# Acapella versions of hit songs, please. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 11, 2009, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acapella-versions-of-hit-songs-please/520870 "2009-12-11T17:00:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acapella-versions-of-hit-songs-please/520870/1 "2009-12-11T17:00:50Z")
Help a girl home sick entertain herself. By accident I found this youtube of [UMass Dynamics performance of Breakfast at Tiffany’s](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alSVzsWLVKE). And then I got a look at Take 6. They do a lot of gospel and sing one of my favorite versions of Amazing Grace. I found them doing [Biggest Part of Me.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwuvV05iHpk) I sure would like more, please. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acapella-versions-of-hit-songs-please/520870/2 "2009-12-11T17:10:54Z")
If you can get past the heavy cheese factor, this version of [Toto’s Africa](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05ip-N0H1Ig) is absolutely breathtaking. Listen on headphones if you can. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acapella-versions-of-hit-songs-please/520870/3 "2009-12-11T17:15:20Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > If you can get past the heavy cheese factor, this version of [Toto’s Africa](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05ip-N0H1Ig) is absolutely breathtaking. Listen on headphones if you can. I’ve seen the rainstorm part before but never knew it segued into Africa. P.S. I LOVE cheesy top 40 and am not ashamed to admit it. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acapella-versions-of-hit-songs-please/520870/4 "2009-12-11T17:17:47Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > I’ve seen the rainstorm part before but never knew it segued into Africa. P.S. I LOVE cheesy top 40 and am not ashamed to admit it. Glad you get to listen to the whole thing. That final chord gets me all moist-eyed. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acapella-versions-of-hit-songs-please/520870/5 "2009-12-11T17:19:29Z")
Look for songs by Naturally 7 and Toxic Audio. Also The Fairfield Four (if you’ve seen _O Brother, Where Art Thou?_, some of them are the gravediggers). I know of one group comprised of DC cops but can’t recall their name at the moment. I know it has something to with them being cops. ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acapella-versions-of-hit-songs-please/520870/6 "2009-12-11T17:22:23Z")
Pimping my husband’s old a cappella group, the [Soundbytes](http://www.cmusoundbytes.com/albums) - they do mostly pop songs, and you can download several of their albums here. On their first album (at the bottom) you can hear my husband’s Dave Matthews impression 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acapella-versions-of-hit-songs-please/520870/7 "2009-12-11T17:28:57Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > If you can get past the heavy cheese factor, this version of [Toto’s Africa](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05ip-N0H1Ig) is absolutely breathtaking. Listen on headphones if you can. I LOVE this video. Not exactly a “hit song” – but Straight No Chaser’s version of _[12 Days of Christmas](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kYEK-pxs_A)_ is 1\> brilliant and 2\> hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acapella-versions-of-hit-songs-please/520870/8 "2009-12-11T17:30:11Z")
[Take 6’s Amazing Grace.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhcWX9VQW-M) I didn’t wanna post it in the OP cuz I mostly wanted radio hits but, hey, Amazing Grace has got to be on some top 40 list somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acapella-versions-of-hit-songs-please/520870/9 "2009-12-11T17:31:00Z")
Too many by them to list, but go search Youtube for The Flying Pickets. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acapella-versions-of-hit-songs-please/520870/10 "2009-12-11T17:38:35Z")
[Petra Haden and The Sellouts: I Can See For Miles](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNFoNBz9Dbs) ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acapella-versions-of-hit-songs-please/520870/11 "2009-12-11T17:48:46Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > [Petra Haden and The Sellouts: I Can See For Miles](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNFoNBz9Dbs) I was too worried that the one at the very end was gonna lose the grip on her belly and drop the baby right there to really and truly appreciate the vocal overdubbed guitars. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acapella-versions-of-hit-songs-please/520870/12 "2009-12-11T17:53:57Z")
[The Puppini Sisters’ “I Will Survive”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-62ed8TfM9E) ---
**Author:** ![StoutHearted](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@StoutHearted](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StoutHearted)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acapella-versions-of-hit-songs-please/520870/13 "2009-12-11T17:55:27Z")
Moxy Fruvous did a great acapella version of the Bee Gee’s _I’ve Got To Get a Message to You_. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acapella-versions-of-hit-songs-please/520870/14 "2009-12-11T17:56:09Z")
Ben Folds put together an a capella album of his own songs, and commissioned a bunch of university a capella groups to record the songs. [Link](http://www.benfolds.com/acappella) to the album’s Web page. Unfortunately, no full versions available (well maybe if you hunt around there are). There’s only one top 40 song on there, “Brick.” ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acapella-versions-of-hit-songs-please/520870/15 "2009-12-11T18:03:39Z")
Straight No Chaser – best known for their version of [The 12 Days of Christmas](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28GUU1YbP_E&feature=PlayList&p=0BBDB65645E86FD2&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=1) – do some amazing a capella versions of popular songs: [The Lion Sleeps Tonight](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41tgOaFXTWU), [Stand By Me](http://www.sncmusic.com/video/stand-by-me-from-the-pbs-pledge-drive/), and [Africa](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Zj00qwrFGo&feature=PlayList&p=78F7DB1F2FD08D3D&index=18). ([Here are several of their videos](http://www.sncmusic.com/video/category/live/) – check out “Christmas Can Can,” which is great, but not under the conditions of the OP) Not on Youtube, but live they kill with things like Van Morrison’s “Moondance” and the Zombies’s “She’s Not There.” ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acapella-versions-of-hit-songs-please/520870/16 "2009-12-11T18:08:45Z")
I hate to be a nitpicker, **Elvis** but there are instruments involved. They do sound great, thought. ---
**Author:** ![torie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@torie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/torie)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acapella-versions-of-hit-songs-please/520870/17 "2009-12-11T18:09:23Z")
[This](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW5czKqT05A) one cracked me up. The **Africa** one is great. I might like it better than the actual song. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acapella-versions-of-hit-songs-please/520870/18 "2009-12-11T18:14:35Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > [The Puppini Sisters’ “I Will Survive”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-62ed8TfM9E) I’ve met them. They’re really lovely people (and cute!). ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acapella-versions-of-hit-songs-please/520870/19 "2009-12-11T18:17:11Z")
hulabahoos is the most popular of UVa’s acapella groups ---
**Author:** ![Headrush042](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Headrush042](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Headrush042)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acapella-versions-of-hit-songs-please/520870/20 "2009-12-11T18:19:53Z")
The Stanford Harmonics perform Simon & Garfunkel’s [Sound of Silence](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TuF-54c6jQ) The live fx are a bit over the top, but the arrangement and performance is superb. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acapella-versions-of-hit-songs-please/520870.md?page=2)