The Top 5 Folk Music Videos on YouTube
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Check out our list of the top 5 folk music videos on YouTube. From traditional ballads to modern covers, these videos are sure to get your toes tapping.
The Avett Brothers – “I and Love and You”
The Avett Brothers’ “I and Love and You” is a beautiful, heartwarming song that has been moving audiences since it was released in 2009. The video features the band playing the song in a field of tall grass, with footage of them intercut with shots of people from all walks of life enjoying life’s simple pleasures. The result is a feel-good Folk anthem that reminds us that, despite the chaos of the world, love will always prevail.
Fleet Foxes – “White Winter Hymnal”
“White Winter Hymnal” was one of the first songs Fleet Foxes released when they came onto the scene in 2008, and it remains one of their most popular tracks. The song is deceptively simple, consisting of just a few repeated chords and lyrics, but it has a catchy hook that will stick in your head for days. The video is just as straightforward, consisting of footage of the band performing the song live. But the visuals are stunning, with snowflakes falling slowly through the air and the band members looking like they’re straight out of a winter wonderland. It’s a beautiful video for a beautiful song, and it’s no wonder it’s been viewed over 46 million times on YouTube.
Bon Iver – “Holocene”
filters through the heartland like a Seth Cohen mixtape, asking you to appreciate the subtle differences in landscapes as he tells his story. The lyrics, too, have a folksy poetry about them (“And at once I knew I was not magnificent/Stretched across the floor, all tangled and sprawled”), but there’s a universality to them as well. You don’t have to be from the Midwest to understand what it feels like to be adrift in your 20s.
Mumford & Sons – “The Cave”
Mumford & Sons’ “The Cave” has over 86 million views on YouTube, making it the most-watched folk music video of all time. The band made the decision to shoot the video in black and white to create a sense of timelessness, and the result is a stunning visual that perfectly captures the energy and emotion of the song.
The video was directed by Fred & Nick, who have also worked with Coldplay, Adele, and will.i.am. The duo said of the video, “We really wanted to make a Mumford & Sons video that was epic in scope but intimate in feeling… We were inspired by old movies and wanted to create something that had that same sweeping romanticism but with a modern twist.”
Mumford & Sons – “The Cave” is the perfect example of a Folk music video done right, and it’s no wonder it has amassed such a large number of views.
The Lumineers – “Ho Hey”
The Lumineers’ breakthrough song and video, “Ho Hey,” spend an impressive 62 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was nominated for two Grammy Awards. The video features the band performing the song in a bare bones setting, with just their voices and acoustic instruments. The simplicity of the video is a perfect match for the song’s catchy melody and lyrical themes of love and longing.
