YouTube Star Peter Hollens Tops Billboard Charts With Album Of ‘Legendary Folk Songs’

Peter Hollens‘ eighth LP has achieved some notable firsts. The YouTube star’s latest album, titled Legendary Folk Songs, has reached the top of two separate Billboard charts, while also vaulting Hollens into the top tier of Billboard’s Emerging Artists ranking.

Legendary Folk Songs features a collection of familiar tunes, all performed by the big-voiced Hollens and his guests. The album’s 14 tracks include modern takes on classic folk songs from nations like the UK, the US, and Ireland. As one might expect, Hollens has shared music videos for several of these numbers on his YouTube channel, where he has close to two million subscribers. His cover of the Scottish folk song “Loch Lomond,” for example, features an appearance from former American Idol 

“I’ve been wanting to create an album of folk songs for almost a decade now,” Hollens said in a press release. “In fact, the first song I ever learned during my first voice lesson was ‘Down by the Salley Gardens’ which is the eleventh track on this album. I feel like I’ve come full circle.”

After its arrival, Legendary Folk Songs reached the number-one position on Billboard’s Classical and Classical Crossover album charts, a rarity for an indie release. Nearly a month after its debut, Legendary Folk Songs is still hanging around the top-five on the Classical chart.

Legendary folk songs also placed Hollens within the Emerging Artists ranking. According to Billboard, the Oregon-based singer is the first a cappella artist to earn a top-ten spot on that chart.

Beyond his musical work, Hollens is also known for his meticulous and professional approach to his YouTube videos. He recently launched the Hollens Creator Academy, a series of courses that offers tips and best practices to aspiring videomakers.