← All artists
The Drifters
📷 Atlantic Records · Public domain

▸ Artist · 1960–1964

The Drifters

4 songs in the crate.

🎧 Ask the DJ about The Drifters

The Story

Formed1953OriginUnited StatesGenredoo-wop, rhythm and blues, soulLabelAtlantic Records, Warner Music GroupMembersClyde McPhatter, Johnny Terry, Johnny Moore, Bill Pinkney, Ben E. King, Rudy Lewis

Picture a summer night, the air thick with romance and the sweet sound of doo-wop floating through the streets. That’s the magic The Drifters brought to the world, blending rhythm and blues with pop sensibilities since the early ‘50s. Originating in the United States, this legendary vocal group featured talents like Clyde McPhatter, Johnny Terry, and the unforgettable Ben E. King. With smooth harmonies, they gifted us classics like "Save the Last Dance for Me," "Under the Boardwalk," and "Up On the Roof," each one a timeless anthem of love and longing. Over the decades, various iterations of The Drifters have emerged, keeping the spirit alive, but the essence remains rooted in those early days. So, whether you’re dancing under the stars or reminiscing, let their soulful tunes transport you back to simpler times.

By The Liner Notes · facts via Wikidata & Wikipedia.

Facts via Wikidata (CC0).

What does The Drifters remind you of?

The drive, the dance, the heartbreak, the summer. Add a memory of The Drifters.

💭 No rules — but if you’re stuck: what was on TV · what you were eating · the movie it brings back · who you were with

💜 Memories are kept forever — they live on this artist’s wall. You can delete yours anytime.

Community Memories

Save the Last Dance for Me
The Drifters1960
Up on the Roof
The Drifters1962
Under the Boardwalk
The Drifters1964

In memoriam — members we've lost

🎟️ Admit One

Ticket Trail

Find the setlist. Save the memory.

No.
6064

Trying to remember what they played when you saw The Drifters back in the day? Jump to Setlist.fm to search real historical setlists, then come back and save the memory.

Search historical setlists on Setlist.fm.

Were you there?

Setlist searches open on Setlist.fm. G33Z3R does not host or verify external setlist data.

🛍️ Get the The Drifters merch

Affiliate links: as an Amazon Associate and an 80sTees affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Details

📼 The Drifters by decade

🎚️ Genres

📺 Heard on these vibes

📀 More like The Drifters

Songs from the same scenes, sound, and era — by other artists.

Mashed Potato Time
Dee Dee Sharp1962
The Loco-Motion
Little Eva1962
Twistin' the Night Away
Sam Cooke1962
So Much in Love
The Tymes1963

🕳️ Down the rabbit hole