These are Colorado’s five biggest bands right now

John Denver needs no introduction. The multiplatinum folk-pop legend lived in Aspen and wrote often about Colorado’s natural beauty in songs such as “Rocky Mountain High.” But Grammy winning jazz singer Dianne Reeves also calls Colorado home, as have Earth, Wind & Fire, the String Cheese Incident, The Fray and dozens more important artists that can claim Colorado roots or residence.

The 21st century in particular has seen an explosion of mainstream acts from the state, taking cues from high-visibility trailblazers such as Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Hot Rize, and Big Head Todd and the Monsters. The overall vibe? Easy listening folk-rock, soul and bluegrass; bittersweet melodies; incredible musicianship; and communal catharsis.

Here are Colorado’s top 5 biggest acts of the moment — plus a few you may not have heard of.

The Lumineers

Winsome songwriters Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites set out for Denver from New York in 2009, and have since grown into standard bearers for stomp-and-holler music. That Americana genre is loosely defined by rousing, singalong anthems and tender ballads that prize acoustic tones, with singles such as 2012’s “Ho Hey” proving the band’s ability to tease out joy and wistfulness, and a live show that reinforces its energetic reputation.
Also check out: DeVotchKa, Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, Heavy Diamond Ring

Illenium

Electronic dance music producer and DJ Nick Miller has collaborated with some of the biggest names in pop since moving to Denver in 2013 and getting sober, including Lana Del Rey, The Chainsmokers, Halsey, and Travis Barker. He broke ground at Empower Field at Mile High in 2023 when he played the biggest-ever concert from a Colorado-based artist, having already conquered global stages and festivals. His aesthetic is malleable, veering from sharp beats and tight samples to gauzy synths that locate hidden corners of brilliance in remixes of Taylor Swift and Nirvana.
Also check out: Pretty Lights, CloZee, Said the Sky

Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats

Husky-voiced Rateliff made an early splash in his soaring 2000s rock band Born in the Flood, and as a melancholy solo artist, before hitting it big in 2015 with the furiously catchy single “S.O.B.” His soul/blues revival outfit, which features musicians vital to Denver’s modern indie-rock scene (see Pat Meese, Joseph Pope III and Mark Schusterman), has been progressively growing in fame with huge, sold-out tours and Rateliff’s wide-ranging collaborations, leading to film and TV exposure, opening spots for the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, and praise from Paul McCartney, Mavis Staples, Willie Nelson, Robert Plant and many others.
Also check out: Hazel Miller, The Velveteers, Rootbeer Richie & The Reveille

OneRepublic

Colorado music fans may not always realize that this polished, pop-rock act is one of our own, with the group having launched from Colorado Springs in 2002 before finding success in monster hits such as “Apologize,” “Secrets” and “Good Life.” Grammy-winning front man Ryan Tedder has also written for and produced artists such as Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, and Adele. He advocates for speaking openly about mental health struggles, having gone through many of his own, with a concurrent knack for winning over ears and hearts with his acrobatic voice.
Also check out: Wildermiss, Tennis, The Mańanas

Gregory Alan Isakov

This pensive, poetic songwriter is living his best Front Range life as an organic farmer in Boulder while churning out heartbreaking, Grammy-nominated albums that evoke the dusty southwest better than any globe-trotting Coloradan. He’s long collaborated with Colorado Symphony at his annually sold-out, back-to-back Red Rocks Amphitheatre shows, and his U.K. and European tours are nearly always sold out, too. (And boy, can he wear a hat.)
Also check out: Wovenhand, Elephant Revival, The Still Tide, Porlolo