A Cappella Album Debuts at #1 for First Time Ever

A cappella group Pentatonix landed at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart, marking the group's first top-selling album, and also the first time in history an a cappella group has seen an album debut at No. 1.

The self-titled album is also notable for being the group's first full-length release of all original material (save for one track), as the group (and contemporary a cappella in general) has risen to prominence largely through covers. Group members have been outspoken about what a #1 album would mean to a cappella music's place in the mainstream landscape.

Their latest acheivement further establishes Pentatonix as one of the most popular acts in music today. They now boast five straight albums reaching the top ten; their previous highest position on the Billboard charts was in 2014 with their holiday release "That's Christmas to Me."

In a recent Billboard interview, bass Avi Kaplan says, “We were the choir nerds.”