There's nothing that says dedication to music like a Top 500 songs list! I know Rolling Stone has done multiple attempts at creating a Top 500 all time songs list, but how about one just for doo wop? Well, I recently checked out a list that UGHA (United in Group Harmony Association) made in 2000. UGHA members were asked to vote on what some of their all time favorite doo wop songs were, and so a giant Top 500 list was compiled from that. 500 songs sure is a lot, and I'm not going to claim I even know half of the songs on their list. But I feel as though I know enough about doo wop to have my own opinion on it. And so, I'm going to say where I think this list hit the mark, and where I disagree with it. Let's get the negativity out of the way first, then.
Songs That Got Snubbed
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| The Platters did not get a lot of love on this list. |
First, we have to acknowledge some of the songs that absolutely deserved to be on the list, but weren't included. That starts with "The Great Pretender" by the Platters. The Platters generally got snubbed on this list, with only three of their songs appearing (Only You, My Prayer, and Heaven on Earth). But to have my favorite Platters song completely off the list? Talk about a snub. It's a beautiful song with a superb lead vocal by Tony Williams. But perhaps it was snubbed for not being "street corner" enough.
Next, how about "Zing! Went The Strings of My Heart" by the Coasters? The Coasters were another group that were absolutely snubbed from the list, with none of their songs showing up. And you know what, if they didn't want all their goofy pop-style hits on there, I get it. But I'm surprised that "Zing" didn't show up as a favorite with at least some people. It's a super smooth slow jam featuring a great lead vocal by bassman Dub Jones. Totally deserving of a spot.
And while we're on the subject of the Coasters, the group that came before them (the Robins) had another worthy selection. "Smokey Joe's Cafe" is one of my all time favorites, so to not see it on the list was definitely a disappointment.
Other snubs include "Get a Job" by the Silhouettes, "Here Am I Brokenhearted" by the Four Js, "Try the Impossible" by Lee Andrews and the Hearts, "Stranded in the Jungle" by the Cadets, and perhaps most surprisingly... "Sh Boom" by the Chords. Obviously UGHA members are far too into doo wop to vote the awful Crew Cuts version onto the list, but I thought the ballsy original by the Chords would make it.
Songs That Were Underrated
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| I was surprised to see The Drifters' "Money Honey" so low on the list. |
All the way down at #496 on the list, we find "Wishful Thinking" by Little Anthony and the Imperials. This is my all time favorite by the group, give me this song over "Tears on My Pillow" any day. So while I'm glad the song was at least acknowledged, I wish it could've been a little higher. I think it's one of Little Anthony's strongest and most passionate leads, and the background is beautiful as well.
At #476, we find "Money Honey" by the Drifters. The Clyde McPhatter-era Drifters had some fantastic songs, songs with guts. They weren't together for that long, but in that short amount of time, they recorded "Such a Night" and "White Christmas". Yet, the best of the bunch is probably "Money Honey". It's a song with a fantastic saxophone solo, and of course, a great lead from McPhatter. #476 is simply too low.
At #430 is "Let's Start All Over Again" by the Paragons. Now, I do have to give this list credit for acknowledging the great group that was the Paragons. 5 of their selections are on the list, including "Florence", "Twilight", and "So You Will Know". But this song, with its simple piano structure and falsetto lead vocal, has become an absolute favorite of mine. #430 is just too low.
Other songs that ranked out a little low for me include "Ten Commandments of Love" by the Moonglows (#405), "You Baby You" by the Cleftones (#398), "Wonderful Girl" by the Five Satins (#397), "What Time Is It" by the Jive Five (#393), and "Zoom Zoom Zoom" by the Collegians (#335). All of these songs would make my Top 100 doo wop songs list.
Songs That Were Overrated
I guess I shouldn't be surprised that "Earth Angel" by the Penguins and "In The Still of the Night" by the Five Satins made it as high as they did (#11 and #13, respectively). Both songs are certified doo wop classics, no doubt about it. But I thought a crowd like UGHA might be a little sick of hearing these songs, and therefore leave them out of their all time favorites list. Certainly I like both songs, but I wouldn't rank either so highly. For example, "Shadows" by the Five Satins was #117 on the list. It's a more obscure song than "In The Still of the Night", but I think a better one.
I was honestly surprised to see the amount of love the Heartbeats got. "A Thousand Miles Away" ranked at #16, "Your Way" at #14, and "Crazy For You" was all the way up at #3. I definitely like all of these songs, but I would not rank them so highly. Personally, I like Shep & The Limelites' song "Daddy's Home" better. And guess what, that was another snub on this list!
And finally, I know "Gloria" is the doo wop national anthem, so it might be blasphemy to say this. But I would not have the Cadillacs' classic song quite so high as #17 on my list.
Many Groups Were Rightfully Appreciated
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| The Harptones got their place in history with UGHA's list. |
Okay, we went over enough of my disagreements with the list. Let's go over the things I think this list really got right. First of all, the love for the Harptones was strong, as it should be. The Harptones are one of the all time underrated acts in the history of music, and how they never had any commercial success is beyond me. But the doo wop aficionados of UGHA certainly appreciate the group, as they put (14!) of their songs on the list. That is the most of any group, by the way. I think it's justified, given the greatness of lead singer Willie Winfield, piano player/arranger Raoul Cita, and the beautiful harmonies that rounded out the group. They had an incredible 5 songs in the Top 30, and I don't know if I can really push back on any of them being ranked so high ("A Sunday Kind of Love" at #4, "I'll Never Tell" at #9, "Life is But a Dream at #19, "That's The Way It Goes at #21, and "My Memories of You" at #30). The list even agrees with me on "A Sunday Kind of Love", which is an all time, Top 10 favorite for me as well.
In my opinion, one group that's underrated even among doo wop lovers is the Rivieras. Well, they had 4 songs make this list! "El Dorado" made it at #413, then "Moonlight Serenade" at #310, then "Count Every Star at #113, and finally "Moonlight Cocktails" at #83. They had some beautiful slow jams, that's for sure. But I think their uptempto stuff is great, too. "Great Big Eyes", "True Love Is Hard to Find", and "Refrigerator" are all worth a listen. But I'll be happy with UGHA's love for the Rivieras here, as "Count Every Star" and "Moonlight Cocktails" are both fantastic. Lead singer Homer Dunn has got to be one of the most underrated doo wop vocalists I've ever heard.
Finally, the appreciation for true street corner groups was duly noted. Of course, that isn't really surprising, but it's still nice to see. Guys like The Five Discs have multiple spots on the list, and I love how "I Remember" was remembered at #132, while "Never Let You Go" was put at #181. I mentioned how The Paragons had 5 different songs on the list, but how about their rival group, The Jesters? They had 5 as well, and many are worthy inclusions (including "Please Let Me Love You" at #482, "Love No One But You" at #308, and "The Wind" at #60). Groups with a street corner sound were definitely appreciated on this list, as The Channels had 5 songs on the list as well.
The List Appreciates Different Eras of Doo Wop
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| The Ravens were an integral early doo wop group. |
Yes, the 1950s dominate the list with 411 of the 500 selections. But, there was still 8 from the 1940s, as well as 79 from the 1960s. The appreciation for the late 40s/early 50s era is something that I can truly get behind. Groups like The Ink Spots and Mills Brothers laid the foundation for doo wop. But it was groups like The Ravens and The Orioles that were the first great doo wop groups, full stop. And both groups got a lot of love on the list. The Ravens got 11 songs on their list, including their masterpiece version of "Count Every Star" at #278. With the smooth bass singing of Jimmy Ricks, I might like that verison even better than the one by the Rivieras. The Orioles get even more love, with 13 selections. "It's Too Soon To Know", which is widely considered one of the first doo wop and rock 'n roll songs, was ranked all the way up at #5. The 1948 song, which has a beautiful song led by Sonny Til, deserves to be acknowledged as both great and groundbreaking.
The peak era of doo wop is often said to be the mid to late 50s, but this list acknowledges that there is much more to it than that. 75 of the 500 songs were from the 1950-53 era, and seeing early 50s songs be appreciated is a welcome sight. The 1960s get their love too, as groups like the Jive Five, The Dubs, and the Crests were acknowledged. Heck, the list even included one song from the 70s, "White Christmas" by Golden Gate Out. I'll have to check out that song. The latest of all the doo wop songs on the list was "Morse Code of Love", which was released in 1982. That one is definitely a worthy inclusion. In any case, this list being inclusive goes to show that there is many great eras of doo wop. Even today, some musicians are still influenced by it. In particular, I talk of Meghan Trainor! Maybe if this list was voted on today, she'd get some love.
Overall Thoughts
I was very happy to find this list last night, as there's a lot I can learn from it. As I said at the beginning, there's plenty of songs on this list that I'm just not familiar with. I'm sure I will find some gems that I can play on future radio shows. But with the songs I did know, I got to debate where I might put them on my personal list. Obviously, as you read, I have some disagreements. But there's a lot of effort that goes into making a list like this, so shoutout to Rich Kriz for compiling it. Here is the link if you are interested in reading the full list: http://www.ugha.users5.50megs.com/UGHA/ughatop500.htm
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