What BPM is folk?
The most common tempo for folk is 120 to 130 BPM. Across 30,290 folk songs with verified tempo in the TempoTunes library, the median is 112 BPM and half of all songs fall between 94 and 129 BPM.
- Most common
- 120 to 130BPM
- Median
- 112BPM
- Songs
- 30,290verified tempo
Folk songs across the tempo scale
Songs per 10 BPM. Orange marks the busiest stretch.
Folk is spread wide. Even its busiest stretch, 120 to 130 BPM, holds only 17% of the songs, so you can find folk at almost any pace.
One caution when you read any tempo chart: the same groove can be counted at half or double time, so a folk song at 112 BPM can also read as 56 BPM. That is why many genres show a second, smaller hump.
The busiest folk tempos
Chill folk: 60 to 90 BPM
5,776 folk songs at this pace: wind-downs, slow burns, and late-night listening.
Wasted
Angus & Julia Stone
86 BPM (2009)
Hannah
Les Cowboys Fringants
82 BPM (2004)
How Many Tides
Moriarty
89 BPM (2011)
Paddling in Rushmere
Nick Drake
81 BPM (2007)
Tahiti Rain Song
CocoRosie
78 BPM (2004)
Bijav
Goran Bregović
82 BPM (2007)
Paljon on koskessa kiviä
Korpiklaani
83 BPM (2008)
Mon carrousel
Mayra Andrade
88 BPM (2009)
Steady folk: 90 to 120 BPM
12,670 folk songs at this pace: head-nod grooves and walking pace.
Old Friend
Angus & Julia Stone
100 BPM (2010)
May Be a Little Lie
Moriarty
92 BPM (2015)
Gods on Fire
Korpiklaani
105 BPM (2008)
Things You’ve Never Done
/Passenger.
98 BPM (2007)
Tekno Love Song
CocoRosie
108 BPM (2004)
Nha Damáxa
Mayra Andrade
91 BPM (2009)
Black Eyed Dog
Nick Drake
99 BPM (1979)
Brat
Ceca
93 BPM (2013)
Drive folk: 120 to 150 BPM
10,482 folk songs at this pace: dance-floor and workout energy.
Moments Passed
Dermot Kennedy
120 BPM (2017)
Walk in the Rain
/Passenger.
130 BPM (2007)
Milk
CocoRosie
140 BPM (2005)
Santa Monica Dream
Angus & Julia Stone
123 BPM (2011)
Goldie
Les Cowboys Fringants
136 BPM (1998)
I Will Do
Moriarty
125 BPM (2011)
Mayfair
Nick Drake
133 BPM (1986)
Long Way Down
Alela Diane
148 BPM (2011)
Fast folk: 150 to 200 BPM
1,362 folk songs at this pace: running cadence and full-sprint songs.
Bardamù
Vinicio Capossela
152 BPM (2000)
Ascending the Haughs O’Cromdale
Subway to Sally
152 BPM (1994)
Curry Land
Donovan
152 BPM (1970)
I'm Not Crying
Flight of the Conchords
152 BPM
M for Me
Billy Bragg
152 BPM (2008)
Genbaku O Yurusumagi
Pete Seeger
152 BPM (1989)
Why, Oh Why?
Woody Guthrie
152 BPM (1997)
Common Sense
John Prine
152 BPM (1975)
Other genres by BPM
Build a folk playlist at your pace in seconds
Set the tempo, pick genres and artists, and TempoTunes builds the playlist from 2 million tracks with verified BPM. Save it to Apple Music, Tidal, or YouTube Music (Spotify once we reach 250k monthly listeners). Playlists that match your Pace.