60 Doo-Wop Trivia Questions and Answers for Fans of the '50s Street-Corner Sound

The TriviaTalent Team · 7 min read

It started on the corner, under a streetlight, where four or five voices could lean into a chord with nothing behind them but the night air. One carried the tune, one dropped to the bass, one floated up into falsetto, and the rest filled the space between with syllables that meant nothing and everything: sh-boom, doo-wop, bom-ba-ba-bom.

That sound followed you onto the AM dial and out to the drive-in. Here are 60 questions on the groups, singers, and hits that made doo-wop, starting easy and working toward the deeper cuts.

The Sound and Its Story

1. Doo-wop grew out of which broader style of music?

Rhythm and blues, born in African American city neighborhoods in the late 1940s.

2. What do we call singing with no instrumental backing at all?

A cappella.

3. Where did the term "doo-wop" first appear in print?

In The Chicago Defender newspaper, in 1961, just as the style's heyday was winding down.

4. That 1961 printing of "doo-wop" referred to which group's hit version of "Blue Moon"?

The Marcels.

5. The four-chord pattern under countless doo-wop songs earned what nickname?

The "'50s progression" (I–vi–IV–V).

6. Which two smooth vocal groups of the 1930s and '40s are cited as doo-wop's forerunners?

The Ink Spots and the Mills Brothers.

7. One city is often called the "world capital" of doo-wop. Which one?

New York City.

8. True or false: the nonsense syllables that named the style can be heard on records from the 1940s.

True. The Delta Rhythm Boys' 1945 "Just A-Sittin' and A-Rockin'" is an early example.

The Pioneers

9. Which Baltimore group's "It's Too Soon to Know" (1948) is often called an early doo-wop record?

The Orioles.

10. The Orioles scored their biggest hit and only million-seller in 1953 with which song?

"Crying in the Chapel."

11. "Crying in the Chapel" reached number one on which Billboard chart?

The R&B chart (number 11 pop).

12. Who wrote "Crying in the Chapel"?

Artie Glenn.

13. "Sh-Boom," recorded in 1954, was the only hit for which group?

The Chords.

14. "Sh-Boom" is sometimes called the first doo-wop or rock and roll record to do what?

Reach the top ten on the pop charts.

15. Which Canadian group's cover of "Sh-Boom" spent nine weeks at number one in 1954?

The Crew-Cuts.

16. "Earth Angel" (1954) was recorded by which Los Angeles group?

The Penguins.

17. The Penguins formed in 1953 at which Los Angeles high school?

Fremont High School.

18. "Earth Angel" is remembered as the first independent-label release to reach what?

Billboard's national pop charts, in the top ten.

19. "Sincerely" (1954) was the R&B number one for which Chicago group?

The Moonglows.

20. Which disc jockey co-wrote "Sincerely" with the Moonglows' Harvey Fuqua?

Alan Freed.

21. Which sister act's cover of "Sincerely" outsold the original?

The McGuire Sisters.

The Hit-Makers

22. "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" (1956) was the hit for Frankie Lymon and which group?

The Teenagers.

23. Besides topping the R&B chart, "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" reached number one in which country?

The United Kingdom (number 6 pop in the U.S.).

24. The Platters' "The Great Pretender" (1955) was written by the group's manager. Name him.

Buck Ram, the group's manager.

25. Which Platters single came just before "The Great Pretender" in 1955?

"Only You (And You Alone)."

26. Who was the Platters' lead singer on those hits?

Tony Williams.

27. The Platters took "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" to number one in which year?

1958, into early 1959.

28. "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" was written by Jerome Kern and Otto Harbach for which 1933 musical?

Roberta.

29. "In the Still of the Night" (1956) by the Five Satins was recorded in a church basement in which city?

New Haven, Connecticut (St. Bernadette's Church).

30. Who wrote "In the Still of the Night" and sang on the record?

Fred Parris.

31. "At the Hop," number one in January 1958, was the big hit for which group?

Danny and the Juniors.

32. How many weeks did "At the Hop" spend at number one?

Five.

33. "Get a Job" by the Silhouettes topped both the pop and R&B charts in which year?

1958.

34. In which city did the Silhouettes record "Get a Job"?

Philadelphia.

35. "Come Go with Me" (1957) was a top-five pop hit for which group?

The Del-Vikings.

36. The Crests' "Sixteen Candles" (1958) was kept from number one by which Lloyd Price hit?

"Stagger Lee."

37. The Flamingos' dreamy 1959 reading of "I Only Have Eyes for You" reached number 11. Who wrote the song back in 1934?

Harry Warren and Al Dubin, for the 1934 film Dames.

Girl Groups Join In

38. "Maybe" (1957) helped define the girl-group sound and featured a 16-year-old lead singer. Which group?

The Chantels, led by Arlene Smith.

39. "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" became the first song by a girl group to top the Hot 100. Who recorded it?

The Shirelles.

40. Who wrote "Will You Love Me Tomorrow"?

Gerry Goffin and Carole King.

41. "He's So Fine" (1963) was a four-week number one for which group?

The Chiffons.

42. "He's So Fine" became the center of a famous plagiarism lawsuit over which George Harrison song?

"My Sweet Lord."

Dion's Corner

43. "A Teenager in Love" (1959) was recorded by Dion and which group?

The Belmonts.

44. "A Teenager in Love" was written by Doc Pomus and which songwriting partner?

Mort Shuman.

45. Dion's 1961 solo single "Runaround Sue" reached what spot on the Hot 100?

Number one.

46. Which 1961 single did Dion release right after "Runaround Sue"?

"The Wanderer."

Number Ones and Chart Facts

47. The Marcels gave a doo-wop makeover to which old Rodgers and Hart standard, topping the chart in 1961?

"Blue Moon."

48. "Blue Moon" was written back in 1934 by Richard Rodgers and which lyricist?

Lorenz Hart.

49. "Stay" by Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs (1960) is famous for being what?

The shortest single ever to reach number one, at the time.

50. Just how long does "Stay" run?

One minute and 36 seconds.

51. Which Elvis Presley record knocked "Stay" off the top a week later?

"Are You Lonesome Tonight?"

52. "Duke of Earl," a 1962 number one, was the hit for which singer?

Gene Chandler, who first cut it with the group the Dukays.

53. How long did "Duke of Earl" hold the number-one spot?

Three weeks.

54. The Crew-Cuts' cover of "Earth Angel" outperformed the original on the pop chart, reaching what position?

Number three.

Groups and Their Cities

55. Which two Chicago record labels helped make the city a doo-wop hub?

Vee-Jay and Chess Records.

56. Detroit's scene included Nolan Strong and which group?

The Diablos.

57. Which Philadelphia group behind "Get a Job" shared the city's scene with the Turbans and Lee Andrews & the Hearts?

The Silhouettes.

58. The Turbans' 1955 hit "When You Dance" is cited as the first hit to harmonize what in its refrain?

The syllables "doo-wop" themselves.

59. Which three Baltimore groups helped build that city's early doo-wop scene?

The Orioles, the Swallows, and the Cardinals.

60. The Shirelles, the Marvelettes, and the Supremes all built on a sound the Chantels helped pioneer. What do we call that sound?

The girl-group sound.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly is doo-wop?

It's a style of rhythm and blues built on vocal group harmony: a lead singer over background voices, a bass on the bottom, and those wordless syllables filling the gaps. It took shape in city neighborhoods in the late 1940s and ruled the radio into the early '60s.

Why is it called doo-wop?

The name comes from the nonsense syllables singers chanted behind the melody. It didn't reach print until 1961, in The Chicago Defender, describing the Marcels' "Blue Moon." If these hits take you back, you'll enjoy our 1970s music trivia questions and answers, too.

Is doo-wop good for a group trivia night?

Very. The songs are short and the hooks unforgettable, so most people only need the title to start humming. For an easier set to mix in, see our trivia questions for seniors.

Sources

Can you still carry the tune? Play our trivia quizzes and test your ear for the oldies.