Best Nick Drake Songs: TOP 15 Greatest Hits
If you are looking for the finest folk hits, if you are searching for music with almost magical properties – Nick Drake is who you need to hear next. A remarkable generational talent, who only received a proper recognition in recent years. Fortunately, as more people discover his music, his legacy continues to grow.
I’ve put together a playlist of his greatest hits, and I hope it brings you as much joy and deep emotions as it brought me over the years. These are not just his best songs, these are some of the best folk songs you’ll ever hear, period.
Nick has had a permanent spot in my playlists for many years now. But more than that, his music has provided me with so much comfort and unique vibes, it’s hard to put into words. I just want to help others discover his extraordinary gift.
Nick Drake Best Songs
These are the best Nick Drake songs, at least in my book. And these are also some of the most beautiful folk compositions ever recorded. He released three studio albums, 31 songs total. There are also compilation albums with additional tracks and covers, so we can add another 30 songs. Choosing just 15 favorites out of all that marvelous music is tough, because every track has something special.
But here they are – TOP 10 Nick Drake Songs:
- River Man
- Way to Blue
- Day Is Done
- Northern Sky
- Pink Moon
- Road
- Which Will
- Things Behind the Sun
- From the Morning
- Hazey Jane I
- Three Hours
- Place To Be
- Fruit Tree
- Clothes of Sand
- Sunday
The songs are listed in no particular order. If you want to enjoy this entire list, you can do it right here. Hit the ‘Play’ button on my YouTube playlist:
Or you can listen to them on my Spotify page:
Who Is Nick Drake?
Nick Drake was an English singer-songwriter. He was born in Burma in 1948. He released three studio albums during his short life: Five Leaves Left (1969), Bryter Layter (1970), and Pink Moon (1972).
Being naturally a very shy and introverted person he has never been the star of the party. He actually was uncomfortable to perform in front of the live audience. And his music definitely reflected this side of his personality. Sadly he also suffered from depression. Nick Drake passed away in 1974 at the age of 26. The cause of death of was ruled as an overdose of prescribed antidepressants.
Despite limited recognition in his lifetime Nick’s music has influenced many popular musicians that came after him. Elliott Smith, Kate Bush, Robert Smith (co-founder, lead vocalist and songwriter of The Cure), Bon Iver, Iron & Wine, Alexi Murdoch, a Liverpool based rock band Anathema – all these artists cited Nick as major inspiration for their own music.
Unique Music Style of Nick Drake
Nick Drake has a unique sound. His gentle soft voice combined with beautiful acoustic guitar is something that never gets old. It’s a pure form of folk. Sure, folk can sound differently and it can have influences of other genres, but for some reason Drake’s music style is so crystal clear.
The melodies he was able to create have a dreamy, almost ethereal, timeless quality. His songs are always deeply personal, but at the same time his music has a “bigger than life” feel. The pure soulful beauty of those tunes make you wanna pause whatever you’re doing, and just enjoy the music, let it fully sink in.
As for the lyrics, they are very creative and poetic. It’s a rare case where the lyrics may seem simple, yet they paint vivid pictures in you imagination, and in your heart. By today’s standards these lyrics may seem quite unusual. Here’s an example, it’s from a song called ‘Clothes of Sand’.
Who has dressed you in strange clothes of sand
Who has taken you far from my land
Who has said that my sayings were wrong
And who will say that I stayed much too long?
Clothes of sand have covered your face
Given you meaning but taken my place
So make your way on down to the sea
Something has taken you so far from me
Nick Drake wrote music that could reach so deep, and so easily. It is extremely retrospective and it makes you feel this way too. Maybe this is why I often think of another artist – Jackson C. Frank. They have many similarities, both in their character and in their music. I highly recommend checking his work. BTW, Nick Drake made a cover of his song ‘Milk And Honey’, take a listen:
To Sum It Up
If there was just a single artist who is relatively unknown, and whose music I’d like to recommend and share – it would be Nick Drake. Even though his music has gained more followers in the last 10 or so years, he still remains one of the most precious hidden folk music gems out there.
