The Coasters, also known as "The Clown Princes of Rock and Roll" and "Those Hoodlum Friends," were not the first successful doo-wop group, but more than any other they helped bring vocal harmonization into the mainstream. The Coasters began their existence as an a capella sextet called the Robins (1949-1955). They were "discovered" while performing at the Barrelhouse Club in Watts, a night spot owned by R&B bandleader Johnny Otis. Otis—who was of Greek descent but culturally identified himself as African American—established himself with the hit song "Harlem Nocturne" and used his fame to provide exposure to up-and-coming artists. He made the Ravens a featured act in his touring Johnny Otis Rhythm and Blues Caravan; in the studio they provided vocal backing for Little Esther Phillips and other Otis-affiliated acts. As a collective the Caravan recorded several R&B hits, including "Double Crossing Blues" (later recorded by John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers) and "Mistrustin' Blues."
After racking up several Top Ten hits the songwriting and production team Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller decided to found their own label, Spark. They developed several song ideas for a crack doo-wop type group; they immediately thought of the Robins. Though the whole group was not interested, Bobby Nunn and Carl Gardener decided to throw in with Lieber and Stoller. They were paired with two hand-picked musicians, Billy Guy and Leon Hughes, and formed the Coasters in 1955. Over the next three years the group made several Top Ten records; the group was known for witty, well-crafted songs that were nonetheless skillfully executed and drenched in the blues. The Coasters fractured again when Lieber and Stoller proposed a move to New York. Guy and Gardener remained The Coasters (Gardener copyrighted the name after their first hit, assuring that he would maintain control over its use), while Nunn and Hughes remained in Los Angeles and formed the Coasters Mach II. The "classic" Coasters continued to make doo-wop novelty hits into the early 1960s and became the first vocal group inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
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The Platters, the Clovers, the Treniers, the Orioles
Must Haves:
 "Poison Ivy"
"Yakety Yak"
"Charlie Brown"
"Young Blood"
A number of one or two hit wonders, including the Edsels (Rama-Lama-Ding-Dong), the Rivingtons (The Bird Is the Word), the Pentagons (To Be Loved); Little Anthony and the Imperials; the Hollies; Southside Johnny and the Amboy Dukes
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