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Our Top 10 Songs From The Lumineers list explores the music of The Lumineers. Below is a list of Lumineers songs that stand as ten of our favorites. We think this is the perfect group of songs to turn people onto this beautiful band.
#10 – Slow It Down
We open up our presentation of our favorite Lumineers songs with the compelling track “Slow It Down.” The musical conflict portrayed in this song can slowly bring out an emotional response as one gets caught up in the melodic wave. This genius love story of two dramatically different people struggling to make their complicated romance work simply served as a slowed-down reminder of how remarkable The Lumineers album is and why it was so successful after its release.
#9 – Flowers in Your Hair
Playfully performed, “Flowers in Your Hair” was a single that became an easy crowd-pleasing favorite after it was released from the Lumineers’ debut album in 2012. With a hint of hippie-style folk-rock, it was enough to peak as high as number nineteen on the US Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart and earn itself a gold certification with Music Canada and the RIAA. The message of love and maturity revolved around “Flowers in Your Hair.” it was a genius performance by the vocals, the cello, and the rest of the instruments that harmoniously worked together, making this song fun enough to do more than just sit and listen to.
#8 – Gloria
From the album III, “Gloria” was a 2019 single release that peaked as high as number five on the US Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, a number twenty-nine hit in Scotland, and a number forty-one hit in the UK. Although it didn’t chart on any official Canadian charts, “Gloria” became certified gold by Music Canada after reaching 40,000 copies as digital sales and streaming downloads.
Schultz’s lyrical performance was beautifully matched with the simple orchestration of acoustic instruments as the tale of loneliness and support served as an upbeat lyrical tale worth listening to. It’s easy to get caught up in this song that also served as a source of inspiration, getting out
#7 – Brightside
The latest album from The Lumineers is Brightside, released in 2022 but its title track came out in 2021. In Canada, it became a number-one hit, while on the US Billboard Rock Airplay, it peaked as high as number two. On the US Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, “Brightside” became a number thirteen hit. This dramatic love story around teenagers saw the hype of young love come face to face with life’s harsh realities. Instead of dealing with it head-on, they opt to run off with the hope heartbreak will not catch up to them as they get older and become adults.
#6 – Sleep on the Floor
“Sleep on the Floor” was beautiful and dramatic, and knew how to tug at every heartstring there, especially as the haunting piano was met with percussion and vocals. The lyrical plea to escape the downside of a dark present into a bright future made “Sleep on the Floor” a tear-jerking favorite all too easy to get caught up in the emotional presentation of this song.
#5 – Cleopatra
From the album, also named Cleopatra, this incredible ballad revolved around the tale of a former actress who played the role of the Egyptian queen before becoming a cab driver. In Canada, it was also a number fourteen hit and a certified platinum seller.
The beauty behind “Cleopatra” featured the expectations of greatness usually associated with the youth before life experiences bring them back down to earth, forced to deal with situations as they come along, which wasn’t much different than the actual Cleopatra experienced as queen of a nation that constantly found itself at the mercy of the Roman Empire as it continued to expand its borders in the quest of global domination at the time.
#4 – Angela
“Angela” was released on album Cleopatra. This beautifully performed success story of a woman’s desire to leave the past behind her as part of the cluster of songs that were featured in The Ballad of Cleopatra, a composed list of songs that were merged as a musical story revolving around the tales of the Egyptian queen, Cleopatra. Five songs in total make up the story, starting with “Ophelia,” “Cleopatra,” then “Sleep on the Floor,” then “Angela,” and finally “My Eyes.” Put together in the form of a video presentation, the five-song story was first streamed on YouTube in April 2017.
#3 – Stubborn Love
“Stubborn Love” was released from their debut album in 2012. The rocky folk tale of a love still having the ability to stay alive after all the misdeeds committed was beautifully performed with Schultz’s lyrics, Fraites’ percussion play, and Pekarek’s cello-style genius. The video is hauntingly beautiful. It hits you hard.
#2 – Ophelia
From the 2016 album Cleopatra, “Ophelia” plays out with the beautiful instrumental performance of acoustic, classical, and simple, along with a lyrical delivery that makes the song come across as a harmonic beacon of hope. The piano wraps around the vocals like a warm blanket on a cold northeastern night. It’s sweet, it warm, it tender. It’s everything we have come to accept from this glorious band of musicians and songwriters.
#1 – Ho Hey
“Ho Hey” was the first single released from The Lumineers’ self-titled debut album. The guitar sound at the beginning of the track is simply captivating. The first time I heard this, I picked up my guitar and began learning how to play it. The vocals line with the shouts in the background is just a simple celebration of life that I just can’t get enough of. Look how happy everyone looks in this video. This is so iconic and wonderful.
