The Best Folk Music Artists of the 1970s

The 1970s were a great decade for folk music. Some of the best folk music artists came out of this decade. This list will countdown the top five folk music artists of the 1970s. These are the artists that defined the genre and set the stage for the future of folk music.

Joan Baez

Joan Baez is one of the most influential and iconic figures in the history of folk music. A singer, songwriter and activist, her work has inspired generations of musicians and helped to shape the sound of folk music for decades.

Born in 1941, Joan Baez grew up in a musical family in Massachusetts. She began playing guitar and singing at an early age, and by the time she was a teenager, she was performing at local clubs and coffeehouses. In 1959, she moved to New York City to pursue a career in music. It was there that she met Bob Dylan, with whom she would later collaborate on several songs.

Baez’s first album, Joan Baez, was released in 1960 and featured a mix of traditional folk songs and covers of contemporary artists like Odetta and The Weavers. The album was a critical and commercial success, earning Baez a Grammy Award for Best Folk Performance. She would go on to release dozens more albums over the course of her career, including several Grammy-winning records.

In addition to her solo work, Joan Baez is also known for her activism. She was deeply involved in the civil rights movement of the 1960s and was an outspoken opponent of the Vietnam War. In recent years, she has continued to use her platform to promote social justice causes like environmental protection and gun control.

Today, Joan Baez is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in American folk music. Her songs have been covered by hundreds of artists across multiple genres and her influence can still be heard in the music of today’s folk musicians.

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter, artist and writer. He has been an influential figure in popular music and culture for more than five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s, when songs such as “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “The Times They Are a-Changin'” became anthems of the American civil rights and anti-war movements. His lyrics during this period incorporated a wide range of political, social, philosophical, and literary influences, defied existing pop music conventions and appealed to the burgeoning counterculture.

Simon and Garfunkel

Simon and Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo consisting of singer-songwriter Paul Simon and singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the most popular recording artists of the 1960s and became countercultural icons of the decade. Their biggest hits—including “The Sound of Silence”, “Bridge over Troubled Water”, “Cecilia”, and “Mrs. Robinson”—reached number one on singles charts worldwide. Simon and Garfunkel were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and both received Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards in 2003.

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young was a folk rock supergroup made up of American singer-songwriters David Crosby and Stephen Stills, and English singer-songwriter Graham Nash. English musician Neil Young often joined them on stage and on their studio recordings. They were known for their harmonies, often rebellious lyrics, and for their founding of the short-lived group CSNY. The trio first played together in 1968, when Crosby was recruited to join a new band made up of Stills and Nash.

The group released their self-titled debut album in 1969 to critical acclaim, but it was with their second album, Déjà Vu, that they achieved commercial success. The album featured songs written by all four members of the group, and it included the hit singles “Teach Your Children” and “Woodstock”, which remain some of the most well-known songs from the 1970s folk rock movement. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young released two more albums before disbanding in 1974. However, they have occasionally reunited for tours and benefit concerts over the years.

The Byrds

The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with lead singer-songwriter Roger McGuinn (known as “Jim” McGuinn until mid-1967) being the sole consistent member. Although they only managed to attain the huge commercial success of contemporaries like the Beach Boys and the Beatles, the Byrds are today considered by many to be nearly as influential as those bands. Their signature blend of clear harmony singing and jangly twelve-string Rickenbacker guitar defined the genre known as folk rock. The Byrds also popularized what is known now as the signature distortion sound of “The Rickenbacker Buzz”.

James Taylor

James Taylor was one of the most popular folk music artists of the 1970s. His warm, mellow voice and intimate songs about love and loss struck a chord with listeners of all ages. Taylor’s simple, heartfelt songs made him one of the most successful singer-songwriters of his generation. He continues to be a popular concert performer and recording artist today.

Joni Mitchell

Considered one of the most influential female recording artists of the late 20th century, Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell is known for her idiosyncratic vocal style and her highly personal lyrics. Throughout her career, which spanned more than four decades, Mitchell crafted a unique musical persona, fusing folk, rock, jazz, and pop with an avant-garde sensibility that set her apart from her contemporaries. A gifted songwriter as well as a talented musician, she wrote many of her own songs, which often dealt with topics such as love, loss, and betrayal. As a performer, she was known for her iconic hits “Big Yellow Taxi” and “Woodstock,” both of which helped to define the sound and spirit of the 1970s.

Jackson Browne

Jackson Browne is an American singer-songwriter who has sold over 18 million albums in the United States. Browne’s first album, For Everyman, was released in 1973 and reached number eight on the Billboard 200 chart. Three of Browne’s studio albums have been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and his song “Running on Empty” was a Top 10 hit in 1977.

Emmylou Harris

Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer and songwriter. She has released many popular albums and singles over the course of her career, and has won multiple Grammy Awards. Harris is particularly known for her work in the country music genre.

Harris was born in Birmingham, Alabama. She began her musical career working with country rock pioneer Gram Parsons, and later found success as a solo artist. In 1975, she released the album “Elite Hotel”, which reached the top of the Country charts and helped to revitalize interest in traditional country music. Harris has since released a number of successful albums, including “Roses in the Snow” (1980), “Evangeline” (1981), and “Red Dirt Girl” (2000).

In addition to her work as a solo artist, Harris has also collaborated with a number of other prominent musicians, including Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Guy Clark, and Neil Young. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008.

Conclusion

So there you have it, the best folk music artists of the 1970s. This list is by no means exhaustive, but it does represent some of the most popular and influential artists of the decade. If you’re a fan of folk music, be sure to check out these artists. You won’t be disappointed.

The Best Folk Music Artists of the 1970s

The 1970s