doo-wop

See also: doowop and doo wop

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Coined by DJ Gus Gossert in the 1970s, referring to (mostly) white rock-and-roll groups of the late 1950s and early 1960s. The name is onomatopoeic, representing the nonlexical backing vocals of some songs of the genre.

Noun

doo-wop (uncountable)

  1. A style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that was mostly popular within Black Americans of African descent in the mid-1950s to the early 1960s that is best characterized by nonsensical backing vocals with very little to no instrumentation.
    • 2016, Lawrence Pitilli, Doo-Wop Acappella, Rowman & Littlefield, →ISBN, page 27:
      The R&B groups possessed a grittiness and soulful earnestness that was soon to be emulated by street-corner doo-wop groups, some of whom would achieve commercial success with instrumentally arranged hit records.

Derived terms

Verb

doo-wop (third-person singular simple present doo-wops, present participle doo-wopping, simple past and past participle doo-wopped)

  1. To perform music in this style.

Further reading
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