The best Pentatonix songs prove that five voices and zero instruments can move a room just as hard as a full band. Since forming on The Sing-Off, this Grammy-winning a cappella group has turned covers into events and originals into anthems, building a catalog that spans holiday specials, pop radio, and viral internet moments. This list counts down twenty tracks that showcase the range, the arrangements, and the sheer vocal engineering that makes Pentatonix stand apart.
Hallelujah
Recorded for A Pentatonix Christmas in 2016, this rendition of the Leonard Cohen classic strips away the seasonal noise and lets Scott Hoying’s low end anchor a slow-building harmonic wash. Kirstin Maldonado’s lead vocal carries genuine ache, and the layered “ooh” backgrounds function almost like a string section built entirely from human breath. On headphones, the reverb tail on the final chord practically hangs in the air, which is a mastering choice that rewards a quiet, focused listen.
Mary, Did You Know?
Featured on That’s Christmas to Me in 2014, this arrangement turns a fairly gentle carol into a dynamic showcase, with Avi Kaplan’s bass providing a foundation deep enough to feel through a subwoofer. The vocal percussion from Kevin Olusola drives the rhythm without ever overpowering the melody, a balance that is tricky to mix and even trickier to perform live. Fans debating headphone choices for catching every low harmonic layer might find it useful to browse a headphones comparison guide before queuing this one up.
Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
Pulled from PTX, Vols. 1 & 2 in 2014, this Tchaikovsky reimagining is where Pentatonix leans hardest into arrangement as performance art. The classical melody gets passed between voices like a relay, with vocal percussion standing in for the orchestral pizzicato of the original ballet score. It is a reminder that this group treats a cappella not as a limitation but as a compositional challenge to solve creatively.
Daft Punk
This 2013 mashup medley from PTX, Vol. II condenses several Daft Punk hits into one continuous vocal mix, and the transitions between songs are where the real craftsmanship lives. Mitch Grassi’s falsetto handles the higher synth-line melodies with surprising accuracy, while Kevin Olusola’s beatboxing recreates the four-on-the-floor pulse that defines the source material. The arrangement earned viral attention for good reason, since translating electronic production into pure voice is genuinely difficult work.
Carol of the Bells
Released on PTXmas in 2012, this track became something of a signature piece, with its rapid unison runs and percussive vocal stabs. The tempo never lets up, and the group’s precision on the tightly stacked harmonies shows off just how disciplined their rehearsal process must be. In a live setting, the energy of this arrangement tends to hit even harder than the studio cut, which explains why it remains a staple of their holiday touring setlist.
Bohemian Rhapsody
Included on PTX, Vol. IV: Classics in 2017, this cover takes on one of the most structurally ambitious songs in pop history and somehow keeps every section intact. The operatic middle passage is where the group’s harmonic stacking really shines, layering voices to mimic the original’s multitracked choir effect. Queen’s original songwriting by Freddie Mercury gives the arrangement plenty to work with, and Pentatonix clearly respects the source material rather than flattening it into a novelty cover.
Cheerleader
From the self-titled Pentatonix album in 2015, this cover of the OMI reggae-pop hit reworks the bassline into something Avi Kaplan delivers with real groove and warmth. The production keeps things light and summery, a contrast to the group’s more dramatic holiday output. Kirstin and Mitch trade lead lines with an easy chemistry that makes the whole track feel less like a cover exercise and more like a genuine reinterpretation.
Can You Feel the Love Tonight
Appearing on a Japan-exclusive greatest hits compilation in 2019, this Elton John cover leans into lush, cinematic harmony stacking that suits the song’s ballad structure. Scott Hoying’s vocal tone carries a warmth that fits the romantic sincerity of the original composition. It is a strong example of how the group approaches film and musical theater material with the same attention to detail as their pop covers.
Sing
An original single from the 2015 Pentatonix album, this track leans into arena-pop production values while staying rooted in vocal-first arrangement. The chorus hook is built for radio, with layered harmonies doing the work that synths or guitars might otherwise handle. It stands as one of the clearer examples of the group writing original material rather than reinterpreting someone else’s song, and the confidence shows.
Little Drummer Boy
This PTXmas cut from 2012 is one of the earliest tracks to demonstrate the group’s ability to turn vocal percussion into a genuine rhythm section. Kevin Olusola’s beatboxing carries the martial drum pattern of the original while the rest of the group weaves melody and harmony around it. The arrangement has aged well, largely because it never oversells the concept and lets the groove breathe.
O Come, All Ye Faithful
Also from A Pentatonix Christmas in 2016, this hymn arrangement builds gradually from a single voice into a full harmonic wall by the final verse. The dynamic build is a smart arrangement decision, giving the track a sense of climax that a straight, unchanged rendition would lack. It plays especially well live, where the crescendo tends to land with real physical impact in a concert hall.
Mad World
Released as the title track of the 2020 EP, this cover of the Tears for Fears song strips things back to a minor-key, melancholic arrangement well suited to Mitch Grassi’s higher register. The sparse instrumentation, or rather the sparse vocal layering, gives the lyrics room to sit heavy, which fits the song’s themes of isolation and disconnection. It is one of the more emotionally direct tracks in the catalog, without much of the flash the group is often known for.
Havana
Part of PTX Presents: Top Pop, Vol. I from 2018, this Camila Cabello cover translates a Latin-pop production into vocal percussion and layered harmony with real rhythmic confidence. Kevin Olusola’s beatboxing recreates the reggaeton-adjacent groove convincingly, which is no small feat given how much of the original relies on programmed percussion. Anyone building a workout playlist around rhythmic covers might want to check a earbuds comparison resource to make sure the low-end percussion actually translates outside the studio mix.
Shallow
Also found on the 2019 Japan compilation, this cover of the Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper duet gives Kirstin Maldonado and Scott Hoying room to trade the emotional weight of the original A Star Is Born performance. The build from quiet verse to full-throated chorus mirrors the film version closely, while the harmony stacking adds texture the original piano-and-guitar arrangement did not have. It is a strong example of the group choosing material that suits their vocal strengths rather than covering a hit purely for its popularity.
The Prayer
From the 2021 album Evergreen, this cover of the Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli duet leans fully into the group’s classical and choral instincts. The dynamic range on this track is significant, moving from hushed near-silence to a full ensemble swell that tests both the mix engineer and the singers. It is a demanding piece technically, and the arrangement treats that difficulty as a feature rather than something to smooth over.
Say Something
Featured on PTX, Vols. 1 & 2 in 2014, this cover of the A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera duet became one of the group’s most streamed tracks, and it is easy to hear why. The stripped-down arrangement keeps the focus on vocal tone rather than vocal acrobatics, letting the emotional simplicity of the original songwriting carry the track. Scott Hoying’s lead here remains one of the more restrained, effective performances in the catalog.
La La Latch
This 2014 mashup from the PTX EP combines Naughty Boy’s “La La La” with Disclosure’s “Latch,” and the arrangement work required to blend two different electronic productions into one vocal piece is genuinely impressive. Mitch Grassi’s falsetto handles the higher synth-line hooks, while the rhythm section, again entirely vocal, keeps the dance-pop energy intact. It remains one of the clearest showcases of the group’s mashup skills.
Rather Be
Also from the 2014 PTX EP, this cover of the Clean Bandit and Jess Glynne hit keeps the original’s buoyant, string-driven energy intact using layered harmony in place of the orchestral hook. The chorus translates especially well to a cappella, since the melody was already built around a strong, singable line. It is an upbeat, replayable track that works equally well in the car or as background energy for a commute.
Imagine
Included on PTX, Vol. IV: Classics in 2017, this cover of the John Lennon standard treats the source material with restraint, avoiding the temptation to oversing a song built on simplicity. The harmonic choices stay close to the original chord structure, letting the lyrical message carry the weight rather than vocal showmanship. It is a quieter entry in the catalog, but one that demonstrates real interpretive judgment.
Jolene
Closing out PTX, Vol. IV: Classics from 2017, this cover of the Dolly Parton country standard hands the lead to Kirstin Maldonado, whose vocal tone carries genuine tension and longing throughout. The arrangement keeps the harmonic backing sparse in the verses before opening up in the chorus, a structural choice that mirrors the emotional escalation of Parton’s original lyric. It stands as one of the more respectful, well-judged covers in the entire Pentatonix catalog. For readers who want to explore the group’s full discography track by track, a broader songs archive is worth browsing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pentatonix’s most streamed song?
Streaming numbers shift over time, but holiday tracks like Hallelujah and Mary, Did You Know? consistently rank among the group’s highest performers on platforms like Spotify, largely due to seasonal replay value each year.
Does Pentatonix use any instruments in their recordings?
No. Pentatonix is a purely a cappella group, meaning every sound heard, including bass lines and drum patterns, is produced entirely by the human voice, most notably through Kevin Olusola’s vocal percussion work.
Which Pentatonix album is considered their best?
Opinions vary, but PTX, Vol. IV: Classics from 2017 is frequently cited for its ambitious song choices, while A Pentatonix Christmas from 2016 remains the most commercially dominant holiday release in their catalog.
Has Pentatonix won any major awards?
Yes. The group has won multiple Grammy Awards, including recognition for their arrangement work on tracks like Daft Punk, and has built one of the most successful independent YouTube-to-mainstream careers in modern music.
What makes a Pentatonix arrangement different from a typical cover song?
Rather than simply mimicking a song’s instrumentation with voices, Pentatonix arrangements restructure harmony, rhythm, and dynamics from the ground up, treating each cover as an original composition built around five vocal parts.