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.
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Western folk songs: Classic and recommended popular folk tracks (11–20)
WoodstockJoni Mitchell
In the mid-1960s, with the Beatles’ break into the American market, electric instruments began to be used in folk music, which had previously been dominated by the upright bass, acoustic guitars, and banjos.
Music created with such instruments came to be called “folk rock.” The Canadian folk singer Joni Mitchell is known as a musician who embraced folk rock.
Even so, her voice, accompanied by piano or acoustic guitar in intimate solo performances, is beautiful, delivering simple folk songs with elegant brilliance.
The song “Woodstock” is about the legendary music event, the Woodstock Festival, held in 1969.
White Winter HymnalFleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes are a folk rock band from Seattle, USA, formed in 2006.
Their four-piece ensemble, centered on acoustic instruments, delivers truly exquisite folk rock.
They seem to embody folk as a living culture in the modern day—perfectly suited to words like “organic” and “natural.” While evoking a sense of old-fashioned nostalgia, their music also feels fresh and invigorating.
They are a band that reminds you of the power and vitality of live, acoustic instruments.
Ho HeyThe Lumineers
The Lumineers are an American folk rock band.
They’ve had global hits, and for many people they may have been the gateway to discovering folk music.
Their song “Ho Hey” uses traditional instruments and is rooted in a weathered folk sound, yet skillful mixing and arrangement create a one-of-a-kind ensemble.
Above all, the powerful backing chorus chanting “Ho Hey,” just like the title, is the song’s defining identity.
Their other tracks also carry an easy, natural folk flavor, making them a recommended band that both new and longtime folk fans can enjoy.
Meet On The LedgeFairport Convention
Fairport Convention is a folk rock band active from the 1960s to the ’70s.
They are famous as musicians in the “folk rock” genre, incorporating electric guitar into folk songs where instruments like the banjo and upright bass had previously been the norm.
From dreamy, beautiful ballads to tracks featuring cool electric guitar work, the deeper you dig, the more classics you’ll discover—a must for folk rock fans and a band highly recommended for beginners as well.
Where Have all the Flowers Gone?Pete Seeger
In the 1930s, folk songs were sung as labor songs.
Later, around the 1950s, a movement known as the Folk Revival arose.
During the Vietnam War era, folk songs carried anti-war and anti-establishment messages.
One of the leading figures of this movement was Pete Seeger.
While simple, unadorned folk songs spread worldwide and became a boom, even before that there was someone who sang and popularized the traditional folk music of the American South—nurturing folk on a global scale and making a major contribution to its history.