charts in 1958. It wound up cracking the Top 50 of Billboard’s year-end singles roundup, and Jan and Dean would later cover it in 1961. This is one of the better releases on the Nasco imprint, a label best known for covering Nashville’s budding gospel scene.

82. Phil Phillips & The Twilights: “Sea of Love”

Phil Phillips’ only Top 40 hit was “Sea of Love,” which he released in 1959 with his band the Twilights. You might know this one already, thanks to Cat Power’s storied cover of it on her 2000 album The Covers Record—a song that showed up on the Juno soundtrack and has been featured in indie breakup playlists ever since. But Phillips’ original rendition is just as good, if not better than Powers’ cover. It peaked at #2 on the Hot 100 but topped the R&B chart. It’s a shame he never got more flowers, but I’d say “Sea of Love” is a pretty good success story to hang your hat on.

81. The Valentines: “Lily Maebelle”

One of those Rama singles that never charted high but were undoubtedly crucial to the early years of doo-wop, the Valentines’ “Lily Maebelle” is one of the best Barett-Vastola-Briggs compositions of the ‘50s.

80. The Slades: “You Cheated”

One of this list’s more lo-fi entries, the Slades captured magic on “You Cheated,” a song navigated by a jangly, metallic guitar melody—giving the music a rockabilly edge. It went to #42 on the charts in 1958, and the Shields would later cover it and find more commercial success. I prefer the Slades’ performance. It got them on American Bandstand all those years ago!

79. The Dubs: “Could This Be Magic”

The Dubs, who started in Harlem in the mid-’50s, enjoyed small fits of success with ABC-Paramount, and “Could This Be Magic” rose to #23 on the pop charts. The group would split up in 1958 after making no money on Alan Freed-revues throughout North America.

78. The Tokens: “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”

A great, ubiquitous song with so much cultural pull that it’ll never age out of our collective consciousness—I cannot listen to “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” very often anymore, as I’m not as attractive to the novelty of it like I once was. But the Tokens did something special with this song in 1961, and they were rewarded a #1 hit on the Hot 100 and a gold certification from the RIAA. It’s doo-wop’s “Yesterday,” having been covered over and over by dozens of artists since being written in 1939 by Solomon Linda. Back then, it was called “Mbube.”

77. The Five Keys: “Close Your Eyes”

Virginia vocalists the Five Keys had success in the early ‘50s, thanks to singles like “The Glory of Love,” “The Verdict” and “‘Cause You’re My Lover,” but my favorite song of theirs is “Close Your Eyes,” which reached #5 on the R&B chart in 1955. The Skyliners would take a turn with the song in 1961 and grab a pop chart placement with it, but no one has captured the magic of the Five Keys when singing it, not even the De;ls or the Channels.

76. Pastels: “Been So Long”

“Been So Long” might be one of the best-sounding singles on this list. The Pastels, a vocal group formed at a US Air Force stationed in Greenland, shoot for the moon here, and they connect with a sharp-dressed croon with swagger for days.

75. The Mascots: “Lonely Rain”

Not to be confused with the Swedish rock group of the same name, the Mascots were a vocal quintet from Canton led by Eddie Levert. Actually, you might have heard of this band. They went by the O’Jays later in their career, churning out hits like “Love Train” in the ‘70s. But in the early ‘60s, they were called the Mascots, and they became a definitive pop act in Northeast Ohio. “Lonely Rain” was their best release, put out by King Records in 1960. Levert’s performance on it greatly foreshadowed the success he and the O’Jays would foster a decade later, as they broke out of the Cleveland area and became national sensations.

74. The Fleetwoods: “(He’s) The Great Imposter”

Get used to seeing the Fleetwoods on this list. They’re one of the greatest doo-wop acts to ever chart, even if “(He’s) The Great Imposter” only peaked at #30 on the Hot 100 in 1961. It came two years after the group first found popularity, thanks to “Come Softly to Me” and “Mr. Blue,” but it goes toe-to-toe with both of them.

73. The Hollywood Flames: “Buzz-Buzz-Buzz”

If you’re looking for a song on this list that cooks, might I direct your attention to the Hollywood Flames’ Top 20 hit “Buzz-Buzz-Buzz”? The group was already eight years old when the track went to #11 in 1957, but that didn’t stop the Watts natives from putting out the greatest single in Ebb Records’ history. The song is so beloved that it’s been performed by Frankie Lymon, the Modern Lovers, Huey Lewis & the News, the Beach Boys and Los Lobos in the decades since. But the uptempo ruckus of the Flames’ version is among the most electric doo-wop tracks ever.

72. The Clovers: “Blue Velvet”

Yes, Bobby Vinton scored a #1 hit with this song, but his version is more lounge pop than doo-wop, so I’ll go with the Clovers’ rendition, which was a Top 20 hit on the R&B chart in 1955. I love the simplicity of the Clovers’ performance here, how the backup harmonies are subtle yet congruous with the sax solo lingering nearby. “I can still see blue velvet through my tears” is such an affectionate line, delivered with grace by John “Buddy” Bailey.

71. Jerry Butler & The Impressions: “For Your Precious Love”

Jerry Butler and his band, the Impressions, got a hit single in 1958 when they released “For Your Precious Love” through Falcon Records. The song’s legacy speaks for itself, as it’s been performed by some of the greatest artists of all time, including Otis Redding, Jackie Wilson and the Rolling Stones. But the Impressions did it first, and they did it the best, watching “For Your Precious Love” reach #11 on the Hot 100 and became their biggest song until the Curtis Mayfield-penned “People Get Ready” brought them into the mainstream like never before.

70. The Dells: “Oh What a Night”

The Dells began in Harvey, Illinois, signing with Checker Records and achieving hit status with “Oh What a Night” in 1956, two years before they would disband because of a near-fatal car crash. The group would reform in the ‘60s and stick together until Johnny Carters’ death in 2009, and the legacy of “Oh What a Night” helped land the Dells in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.

69. The Checkers: “Love Wasn’t There”

The Checkers got started in 1952, signing with King Records and putting out 25 singles before breaking up in 1955. In that time, we got “Love Wasn’t There,” a track you can hear the earliest rumbles of funk in. I look at the soul explosion of the ‘60s and can see exactly how the Checkers put their influence into it, thanks to “Love Wasn’t There,” among their other incredible tracks, like “Trying to Hold My Gal” and “Over the Rainbow.”

68. The Heartbeats: “Crazy for You”

This will not be the last time we talk about the Heartbeats, but it needs said that the Jamaica, Queens quintet deserved far more praise than they got. “Crazy for You,” while not their biggest hit, helped carry them through the latter half of the 1950s after finding success in 1956 with the charting song “A Thousand Miles Away.” This 1959 single sounds dandy, highlighting an underrated vocal group and capitalizing on what little chart attention they got three, four years prior.

67. The Coasters: “Searchin’”

Paul McCartney picked “Searchin’” as one of his desert island songs in 1982, and he even performed the track at the Beatles audition for Decca Records 20 years earlier. That alone is enough to make this Coasters tune immortal in my book, but it’s also just an incredible piece of pop history. Written by—surprise, surprise—Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, “Searchin’” reached #3 on the singles chart in 1957, becoming one of Atco Records’ greatest releases.

66. The Cardinals: “Shouldn’t I Know”

The Cardinals got their start in Baltimore, becoming one of the city’s greatest doo-wop groups in the ‘50s. Atlantic’s Herb Abramson discovered them in 1951 and inked them to a contract after an audition, and they went on to make “Shouldn’t I Know,” which went to #7 on the R&B chart. The quintet kept going throughout the decade, despite lineup changes, before disbanding in 1957. “Shouldn’t I Know” remains one of the East Coast’s most beloved doo-wop releases, and the Cardinals—along with the Four Buddies—put Baltimore on the pop music map.

65. The Volumes: “I Love You”

A Top 30 hit on the Hot 100 in 1962, the Volumes turn up their own dials on “I Love You” and channel a really rewarding combination of doo-wop and Latin music. It’s one of the very best Chex releases, and a track that overshadowed the rest of the Volumes’ discography, leaving them in one-hit wonder status for eternity.

64. Danny & The Juniors: “At the Hop”

When I was a kid, my parents would send me to Vacation Bible School at the beginning of summer. “At the Hop” was the only secular song we could listen to, and we’d dance to it every day before lunch. For that reason alone, this Danny & the Juniors song forever has my heart. But, objectively, “At the Hop” is one of the most important dance songs ever—in the same league as Chubby Checker’s “The Twist.”

63. The Dubs: “Don’t Ask Me to Be Lonely”

For as good as “Could This Be Magic” is, “Don’t Ask Me to Be Lonely” is even better. I’d wager it’s the best thing the Dubs ever made. Its chart success wasn’t major, as it only peaked at #72 on the Hot 100, but it’s since grown to be a crucial part of doo-wop’s canon—and a launch pad for the group’s future short-lived successes.

62. The Classics: “Till Then”

Eddie Seiler, Sol Marcus and Guy Wood wrote “Till Then” in 1944, and the song has been interpreted by many artists over the years, including the Mills Brothers, James Brown, the Hilltoppers, Ruby & the Romantics and Pat Boone, but the greatest version belongs to the Classics. It reached #20 on the Hot 100 in 1963, as doo-wop began fading into the up-and-coming revolution of rock and roll.

61. The Charts: “Zoop”

The Charts get not only the #61 spot, but the award for the best song title on this list. “Zoop” is just as catchy as you’d expect, though it never quite got the group into the mainstream. Their regional success didn’t go unnoticed, and their headlining shows in Harlem and Chicago are among some of the most lauded in doo-wop history. This 1957 tune is sticky in the best way.

60. The Channels: “That’s My Desire”

“That’s My Desire” is older than most of the songs on this list, having been written in 1931 and recorded by the Sammy Kaye Orchestra in 1946. Eddie Cochran would cover it in 1956, and the likes of Louis Armstrong, Chuck Carbo and the Spiders, Patsy Cline and Ella Fitzgerald all sang it at some point in their careers. Other doo-wop groups, like the Belmonts, the Flamingos and the Shadows, sang it, too. But it is the Channels’ rendition, released in 1957, that endures for me. The group were not famous by any means, barely making any noise beyond their native New York City, but they gave us this gem before disbanding a year later.

59. The Avalons: “Chains Around My Heart”

A staple in the Virginia region in the ‘50s alongside the Five Keys, the Leaders and the Chateaus, the Avalons had marginal success. Groove Records put out “Chains Around My Heart” in 1956, and it’s an underrated gem that belongs in anyone’s introduction to doo-wop. It’s the kind of track you might find in a crate of $1 45s at your local record store—a true diamond in the rough; a blink in the cosmos of a billion miracles.

58. The Ravens: “Count Every Star”

The Ravens were one of the first doo-wop groups, having formed in 1946. Their rendition of “Count Every Star,” a standard written for Ray Anthony and His Orchestra in 1950, is among the group’s greatest works—and it was a B-side to another single of theirs, “It’s the Talk of the Town.” I appreciate how primitive this track is, and how it made the Ravens major noise-makers in doo-wop’s earliest ruckus.

57. The Elegants: “Little Star”

Penned by Vito Picone and Arthur Venosa, “Little Star” is a delight from beginning to end, especially when the Elegants are singing it. Dion, the Slades, Vera Lynn and Bobby Vee would toss their hats in the ring with renditions of their own, but the Elegants nabbed a #1 spot on the Hot 100 with the single and ensured a long lifespan for it—including an appearance in the pilot of The Sopranos.

56. The Chantels: “He’s Gone”

Arlene Smith really was, during the first iteration of the Chantels, one of the best living vocalists—and “He’s Gone” is among her finest material. It was the group’s first single, released in 1957, and it would go on to reach #71 on the US pop chart. It would be another year before the Chantels got their first gold record, but “He’s Gone” is one of the sharpest debut songs I’ve ever listened to.

55. The Flamingos: “Lovers Never Say Goodbye”

After scoring a Top 20 hit with “I Only Have Eyes for You,” the Flamingos found chart success again with “Lovers Never Say Goodbye,” which reached #52 on the Hot 100. The group never quite got back to the star-power of their big pop moment, but I really do adore “Lovers Never Say Goodbye,” a song so composed and structurally phenomenal that I can’t believe it didn’t hit the Top 40.

54. The Diamonds: “Little Darlin’”

The Diamonds’ first Top 10 appearance on the pop chart, “Little Darlin’,” helped welcome the group into a brand new audience—and it set them up for a string of six consecutive Top 40 hits over the next year. A #2 hit, the Diamonds’ version of the song—it was first recorded by Maurice Williams’ group the Gladiolas—might be the first-ever example of a cover song being better than the original. There’s a great level of swagger in the Diamonds’ take, even in its silliness.

53. The Del-Vikings: “Come Go With Me”

“Come Go With Me” exists in the same conversations as “Life is But a Dream” and “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”—it’s a pillar of doo-wop, and one that put the Del-Vikings on the map in 1957. Its use in films like American Graffiti, Diner and Stand By Me has kept its cultural footprint heavy, not to mention its million copies sold and gold certification have certainly made it one of the genre’s most successful entries.

52. The Drifters: “There Goes My Baby”

The Drifters are one of the only groups on this list who transformed doo-wop in the ‘50s and then went on to be definitive markers of soul music a decade later. “There Goes My Baby” came out in 1959 and went to #2 on the Hot 100. Ben E. King wrote and sang it, giving us a taste of his inevitable future solo success. It’s one of the first pop songs to include a string arrangement, thanks to Stan Applebaum, who became one of the Drifters’ most treasured collaborators. If you want to make a timeline of how popular music got to the Wall of Sound era, “There Goes My Baby” ought to be near the beginning. You don’t get Phil Spector without the work Leiber and Stoller did with the Drifters first.

51. Randy & The Rainbows: “Denise”

After getting my hands on a Laurie Records compilation, because I was obsessed with the Music Explosion’s hit song “Little Bit of Soul,” I discovered “Denise” for the first time—and it’s become a staple in my library rotation ever since. Born in Queens, Randy & the Rainbows got into doo-wop a little too late, starting in 1962 and working on records with the same production team who collaborated with the Tokens. “Denise” was a Top 10 pop hit in 1963, and it inspired Blondie to do their own rendition, renaming the song “Denis” and sending it straight up the UK Singles Chart in 1978.

50. The Penguins: “Earth Angel”

Before Back to the Future reintroduced “Earth Angel” to a new generation of listeners, the Penguins scored a #1 hit across three charts with it in 1954. You’d be hard-pressed to find many doo-wop songs more famous than this one, and it is easily one of the genre’s greatest entries from Southern California, as it was born in a South Central Los Angeles garage and was enshrined in the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry 50 years later.

49. The Sensations: “Let Me In”

One of the greatest demerits against doo-wop is how male-heavy the genre was during its peak, which makes the star-power of the Sensations’ “Let Me In” all the more bittersweet. Written by bandleader Yvonne Baker, “Let Me In” was a Top 5 hit on multiple Billboard charts in 1961, and its “weeoo” refrain throbs in my soul even now. I wish Chess Records had put the Sensations on their main roster instead of relegating them to Argo. They’re one of doo-wop’s ultimate what-could-have-beens.

48. Little Anthony & The Imperials: “Tears On My Pillow”

What do the Imperials and Kylie Minogue have in common? They both found chart success in their performances of the Sylvester Bradford and Al Lewis-penned “Tears on My Pillow.” The Imperials’ broke into the Top 5 with it, and it remains their biggest song. Fun fact, they’re one of the only groups on this list still active—and they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009.

47. The Platters: “The Great Pretender”

If it were up to me, every Platters song would be included in this list. We’re talking about the greatest doo-wop group of all time, thanks to 40 charting singles on the Hot 100 in 12 years, four of which went to #1. “The Great Pretender” was one of those #1s, reaching the mountain top in 1955, three years after the Platters formed. It’s said that Sam Cooke’s cover of the song is what led Chrissie Hynde to name her band the Pretenders. Mercury Records had an ace in the hole with the Platters, and “The Great Pretender” is so good the Grammys put it in their Hall of Fame in 2002.

46. The Desires: “Let It Please Be You”

Signed to Hull Records in the late ‘50s, the Desires were a relatively unknown group from New York, though I have always cared deeply for their 1959 single “Let It Please Be You.” It didn’t reinvent the wheel, nor did it transform doo-wop in any type of way, but it sounds heavenly and feels like a forgotten part of an otherwise timeless era. The lead vocals from Bootsie White really make “Let It Please Be You” stand out.

45. Johnny Maestro & The Crests: “16 Candles”

A song far less outdated than “You’re Sixteen,” the Crests’ “16 Candles” is a portrait song, one aglow with the “teenage queen” trope that often plagued a lot of pop songs of this era. But I really do love the “16 candles make a lovely light” line. The Crests’ scored a #2 placement with the track in 1958, and the likes of the Jackson 5, Sha Na Na and Stray Cats covered it in the decades after.

44. Thurston Harris: “Little Bitty Pretty One”

We have Matilda to thank for this one, even though “Little Bitty Pretty One was also featured in Christine 13 years earlier. This Thurston Harris song is the best example of “infectious” pop music that I can think of. It went to #2 on the R&B chart in 1957 and is a true marker of “oldies,” and I mean that affectionately. I mean, listening to this, who wouldn’t believe they have psychokinetic powers?

43. The Marcels: “Blue Moon”

One of the only songs on this list with two all-time great renditions, “Blue Moon” is the Marcels song, undoubtedly. The track charted at #1 in Canada, New Zealand, the UK and America, making it one of the most globally impactful entries on this list. While I enjoy Sam Cooke’s slower, ballad version of the song more, “Blue Moon” is one of the first answers to the questions: “What is a doo-wop song?”

42. The Channels: “The Gleam in Your Eye”

“The Gleam in Your Eye” features an all-time great vocal performance from the Channels’ Earl Lewis, Larry Hampden and Billy Morris. And then there is Clifton Wright’s bass singing, which anchors the track preciously. I love this song and I’m thankful that Port Records released it in 1960. The group would find more success with singles like “Stay As You Are” and “The Girl Next Door,” but I return to “The Gleam in Your Eye” more than anything else, even “That’s My Desire.”

41. Dion: “The Wanderer”

His first post-“Runaround Sue” single, Dion makes good work of a 12-bar blues-base verse on “The Wanderer,” which came out in late 1961 and went to #2 on the Hot 100. It’s one of the greatest songs of all time, but it’s #41 here because of the way it flirts heavily with rock and roll adjacency. “The Wanderer” was originally written for Nino and the Ebb Tides but, after the group passed on it, Dion made it the B-side to “The Majestic”—and DJs across America wound up preferring it to the A-side. Can’t say I blame them, “The Wanderer” is solid gold.

40. The Platters: “My Prayer”

I heard this Platters joint for the first time when David Lynch used it in Twin Peaks: The Return. It’s a waltzy, syrupy ballad with just enough air in-between the harmonies to make it menacing, so I applaud Lynch for seizing that opportunity. Though it was written in 1926, “My Prayer” became another #1 hit for the Platters in 1956. I’d say it’s been their song ever since.

39. The Four Seasons: “Sherry”

While I do not consider Frankie Valli or the Four Seasons to be explicitly doo-wop all the time (they’ve always been Copa-adjacent, like Bobby Vinton), their first hit single, “Sherry,” is as good as any other entry here. It dominated the charts in 1962 and made the Four Seasons one of the biggest vocal groups ever, leading to success for songs like “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man” and “Rag Doll.”

38. The Charts: “Deserie”

Talk about a career-cementing single. “Deserie” came out in 1957 and gave the Charts a taste of success beyond the East Coast, though it as short-lived, peaking at #3 on the national R&B chart and quickly being relegated to a lifetime of doo-wop compilations. The Charts were never seriously in the conversations around “the best doo-wop acts of all time,” but “Deserie” is as good a track as almost anyone else’s best efforts.

37. Del Shannon: “Runaway”

Out of every song on this list, Del Shannon’s “Runaway” is the first one I ever loved. It was featured early in American Graffiti, my favorite movie of all time, and I’ve been hooked in the 15, 16 years since. Shannon topped the Hot 100 with it for four weeks in 1961, and it even landed in the Top 5 of Billboard’s year-end singles chart. It was Shannon’s first release ever, breaking out in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand, and it would set him up for a great commercial run—though he’d only reach the Top 5 one more time, with “Hats Off to Larry,” the proper follow-up to “Runaway.” The “I wa-wa-wa-wa-wonder” line delivery from Shannon is among the coolest in all of doo-wop.

36. The Excellents: “Coney Island Baby”

The Bronx had a gem in the Excellents, who released “Coney Island Baby” as a B-side in 1961. Much better than the A-side, “You Baby You,” the track was penned by Vinny Catalano of Sinclair Records, who’d signed them to the label, and cracked the Top 20 on the pop charts a year later. The group’s final single, “I Hear a Rhapsody,” came out in 1963 before they disbanded. “Coney Island Baby” has remained popular, and the song even inspired the Excellents to tour again.

35. The Moonglows: “Sincerely”

Co-written by Alan Freed, the Cleveland DJ credited with coining the term “rock and roll,” “Sincerely” went #1 on Billboard’s R&B chart and #20 on the Juke Box chart. It’s one of the best Chess singles of all time, and the single that made the Moonglows not just a household name in the ‘50s, but a group so great it was worthy of a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2000. Another great Moonglows song: “Ten Commandments of Love.”

34. Dion & The Belmonts: “I Wonder Why”

Thank you, John Carpenter, for introducing me to this song when it rushes into focus in Christine. This is my favorite thing Dion ever made with the Belmonts—and it was the first single they ever recorded, in 1958—though I wish it had placed higher on the Hot 100 (it peaked at #22) all that time ago. Laurie Records really changed the game, though, producing groups like the Chiffons, Jarmels, Mystics and the Royal Guardsmen.

33. The Cadillacs: “Speedo”

“Speedo” is one of Niles Rodgers’ favorite songs of all time, which is as good a co-sign as any. The Cadillacs turned into superstars after releasing it in 1955, as the single went to #3 on the R&B chart and made Earl Carroll one of the greatest doo-wop vocalists of all time. You can hear it in Goodfellas, The Sopranos and the made-for-TV mini-series about the Temptations that I unabashedly adore.

32. The Dreamlovers: “If I Should Lose You”

The Dreamlovers did not have a long or well-publicized romance with fame when they were together, but their 1961 track “If I Should Lose You” is one of the best things End Records ever released. It signifies the final days of doo-wop’s mainstream appeal and gestures toward soul music’s timeless popularity. If you like how this one sounds, I’d try their 1962 single “I Miss You” on for size. It’s very good.

31. The Chantels: “Look in My Eyes”

A two-minute song that should be a staple in everyone’s lives, the Chantels’ “Look in My Eyes” reached the Top 20 on the Hot 100 in 1961 and was yet another major victory for the group on the pop charts. In fact, it was their highest charting song, peaking at #14, though it found less success on the R&B circuit than “Maybe.” Nonetheless, as the Chantels’ career began to wane, “Look in My Eyes” can be regarded as their last truly great commercial hit.

30. The Aquatones: “You”

Hearing the Aquatones perform “You” is like hearing the song that became a road map for a contemporary artist like Angel Olsen. Thanks to the pipes of Lynne Nixon, a then-17-year-old soprano with operatic training, “You” is one of the greatest doo-wop ballads ever—a track damn full of talent that Nixon could have just sung it acapella and still left a major mark on the pop charts. With her bandmates around her, “You” became a Hot 100 hit in 1958. Thanks to Martin Scorsese’s penchant for great soundtracks, he put the song in Mean Streets in 1973—and it would later appear in The Sopranos and Mad Men. Not many songs get as many lifetimes as “You” has, but the Aquatones never wasted any of them.

29. Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs: “Stay”

Thanks to Dirty Dancing, “Stay” might just be the most popular song on this list. Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs were a staple of the early ‘60s, galvanized by “Stay” reaching #1 on the pop chart in 1960. They’d see very moderate success after, with singles “I Remember” and “Come Along” barely cracking the Hot 100. Thanks to Henry Gaston’s falsetto chorus, “Stay” has been immortalized in pop culture for good, despite its 1:36 runtime. It doesn’t hurt that, since 1990, the track has sold over 8 million copies. That’s the power of Patrick Swayze.

28. The Drifters: “This Magic Moment”

Everyone has their “summer song”—a track that beckons warm weather and sun-dappled days. For me, it’s the Drifters’ “This Magic Moment,” which spent 11 weeks on the Hot 100 in 1960. I would argue it’s a star-making moment for lead vocalist Ben E. King, who dazzles every second he’s singing. The way lines like “while your lips are close to mine, we’ll last forever” hold so much soul and passion, it’s hard to not fall in love with “This Magic Moment” again every time it comes on.

27. The Nutmegs: “My Sweet Dream”

Spawning from New Haven, Connecticut in the ‘50s, the Nutmegs found success on the R&B chart with “Ship of Love” and “Story Untold.” They’re good songs, sure, but “My Sweet Dream” is the most fabulous gem in the Nutmegs’ short-lived pop treasure trove. I’m a sucker for a hummed chorus, and the one that carries “My Sweet Dream” to its conclusion is among my all-time favorites.

26. The Chords/The Crew-Cuts: “Sh-Boom”

Thanks to Cars, “Sh-Boom” might be the most recognizable song on this list for listeners of my generation. Talking heads have long considered the Chords’ rendition of “Sh-Boom” to be the first doo-wop record to reach the Top 10 on the pop chart, as it infiltrated the mainstream in 1954 before getting covered by the Crew-Cuts, who also got a hit placement with it later in the year.

25. Dion & The Belmonts: “Where or When”

Dion DiMucci’s fingerprints have been all over this list, and “Where or When,” his 1959 single with the Belmonts, is among my favorite entries. It peaked at #3 on the Hot 100, though it has never felt like one of Dion’s biggest tracks—and yet, it did better commercially than “A Teenager in Love,” “No One Knows,” “When You Wish Upon a Star” and “I Wonder Why.” It’s a more orchestral track, a bit of an outlier in the Belmonts’ catalog, but a heavyweight ballad nonetheless—the kind of song you can waltz, or cry, to.

24. The Orioles: “Crying in the Chapel”

In an effort to not fill the Top 10 with my personal favorite songs, I must leave “Crying in the Chapel” here, at #24. I do believe this is one of the greatest doo-wop ballads of all time, thanks to the stop-you-in-your-tracks charm of the Orioles. Their version sold a million copies and topped the R&B chart, and its use in American Graffiti is one of my favorite needle-drops in a film. Elvis got a Top 3 hit with the song in 1965, 12 years after the Orioles first transformed doo-wop with it.

23. The Fleetwoods: “Mr. Blue”

The Fleetwoods were so cool. Starting in Olympia under the name Two Girls and a Guy, they made velvety pop music that would have fit beautifully in a David Lynch flick. I imagine if Chet Baker had ever experimented with doo-wop, this is what he would have sounded like. “Mr. Blue,” released in 1959, became a #1 hit and cemented the Fleetwoods as one of the greatest vocal groups of their time. Before the song kicks into full-gear, there’s a beautiful trombone melody that really shines. And Roy Lanham’s guitar part remains among my favorites in all of music history.

22. The Harptones: “A Sunday Kind of Love”

The Harptones began in Manhattan in 1953 and enjoyed success until the early ‘60s. They have a very famous song that I’ll get to later, but I want to spotlight “A Sunday Kind of Love,” one of the group’s first singles, recorded in ‘53 on the Bruce label. The Del-Vikings would make good use of it four years later, but “A Sunday Kind of Love” never reached the Top 40, regardless of who sang it—which is a shame, considering that it’s one of the tenderest doo-wop ballads ever released. The Harptones got big for other reasons, and I wish “A Sunday Kind of Love” had been their entry into the mainstream.

21. Curtis Lee: “Pretty Little Angel Eyes”

I listen to this song once a week, if not more. It’s one of the sharpest pop songs of the early ‘60s, thanks to the production of a still-green Phil Spector, who’d only just begun striking out on his own after years shadowing Leiber and Stoller. “Pretty Little Angel Eyes” reached #7 on US charts and became Curtis Lee’s biggest hit. He’d never quite reach that level of stardom again, though; when his collaborations with Spector ended, he retired from the music industry and worked in construction. Doo-wop was a market so flooded with material that it gave us brief snapshots of true craftsmen, and Lee was one of them. It’s a shame “Pretty Little Angel Eyes” was his ceiling; he had a voice that could impress millions.

20. Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers: “Why Do Fools Fall in Love”

Before I knew what doo-wop was, I loved “Why Do Fools Fall in Love,” the debut single from Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers. The track went to #1 on the R&B chart and #6 on the pop singles chart, turning the Teenagers into overnight stars. They were rock music’s first all-teenager act, despite Lymon’s short, complicated life. The Teenagers were notably popular because they were one of the few active groups whose choreography rivaled their harmonies. “Why Do Fools Fall in Love” is so enchanting it’ll have you chasing a white Ford Thunderbird across the San Fernando Valley.

19. The Platters: “Only You (And You Alone)”

In my morbid teenage years, I used to carry a piece of paper in my wallet that had all of the songs I wanted played at my funeral written on it. The Platters’ “Only You (And You Alone)” was on that list, because I’ve loved it for over half of my life at this point and, miraculously, it continues to wow me with every listen. Tony Williams’ lead vocal takes me to someplace far away but beautiful, and that is true for many who’ve listened to this song over the last 70 years—as it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame after, four decades earlier, holding the #1 position on the R&B chart for seven weeks.

18. The Cleftones: “Can’t We Be Sweethearts”

The contrarian in me nearly put this near the very top of this list, because it is one of my favorite songs of all time. But there are more important Cleftones mountains to climb, even if “Can’t We Be Sweethearts” is a perfect track. The song came out in 1956 but failed to flourish commercially, opening the door for the Cleftones to reinvent themselves in the ‘60s with “Heart and Soul” and “For Sentimental Reasons.” The Cleftones would break up by 1964, but “Can’t We Be Sweethearts” is still the greatest doo-wop release that wasn’t a hit song.

17. The Teddy Bears: “To Know Him is to Love Him”

Phil Spector was inspired by his father’s gravestone. “To Know Him Was to Love Him,” the epitaph read. He took those words and reconfigured them into the title of a song written for the Teddy Bears, a Los Angeles vocal group Spector had taken under his wing in the late ‘50s. It was a #1 hit for three weeks, becoming the producer’s best pre-Wall of Sound track. The Teddy Bears disbanded in 1960, but “To Know Him is to Love Him” became one of doo-wop’s biggest moments of foreshadowing—a peek into the most dynamic era in pop history, led by Spector.

16. The Heartbeats: “A Thousand Miles Away”

When thinking about pop songs that should’ve been #1 hits, I think about the Heartbeats’ “A Thousand Miles Away,” which peaked at #53 on the charts in 1957. The Fleetwoods and the Diamonds tried to make the track pop later in the decade, but the charm of the Heartbeats is a joy that lingers. Knowing that the group split up in ‘59, I enjoy returning to “A Thousand Miles Away” and wondering what could have been if vocalist James Sheppard hadn’t quit. We’ll never know, but I’d like to imagine the Heartbeats would be at the top of doo-wop’s mountain had he stuck around.

15. The Flamingos: “I Only Have Eyes for You”

The Flamingos!! My goodness, what a tune “I Only Have Eyes for You” is. It’s the single that enshrined them in doo-wop immortality, placing their name in the echelons of rock greatness—I mean, is there a finer vocal performance than “I Only Have Eyes for You”? I guess, technically, there are 14. But, in an era full of thousands of singles, #15 is basically #1. And, like I said, these 100 songs are all great. “I Only Have Eyes for You,” however, is a masterpiece. It not reaching #1 on the Hot 100 remains a criminal misstep in the history of pop music.

14. The Five Satins: “In the Still of the Night”

A song I didn’t hear until only a few years ago, I think “In the Still of the Night” is a magical, one-of-a-kind standard in the lineage of doo-wop. I love it so much, and I refuse to acknowledge any other performances of it—not even those from Boyz II Men or Debbie Gibson. The Five Satins perfected it in 1956; it never needed another rendition. Fred Parris, the leader of the band, wrote the track, a rarity in the genre that only strengthens the argument that it’s one of the greatest musical efforts of all time. It sold a million copies 60+ years ago and was featured in The Irishman in 2019. I’d say that’s a great lifetime for any piece of art to have.

13. Dion & The Belmonts: “A Teenager in Love”

When I think about Dion’s contributions to doo-wop, there is no greater example than “A Teenager in Love,” which peaked at #5 on the Hot 100 in 1959 and gave the singer the wherewithal to strike out on his own without the Belmonts. Dion once considered the song “wimpy,” but changed his mind once the Belmonts started singing those “ooh-wah” harmonies. I’m glad he came around on “A Teenager in Love.” It’s not necessarily his greatest song (that would be the underrated, Phil Spector-produced “Only You Know” from 1975), but it’s his greatest doo-wop showing—and, hey, isn’t that what this is all about?

12. The Ink Spots: “If I Didn’t Care”

Like I said in this list’s introduction, the Ink Spots are credited as being the pioneers of doo-wop, thanks to the commercial legacy of songs that are undoubtedly crucial in the genre’s lexicon, having slowed down the pacing of swing time with easy-going, syrupy production and instrumentation. Not including them in this list would have been a major disservice to the foundations of doo-wop altogether. What better song to spotlight than one of the first doo-wop songs ever, “If I Didn’t Care”? It sounds like the kind of song the Caretaker might pull apart on one of his albums, recorded in 1939 with Bill Kenny. The single has sold over 19 million copies, a mark hit by about 40 other songs in the history of recorded music—putting the Ink Spots in the same conversation as Elton John, Elvis Presley, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Bing Crosby and Celine Dion.

11. The Clovers: “Love Potion No. 9”

A song I so desperately want to hear in the club, “Love Potion No. 9” is among Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller’s greatest work, made famous by the Clovers in 1959 when it reached #23 on the US charts. It’s a song that’s been remade over the years, by the likes of the Searchers, Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass and the Coasters, but none will ever capture the perfection the Clovers sealed in wax. In comparison to their previous singles, the Clovers had much more successful songs than “Love Potion No. 9,” but the pop crossover it still yields is why we remember it more than the rest of their catalog.

10. The Skyliners: “Since I Don’t Have You”

A song so ubiquitous not just in doo-wop, but in the long, storied history of pop music, “Since I Don’t Have You” is a titan of the genre even if it didn’t go #1 on any chart. Calico Records changed for good once this song came out, and the Skyliners opened the door for artists like Ronnie Millsap, the Vogues, Art Garfunkel, Don McLean, Barbra Streisand and Guns N’ Roses to cover it in the decades that followed.

9. The Spaniels: “Goodnite, It’s Time to Go (Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight)”

I heard this song for the first time at the end of American Graffiti, and it will forever be immeasurably critical in my own musical lexicon. “Goodnite, Sweetheart, Goodnite” came out in 1954 and propelled the Spaniels into the Top 5 on multiple charts. When I think about doo-wop and all that it’s given me in my lifetime, I turn to “Goodnite, Sweetheart, Goodnite” first, always. In fact, there are very, very few doo-wop songs that sound better than this Vee-Jay classic—a song so great it turned everything else the Spaniels did into an afterthought.

8. Bobby Darin: “Dream Lover”

Not only was Bobby Darin one of the most important performers of his generation, but his Jerry Wexler-produced, 1959 hit single “Dream Lover” is as immortal as doo-wop songs come. It toes the line, of course, between rock and roll and doo-wop, but there is something so spectacular about “Dream Lover”—I would have felt much regret if I omitted it from the ranking. And, the fact that it’s one of the best-performed songs in recorded history, it belongs in the Top 10. Oh, and the arrangement features Neil Sedaka on the piano, which I think is pretty cool.

7. The Chantels: “Maybe”

Let’s talk about one of the greatest songs ever: the Chantels’ “Maybe,” released in December 1957 and the true inaugural girl-group hit, as it reached #2 on the R&B chart in ‘58. You might recognize this song thanks to Janis Joplin’s cover, which came out on her 1969 album I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama!, but it began with the Chantels at at church in Midtown Manhattan 68 years ago, and “Maybe” sounds as good now as it did then, if not better.

6. The Fleetwoods: “Come Softly to Me”

The Fleetwoods found a #1 hit in “Come Softly to Me” in 1959. I love the origins of this song, how it was an acappella recording with only the instrumental backing of writer Gary Troxel’s car keys. Then, they sent the tape to Los Angeles and singer-songwriter Bonnie Guitar added a stripped-back accompaniment to the vocals. The rest was history, and “Come Softly to Me” is one of the greatest debut singles of all time, in doo-wop and beyond.

5. The Harptones: “Life is But a Dream”

The Harptones changed the landscape of pop music forever upon the group’s release of “Life is But a Dream.” They’re enshrined in the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and, listening to this song, you understand why. I give my thanks to Martin Scorsese for including it in Goodfellas, where I heard it for the first time 15-or-so years ago. Not quite a ballad but also not the bombastic bliss most of this list is centered around, “Life is But a Dream” is one of those rare songs that stretches the limitations of tempo and exists as a truly uncategorical, meteoric slice of doo-wop’s great history.

4. The Platters: “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”

There is no better doo-wop ballad than “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.” It is, undoubtedly, one of the greatest gestures the genre ever gave the wide world, and it helped make the Platters, in my opinion, the greatest doo-wop group of all time. Jerome Kern and Otto Harbach wrote the song for Roberta a 1930s musical, but it began getting arranged for easy listening stations across the next decade. When the Platters sang it in 1958 for Mercury Records, the pop world changed. It was a #1 hit on the Hot 100 and was later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. No group bridged the gap between Tin Pan Alley and rock and roll like the Platters. “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” is a tour de force of pop eloquence 67 years later and will always remain exactly that.

3. The Monotones: “The Book of Love”

We’re in the Top 3 now, which means we are talking about three songs that are not only doo-wop royalty, but among the greatest pop songs ever recorded across a century of material. Written by the trio of Warren Davis, George Malone and Charles Patrick, “The Book of Love” became the Monotones’ greatest triumph once they recorded it in 1957/58. Davis, Malone and Patrick were all members of the group, with Patrick having found inspiration for the lyrics in a Pepsodent toothpaste commercial jingle. Mascot Records put the single out in September 1957 but found themselves overwhelmed by its popularity, leading to a reissue via Chess Records’ Argo subsidiary in February 1958. The track would peak at #5 on the pop chart and #3 on the R&B chart.

2. The Cleftones: “Heart and Soul”

If the Platters didn’t exist, I’d make the argument that the greatest doo-wop group of all time was the Cleftones. Hoagy Carmichael and Frank Loesser wrote “Heart and Soul” and the Cleftones made it famous, watching it reach the Top 20 of the Hot 100 in 1961 and turning it into a radio-play powerhouse—a miracle, considering the Cleftones recorded it in 1959 and the track sat dormant without distribution for two years after. It’s the song the Cleftones are best remembered for, and it’s one of the most important pop recordings ever. It’s even been rumored that some of Don McLean’s lyrics to “American Pie” were inspired by “Heart and Soul.”

1. The Capris: “There’s a Moon Out Tonight”

If we are to say that popular music began in the 1880s, when Tin Pan Alley was among America’s greatest cultural inventions, then we have about 140 years worth of material to comb through. The amount of songs written in that time is unknowable but unfathomably high. Arguing that any one composition stands head-and-shoulders above the rest would be arbitrary, but I would like to think that the Capris’ 1960 hit song “There’s a Moon Out Tonight” exists in those conversations. The track saw a limited release by Planet Records in 1958 but didn’t get popular until two years later, when a DJ played it on the radio and it began circulating across the country—which led to two reissues in the same year, from Lost Nite and Old Town. “There’s a Moon Out Tonight” peaked at #3 on the Hot 100 in early 1961, but the Capris had very little success outside of it until the 1980s, when the Manhattan Transfer covered their song “Morse Code of Love” and watched it land on the charts. But “There’s a Moon Out Tonight” is the song that has sent me the closest to God, and it’s a step above perfect. There’s something in those vocals, where every Capri sings the title in a different register. It’s a beautiful collision of a falsetto and a bass vocal, maybe the greatest I’ve ever heard.