Remember Boyz II Men’s mainstream and billboard hit success, “Its So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday?” Ever wonder where they got the idea to harmonize their voices instead of using instruments? I have gathered some background on the makings of the great a capella music movement, hopefully giving you an idea of how this has inspired so many artists and musicians alike.

The history of a capella began a long time ago in churches where music accompaniment was not allowed – the loose translation is “in the style of the church.” A capella was used in many faiths dating back to 670 AD. Since then, many styles have evolved from this church-style singing. The first style was being used in collegiate singing groups in the early 1900′s. It is still up in the air about who the actual originator was, but some very notable groups came from Yale University called The Whippenpoofs and the Spizzwinks(?). And no that is not a typo, due to the strange name, the editor of the Yale Banner, unsure of the spelling, added the punctuation. The group loved the way it looked and kept it up.

Barbershop music and barbershop quartets are an American exclusive vocal styling started a little after collegiate groups started bellowing. The groups used four-part harmonies and overtones. This music movement was closely linked to African-American gospel quartets. In the 1940′s it soared to mass popularity and in 1954 settled into the pop mainstream with the Chordettes song, “Mr. Sandman.” Perhaps the most visible moments for the Barbershop music scene was The Buffalo Bills appearance in the 1962 production of, “The Music Man.”

Jazz musicians also started to use nonsensical words to form sounds where an instrument had been originally, called vocal jazz. Groups like the Andrews Sisters, The Mills Brothers and Modernaires made the public go crazy for more of this innovative sound. From this point, doo-wop music was introduced into the pop world and the audience craved the fun sounds and harmonizing. This movement inspired the “bird” name bands such as, The Orioles, The Swallows, and The Larks. In 1955, the doo-wop scene really caught on with many cross-over tracks creating lots of attention with “The Great Pretender,” “Earth Angel,” and “Only You.”

It was only a matter of time that the a capella sound would hit the soul, pop and rock scene. The 1960′s saw the influence of the “church-style” singing with vocal surf music, experimental rock and psychedelic.The Beach Boys had a couple popular tunes by the name of “Surfer Girl” and “Surfin’.” The Beatles rerecorded a version of their White Album a capella calling it the Grey Album. The Persuasions became a very well-known name in the 1970′s when they hit it big with “Chain Gang.”

The Manhattan Transfer founded shortly after, brought a capella to the center of pop music. Many pop groups were inspired. One in particular, The Nylons, became super popular after their release of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” The a capella didn’t stop here, it went on to bring more creativity and individuality to music. Led Zeppelin, Billy Joel, and Paul Simon were a few of the many who were trying out new sounds, vocally. Bobby McFerrin and Boyz II Men had huge successes with their a capella tributes in the 80′s and 90′s.

Today the use of different vocal styling can be seen in almost any genre of music. Even the Ramones, David Bowie, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers have contributed to the amazing sounds of a capella music. Record companies dedicated only to a capella have formed all over the world and there is even a Recorded A Capella Review Board where one hundred albums a year are posted and discussed. This unique sound has caught the interest of African and Indian nations as well. Do I hear a punjabi take on a capella is the wave of the future?