1950s White Music

 I'm no musician, but I am fascinated by 1950s White music. There's something about it that evades definition. To call it "boring" would imply it is normal and the center of culture, when in fact it is eccentric. I would sum up the White chorus style as big band meets barbershop quartet. Aesthetically it shouldn't work but somehow does... for me, anyway. Anyone else would dislike it.

One of the most essentially 1950s groups is the Mellomen, who sang for Disney films during that time. You'll notice this style most in the 1952 short 'Trick or Treat'. The arrangement of voices in the song exemplifies the White style. Although they are an all-male group, they sometimes have female voices as well.

Mitch Miller's chorus, known for singing traditional songs, are also arranged in this particular way, especially when singing for Guy Mitchell. 

The same kind of orchestra is used for, for instance, Frank Sinatra's cover of 'Goodnight Irene', which was written as a blues song and performed by the likes of Lead Belly in the 1930s.

There is also Eddy Arnold's 1955 recording of 'The Cattle Call', which has a very typical 1950s White-style chorus.

It is bizarre and fascinating.

Other kinds of songs, like ones performed by the likes of Arthur Godfrey or Eileen Barton, are like hammy, music hall backwash. It's less of that pretty music and more all about the performance.