The Drifters

After the Drifters released their '53 finger-popper "Money Honey," starring original lead singer Clyde McPhatter, the group sailed through the '50s and '60s (and revolving-door personnel shifts) on a smooth sea of R&B flavored with massive pop appeal. Breakout tunes included the '59 pleader "There Goes My Baby" — spotlighting Ben E. King's crushed-heart lead and a string-heavy, soon-to-be widely copied production — and one of their last and biggest hits, the 1964 summertime smash "Under the Boardwalk" (sung by Johnny Moore). For more of the group's barrier-breaking genius, drift on into Next Steps.

For more than two decades, the Drifters shifted sounds and personnel practically with the seasons. Yet whether the group was making rocked-out R&B ("Whatcha Gonna Do," sung by founder Clyde McPhatter), doo-wop pop ("Adorable," with a lead by Johnny Moore), or even Latin-flavored novelties (the Burt Bacharach-penned "Mexican Divorce," with Rudy Lewis out front), its knack for blending stone-soul leads and sweet-spot harmonies with smooth pop gloss always remained in place. Don't you stay in place — check out our Drifters Deep Cuts.

The Drifters scored hit after hit as a group, but the here-today-gone-tomorrow lineup changes also meant a lot of great solo platters from former members. Singing lead on songs like the R&B smoker "Someday You'll Want Me to Want You," Drifters founder Clyde McPhatter set the group on the road to fame and fortune. On his own, McPhatter used his fireball tenor to burn up soul stirrers like "Seven Days" and became a superstar. Later, former lead man Ben E. King built his own solo career on a strong, suave baritone — and blues-soaked ballads like "It's All Over."

You have to admit, they were appropriately named. Fact is, Drifters personnel seemed to come and go on the seven seas, from the handful of lead vocalists — including founder Clyde McPhatter ("Honey Love"), baritone belter Ben E. King ("This Magic Moment"), Rudy Lewis ("Up On the Roof"), and on-and-off front man Johnny Moore ("Come On Over to My Place") — to the soul-pop Who's Who working behind the scenes. Legendary Atlantic producer Jerry Wexler, and songwriters like Leiber & Stoller, Doc Pomus, and Burt Bacharach all had a hand in the Drifters legacy. Maybe it was this steady stream of fresh talent and ideas that kept the group (and its silky-smooth brand of pop-flavored R&B) not only at the top of the charts, but at the front lines of breaking down barriers between rock, pop, and soul.