A Quiet Surprise

We've been fans of a cappella music ever since we attended a concert by a talented college group. Top-40 a cappella songs have been few and far between, however. Simpler, quieter forms of music--not only a cappella but also string quartets and acoustic guitar--have a hard time competing with latter-day pyrotechnics. That's why it's so unexpected and gratifying that Pentatonix has become popular:

no big record label wanted anything to do with them. Even after sweeping NBC’s “The Sing-Off” in 2011, the group was dropped by Sony’s Epic Records—which had an option to sign winners. So they started making their own records and simple YouTube videos, putting together quirky a cappella arrangements of popular hits without executives weighing in or pushing them toward a commercial sound.

Despite enormous pressure to become more conventional, the five singers stuck to their vision of unadorned music. Through hard work and great talent, they "may be one of the few acts to sell a million copies of a 2014 album this year." Once you sample the product, however, it's no surprise that Pentatonix has caught fire. Talent cannot be ignored.