Best BLACK VOCAL GROUP of the 1950s?

[NightTrain]

Poll question: Best BLACK VOCAL GROUP of the 1950s?

NOTE: Along with their '50s hits, some of these groups also charted in the early 1960s.

NOTE 2: Because of the abundance of great R&B vocal groups in the 1950s, I had to leave off a number of my personal favorites who had only regional hits or never transcended one-hit wonder status. Among them: Lee Andrews & The Hearts, the Avons, Cadillacs, Cardinals, Castelles, Chords, Cleftones,Danleers, Del-Vikings, Diablos, Du Droppers, El Dorados, Falcons, Five Keys, "5" Royales, Five Satins, Harptones, Hartbeats, Hollywood Flames, Impalas, jacks, Jesters, Lamplighters, Larks, Earl Lewis & The Channels, Little Anthony & The Imperials, The Mellows, Monotones, Nutmegs, Olympics, Paragons, Penguins, Rays, Robins, Silhouettes, Solitaires, Spaniels, Spiders, Swallows, Tune Weavers, Valentines, Velours, Otis Williams & The Charms, and the Willows.

[ronnykmarshall]

1. The Platters!

[flamingyouth]

2. Partial to Hank Ballard & the Midnighters

When they played in Tacoma, they let the (at the time) very young members of the Wailers come up on stage and jam with them! How cool is that! They were playing the Evergreen Ballroom and the Wailers were still in high school! :D

[Magrittes Pipe]

3. Ballard, Ballard, Ballard.

Flamingoes, Platters, Drifters... all great.

But they weren't Hank Ballard.

[papau]

4. Of all your polls, this was the hardest for me!

I don't know if what I miss is my youth, the actual tunes by each of these groups, or the image of the lady that danced with me at that time (I have continued to hang with many of them and - hard to believe - we have all aged - and I prefer the younger image that these tunes bring back).

:-)

[johnnie]

5. The Coasters

I have been on a Coasters kick lately, so maybe I am biased.

[ClintonTyree]

6. You can't pick ONE....................

impossible. Each in their own way are unforgettable. I was only 10 years old in 1959, but I remember their music vividly.

[papau]

7. I agree! n/t

:-)

[NightTrain]

8. Kick for the graveyard shift

[HEyHEY]

9. Franky lymon!

[Kahuna]

10. You don't remember me. But! I remember you. T'was not so long ago..

You broke my heart in two. Tears on my pillow. Pain in my heart. Caused by yoooooou hoo hoo.

In other words, where in the heck is Little Anthony and the Imperials? :grr: