2CELLOS

Instrumental duo 2CELLOS—the classically trained Croatian cellists Luka Šulić and Stjepan Hauser—went viral in 2011 with their cover of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal.” ∙ For their self-titled debut, they recorded classical-crossover versions of hits by U2, Kings of Leon, Nine Inch Nails, Guns N’ Roses, and Nirvana. ∙ Celloverse, their third album, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Classical and Classical Crossover charts and also made the Billboard Top 200. ∙ Elton John invited 2CELLOS to open for him on tour and said, “I can’t remember seeing anything as exciting as them since I saw Jimi Hendrix live back in the ’60s.” ∙ A new audience discovered their genre-blending music when they appeared in a Michael Jackson-themed episode of the TV series Glee in 2012. ∙ “Game of Thrones Medley,” recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra, became their third No. 1 hit on the Classical chart. ∙ The duo’s rendition of AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” has racked up 75 million video views to date.