The Box Tops were an American band of the 60s that combined soul and rock music into a popular sound epitomized by their famous single "The Letter". The band was fronted by teenaged singer Alex Chilton, and for their studio recordings after "The Letter", consisted solely of Chilton and Memphis studio musicians. For live performances, Chilton was joined by Tom Boggs (drums), Rick Allen (bass), Gary Talley (guitar), and Bill Cunningham (organ). An original member before their first hit was Larry Spillman, who dated Cybill Shepherd in high school, and later was a law enforcement official in Memphis where he interacted with stars such as Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis.

The band existed from 1967 to 1970, after which Chilton went on to lead the legendary Big Star.