I’m identifying the best three albums by my fifty favorite rock bands of all time. This blog is for #7 – Mumford and Sons, arguably one of the best modern rock bands around these days.
Criteria for selecting the best three albums
First, Greatest Hits albums are not allowed. Second – no live albums. Third, I’m including an honorable mention album or two for the top 25 bands. I’ll note for Mumford and Sons that they only have four albums so you will not see an honorable mention on this list.
Mumford and Sons albums ranked by ChatGPT
Let’s look at what artificial intelligence has to say about this list. According to ChatGPT below are all of Mumford and Sons albums based on sales and critical acclaim. The order is what I expected to see.
- Babel (2012): This album was incredibly successful in terms of sales and critical acclaim. It debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200. “Babel” also won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2013. Sales-wise, it went multi-platinum in multiple territories.
- Sigh No More (2009): Mumford & Sons’ debut album was a breakthrough and laid the foundation for their success. It received numerous award nominations and won several, with strong sales across the globe. The album introduced listeners to their signature sound and garnered critical acclaim for tracks like “Little Lion Man” and “The Cave.”
- Delta (2018): The band’s fourth studio album saw a more experimental sound compared to their previous works. It received mixed reviews from critics but still achieved commercial success. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and has been certified gold and platinum in several territories.
- Wilder Mind (2015): This album marked a departure from the band’s folk roots, embracing a more rock-oriented sound. Critical reactions were mixed, with some praising the evolution and others missing the band’s earlier sound. Still, the album performed well commercially, debuting at number one on both the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200.
The third-best album by this band is Sigh No More
The third-best album by Mumford and Sons is called Sigh No More. It is their excellent debut record. I own it on vinyl since it includes several good songs such as “The Cave”, “Roll Away Your Stone”, “Little Lion Man”, and “Awake My Soul”. This album was a great start for this unbelievably good band.
The other third-best album by Mumford and Sons
The other third-best album by Mumford and Sons is called Wilder Mind. Yes – I am including two number three albums on this list. Wilder Mind was a change of pace for the band. They played a little less twangy banjo and much more electric guitar. Some critics and hardcore fans did not like this album at all. I own this one on vinyl as well. It has several killer songs such as “Believe”, “The Wolf”, and “Only Love”.
The second-best album for this band
The second-best album by Mumford and Sons is called Babel. This is the album that made them really popular and gave them worldwide attention. It even won them some awards. Of course, I own this on vinyl. This record includes strong songs such as “I Will Wait” and “Lover of the Light”. If you’ve never heard this album or this band then this record is an excellent starting point.
The best album by Mumford and Sons
The best album by Mumford and Sons is called Delta, their most recent release. Indeed I own this one on vinyl. It includes several excellent songs such as “Guiding Light”, “Beloved”, and the title track. I’ll say one final thing about this band since I received some grief from a few folks for ranking them so high in my best band list. Their first four albums are all excellent. That is so hard to do as a band. Very few have ever accomplished that. If you don’t believe me when asked about modern bands Robert Plant, who I consider to be one of the Godfathers of rock and roll said “Pay attention to Mumford and Sons. Those boys can play live and they make great music. I trust Robert Plant’s perspective when it comes to rock music.
There you have it – the three best Mumford and Sons albums. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
I am Doug Keating and this is my letter to my sons.