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1930s . . . 1940s . . . 1950s . . . 1960s . . . 1970s . . . 1980s . . . 1990s
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1909
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The
Yale Whiffenpoofs are formed as an adjunct to
the Yale Glee Club. Collegiate a cappella is
born. "The Whiffenpoof Song" goes on to
become the most covered collegiate a cappella
original song in history. |
1910
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The first
written use of the word
"barbershop" associating it with
harmonizing occurs with the song, "Play
That Barbershop Chord." |
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1931
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The Mills Brothers begin
recording. Their popular voicetrumental
sound, typified by " Swing It Sister," was billed on
the records as "No musical instruments
or mechanical devices used on this recording
other than one guitar." |
1937
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The Golden
Gate Quartet debuts a 78, their signature
" Golden Gate Gospel
Train"
a cappella with voicetrumentation and train
chords, emulating the Mills Brothers. |
1938
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O. C. Cash
has the first meeting of the "Society
for the Preservation and Propagation of
Barber Shop Quartet Singing in the United
States" a songfest on the roof garden of
the Tulsa Club in Tulsa Oklahoma, on April
11. The organization now known as SPEBSQSA is
born. |
1939
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Solomon
Linda's Original Evening Birds record " Mbube," later
translated to English as "The Lion
Sleeps Tonight," in South Africa. The
song is so popular a whole style of a
cappella singing called Mbube is born. |
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1945
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The Sweet Adelines (later
renamed Sweet Adelines International) are
founded, providing for women barbershoppers
the equivalent of SPEBSQSA. |
1952
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Sam
Cooke sings lead with The Soul Stirrers,
starting a direct link from a cappella gospel
to rock & roll with songs like "It Won't Be Very Long." |
1953
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The Hi-Lo's
are founded by Gene Puerling. |
1954
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The
Chordettes have a huge hit with "Mr. Sandman," completing
their switch from women's barbershop pioneers
to pop stars. |
1957
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The Hi-Lo's,
signed to Columbia, produce "Suddenly
It's the Hi-Lo's," "Ring Around
Rosie," and "Love Nest" which
included their stellar a cappella rendition
of "My Romance." |
1959
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Harmony Inc.
splits off from the Sweet Adelines. |
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1962
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The Buffalo
Bills appear in "The Music Man,"
providing one of Barbershop's most visible
moments. |
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1963
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The Swingle Singers release
"Bach's Greatest Hits" and win the
Grammy for New Artist of the Year. (Not quite
a cappella, though.) |
1966
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The
Persuasions are founded. |
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1968
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Frank Zappa
on his label "Straight Records"
records The Persuasions first album
"Acapella."
On May 1, a group that emerged
from King's College in England performed for
the first time as The King's Singers.
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1971
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The Persuasions "We Came To
Play," now on Columbia Records, hits the
Billboard 200 charts (9/18) with "Chain Gang" and other hits. Ralph Stanley
introduces a cappella quartet
gospel singing to his bluegrass music
audience.
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1972
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The
Persuasions "Street Corner
Symphony" hits the Billboard 200 charts
(2/12) peaking at number 88, featuring "Buffalo Soldier." Gene Puerling forms
Singers Unlimited and they release "Try To Remember," AKA "A
Capella" (yes, they misspell it) with
amazing a cappella overdubbing - a new studio
technique. Oscar Peterson gets them a record
deal on MPS in Germany after hearing " Fool On The Hill."
The Belmonts, formerly of Dion and
the Belmonts, release "Cigars,
Acappella, Candy."
The Manhattan
Transfer are born (October 1).
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1974
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The King's
Singers record "Lollipops," their
first all a cappella recording of light songs
such as "I'm A Train" and "Didn't We."
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1975
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Manhattan
Transfer's first album is released - with
lots of accompanied close harmony and a few a
cappella intros (like "Operator").
Bernice Johnson Reagon,
founder of Sweet Honey in the Rock, releases
a solo, overdubbed recording of civil rights
songs, " Give Your Hands to
Struggle" - the first "one
person a cappella band."
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1976
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Sweet Honey
in the Rock releases their debut, self-titled
recording on the Flying Fish label, with the
only instruments and pop songs they'll ever
use. |
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1979
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Manhattan
Transfer releases "Extensions"
which includes their first a cappella song,
" Foreign Affair." The Nylons are formed
by four actors in the back room of a Toronto
deli.
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1981
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Manhattan Transfer releases
"Mecca for Moderns" which includes
a cappella "A Nightingale Sang in
Berkeley Square." The album is the first
ever to win Grammys in both pop and jazz
categories.
The Nyons' self-titled debut
album opens with " The Lion Sleeps Tonight" - and
contemporary a cappella groups will feel
compelled to forever follow their example.
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1982
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The Bobs are
formed when two members close their singing
telegrams venture "Western Onion
Telegraph Company" and place a
classified ad. |
1983
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The Bobs
release their self-named debut recording
featuring " Helter Skelter" for which they
were nominated for a Grammy for best vocal
arrangement. In England, The Flying Pickets
hit #1 in the charts with "Only
You" for five weeks beginning December
10.
Billy Joel
features the "nearly a cappella"
song " For The Longest Time" on his album
"An Innocent Man."
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1984
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Bobby
McFerrin releases "The Voice," the
first recording to capture his unique one man a cappella band sound. |
1985
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Manhattan
Transfer releases "Vocalese" with
an a cappella " Another Night in
Tunisia"
featuring Bobby McFerrin and Jon Hendricks.
It's nominated for 12 Grammys. Todd Rundgren's "A
Cappella" tops at #128 on the Billboard
200.
Phil Mattson
& the PM Singers release "Night in
the City" (f.k.a. "Setting
Standards") featuring Bobby McFerrin and
Gene Puerling, along with Mattson's seminal
" I'll Be Seeing You."
The first
Harmony Sweepstakes contest is held in Marin
County in California. The winner of the local
competition is "Just Friends."
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1986
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Paul Simon
releases "Graceland," performed
with the help of South African ensemble
Ladysmith Black Mambazo. It wins the Grammy
for Album of the Year. Keith Lancaster forms
his musical ministry group Acappella, which
grows over the years into The Acappella
Company with more than 50 albums and more
than two million units sold.
Rockapella was
formed when three members graduate from the
Brown University High Jinks.
The Mint
Juleps are formed in England.
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1987
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The Nylons
hit their peak with "Happy
Together," whose singles " Kiss Him Goodbye" (peaking at #12)
and "Happy Together" (peaking at
#75) break into mainstream radio. The Real Group is
formed in Stockholm, records their
"Debut."
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1988
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Bobby
McFerrin releases "Simple
Pleasures" featuring the monster hit,
"Don't Worry Be Happy" which
becomes the number one single. Take 6 explodes on the
scene with their debut self-named album, and
wins a Grammy for singing songs like " Spread Love."
Glad produces
their first " A Cappella Project" for the
Contemporary Christian market.
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1989
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While during
the rest of the '80s about half a dozen new
collegiate a cappella groups were formed
around the U.S. per year, suddenly more than
20 groups spring up - and there will be about
the same number formed every year afterwards. Debut recording by
Montezuma's Revenge (The Netherlands).
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1990
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"Do It A Cappella" is
run on PBS, with Spike Lee following the
trail of urban a cappella from Rockapella,
The Persuasions and more. The Collegiate A
Cappella Newsletter is formed by Deke Sharon
of the Tufts Beelzebubs in his dorm, but
quickly grows to include all groups and is
later known as the Contemporary A Cappella
Society.
Debut
recordings by: The Flirtations, The Knudsen
Brothers (U.S.).
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1991
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Boyz II Men,
formed in 1988, debuts
"Cooleyhighharmony" with the a
cappella monster hit, "It's So Hard to Say
Goodbye to Yesterday." The album enters the
Billboard 200 June 1 and stays on the charts
for 133 weeks. Debut recordings from 17th Ave.
All-Stars, Beachfront Property, The Edlos
(U.S.).
The House
Jacks are formed as the first a cappella
group with a designated vocal percussionist.
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1992
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Rockapella
produces their first Japanese recording,
"To New York." The Primarily A
Cappella Catalog debuts.
Debut
recordings from The Blenders (U.S.), The
Trenchcoats (U.S.), and Trio Esperanca
(Brazil).
Contemporary A
Cappella Recording Awards established.
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1993
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The first A
Cappella Summit is held in the Marin Civic
Center in California. Huey Lewis & The News reach
#4 on the charts with "It's Alright."
Debut
recordings: Zap Mama (Belgium), La Bande
Magnetik and STREETNiX (Canada) plus
Straight Company, Throat Culture and Vox One
(U.S.).
Rec.music.a-cappella
Album Review Board (now known as the Recorded
A Cappella Review Board) debuts - RARB.
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1994
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Debut
recordings: Five O'Clock Shadow, House Jacks, Street Sounds (U.S.)
and Gema 4 (Cuba). |
1995
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CASA starts
the Urban Harmony Movement.
Rockapella releases
their first U.S. recording, "Primer."
Debut
recordings: 4 Tunes and the Essentials,
(Canada), A La Carte, Accidentals,
Beat'achon, Extempo, Monkey Puzzle, Tonic Sol
Fa and Jezebelle (U.S.), Black Voices
(Ireland), Vocal Sampling (Cuba).
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1996
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The first
National Championship of Collegiate A
Cappella is held, with the finals at Lincoln
Center. The
first all a cappella record label is formed,
Primarily A Cappella Records.
A Cappella Radio
International airs for the first time.
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1997
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The first
non-barbershop a cappella competition outside
the U.S., Northern Harmony, is held in
Edmonton, Alberta.
STREETNiX releases Ignition, the
first "electronica a cappella"
album, spending a month in studio
manipulating vocal tracks.
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1998
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Mainely A
Cappella is founded when Don Gooding leaves Primarily A Cappella. Double Dong records the first
punk a cappella CD.
Two
international groups (The Acapelicans,
Fitzroy, Australia and the Heebee-jeebees,
Calgary, AB) make it to the finals of the
U.S. a cappella tournament.
|
1999
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Hot Lips
Records, the first vocal band label, is
started by Mainely A Cappella founder Don
Gooding. Mainely A Cappella also purchases the
National Championship of Collegiate A
Cappella |
2000
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A cappella touches
the mainstream: The Standards win the Family
Act title at Destination Stardom, five
o’clock shadow finishes second in
VH1’s Unsigned Band contest; 4:2:1 wins
NextBigStar.com's Pop Music Duo or Group
contest, with Toxic Audio finishing second. |
2003
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Idea of North from Australia becomes the first group outside of the U.S. to win the Harmony Sweepstakes.
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2004
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Toxic Audio brings its show to off-Broadway and wins both raves and audience awards for "Loudmouth."
Chapter 6 becomes the first a cappella group to win both the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella and the Harmony Sweepstakes.
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2005
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Mainely A Cappella changes its name to A-CAPPELLA.COM, reflecting its global presence and the dominance of the internet in its sales. |
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