One of the biggest positives to come out of the YouTube music scene is the NPR Tiny Desk Concert shows. The inspiration for the show came after “All Songs Considered” host Bob Boilen and NPR’s Music Editor Stephen Thompson left a show due to the inability to hear the music. Subsequently, the two founded the show to showcase the world’s best artists in a quiet setting with few audience members and zero production. Needless to say, it has caught like wildfire and is one of YouTube’s most popular music shows.
Starting all the way back in 2008, NPR’s first guest on the show was Laura Gibson. 16 years later, the channel has 9.97 million subscribers, 2.5 thousand videos, and features too many musicians to even name. That said, the folks featured are mainly A-List musicians. Regardless, what seemingly began as a project to give fans unfiltered performances turned into a highly viewed musical media entity. Given there are too many artists to name and rank, here are three of the best country performances on NPR Tiny Desk Concert
John Prine
Released in 2018, Prine’s concert currently has 3.3 million views, 2,250 comments, and gave him one of his last profoundly intimate performances. Two years later, in 2020, Prine unfortunately passed away. Thus, this Tiny Desk Concert stands as one of Prine’s most popularized shows in the latter half of his career.
Thanks to the format and structure of the show, viewers can see Prine clearly. No lights, loud mics, or cellphone flashes—It’s merely Prine and his music. In the show, some of the hit songs he performs are “Caravan of Fools,” “Summer’s End,” and “Souvenirs.” In addition to the music, Prine’s witty and charismatic humility and sense of humor grace his performance. The show is an incredible viewing and listening experience.
Tyler Childers
One could argue that the atmosphere of a Tiny Desk Concert is the only atmosphere Tyler Childers should play in. Due to the lack of production and small setting, Childers’ intensity and conviction come through exquisitely. His bellowing scratchy voice perfectly reverberates off the setting’s wall and the notes of the guitar are not intercepted by any external forces. Nothing sits between the music and the mic, nor his face or the camera.
Released in 2018 at the height of his career, Childers’ concert has 7.6 million views and 56 thousand likes. The songs included in the performance are “Nose on The Grindstone,” “Lady May,” and “20 Second Winter.” If you love Childers and haven’t seen this, what are you doing? It’s a must-see and a must-listen and is Childers at his best.
Lainey Wilson
When one thinks of Lainey Wilson’s music they typically don’t think of quiet, intimate, and underproduced. To think that isn’t wrong, as those aren’t adjectives she would probably attach to her music either. That being so, she brings something different to her Tiny Desk Concert as her booming vocals and band flood the set. To have a stadium artist play at a tiny desk is quite the oxymoron, but it’s a thrill to watch.
Recently released in the Summer of 2024, Wilson’s concert currently has 345 thousand views and 8.1 thousand likes. It’s 20 minutes long and features Wilson’s songs “Hang Tight Honey,” “Rain Finger,” and “Heart Like a Truck.” In all, it’s not typically what would be on an NPR Tiny Desk Concert, but that is what makes it so good.
Photo Credit YouTube/NPR
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