The Midnighters were an American
R&B group from
Detroit,
Michigan. They were an influential group in the 1950s and early 1960s, with many R&B hit records. They were also notable for launching the career of lead singer
Hank Ballard, and the world-wide dance craze
The Twist. Between 1953 and 1962 The Midnighters scored almost two dozen hits on the National Pop & R&B Charts. Their big hits included the million-selling
Billboard Top 10 pop hits "Finger Popping Time" (for which they received a 1961
Grammy Award nomination), and "
Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go".The Midnighters also enjoyed 13 Top 10 R&B Hits,including 3 R&B # 1's. Top 10 R&B hits included
Work With Me Annie", "It's Love Baby (24 Hours A Day)", "
Annie Had a Baby", "The Hoochi Coochi Coo", "Teardrops On Your Letter", "Get It", "The Float" and "Nothing But Good". They received The
Rhythm and Blues Foundation's prestigious
Pioneer Award in 1992, and were inducted into the
Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999, Lead singer Hank Ballard received a controversial solo induction into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. The Midnighters as a
group were inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 14, 2012.