The Five Best Folk Music Songs of All Time

This article is a collaborative effort, crafted and edited by a team of dedicated professionals.

Contributors: Andranick Tanguiane, Fred Lerdahl,

Contents

We all have our favorite folk songs – the ones that make us feel good, that tell a story, or that just make us want to sing along. But what are the best folk songs of all time? Here are our top five picks:

1. “The Times They Are A-Changin'” by Bob Dylan
2. “Blowin’ in the Wind” by Bob Dylan
3. “The Weight” by The Band
4. “I’ll

Introduction

Folk music has been around for centuries, and it’s no wonder why. The genre has the ability to tell stories and paint pictures with its words and melodies. Folk songs can be about love, loss, hope, or any other human experience. They are the soundtrack to our lives, and we can all relate to them in one way or another.

With that being said, there are some folk songs that stand out above the rest. These are the songs that have universal appeal and resonate with people of all ages. These are the songs that will live on forever.

1. “The Times They Are A-Changin'” by Bob Dylan
2. “Blowin’ in the Wind” by Bob Dylan
3. “The Wanderer” by Dion
4. “If I Had a Hammer” by Pete Seeger
5. “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” by Pete Seeger

“The House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals

This classic 1964 hit by The Animals is often considered one of the first true folk-rock songs. It was based on a traditional folk song of unknown origin, and the band’s arrangement added electric guitars and a rock-influenced beat to create a new sound that was perfect for the burgeoning counterculture of the 1960s. The song became an international hit, reaching #1 in several countries, and has since been covered by countless other artists.

“The Times They Are A-Changin'” by Bob Dylan

Dylan wrote “The Times They Are A-Changin'” in late 1963 and released the song as a single in 1964. The song gradually became an anthem of the Civil Rights Movement and Dylan’s protest against the inequalities that groups like African-Americans, women, Native Americans, and poor people faced during the 1960s. The song is also often seen as a prelude to the social and political changes that came about during the era of the Baby Boomers.

“Blowin’ in the Wind” by Peter, Paul, and Mary

“Blowin’ in the Wind” was released by Peter, Paul, and Mary in 1963. The song was written by Bob Dylan and became an anthem of the Civil Rights Movement. It has been covered by many artists over the years, including Joan Baez, Stevie Wonder, and Bruce Springsteen.

“The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot

“The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” is a song written by Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot in response to the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior on November 10, 1975. The song was released as a single in 1976, and reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1977. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked it as the 4th greatest folk song of all time.

The song is written in the form of a first-person narrative from the point of view of one of the deceased sailors, telling the story of what happened leading up to and during the sinking. Though Lightfoot wrote the song based on news reports and interviews with surviving crew members, he included a number of fictional elements, such as references to “the Witch of November” and “the legend lives on from Detroit town”.

In spite of its accurate portrayal of the sinking, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” is not considered a true folk song because it was written by Lightfoot rather than being passed down through generations. Nevertheless, it is often included in lists of the best folk songs ever written, and continues to be popular forty years after its release.

Conclusion

In conclusion, these are five of the best folk music songs of all time. Each song has a different story to tell, and each is special in its own way. If you’re a fan of folk music, be sure to check out these songs!

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