doo-wop

9 8.5

A style of 1950s rhythm and blues with close group singing and made-up backing sounds

noun
/ˈduːˌwɑp/

: doo-wop

(DOO-WOP SONG PLAYING OVER RADIO)
doo-wop group
hip-hop/doo-wop
hop/doo-wop

Examples

Many classic hits from the 1950s feature doo-wop harmonies that are instantly recognizable.
It felt like there was a doo-wop group on every corner back then.

A Bronx Tale (1993)
'80s Billy Joel doo-wop sucks!

Step Brothers (2008)
In the video for his newest track, the doo-wop influenced "B4 We Even Kiss," we're reminded why we dubbed him worthy in the first place.

Blog text (12)
(DOO-WOP MUSIC)

I'll Be Home for Christmas (1998)
Groups like The Platters and The Drifters popularized doo-wop with their smooth vocal harmonies.
His latest album includes a track inspired by the nostalgic sound of doo-wop music.

Surface Forms

doo-wop singular

doo-wops plural

Morphology

doo-wop = doo + wop (semi-transparent) = doo + wop

Formed by compounding two onomatopoeic nonsense syllables; the word clearly refers to the vocal sounds but the components are meaningless lexical items, so the genre label is only partially predictable.

Etymology

The word doo-wop comes from the made-up backing sounds singers used, like doo and wop, so the name literally shows the music's sound. It describes a 1950s rhythm and blues style of group singing with close harmonies and those nonsense syllables.