When the Oak Ridge Boys (Duane Allen, William Lee Golden, Richard Sterban, and Joe Bonsall, who died Tuesday) were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015, they brought with them some of the most recognizable — and singalong-ready — songs in the genre. From their first hit single, 1977’s “Y’all Come Back Saloon” to their version of “Elvira,” a 1981 crossover smash, the Oaks’ catalog is rich in country music gems. But they also had gospel music in their blood, working heavenly harmonies into secular hits like “Trying to Love Two Women” and releasing full albums of gospel material throughout their decades-long career.
Here are 10 of the vocal quartet’s must-hear songs. The Oak Ridge Boys got their start in the 1940s, when they came out of Knoxville, Tennessee, singing gospel as the Oak Ridge Quintet, and they kept the classic vocal group tradition alive when they went country in the slick 1970s and 1980s. The Oaks’ casual-sharp look and equally pliant musical outlook made their crossover moves feel easy, including appearances on other artists’ tunes (like their beautiful low-key turn on Paul Simon’s “Slip Slidin’ Away”).
Their biggest pop moment was “Elvira,” with its jovial gait, horn section, and fun-to-sing hook “Giddy up, um-poppa-um-poppa, mow, mow,” delivered by well-deep bass singer and Camden, New Jersey, native Richard Sterban. (Oaks tenor Joe Bonsall was born just across the Delaware River in Philadelphia.) — .
