Which group originally recorded the song 'Barbara Ann'?

Which group originally recorded the song “Barbara Ann”? The Regents. The American doo-wop group first recorded the song under the stylized title “Barbara-Ann.”

Written by Fred Fassert, the song was recorded before the Beach Boys made it famous. The Regents’ version was released in 1961 and reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. Its doo-wop setting and group harmonies helped define the original recording, which later gained renewed attention through its inclusion in the 1973 film American Graffiti and its soundtrack.

The Beach Boys recorded a much more widely recognized version for their 1965 album Beach Boys’ Party! Their recording was presented as a spontaneous-sounding party performance, although the apparent informality was carefully shaped in the studio. It was released as a single in December 1965 and reached No. 2 in the United States and No. 3 in the United Kingdom.

Because the Beach Boys version became the enduring hit, listeners sometimes assume they wrote or originated the song. They did not: the Regents’ 1961 release is the original recording.