doo-wop
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.80 in modern English
12
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
3
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
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.
Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "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."
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.
Usage
Subject
Wiktionary places this term in Music.