What Was the Anthology of American Folk Music?

The Anthology of American Folk Music is a six-album compilation released in 1952 by Folkways Records. The anthology was compiled by Harry Smith and originally included 84 songs.

What is the Anthology of American Folk Music?

The Anthology of American Folk Music is a six-album compilation released in 1952 by Folkways Records, comprising eighty-four American folk, blues and country songs recorded between 1927 and 1932. Experimental filmmaker and curator Harry Smith compiled the music from his personal collection of 78 rpm records. The compilation is famous for influencing the formation of the American folk music revival in the 1950s and 1960s. It was inducted into the National Recording Registry in 2002.

The History of the Anthology of American Folk Music

The Anthology of American Folk Music is a six-album compilation released in 1952 by Folkways Records, subtitled “Greatest Hits” of the 1920s. The album was compiled by renowned musicologist Harry Smith and originally released as a box set of 78 rpm records. The Anthology popularized a number of regional styles of folk music, including Cajun and cowboy music, and spurred an interest in traditional folk music among a new generation of performers such as Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, and Richie Havens.

The Anthology was released on CD in 1997, with additional liner notes and recordings not included in the original release. In 2012, the Library of Congress added the Anthology to the National Recording Registry, deeming it “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.

The Music of the Anthology of American Folk Music

The Anthology of American Folk Music was a six-album compilation released in 1952 by Folkways Records, comprising eighty-four American folk, blues and country music recordings that were originally issued between 1927 and 1932. Edited by Harry Smith, the anthology was assembled from the collections of his friends and acquaintances and released in LP form in 1952.

The Anthology popularized a number of regional styles of music, including theDelta blues, Appalachian bluegrass and old-timey music from the likes of Dock Boggs, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Mississippi John Hurt. It also helped to secure the place of figures like Lead Belly and Woody Guthrie in the American musical canon. The collection has been released on CD and is available for streaming on Spotify.

The Legacy of the Anthology of American Folk Music

In 1952, Harry Smith released the Anthology of American Folk Music, a six-album compilation of traditional folk and blues recordings dating back to the 1920s and 1930s. The set quickly became a cult classic, exerting a profound influence on the folk revival of the 1960s and ’70s. In 1997, the Anthology was inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress.

The Anthology was compiled from Smith’s personal record collection, which included thousands of rare 78-rpm discs. He spent years culling through his collection, selecting 84 songs that he felt represented the true spirit of American folk music. The resulting anthology is a remarkably diverse collection that ranges from haunting ballads and work songs to raucous honky-tonk tunes and religious music.

Despite its stature as one of the most important collections of American folk music ever assembled, the Anthology has remained largely obscure outside of hardcore music circles. In recent years, however, there has been a renewed interest in Harry Smith and his legacy, culminating in a lavish box set reissue of the Anthology in 2005.

The Influence of the Anthology of American Folk Music

Numerous musicians were influenced by the Anthology of American Folk Music, including Pete Seeger, Jerry Garcia, Bob Dylan, and Emmylou Harris. The Anthology was compiled by Harry Smith and originally released in 1952. It consists of 84 songs on six discs. The songs were selected from commercial 78 rpm recordings that were originally released between 1927 and 1932.

The Anthology has been credited with helping to start the American folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s. Many of the artists who recorded songs for the Anthology went on to have successful careers, including Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, and Josh White. The Anthology has also been praised for its representation of different regionally and ethnically diverse musical traditions within the United States.

The Significance of the Anthology of American Folk Music

In 1952, Folkways Records owner Moses Asch released the Anthology of American Folk Music, a six-album collection of commercial American folk recordings from 1927 to 1932. The anthology was compiled by musicologist and folklorist Harry Smith from his personal record collection. It included songs by such artists as Blind Lemon Jefferson, the Carter Family, Cliff Carlisle, Uncle Dave Macon, the Memphis Jug Band, and Gene Autry.

The Anthology of American Folk Music had a significant impact on the folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s. Many of the artists featured on the anthology, such as Woody Guthrie and Lead Belly, became an important part of the folk revival. The anthology also influenced Bob Dylan and other young musicians who were drawn to folk music in the 1960s.

The Impact of the Anthology of American Folk Music

In the late 1940s, a New York City musicologist and record producer named Harry Smith compiled an anthology of American folk music that would go on to have a profound and lasting impact on the American folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s, as well as on generations of musicians who would follow.

The Anthology of American Folk Music was originally released in 1952 as a set of six 10-inch vinyl records, containing 84 songs drawn from a wide range of sources, including commercial recordings, field recordings, and home recordings. The songs were grouped into three categories: “Ballads”, “Social Music”, and “Songs”.

Although it was not originally intended as such, the Anthology came to be seen as a sort of “canon” of American folk music, with many of the songs becoming standards within the genre. The influence of the Anthology can be heard in the work of such artists as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, and many others.

The Future of the Anthology of American Folk Music

The Anthology of American Folk Music was a six-album compilation released in 1952 by Folkways Records. The brainchild of Harry Smith, the anthology aimed to document American folk music and featured 84 songs that were culled from commercial recordings that were made between 1927 and 1932.

Although the anthology was immensely influential, it was not without its flaws. In particular, the album focused exclusively on white, Anglo-Saxon performers and failed to take into account the contributions of other ethnic groups.

Despite its shortcomings, the Anthology of American Folk Music is widely regarded as one of the most important compilations of its kind. In 1997, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and in 2006, it was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry.

Looking to the future, it is clear that there is still much work to be done in terms of documenting and preserving America’s musical heritage. However, thanks to initiatives like the Anthology of American Folk Music Project, which is working to create a new and improved version of Harry Smith’s original compilation, there is reason to believe that future generations will have a better understanding and appreciation for America’s musical roots.

The Significance of the Anthology of American Folk Music for American Music

In the late 1920s and early 1930s, two music industry executives, John Lomax and his son Alan, traveled across the United States, collecting folk songs from a wide variety of traditional music artists. These songs were compiled into a six-album set called the Anthology of American Folk Music, which was released in 1952. The Anthology was hugely influential in the development of American folk music, and its impact can still be felt today.

The Anthology of American Folk Music presented a cross-section of the various musical styles that existed in the United States at the time. It included songs from a wide range of genres, including blues, gospel, country, and bluegrass. The compilation showed that there was a wealth of musical diversity in the United States, and it helped to broadened the horizons of many music lovers.

The Anthology also had a significant impact on the folk revival of the 1950s and 1960s. At a time when folk music was largely overshadowed by popular genres like rock ‘n’ roll, the Anthology helped to reintroduce traditional folk styles to a new generation of listeners. Many of the artists who were featured on the compilation, including Woody Guthrie and Lead Belly, went on to become hugely influential figures in the folk revival movement.

The Anthology of American Folk Music is still revered by many music fans today. It remains an essential document of American musical history, and its influence can still be heard in the work of contemporary musicians.

The Significance of the Anthology of American Folk Music for the World of Music

The Anthology of American Folk Music played a significant role in the world of music, both in America and abroad. The Anthology was first released in 1952, and it compiled a wide range of folk music from the United States. The music included in the Anthology was significant not only for its impact on American folk music, but also for its influence on other genres of music, such as rock and roll.

The Anthology of American Folk Music was compiled by folklorist Harry Smith. Smith spent years collecting folk songs from around the United States, and he eventually compiled them into the Anthology. The Anthology included songs from a wide range of genres, including blues, gospel, country, and folk.

The Anthology of American Folk Music had a profound impact on the world of music. In America, the release of the Anthology led to a renewed interest in folk music. This interest eventually led to the rise of the folk revival movement in the early 1960s. The folk revival movement was spearheaded by artists such as Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, who were inspired by the music included in the Anthology.

Outside of America, theAnthology of American Folk Music also had a significant impact. In Britain, for example, the release of the Anthology led to a renewed interest in American folk music. British musicians such as Cyril Davies and Alexis Korner began playing American-style blues after hearing the Anthology, and they eventually went on to form influential blues bands such as The Cyril Davies All Stars and Blues Incorporated. These bands would go on to have a major influence on the development of British rock music in the 1960s.