Top Folk Music of 2012

Looking for the best folk music of 2012? Look no further! Here are our top picks for the best folk albums of the year.

The Lumineers-Ho Hey

The Lumineers are an American folk rock band based in Denver, Colorado. The founding members are Wesley Schultz on guitar and vocals, Jeremiah Fraites on drums, and Neyla Pekarek on cello and vocals. The band’s debut self-titled album was released on April 3, 2012. The album peaked at number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart in January 2013 and went platinum in the United States, Canada and Ireland. The album also became a top 10 hit in Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Switzerland.

Of Monsters and Men-Little Talks

Of Monsters and Men is a six-piece indie-folk band which formed in 2010 in Iceland. The members of the band are Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, lead vocals and guitar; Ragnar “Raggi” Þórhallsson, lead vocals and guitar; Brynjar Leifsson, guitar and backing vocals; Arnar Rosenkranz Hilmarsson, drums; and Árni Guðjónsson, accordion. Of Monsters and Men’s debut album My Head Is an Animal was released in Iceland in 2011, topping the national charts and eventually being certified seven times platinum. It reached number six on Billboard’s Top Heatseekers chart, number one on Billboard’s Alternative Albums chart, and number seventeen on the Billboard 200.The first single from the album, “Little Talks” was a top ten hit in several countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Ireland.

Mumford and Sons-I Will Wait

“I Will Wait” is a song by English indie folk band Mumford & Sons. The track was first released in the United States on August 7, 2012 as the lead single from their second studio album Babel. “I Will Wait” peaked at number 4 on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart.

The song was written by band members Marcus Mumford, Winston Marshall and Ben Lovett, along with producer James Ford. The track was recorded in December 2011 at EastWest Studios in Hollywood, California. Speaking to Digital Spy, Lovett said of the song: “It’s one of those blissful moments where everything just falls into place… It’s definitely one of our favourites on the record.”

“I Will Wait” received positive reviews from music critics. The New York Times’ Jon Pareles praised its “rolling stomp of a rhythm and an unapologetically sentimental lyric.” Time magazine named it one of the Top 10 Songs of 2012, while Rolling Stone ranked it at number 4 on their list of the 50 Best Songs of 2012.

The Avett Brothers-Live and Die

The Avett Brothers’ song “Live and Die” is a heartland anthem about making the most of every moment. The brothers are known for their punk roots and their bluegrass sound, and this song is a perfect example of both influences. With its driving banjo and fiddle, “Live and Die” has a folk-rock sound that is both catchy and timeless.

fun.-Some Nights

“Some Nights” is a song by American indie pop band fun. It was released on June 4, 2012, as the second single from their second studio album of the same name. The song was written by Nate Ruess, Andrew Dost, Jack Antonoff, and Jeff Bhasker. It was produced by Jeff Bhasker and Ruess. “Some Nights” is an auto-tuned pop song with elements of power pop and African tribal beats. The song’s lyrics deal with the loss of a loved one, as well as with nostalgia.

The music video for “Some Nights” was directed by Marc Klasfeld and features the band performing in front of various American landmarks including the Statue of Liberty, the United States Capitol building, Mount Rushmore National Monument, the Gateway Arch, and Independence Hall.

The song became a sleeper hit during fun.’s 2012 world tour in promotion of Some Nights; it peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 2013 and became their first single to chart in several countries including Australia and the United Kingdom. The track won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year at the 56th Grammy Awards.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros-Home

From their self-titled debut album, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros offer up the heartwarming “Home.” The track begins with a ukulele strum that sets the carefree tone for the song. As more instruments are added to the mix, including a banjo, horns and percussion, the energy of the song builds until it reaches its anthemic chorus. “Home” is a perfect example of the band’s ability to craft honest and earnest folk-pop tunes.

Mumford and Sons-Babel

Babel is the second studio album by British rock band Mumford & Sons. As with Sigh No More, the album was produced by Markus Dravs. The vinyl LP version of the record was pressed by United Record Pressing in Nashville, Tennessee. It was released on 21 September 2012 in Ireland, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, on 24 September in the United Kingdom, Scandinavia and Australia, and on 25 September 2012 in North America.

The Lumineers-Stubborn Love

Stubborn Love by The Lumineers is a song that really developed a life of its own in 2012. It was first released on the band’s self-titled debut album in April, but didn’t start to gain traction until the summer. The catchy tune with its anthemic “whoa oh ohs” became a top 5 hit on both the Alternative and Adult Top 40 charts, and also crossed over to the pop world, reaching #16 on the Billboard Hot 100. The success of Stubborn Love helped propel The Lumineers’ album to Platinum status and turned the little-known band into one of the breakout acts of 2012.

Of Monsters and Men-Mountain Sound

Of Monsters and Men is an indie pop/folk band which formed in 2010 in Reykjavík, Iceland. The band is best known for its 2011 single “Little Talks”, which has sold over 3 million copies in the US.

The group began its musical career after a group of friends who had all been playing music together for years decided to form a band. The members of the band had all been friends since elementary school. The name of the band was inspired by a feeling one of the members had while on a hike in the Icelandic mountains.

The band’s debut album, “My Head Is an Animal”, was released in 2011 and reached #6 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album has sold over 1 million copies worldwide. The band’s second album, “Beneath the Skin”, was released in 2015 and reached #3 on the Billboard 200 chart.

The Avett Brothers-Swept Away

The Avett Brothers are an Americana band from North Carolina made up of two brothers, Scott and Seth Avett, along with Bob Crawford and Joe Kwon. “Swept Away” is the lead single from the album The Carpenter, released in September 2012. The song is a classic example of the Avett Brothers’ unique sound, mixing elements of folk, rock, bluegrass, and pop.