Anywhere in the world, nine dapper vocalists walk across the stage and immediately bring audiences to their feet.

The group—Stine, Tyler Trepp, Seggie Isho, Michael Luginbill, Walter Chase, Jerome Collins, Charlie Mechling, Steve Morgan, and Jasper Smith—surpassed a series of remarkable milestones. Their unassuming rise would be highlighted by album sales of 1.7 million in the U.S. alone, ticket sales of over 1 million worldwide, 100 million-plus YouTube views, 100 million streams, dozens of major television performances, three PBS specials, collaborations alongside everyone from Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Elton John to Stevie Wonder and Kristen Bell, and a pair of gold-certified albums, Holiday Spirits and Christmas Cheers.

They ushered a cappella into the mainstream, bursting on the scene before pop culture phenoms like The Sing-Off and Pitch Perfect. Continuing to forge ahead, they ascend to new benchmarks with each move. Annual tours sell out, television shows can’t get enough, and they always defy the odds, not just for a cappella, but for music, at large.