Folk Music of the 1960s

The folk music of the 1960s was a genre that was defined by its singer-songwriter performers. These artists wrote and performed songs that were based on their personal experiences and observations.

The British Invasion

The 1960s was a decade that saw many changes in the music industry. One of the biggest changes was the British Invasion, which saw a surge in popularity of British bands and artists in the United States. This invasion was led by the Beatles, who became wildly popular in the US. They were followed by other British bands such as the Rolling Stones, the Who, and the Kinks. These bands brought with them a new style of music that was influenced by rock and roll and blues.

The Beatles

In February 1964, The Beatles occupied the top five positions on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, a feat that has never been matched before or since. The Beatles revolutionized popular music and remain one of the most influential bands of all time. With their pioneering spirit and unique sound, The Beatles took the music world by storm and irrevocably changed the course of popular music.

The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. The first stable line-up consisted of Brian Jones (guitar, harmonica), Mick Jagger (lead vocals, harmonica), Keith Richards (guitar, vocals), Bill Wyman (bass), Charlie Watts (drums) and Ian Stewart (piano). Stewart was removed from the official line-up in 1963 but continued to work with the band as a contracted musician until his death in 1985. The band’s primary songwriters, Jagger and Richards, assumed leadership after Andrew Loog Oldham became the group’s manager. Jones left the band less than a month before his death in 1969, having already been replaced by Mick Taylor, who remained until 1974. After Taylor left the band, Ronnie Wood took his place in 1975 and continues on guitar in tandem with Richards. Since Wyman’s departure in 1993, Darryl Jones has served as touring bassist.

The Stones have released 30 studio albums, 23 live albums and numerous compilations. Let It Bleed (1969) followed by Sticky Fingers (1971) and Exile on Main St. (1972) are generally considered to be the band’s best work and among the greatest albums of all time. As a wide-ranging musical force, they have incorporated various genres into their own unique blend of rock ‘n roll.

The Kinks

The Kinks are an English pop-rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. They are recognized as one of the most important and influential rock bands of the era. The band emerged during the height of British rhythm and blues and Merseybeat, and were briefly part of the British invasion of the US until their touring ban in 1965. Their third single, the Ray Davies-penned “You Really Got Me”, became an international hit, topping the charts in the United Kingdom and reaching the Top 10 in the United States.

The American Scene

The folk music of the 1960s came to define an era. It mirrored the political and social climate of the time, with songs about civil rights, the Vietnam War, and social injustice. The music was raw and honest, and it gave a voice to the disenfranchised. The 1960s was a time of great change, and folk music was at the forefront of that change.

Bob Dylan

Dylan’s impact on American music is incalculable. He popularized the idea that songs could be vehicles for personal and social commentary, and he showed that music could be a vehicle for self-reinvention. His influence extends to virtually every corner of the American music scene, from rock to country to folk to hip hop.

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 frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member. Although they only managed to attain the huge commercial success of their peers during a brief period in the mid-1960s, the Byrds are today considered by critics to be nearly as influential as the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Rolling Stones.

The original five-piece lineup of the Byrds consisted of Jim McGuinn (lead guitar, vocals), Gene Clark (tambourine, vocals), David Crosby (rhythm guitar, vocals), Chris Hillman (bass guitar, vocals), and Michael Clarke (drums). However, this version of the band only lasted for two albums – their debut LP Mr. Tambourine Man and Turn! Turn! Turn! – before Gene Clark left due to a fear of flying. He was replaced by Gram Parsons for a short time, before Hillman and Crosby took over lead vocal duties and recruited country fiddler Clarence White and drummer Kevin Kelley.

With this new lineup, the Byrds recorded what is now considered to be their finest work – 1965’s Surely Must Be a Heaven Somewhere and 1966’s Fifth Dimension. By 1967, creative differences had begun to split the band apart, with Crosby and Clarke leaving to form the Flying Burrito Brothers and Parsons leaving to pursue a solo career. The remaining members soldiered on without them, releasing several more albums before finally disbanding in 1973.

In recent years, there have been multiple attempts at reuniting the original lineup of the Byrds, but unfortunately all have been unsuccessful due to various personal differences between the members. Nevertheless, the band’s legacy continues on through their many recordings – both studio albums and live concert recordings – which remain popular with fans old and new alike.

Simon and Garfunkel

Simon and Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo of the 1960s, consisting of singer-songwriter Paul Simon and singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the most popular groups of their era and their music continues to be popular today. Some of their best-known songs include “The Sound of Silence,” “The Boxer,” “Bridge over Troubled Water,” and “Cecilia.”

The Canadian Scene

Folk music in the 1960s saw a significant revival in popularity, especially in North America and Europe. This was in large part due to the influence of the American folk music scene, which was led by artists such as Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. The Canadian folk music scene was also influenced by the British folk scene.

Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen was a Canadian singer-songwriter and musician who was active in the music scene in the 1960s. He is best known for his song “Hallelujah”, which has been covered by many artists.

Cohen was born in Montreal, Quebec, and began his musical career as a folk musician in the early 1960s. He released his debut album, Songs of Leonard Cohen, in 1967, and it received critical acclaim. Cohen’s second album, Songs from a Room, was released in 1969 and also received positive reviews.

In the 1970s, Cohen began to experiment with different musical styles, including rock music. He released several albums in this genre, including Death of a Ladies’ Man (1977) and Recent Songs (1979). His album I’m Your Man (1988) was also well-received.

Cohen continued to release new music throughout the 1990s and 2000s, and he remained active until his death in 2016.

Joni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell is one of the most influential and groundbreaking singer-songwriters of the 20th century. A native of Alberta, Canada, Mitchell began her musical career in the 1960s, performing in coffeehouses and releasing her first album in 1968. Mitchell is known for her complex and insightful lyrics, as well as her unique, mercurial guitar style. Over the course of her career, she has experimented with a wide range of musical genres, from folk to jazz to pop to rock. Her most famous songs include “Big Yellow Taxi,” “Woodstock,” and “Both Sides Now.”

Neil Young

In the 1960s, Neil Young was a leading figure in the Canadian folk music scene. He released his debut album in 1968, which contained the hit single “Sugar Mountain.” Young continued to release folk-style albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including “Harvest” (1972) and “Old Ways” (1985). He remains an active recording artist and performer, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.

The Australian Scene

In the 1960s, the Australian folk music scene was very vibrant and diverse. There were many different styles of music being played, from traditional folk to contemporary folk. Australian folk musicians were influenced by a variety of different cultures, including Celtic, English, Scottish, and Irish.

The Seekers

The Seekers were an enormously popular and successful Australian folk music group of the 1960s. With their beautiful harmonies and easy-listening style, they became one of the most successful recording acts of their era, selling over 50 million records worldwide. Members included Judith Durham on lead vocals, Athol Guy on double bass, Keith Potger on 12-string guitar, and Bruce Woodley on banjo and guitar. The Seekers’ signature sound was a combination of Durham’s pure, clear voice with the close harmonies of the other three members. They released a string of hits including “I’ll Never Find Another You,” “Georgy Girl,” and “The Carnival Is Over.” The Seekers were hugely popular in Australia, Europe, and the United States, and they helped to bring Australian folk music to a global audience.

The Bee Gees

The Bee Gees were a pop music group formed in 1958. Their line-up consisted of brothers Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb. The trio were successful for most of their decades of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a foremost act of the disco music era in the late 1970s. They are one of the world’s best-selling music artists of all time, selling more than 220 million records worldwide. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997; the presenter of their award to “Britain’s first family of harmony” was Brian Wilson, historical leader of The Beach Boys, another illustrious band with close family ties.

The Bee Gees wrote all of their own hits, as well as writing and producing several major hits for other artists. Born on the Isle of Man to English parents, the Gibb brothers lived in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, England until the late 1950s when they emigrated to Redcliffe, Queensland in Australia. The family then moved to Sydney where they achieved mainstream success playing genre-spanning pop tunes such as “Massachusetts” (1967), “To Love Somebody” (1967), “Words” (1968), “I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You” (1968) and “I Started a Joke” (1968). Robin Gibb also played drums on Tim Buckley’s 1966 album Goodbye and Good Luck.[1]

During this time period they had international chart topping singles such as “New York Mining Disaster 1941”, “Holiday”,
“World”, “Lonely Days”, “Run to Me”, and “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart”. They returned to England after management disagreements in 1967 with Robert Stigwood over insufficient royalties being paid to them for their work on soundtracks such as Stigwood’s hit film version of Allah Be Praised! After one more album entitled Horizontal (1968), released in early 1968 which included another major hit single (“Into My Life”),[5] they went back to Australia where Maurice Gibb migrated back to England after finding it difficult being so far away from his infant daughter Samantha.[6] The Bee Gees’ next album Idea (1968) was their last official release for nearly two years; it included several additional international top 40 hit singles such as “First of May” and title track “Idea”.

Olivia Newton-John

In the 1960s, Australia was undergoing a “folk revival”, which saw a resurgence in popularity of folk music. One of the most famous Australian folk musicians of the time was Olivia Newton-John.

Newton-John was born in England but moved to Australia with her family when she was six years old. She began her singing career in the early 1960s, performing on Australian television shows and releasing her first album in 1964. Her breakthrough came in 1971 with the release of her single “If Not For You”, which reached number one in Australia and The UK.

The 1970s were Newton-John’s most successful decade, during which she released a number of hit singles and albums including “Have You Never Been Mellow” (1975), “Don’t Stop Believin” (1976), and “Physical” (1981). She also starred in the film version of “Grease” in 1978, alongside John Travolta.

Newton-John continued to perform and record throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and she remains an active and successful musician today. She has been inducted into both the Grammy Hall of Fame and the ARIA Hall of Fame, and she has received numerous other awards throughout her career.