The Best Folk Music Artists of the 1960s

The best folk music artists of the 1960s were a varied bunch, playing everything from traditional ballads to protest songs.

Joan Baez

Born in New York City in 1941, Joan Baez is a highly influential figure in the folk music scene. A protest singer and social activist, Baez found success with her debut album in 1960 and has since gone on to release over 30 albums. She is best known for her work with the civil rights and anti-war movements in the 1960s.

Her music

Joan Baez’s first two albums, Joan Baez (1960) and Joan Baez, Vol. 2 (1961), were met with much critical success, selling millions of copies and establishing her as an important figure in the folk music scene at the time. With songs like “Silver Dagger” and “Farewell, Angelina” becoming popular hits, Baez began to gain a large following of devoted fans, many of whom were young girls who saw her as a role model.

As the 1960s progressed, Baez became more involved in political and social activism, using her music as a platform to voice her support for various causes such as the civil rights movement and the anti-war movement. This newfound focus on activism led to some of her most iconic moments, such as when she was arrested for participating in a protest against nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site in 1963.

Despite initially being seen as somewhat of an outsider within the folk music scene due to her privileged background, Baez’s commitment to using her music as a force for good endeared her to many people and helped solidify her status as one of the best folk music artists of the 1960s.

Her influence

Bob Dylan may have been the most influential folk musician of the 1960s, but Joan Baez was arguably a close second. She was one of the most visible faces of the 1960s folk music scene, thanks in part to her relationship with Dylan. She was also a successful solo artist in her own right, scoring hits with covers of songs like “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” and “Diamonds & Rust.”

Bob Dylan

While the list of great folk music artists of the 1960s is long, Bob Dylan towers above the rest. His songs are timeless, his voice is unique, and his lyrics are poetic. Dylan’s impact on the folk music scene was huge, and his influence is still felt today. If you’re a fan of folk music, Bob Dylan is a must-listen.

His music

Bob Dylan 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 civil rights movement. 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. As a songwriter, Dylan has been nominated for Grammy Awards in more than 50 individual categories; he has won 11 times. In 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, Rolling Stone ranked Dylan number one on their list of greatest songwriters of all time and number two on their list of greatest singers of all time; they ranked him third on their list of greatest guitarists, 66th on their list of greatest bassists and 36th on their list of greatest drummers. In 2015, Dylan received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama.

His influence

By the end of the 1960s, Dylan’s influence was profound. He had inspired other folk singers to write their own material and had helped make folk music a legitimate form of expression in pop culture. With his electric sound and biting lyrics, he had also opened the door for other artists to experiment with different styles of music. Dylan’s impact would be felt for years to come, and he remains one of the most respected and influential musicians of the 20th century.

Peter, Paul, and Mary

Peter, Paul, and Mary were a folk music group who became very popular in the 1960s. Their music was based on the music of the people, and they were known for their close harmony singing. They were also very political, and their songs often had messages of peace and love.

Their music

Their music was notable for its strong reliance on vocal harmonies and traditional acoustic instrumentation married with more modern elements such as electric guitar, bass, drums, and classical or jazz orchestration. The trio’s songs often sprinkled in references to contemporary political and social issues such as the civil rights and anti-war movements. With hits like “If I Had a Hammer,” “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?,” “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” and “Puff the Magic Dragon,” Peter, Paul, and Mary became one of the most successful folk music groups of their era.

Their influence

Peter, Paul, and Mary were an American folk music trio who were particularly influential in the 1960s. The group was composed of Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey, and Mary Travers. They are best known for their hits “Leaving on a Jet Plane”, “Puff the Magic Dragon”, and “Blowin’ in the Wind”. The trio were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002.

The group was formed in 1961 after Stookey met Yarrow at a club where Yarrow was performing with his then-wife Noel Paul Stookey. The two men hit it off and decided to form a trio with Travers. The group’s first album, Peter, Paul and Mary, was released in 1962 and became a surprise hit, reaching #2 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album included their signature song “Blowin’ in the Wind”, which was covered by Bob Dylan.

The group became political activists during the 1960s, lending their support to causes such as civil rights and the anti-war movement. In 1963, they performed at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. They continued to be active in politics throughout their career, supporting various social and environmental causes.

In 1968, they released their second album, Moving Towards Justice light roasts
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Woody Guthrie

Woody Guthrie was an American singer-songwriter and musician who was a major force in the folk music scene in the 1960s. Guthrie was a prolific songwriter, and his songs often contained social and political commentary. He is best known for his song “This Land is Your Land”, which has become an anthem for the American people.

His music

Woodrow Wilson “Woody” Guthrie was an American singer-songwriter and 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”, which he wrote in 1940. Many of his recorded songs are archived in the Library of Congress. Throughout his life Guthrie was associated with United States Communist groups, though he was largely apolitical and adopted a more common-sense approach to tackling social problems that saw him just as comfortable campaigning for a candidates from the Democratic Party as he was from the Communist Party.

His influence

Woodrow Wilson “Woody” Guthrie was an American singer-songwriter and musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children’s songs, Gram­my Award–winning recordings and compositions songs for Howdy Doody, Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan. 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 Guthrie was associated with United States Communist groups, though he was seemingly not a member of any.