Famous Folk Music Artists You Need to Know

Get to know some of the most famous and influential folk music artists that have made an impact on the genre and continue to inspire musicians today.

Woody Guthrie

Woodrow Wilson “Woody” Guthrie was an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional, and children’s songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This machine kills fascists displayed on his guitar. His best-known song is “This Land Is Your Land”. Many of his recorded songs are archived in the Library of Congress. Throughout his life he was associated with United States Communist groups, though he was seemingly not a member of any.

Pete Seeger

Pete Seeger was an American folk singer and social justice activist. A fixture on the American folk music scene for over seventy years, Seeger was a key figure in the development of the mid-20th century American folk music revival. He was also famous for his left-wing political views and support for social activism.

A prolific songwriter, Seeger wrote or co-wrote dozens of folk standards, including “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” and “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)”. His best-known song, “We Shall Overcome”, has been recorded by many artists and has become a civil rights anthem.

Seeger was born into a musical family in New York City in 1919. His father, Charles Seeger, was a composer and musicologist, while his mother, Constance de Clyver Edson Seeger, was a concert violinist. From an early age, Seeger was exposed to a wide variety of music, including folk songs from around the world. He learned to play the banjo and guitar, and by his teens was performing with his family’s band, The Almanacs.

In 1940, Seeger met Woody Guthrie and the two men became close friends. They began touring together, often performing for left-wing political causes. In 1948, they co-founded the folk group The Weavers, who had several hit records in the 1950s with songs like “On Top of Old Smokey” and “Goodnight Irene”.

During the 1960s Folk Revival, Seeger became an iconic figurehead for the movement. He toured tirelessly throughout America and Europe, introducing hundreds of thousands of people to traditional folk music. In 1966, he released one of his most famous songs,”Turn! Turn! Turn!”, which became an unlikely hit single for The Byrds.

In addition to his musical career, Seeger was also deeply involved in political activism throughout his life. He campaigned against McCarthyism in the 1950s and later became a key figure in the American Civil Rights Movement and the anti-Vietnam War movement of the 1960s and 1970s. In 1993 he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in recognition of his contribution to music; he died in 2014 at age 94.

Joan Baez

Joan Baez is a folk music legend who has been playing and writing music for over 50 years. She is known for her beautiful voice and her political activism. Her songs have been covered by many other artists, including Bob Dylan and Paul Simon.

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 he became an informal chronicler and a reluctant figurehead of the American anti-war and civil rights movements. A number of his songs, such as “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “The Times They Are a-Changin'” became anthems of the anti-war and civil rights movements. During his career, Dylan has also been both praised and criticized for his impact on the sometimes contentious relationship between the major elements of rock music: tradition versus innovation, commercialism versus artistry, movement versus stasis.

Joni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell is a renowned Canadian singer-songwriter and one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Mitchell began her musical career in the 1960s, and her compositions often incorporated elements of folk, jazz, and pop. She is best known for her hits “Big Yellow Taxi” and “Woodstock,” both of which have been covered by numerous artists. Throughout her career, Mitchell has won multiple Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002.

Leonard Cohen

Folk music legend Leonard Cohen was born in 1934 in Montreal, Canada. Cohen began his musical career as a folksinger in the 1960s and released his debut album, Songs of Leonard Cohen, in 1967. The album was an instant success, reaching #13 on the Billboard 200 chart. Cohen went on to release a string of acclaimed albums throughout his career, including Songs from a Room (1969), New Skin for the Old Ceremony (1974), and Death of a Ladies’ Man (1977). In 2008, at the age of 74, Cohen released his final studio album, Popular Problems. He passed away in 2016 at the age of 82.

Neil Young

One of the most popular and prolific singer-songwriters of his generation, Neil Young has maintained a successful musical career for over 50 years. Raised in Canada, Young began his musical career as a member of the band Buffalo Springfield in the 1960s. He later found success as a solo artist with hits like “Heart of Gold” and “Old Man.” In addition to his work as a solo artist, Young has also been a member of the bands Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and Pearl Jam. A highly influential figure in the world of folk music, Young has been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Emmylou Harris

Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer and songwriter. She has won 14 Grammys and is credited with helping to bring country music into the mainstream. Harris’s first foray into folk music came with her album, Pieces of the Sky, which was released in 1975. Since then, she has released over 25 albums and won numerous awards.

Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has had a profound impact on the folk music scene. Springsteen is a highly acclaimed artist who has won numerous awards, including 20 Grammy Awards and an Academy Award. He is also a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Springsteen is best known for his work with the E Street Band, which he formed in 1972. The band rose to prominence with their 1975 album, Born to Run, which included the hit single “Born to Run.” The album catapulted Springsteen to stardom and helped cement his reputation as one of the greatest songwriters of his generation. Springsteen has continued to tour and release new music throughout his career, including his most recent album, Wrecking Ball (2012).