“Hey nonny ding dong, alang alang alang / Boom ba-doh, ba-doo ba-doodle-ay.”
With those opening nonsense syllables, Toronto vocal quartet the Crew Cuts launched a pop sensation in the summer of 1954. Their rendition of “Sh-Boom” rocketed to the top of the pop charts, hitting number one on August 7 and remaining there for seven weeks—and lingering in the top 10 until November. With glee club harmonies, the Crew Cuts polished the rough edges of the doo-wop original to conform to the standards of white jazz and pop established by the likes of Perry Como.