In April, the a cappella group Pentatonix released a cover of Elvis Presley's 1961 standard "Can't Help Falling In Love," the lead single off of PTX, Vol. IV—Classics. The official music video -- which racked up three million views on YouTube in a matter of days -- was standard Pentatonix fare: a straightforward rendition of a classic tune, given a modern spin with pristine production and austere presentation. The group's chemistry was the star: the five members standing in a circle, their faces – and harmonies – front and center.
“Pentatonix has not only succeeded in the pop landscape but has dominated: by all measures, the group is currently one of most successful in America.”
Pentatonix has not only succeeded in the pop landscape but has dominated: by all measures, the group is currently one of most successful in America. Since 2012, the quintet has racked up an astonishing seven top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 chart, and since 2015, they've won three consecutive Grammy awards, including this year's trophy for the best country duo/group performance for their rendition of Dolly Parton’s classic “Jolene,” with Parton herself featured on the new version.
That cut is the centerpiece of PTX, Vol. IV—Classics, which recently peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and arrived on the heels of A Pentatonix Christmas, last year’s biggest-selling album by a group according to Nielsen Music (a feat all the more remarkable considering its October release). Further, the only group that sold more albums overall in 2016 was Metallica -- a legacy act with a fan base built over three decades, who released their much-anticipated first album in eight years (Hardwired… To Self-Destruct) that November.
Part of it is timing. Pentatonix won The Sing Off in 2011, just as the a cappella phenomenon was cresting. Their debut EP, PTX: Volume 1, dropped mere months before Pitch Perfect hit theaters (winning near universal praise and ultimately grossing $115 million at the box office worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo), and squarely in the middle of Glee’s six season run, when the show was regularly achieving mainstream charts success via its weekly digital single releases.