In the Still of the Night
1956
February 1956, a New Haven church basement, and a song Parris had written on Army guard duty.
★ 7.5
The Songs canon
Sourced and sung.
Every song chosen by hand, with the recording to play it.
Browse all 2,393 songs or filter by genre, subject, artist, and year.
Browse all 2,393 songs or filter by genre, subject, artist, and year.
Earth Angel
1954
Cut as a demo in Ted Brinson's garage, pillows on the drums, then three weeks atop the R&B chart.
★ 7.5
Where Did Our Love Go
1964
Holland and Dozier said the Marvelettes turned it down; Ross sang lower over Mike Valvano's foot stomps to number one.
★ 7.4
Why Do Fools Fall In Love
1956
Herman Santiago built it from a neighbor's love letters; Lymon, thirteen, took the lead and the credit fight ran decades.
★ 7.3
There Goes My Baby
1959
Strings, timpani and a Brazilian baion; Wexler reportedly dismissed the playback as a radio caught between two stations.
★ 7.3
I Only Have Eyes for You
1959
Terry Johnson dreamed the arrangement, called the group to rehearse at 4 a.m., and Goldner drowned it in reverb.
★ 7.2
It's Too Late
1971 · From Tapestry
Toni Stern wrote the words in a day after her romance with James Taylor ended, and Curtis Amy's sax answers.
★ 7.2
Please Mr. Postman
1961
Marvin Gaye played the drums, Gladys Horton pleaded the lead, and Motown had its first Hot 100 number one.
★ 7.0
Da Doo Ron Ron
1963
Nonsense syllables meant to be replaced by real words, La La Brooks on lead, and Spector's Gold Star thunder.
★ 7.0
The Great PretenderThe Platters
The Great Pretender
1955
Twenty minutes in a Las Vegas hotel washroom, by Ram's account, and Tony Williams sings heartbreak behind a smile.
★ 6.9
If I Didn't CareThe Ink Spots
If I Didn't Care
1939
Kenny's tenor floats, Jones talks the lyric back in bass, and doo-wop inherited that top-and-bottom trick wholesale.
★ 6.8
Please, Please, Please
1956 · From Please Please Please
Syd Nathan hated it and fired Ralph Bass for cutting it, then rehired him when it reached R&B's top five.
★ 6.6
One Fine Day
1962
Goffin and King built it for Little Eva; the Chiffons got the track, King's piano intro intact.
★ 6.5
Runaround Sue
1961
Bell Sound in 1961, the Del-Satins behind him, Ernie Maresca's co-write, and Dion's only American number one.
★ 6.0
Sh-Boom
1954
Cut as a throwaway B-side to a Patti Page cover, and doo-wop crossed into the pop top ten.
★ 5.9
Come Go With Me
1956
Airmen stationed in Pittsburgh, a demo cut in a DJ's basement, and bass singer Clarence Quick's nonsense-syllable hook.
★ 5.6
The Longest Time
1984 · From An Innocent Man
Every voice on the record is Joel's, stacked over Doug Stegmeyer's bass; doo-wop rebuilt by one man.
★ 5.6
Maybe
1957
A Manhattan church studio, Richard Barrett's piano figure, and a sixteen-year-old lead vocal that opened the girl-group era.
★ 5.5
Oh, What a Night
1956
Vee-Jay released it in 1956 as doo-wop; the Dells recut it thirteen years later and reached the pop ten.
★ 4.4
Tonight Tonight (The Mello-Kings)
1957
Five Mount Vernon high schoolers, a Billy Myles song, and Bob Scholl's lead floating over the sweetest doo-wop changes.
★ 3.4