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"Doo-wop" is a form of close-harmony singing, based in rhythm-and-blues. The style became popular in the 1950s, originating among African-American vocal groups in urban centers. One of the most common rhythm phrases used by 1950s groups in performance and on their recordings, "doo-wop" came to name the musical style. To sing in the doo-wop style, phonetic or nonsense words are used as rhythmic parts in harmonic arrangements. Usually this is done by a trio or quartet of vocalists, over which a soloist sings a melody. The melody is expressed through understandable words, often accented by the nonsense words of the vocal accompaniment. By the end of the 1960s, doo-wop groups were losing popularity. Yet rock 'n' roll musicians would often use doo-wop for their background vocal arrangements, and in this way the style continued to develop beyond the 1950s and to exert its influence on popular music.
Gribin, Dr. Anthony J., and Dr. Matthew M. Schiff. Doo-wop: The Forgotten Third of Rock 'n' Roll. Iola, Wisconsin, Krause Publications, 1992.
Pruter, Robert. Doowop: The Chicago Scene. Urbana and Chicago, University of Illinois Press, 1996.