The term "Doo Wop" first appeared in print in 1961 in the Chicago Defender; fans of the music coined the term during the height of a vocal harmony resurgence. The phrase was attributed to radio disc jockey Gus Gossert, but Gossert suggested "doo-wop was already in use before me, so as to categorize the vocal harmony of a group of singers"

The first record to use the syllables "doo-wop" in the refrain was the 1955 hit "When You Dance" by The Turbans. Previously, the scat backing vocal "doo-wop" is heard in The Clovers' 1953 release "Good Lovin'". Other early uses include the 1955 song "Mary Lee" by The Rainbows, which contains the background "do wop de wadda"; and the 1956 smash "In the Still of the Night" by The Five Satins, which features a plaintive "doo-wop, doo-wah" refrain in the bridge.

In 1954, doo-wop groups played a significant role in ushering in the rock and roll era when two big rhythm and blues hits by vocal harmony groups,"Gee" by The Crows and "Sh-Boom" by The Chords crossed over onto the pop music charts. Quickly,other R&B vocal groups entered the pop charts, particularly in | 1955, which saw such cross-over doo-wop hits as "Only You" by The Platters, "Sincerely" by The Moonglows and "Earth Angel" by The Penguins.

After some time, the term "doo-wop" caught on as both a description and category for R&B vocal harmony starting with groups from the very early 1950's forward. The following are over 200 original examples of this totally American musical art form (alphabetically by title). They were chosen on the availability of a clear audio track and the availability of a clean label graphic. If a group photograph is available, it is also shown. This listing is by no means complete and if a certain song is not on the list, it may be that not enough information was available.