RAG MusicWorld Music
Music of a wonderful world

Foreign folk music. Classic folk masterpieces and recommended popular songs.

What kind of image comes to mind when you hear the term “folk song”? Some of you might think of singer-songwriters performing solo with an acoustic guitar, or perhaps consider it somewhat old-fashioned music.

Originally derived from traditional styles like folk and ethnic music, folk songs have evolved across eras and continue to be loved to this day.

This time, we’ve researched and selected a wide range of folk songs, from classic masterpieces to recent hits! We hope you’ll find a new favorite.

Western folk songs. Folk masterpieces and recommended popular songs (61–70)

Turn! Turn! Turn!The Byrds

A track inspired by the Bible.

It was written by Pete Seeger in the late 1950s.

This version by the American folk-rock group The Byrds was released in 1965 and became an international hit.

It was sampled in B.

Reith’s 2012 track “Lonely Hearts Interlude.”

Diamonds and RustJoan Baez

A track released in 1975 by Joan Baez.

It was inspired by her relationship with her former lover, Bob Dylan.

It has been covered by artists such as Judas Priest and was sampled in Bushido’s 2005 track “Outro (Staatsfeind Nr.

1).”

Streets of LondonRalph McTell

A track released in 1969 by British singer-songwriter Ralph McTell.

It was inspired by his experiences hitchhiking across Europe.

The track won an Ivor Novello Award in 1974.

In conclusion

From works that feature a basic style using gentle acoustic guitar tones and traditional music to songs interpreted from a contemporary perspective, we have introduced many masterpieces under the name of folk songs.

Their influence is immense, giving rise to new genres such as folktronica and alternative folk.

This time we’ve gathered famous Western tracks, but please be sure to explore Japanese folk songs as well.