The Best of Folk Music in the 60s

The 1960s were a time of great change, and folk music was at the forefront of that change. Join us as we explore the best of folk music from that decade.

The Best of Folk Music in the 60s – Introduction

Folk music in the 1960s was dominated by singer-songwriters such as Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Tom Paxton, Joan Baez, and Simon and Garfunkel. The protest songs of these artists were an important part of the civil rights and anti-war movements. Other popular folk musicians of the time include Peter, Paul and Mary, The Mamas and the Papas, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, The Byrds, and The Weavers.

The Best of Folk Music in the 60s – The Best Albums

The 1960s were a decade of great change and upheaval, and the music of the era reflected those tumultuous times. The folk music scene was no different, with artists like Bob Dylan and Joan Baez leading the charge with their protest songs. But the folk music of the 60s wasn’t all about politics; there were also great love songs, both happy and sad, as well as traditional folk tunes that had been around for generations.

If you’re looking for a way to take a trip down memory lane, or if you’re just curious about what all the fuss was about, here are some of the best folk albums of the 1960s.

1. Bob Dylan – Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1963)
2. Joan Baez – Joan Baez in Concert (1963)
3. Judy Collins – In My Life (1966)
4. Simon & Garfunkel – Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (1966)
5. The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
6. Leonard Cohen – Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967)
7. Joni Mitchell – Clouds (1969)
8. Crosby, Stills & Nash – Crosby, Stills & Nash (1969)
9. Neil Young – Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (1969)

The Best of Folk Music in the 60s – The Best Songs

The music of the 1960s was some of the best ever made. Here are 10 of the greatest folk songs of that amazing decade.

1. “The Times They Are A-Changin’” by Bob Dylan – This is one of Dylan’s most famous and most covered songs. It is an anthem for social change and a call to action for young people.

2. “Blowin’ in the Wind” by Bob Dylan – Another Dylan classic, this song is a beautiful and poetic ode to peace.

3. “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)” by The Byrds – This song, based on a passage from the Bible, is a folk-rock masterpiece. The lyrics are profound and the music is catchy and memorable.

4. “I Ain’t Marching Anymore” by Phil Ochs – This protest song is as relevant today as it was when it was written in 1964. Ochs was a gifted songwriter and this is one of his best known tunes.

5. “We Shall Overcome” by Pete Seeger – This is perhaps the most famous protest song of all time. It has been sung by everyone from Mahalia Jackson to Bruce Springsteen. Seeger wrote it in 1948, but it became an anthem of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s.

6. “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” by Pete Seeger – Another timeless tune from Seeger, this one laments the loss of innocence and the brutality of war. It has been covered by many artists over the years, including Marlene Dietrich and Joan Baez.

7 . “The House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals – This traditional folk song was given a rock makeover by The Animals and became a huge hit in 1964 (it even reached #1 on the UK charts). It has since been covered by countless artists, including Bob Dylan and Nina Simone.

8. “I Shall Be Released” by Bob Dylan – This beautiful ballad was written by Dylan while he was incarcerated for headbutting an obnoxious fan at a concert (no joke!). Like many great Dylan songs, it has been covered extensively, including versions by Johnny Cash, The Band, and Jeff Buckley.

The Best of Folk Music in the 60s – The Best Performers

The 1960s were a great decade for folk music. It was a time when the genre was expanding and evolving, and there were a lot of talented performers who helped to shape it. Here are some of the best folk musicians of the 1960s.

Bob Dylan is one of the most influential folk musicians of all time. He released a number of classic albums in the 1960s, including “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” and “Blonde on Blonde”. His lyrics are intelligent and poetic, and his songs have been covered by many other artists.

Joan Baez is another hugely influential folk singer. She was active in the civil rights movement, and her music often had a political message. She released a number of excellent albums in the 1960s, including “Farewell, Angelina” and “ Blessed Are…”.

Peter, Paul and Mary were a hugely successful folk trio who had a string of hits in the 1960s, including “If I Had a Hammer” and “Leavin’ on a Jet Plane”. They helped to bring folk music to a wider audience, and their harmonies were incredible.

The Byrds were a folk-rock band who had huge hits with “Mr. Tambourine Man” and “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season)”. They incorporated elements of other genres into their music, which helped to broaden the appeal of folk music.

Simon & Garfunkel were another very successful folk-rock duo who had hits with “The Sound of Silence”, “I Am A Rock” and “Mrs. Robinson” . Their harmonies were beautiful, and their songs remain popular today.

The Best of Folk Music in the 60s – The Best Venues

The 60s were a golden era for folk music, with many great artists performing in intimate venues around the country. Here are some of the best places to experience folk music during that decade.

The Newport Folk Festival was launched in 1959 and quickly became one of the most important stops on the folk circuit. Bob Dylan made his debut at Newport in 1963, and the festival continued to showcase up-and-coming talent throughout the decade.

Another great venue for folk music in the 60s was Gerde’s Folk City in New York City. This tiny club was situated in Greenwich Village and hosted many legendary performers, including Dylan, Joan Baez, and Judy Collins.

The Coffeehouse Circuit was a network of small clubs that were popular with folk musicians and fans alike. These clubs were often located in college towns and featured both up-and-coming and established artists. Some of the best-known coffeehouses from this era include The Club 47 in Cambridge, Massachusetts and The Earl of Oldtown in Seattle, Washington.

The Ash Grove was a Los Angeles club that was open from 1958 to 1973. It hosted many important folk musicians, including Buffy Sainte-Marie, Joni Mitchell, Phil Ochs, and Jackson Browne.

The Best of Folk Music in the 60s – The Best Festivals

The 60s were a time of change and Folk music was at the forefront of that change. With the help of The Beatles, who toured and played with many Folk artists, the genre became more popular and accepted by the mainstream. As the popularity of Folk music increased, so did the number of Festivals dedicated to the genre. Here are some of the best Folk Festivals from that era:

The Newport Folk Festival was founded in 1959 and is still going strong today. The Festival features a mix of traditional and contemporary Folk acts and attracts some of the biggest names in the genre. Past headliners include Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Simon & Garfunkel, and The Byrds.

The Philadelphia Folk Festival is one of the longest running Folk Festivals in the world, having been founded in 1957. The Festival takes place over three days and features a mix of local and national talent. Recent headliners include Gillian Welch, Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, and John Prine.

The Berkeley Folk Music Festival was founded in 1958 and ran for 10 years before ending in 1967. The Festival featured a mix of traditional and contemporary Folk acts from around the world. Some of the most famous performers at Berkeley were Pete Seeger, Odetta, Joan Baez, and Bob Dylan.

The Best of Folk Music in the 60s – The Best Recordings

The 1960s were a decade of great change and upheaval, and nowhere was that more apparent than in the realm of music. Folk music, in particular, underwent a radical transformation in the hands of a new generation of artists who were determined to make their voices heard. From Woody Guthrie to Bob Dylan, Crosby, Stills & Nash to Simon & Garfunkel, these are the artists who defined folk music in the 60s and made it into something truly special.

The Best of Folk Music in the 60s – The Best Reissues

During the 1960s, American Folk music experienced a revival, led by artists like Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Pete Seeger. The genre had a profound impact on popular music, with artists like The Beatles and The Byrds incorporating elements of Folk into their sound. In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in Folk music, with a number of reissues and compilations being released. Here are some of the best.

The Best of Folk Music in the 60s – The Best Compilations

The sixties were a renaissance for folk music. The best of folk music in the 60s was a time when the world was able to experience the true talent of some of the greatest musicians of all time. These compilations highlight the very best of what the genre had to offer.

The Best of Folk Music in the 60s – The Best Books

The 1960s were a golden age for folk music, with artists like Bob Dylan and Joan Baez becoming household names. If you’re looking for the best books on folk music from this era, you can’t go wrong with any of the titles on this list.

1. The Singer and the Song: An Illustrated History of Folk Music by Dick Weissman
2. The Best of Folk Music: The 60s by Various Artists
3. The Rise and Fall of Popular Music by Donald Fagen
4. Dylan: A Biography by Robert Shelton
5. Sing Out!: An Illustrated History of Contemporary American Folk Music by Theodore Roszak