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Best indie folk songs of the 2010s

Streaming rewrote every incentive underneath a record: its length, its release date, whether it needed a single at all. Trap production became pop's default rhythm, and a lot of the decade's best artists arrived through a laptop rather than a label.

Songs from the indie folk albums of the 2010s, ordered by their own ratings rather than the record's.

Viewofanonsense cover№ 1LaikaThe Talking Bugs · Viewofanonsense2 ratings
  1. 2Contact Sports coverNot Your PreySquirrel Flower · Contact Sports1 rating
  2. 3All Mirrors coverAll MirrorsAngel Olsen · All Mirrors
  3. 4All Mirrors coverLarkAngel Olsen · All Mirrors
  4. 5Stranger in the Alps coverScott StreetPhoebe Bridgers · Stranger in the Alps
  5. 6Dear Wormwood coverThus Always To TyrantsThe Oh Hellos · Dear Wormwood
  6. 7Dear Wormwood coverDanse MacabreThe Oh Hellos · Dear Wormwood
  7. 8Dear Wormwood coverSoldier, Poet, KingThe Oh Hellos · Dear Wormwood
  8. 9Dear Wormwood coverWhere Is Your RiderThe Oh Hellos · Dear Wormwood
  9. 10Dear Wormwood coverPale White HorseThe Oh Hellos · Dear Wormwood
  10. 11Dear Wormwood coverThis Will EndThe Oh Hellos · Dear Wormwood
  11. 12Dear Wormwood coverCaesarThe Oh Hellos · Dear Wormwood
  12. 13Dear Wormwood coverExeuntThe Oh Hellos · Dear Wormwood
  13. 14Dear Wormwood coverIn the Blue Hours of MorningThe Oh Hellos · Dear Wormwood
  14. 15Dear Wormwood coverThere BeneathThe Oh Hellos · Dear Wormwood
  15. 16Dear Wormwood coverBitter WaterThe Oh Hellos · Dear Wormwood
  16. 17Dear Wormwood coverPreludeThe Oh Hellos · Dear Wormwood
  17. 18Burn Your Fire for No Witness coverUnf**ktheworldAngel Olsen · Burn Your Fire for No Witness
  18. 19Work It Out coverShiver (Live from RAK Studios)Lucy Rose · Work It Out
  19. 20Work It Out coverLike ThatLucy Rose · Work It Out
  20. 21Work It Out coverI TriedLucy Rose · Work It Out
  21. 22Work It Out coverLone RangerLucy Rose · Work It Out
  22. 23Work It Out coverSheffieldLucy Rose · Work It Out
  23. 24Like I Used To coverGambleLucy Rose · Like I Used To
  24. 25Like I Used To coverLittle BraveLucy Rose · Like I Used To
  25. 26Like I Used To coverScarLucy Rose · Like I Used To
  26. 27Like I Used To coverAll I've GotLucy Rose · Like I Used To
  27. 28The Ballroom Thieves EP coverArmadaThe Ballroom Thieves · The Ballroom Thieves EP
  28. 29The Ballroom Thieves EP coverCoward's SonThe Ballroom Thieves · The Ballroom Thieves EP
  29. 30The Ballroom Thieves EP coverDrovesThe Ballroom Thieves · The Ballroom Thieves EP
  30. 31The Ballroom Thieves EP coverDown By the RiverThe Ballroom Thieves · The Ballroom Thieves EP
  31. 32A Wolf in the Doorway coverWolfThe Ballroom Thieves · A Wolf in the Doorway
  32. 33A Wolf in the Doorway coverOakThe Ballroom Thieves · A Wolf in the Doorway
  33. 34A Wolf in the Doorway coverAnchorsThe Ballroom Thieves · A Wolf in the Doorway
  34. 35A Wolf in the Doorway coverHere I StandThe Ballroom Thieves · A Wolf in the Doorway
  35. 36A Wolf in the Doorway coverThe Loneliness WaltzThe Ballroom Thieves · A Wolf in the Doorway
  36. 37A Wolf in the Doorway coverBury Me SmilingThe Ballroom Thieves · A Wolf in the Doorway
  37. 38A Wolf in the Doorway coverOars to the SeaThe Ballroom Thieves · A Wolf in the Doorway
  38. 39A Wolf in the Doorway coverWild WomanThe Ballroom Thieves · A Wolf in the Doorway
  39. 40A Wolf in the Doorway coverSaint MonicaThe Ballroom Thieves · A Wolf in the Doorway
  40. 41A Wolf in the Doorway coverBulletThe Ballroom Thieves · A Wolf in the Doorway
  41. 42A Wolf in the Doorway coverLanternThe Ballroom Thieves · A Wolf in the Doorway
  42. 43A Wolf in the Doorway coverArchersThe Ballroom Thieves · A Wolf in the Doorway
  43. 44Shallow Bed (Acoustic Version) coverLion's Den (Acoustic Version)Dry the River · Shallow Bed (Acoustic Version)
  44. 45Shallow Bed (Acoustic Version) coverWeights & Measures (Acoustic Version)Dry the River · Shallow Bed (Acoustic Version)
  45. 46Shallow Bed (Acoustic Version) coverShaker Hymns (Acoustic Version)Dry the River · Shallow Bed (Acoustic Version)
  46. 47Shallow Bed (Acoustic Version) coverNo Rest (Acoustic Version)Dry the River · Shallow Bed (Acoustic Version)
  47. 48Shallow Bed (Acoustic Version) coverBible Belt (Acoustic Version)Dry the River · Shallow Bed (Acoustic Version)
  48. 49Shallow Bed (Acoustic Version) coverDemons (Acoustic Version)Dry the River · Shallow Bed (Acoustic Version)
  49. 50Shallow Bed (Acoustic Version) coverThe Chambers & the Valves (Acoustic Version)Dry the River · Shallow Bed (Acoustic Version)

One great song, one bad album

Tracks carry their own ratings here, so a record you would never play front to back can still have a song worth defending.

Build a list or tier of your own

All genres, the 2010s →