Updated October 6, 2026 at 7:18 AM EDT
BRYN MAWR, Pa. – Every day, millions of people try to game the algorithms seeking social media fame. Occasionally, people find it without even trying. That's what happened to the Tonics, an a cappella singing group of mostly dads and grandfathers who rehearse in their suburban Philadelphia homes.
Last year, they had about 500 followers on Instagram. Then, in December, they posted a video of the group rehearsing the soulful '70s song "Drift Away." Some wore preppy clothes — including khakis, button-down shirts and quarter-zips — while gathered around a kitchen island laid out with beer, wine and a cheese board.
The video quickly racked up 300,000 views. Popular interest in the group grew.
"Other videos were starting to get more and more views, thousands, tens of thousands," said Youngmoo Kim, 53, the group's music director. One video drew more than 4 million views. "We were shocked, and we're like, 'How did this happen?'"
Part of the answer was @EmilieKnowsEverything. That's the online handle of Emilie Hagen, a millennial influencer and self-described "comedic journalist."
Hagen's coverage is eclectic. Earlier this year, she spent two months reporting on the Sean Combs trial. When Hagen stumbled across the Tonics on Instagram, she began promoting the group to her more than 130,000 followers. She said the Tonics struck a chord with digital audiences for two reasons.
"They felt authentic and wholesome," Hagen told NPR. "They didn't feel like they were on the internet to get famous. I felt like they actually cared about their craft."
Hagen thinks the other reason the Tonics took off is that they present an image of how men interact beyond things like watching sports.
"I think the Tonics prove that you don't have to be rage-baiting people to get attention on the internet," Hagen said.
The Tonics have 18 members. Most are white. They range in age from their 30s to their 70s and include several school teachers, as well as people in finance, academia and real estate.
Not everyone who comments on the Tonics' Instagram page loves the group. Kim spends five to 10 minutes each day removing offensive posts, including many that are racist, sexist and homophobic.
But he leaves in comments that poke fun at the Tonics' preppy, seemingly affluent image. Commenters have suggested alternate names for the group, including CEO Speedwagon, LinkedIn Park, JP and the Morgans and Fico and the Scores.
"We don't take ourselves seriously," says Kim, who is a vice-provost at Philadelphia's Drexel University. "We are just not that good."
But they are increasingly popular. The Tonics are closing in on 100,000 followers on Instagram, which dwarfs some of the nation's best-known collegiate a cappella groups, including the Yale Whiffenpoofs, which have about 10,500 followers, and the Princeton Nassoons, which have about 3,500 followers.
Buck, 67, a private equity fund manager, helped found the Tonics with high school and college buddies in 1990. He and other members say the group allows them to continue an activity that was a big part of their college years.
"I probably needed an outlet for singing that wasn't just karaoke on the weekends," said Ed Glassman, 42, who teaches middle and high school students. "It's hard to find these types of opportunities. Most people are done with a cappella when they're done in college."
Richard Chung, a pediatrician and the group's newest member, says he appreciates the Tonics "brotherhood" vibe.
"My wife has been telling me I need to make more friends, and so this is a good opportunity," says Chung, 47. "I think guys my age, middle age, I think it's hard to find good friends and keep good friends."
Tonics say strangers occasionally recognize them around Philadelphia, and more people want to join the group, which plans to release four new songs on Spotify later this year.
Kim says there is a lesson in the Tonics improbable success that applies online and in real life: Just be yourself.
"The most wonderful thing about this little bit of social media exposure to me is that what you see is exactly what we are," said Kim. "This is just what we love to do, and the most gratifying thing is that other people seem to like watching it."
Copyright 2026 NPR
