Crafty Croatian cello duo
2Cellos first garnered public attention after uploading a cello-only cover of
Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" to social media. Their debut LP, 2011's
2Cellos, drew heavily on arena-filling alternative acts and topped the Billboard Classical Albums chart. They returned to number one with 2015's
Celloverse, the 2017 movie theme album
Score, and 2018's
Let There Be Cello, which went back to covers of pop/rock hits. The like-minded
Dedicated went to number two in 2021.
Formed by longtime friends and seasoned players
Luka Sulic and
Stjepan Hauser, the pair inked a deal with Sony Masterworks in 2010 and released their eponymous debut album the following year, which featured cello-centric covers of tracks from the likes of
U2 ("Where the Streets Have No Name"),
Kings of Leon ("Use Somebody"), and
Nine Inch Nails ("Hurt"), as well as a new version of the
Michael Jackson track that helped launch their pop careers. It reached number one on the Billboard Classical Albums and Classical Crossover Albums charts.
In2ition, released in 2013, mined the same pop/rock territory, with highlights arriving via classical crossover takes on songs from
AC/DC ("Highway to Hell") and
Coldplay ("Clocks"), and the
Šulić and
Hauser original "Orient Express." It peaked at number four classical. The duo's third studio album, 2015's
Celloverse, included spirited takes on
Iron Maiden's "The Trooper,"
AC/DC's "Thunderstruck," and
Mumford & Sons' "I Will Wait" that returned them to the top of of the classical and classical crossover charts.
2Cellos next went to the movies with 2017's
Score, including material from film and television (Game of Thrones, Titanic, Chariots of Fire, Braveheart, and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring). A collaboration with the
London Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor and arranger
Robin Smith, it became their fourth straight appearance in the Billboard 200 and their third classical number one.
The duo went back to their pop- and rock-influenced style for the following year's varied
Let There Be Cello, putting their unique spin on classic hits by the likes of
Survivor,
Led Zeppelin, and
the White Stripes. Another classical chart-topper, it was accompanied by their first arena tour. Still going strong, the similarly plotted
Dedicated followed in 2021 and peaked at number two on the classical chart. ~ James Christopher Monger & Marcy Donelson