A cappella strips music down to its most elemental instrument—the human voice—removing all instrumental accompaniment to create intricate harmonies, rhythms, and textures through vocal percussion, beatboxing, and layered melodies. Emerging from sacred choral traditions and evolving through barbershop quartets, doo-wop groups, and collegiate ensembles, the genre has exploded into modern pop consciousness through viral covers and competitive performance culture. Unlike traditional choral music's focus on classical repertoire and formal arrangements, a cappella thrives on versatility—reimagining contemporary hits, crafting original compositions, and blending genres from jazz scat to metal riffs, all executed without a single note from guitar, piano, or drum kit.
What distinguishes a cappella from its neighbors is its radical self-sufficiency: where comedy acts might use vocals for humor and pop relies on production polish, a cappella demands technical virtuosity and creative arranging to replicate full instrumental soundscapes using only mouths, throats, and diaphragms. Groups like Pentatonix push electronic textures through vocal distortion, while acts like Bobby McFerrin demonstrate improvisational genius, and ensembles such as The King's Singers maintain refined sophistication rooted in Renaissance polyphony.
Dive into a cappella to witness the astonishing range of human vocal capability—from guttural bass lines to soaring soprano runs, from mimicked turntable scratches to orchestral swells—proving that the oldest instrument remains the most versatile, innovative, and emotionally direct conduit for musical expression.
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List updated:
| #70 | ByClaudio Monteverdi | Released:1969 | chorala capella | ||
| #49 | ByThe Persuasions | Released:1972-01-01 | |||
| #68 | ByThe Tallis Scholars | Released:1977 | |||
| #98 | ByThe King's Singers | Released:1978 | |||
| #59 | ByFlying Pickets | Released:1984-05-29 | popa capella | ||
| #7 | ByBobby McFerrin | Released:1984 | |||
| #34 | ByBobby McFerrin | Released:1986-12-02 | |||
| #76 | ByThe Bobs | Released:1987-01-01 | a capella | ||
| #12 | ByLadysmith Black Mambazo | Released:1987-04-28 | a capella | ||
| #62 | ByThe Tallis Scholars | Released:1987-09 | |||
| #20 | ByDiamanda Galás | Released:1988-05-23 | |||
| #55 | ByTake 6 | Released:1988-06-01 | |||
| #6 | ByBobby McFerrin | Released:1988-08-22 | |||
| #27 | ByBobby McFerrin | Released:1988 | |||
| #65 | ByThe Bobs | Released:1990-01-01 | a capella | ||
| #40 | ByTake 6 | Released:1990-09-07 | |||
| #57 | ByFlying Pickets | Released:1991-01-01 | popa capella | ||
| #53 | ByPavel Chesnokov | Released:1991 | |||
| #26 | ByZap Mama | Released:1993-01-01 | a capella | ||
| #87 | ByDiamanda Galás | Released:1993-09-07 | |||
| #5 | ByDie Prinzen | Released:1993-11-12 | |||
| #72 | BySounds Of Blackness | Released:1994-01-01 | |||
| #94 | ByAcappella | Released:1994-01-01 | |||
| #75 | ByWise Guys | Released:1994-11 | a capellapop | ||
| #78 | ByTraditional | Released:1994 | chorala capella | ||
| #93 | ByThe King's Singers | Released:1995-12-29 | |||
| #97 | ByRockapella | Released:1995 | |||
| #46 | ByDie Prinzen | Released:1996-10-21 | |||
| #64 | ByThe King's Singers | Released:1996-11-11 | a capella | ||
| #88 | ByWise Guys | Released:1996-12-20 | a capellapop | ||
| #41 | ByWise Guys | Released:1996 | a capellapop | ||
| #43 | ByThe Real Group | Released:1996 | |||
| #28 | ByThe Real Group | Released:1997-01-01 | a capella | ||
| #13 | ByBobby McFerrin | Released:1997-04-01 | a capella | ||
| #95 | ByThe King's Singers | Released:1997-05-19 | a capellasmooth jazz | ||
| #9 | ByWise Guys | Released:1997-08-29 | |||
| #39 | ByWise Guys | Released:1997-09-01 | a capellapop | ||
| #29 | ByStanford | Released:1997 | classicala capella | ||
| #38 | ByRockapella | Released:1997 | |||
| #85 | ByRockapella | Released:1998-03-04 | |||
| #30 | ByLadysmith Black Mambazo | Released:1998-09-21 | a capella | ||
| #69 | ByTake 6 | Released:1998-10-27 | |||
| #45 | BySheila Chandra | Released:1999-04-05 | a capelladrone | ||
| #22 | ByWise Guys | Released:1999-05-10 | a capellapop | ||
| #48 | ByDie Prinzen | Released:1999-05-10 | |||
| #67 | ByWise Guys | Released:2000-01-10 | a capellapop | ||
| #73 | ByRockapella | Released:2001-03-06 | |||
| #18 | ByWise Guys | Released:2001-05-28 | a capellapop | ||
| #16 | ByWise Guys | Released:2001-08-27 | popa capella | ||
| #25 | ByDie Prinzen | Released:2001-08-27 | |||
| #37 | ByRajaton | Released:2001-10 | popa capella | ||
| #31 | ByBobby McFerrin | Released:2002-03-12 | |||
| #60 | ByTake 6 | Released:2002-04-23 | |||
| #92 | ByWise Guys | Released:2002-05-27 | a capellapop | ||
| #77 | ByRockapella | Released:2002-08-13 | |||
| #80 | ByVocal Sampling | Released:2002-09-01 | |||
| #81 | BySt.Petersburg Chamber Choir | Released:2002 | chorala capella | ||
| #17 | ByWise Guys | Released:2003-02-17 | a capellapop | ||
| #52 | ByVoice Male | Released:2003-04-02 | a capella | ||
| #96 | ByAdachi Tomomi Royal Chorus | Released:2003-04-22 | a capella | ||
| #99 | ByChumbawamba | Released:2003-06-16 | |||
| #71 | ByLadysmith Black Mambazo | Released:2003-08-20 | a capella | ||
| #84 | ByThe Swingle Singers | Released:2003-10-21 | jazza capella | ||
| #35 | ByRajaton | Released:2003-10-24 | a capella | ||
| #42 | ByThe Swingle Singers | Released:2003 | a capella | ||
| #61 | ByToto Bona Lokua | Released:2004-04-20 | |||
| #50 | ByWise Guys | Released:2004-05-24 | a capellapop | ||
| #19 | ByThe Blanks | Released:2004-10-14 | |||
| #14 | ByWise Guys | Released:2004-11-08 | a capella | ||
| #82 | ByDie Prinzen | Released:2004-11-22 | |||
| #32 | ByWise Guys | Released:2005-09-19 | a capellapop | ||
| #33 | ByLadysmith Black Mambazo | Released:2006-01-20 | a capella | ||
| #36 | ByRajaton | Released:2006-03-04 | a capellapop | ||
| #11 | ByWise Guys | Released:2006-05-05 | a capella | ||
| #47 | ByNaturally 7 | Released:2006-09-30 | |||
| #3 | ByBjörk | Released:2007 | |||
| #24 | ByWise Guys | Released:2008-02-15 | a capellapop | ||
| #83 | BySoweto Gospel Choir | Released:2008-09-15 | a capellagospel | ||
| #2 | ByVan Canto | Released:2008-09-26 | |||
| #74 | ByTinyfolk | Released:2008 | |||
| #63 | ByMaybebop | Released:2009-04-20 | vocal jazza capella | ||
| #23 | ByVan Canto | Released:2010-02-24 | |||
| #51 | ByMaccabeats | Released:2010-03-24 | a capella | ||
| #44 | ByChanticleer | Released:2010-09-14 | |||
| #56 | ByRockapella | Released:2010-09-21 | |||
| #86 | ByTake 6 | Released:2010-10-05 | |||
| #100 | ByChanticleer | Released:2011-10-24 | a capellachoral | ||
| #1 | ByPentatonix | Released:2012-06-26 | a capella | ||
| #54 | ByTenebrae | Released:2013-01-08 | a capella | ||
| #10 | ByPentatonix | Released:2014-09-23 | popa capella | ||
| #4 | ByPentatonix | Released:2014-10-17 | a capella | ||
| #79 | ByGeorgy Sviridov | Released:2014-12-01 | chorala capella | ||
| #8 | ByPentatonix | Released:2015-10-16 | popa capella | ||
| #90 | BySt. Petersburg Optina Pustyn Male Choir | Released:2017 | chorala capella | ||
| #91 | ByThe King's Singers | Released:2020-01-31 | |||
| #21 | ByDiamanda Galás | Released:2020-05-29 | a capella | ||
| #15 | ByPentatonix | Released:2020-08-13 | a capella | ||
| #89 | Byyodashe | Released:2020-08-28 | noisea capella | ||
| #58 | BySt. Tikhon's Mission Choir | Released: | chorala capella | ||
| #66 | ByState Symphony Capella of Russia | Released: | chorala capella |