Top 40 Before 40 Rock Artists - #27 - Mumford and Sons
For #27 on my list of Top 40 Rock Artists before I turn 40 later this year, I have to put an absolute rock ‘n’ roll powerhouse.
Mumford & Sons are a modern equivalent of some of the biggest rock bands from the 70’s as they draw huge crowds, transcend genres, have fans from all over the world, and STILL make pretty damn awesome music every single album.
For those of you who are just joining this list at this point, let me give a quick summary below:
- In my almost 40 years on this planet, I have had the great pleasure of listening to a lot of music that doesn't make it to the airwaves, and a lot of these bands are some of my absolute favorites.
- You WILL see some Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame bands on the list too, but for the most part, you are likely going to disagree with this list almost entirely.
- I am sharing this ranking so that you get some insight into some great bands you may have never heard before AND for a little bit of a personal challenge to myself to rank these bands.
With that said, let's get to #27 on my Top 40 List Before 40:
By Stefan Schäfer, Lich - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0
#27 - Mumford & Sons
I remember seeing these guys at the Life Is Beautiful Festival in Las Vegas in 2016, I believe. They were headliners of the 3-day festival, and they didn’t disappoint.
In front of about 50,000 people (my estimation from how large the crowd was...could’ve been more or less by a few thousand), they absolutely killed it.
Lead singer Marcus Mumford got on the drums for a couple of songs, as he is known to do, and proceeded to play better drums than a lot of drummers do WHILE singing the songs as well.
This band is one of the few examples I can think of where the word humble can’t be used enough as well. Even with their astronomical success, they seem to keep their feet grounded, know where they come from, and make music that is relatable even if it is ever-evolving.
Coming from a band of few percussion instruments where Marcus Mumford actually played a kick drum while playing guitar and other instruments on the early albums...and still does for the live shows, Mumford & Sons has continued to write incredibly spiritual and soul-wrenching music even when changing the song formulas and production levels.
The one thing I will say about these guys is do NOT think that just because their albums seem more mellow than upbeat that they can’t put on a helluva rock show, because you would be in for a mindblowing experience if you went to one of their shows.
The anthems that they have pumped out never felt like songs that were written to get famous either. Rather, their songs just feel like songs that are meant to have people sing along to. Meaning, if you got a group together at a bar (or pub as they would say), you could all just belt out the songs of Mumford & Sons, and even if the lyrics are depressing, you would all still have a level of spiritual connection and feel uplifted together.
There are a few SONGS that I know of that do the same thing, but really no other artists do it so effectively as Mumford & Sons. It’s the same as when “Wonderwall” by Oasis or “Piano Man” by Billy Joel comes on. EVERYONE over 25 years old seems to know damn near every word, and they are compelled to sing along.
So, if you haven’t gotten into Mumford & Sons by now, then I highly recommend you get your act together, and if you ever get the chance, go see them live. You won’t regret the cost of the ticket, I promise.
If their music is new to you, then I recommend starting with their first album Sigh No More and work your way forward chronologically. Don’t worry, to date, they only have 4 studio albums, and they are all great.
Similar Artists That I Recommend That Didn't Make The Top 40:
Coldplay, Rolling Stones, Oasis
<-- Check out #28 on this list or Check out #26 on this list → (Available Feb. 23, 2021)