Folk Music

Folk music is traditional music in the sense that it has been passed down from one generation to the next, usually by memorization rather than by writing. In a more modern sense, folk music is music written for and about, and performed by, common people.

Prior to the twentieth century, folk music was reflective of one's culture. Throughout the world, each culture claimed its own type of folk music, songs that told of the history of its people. The music would be played at festivals and celebrations, and young and old alike knew the words as well as the dance steps. Folk music was very much a part of one's cultural identity.

Folk music as comfort and as protest

In the early decades of the twentieth century, American folk music began to play an important social role. In the 1930s, the nation was in the midst of the Great Depression (1929–41). Millions of Americans were without jobs or homes, and many went hungry. In a time of little hope, musicians like Woody Guthrie (1912–1967) began singing songs written to give the common man some comfort. His simple tunes, sung

while he strummed his guitar, promised better days ahead and let those who were down and out know they were not alone.

Guthrie influenced many folk singers who came after him, such as Pete Seeger (1919–), whose own solo career began in the 1950s. He was famous for songs protesting war and calling for peace and harmony. Beginning in the 1940s, Burl Ives (1909–1995) became a popular singer of traditional folk songs and ballads. In the 1950s, folk musicians like Harry Belafonte (1927–), who popularized Caribbean folk music, and folk groups like the Limeliters and the Kingston Trio found commercial success by recording much-loved songs from the past.

Arguably the most well-known folk singer to break onto the music scene in the 1960s was Bob Dylan (1941–). Dylan was heavily influenced by Guthrie, and one of his most popular early tunes was “Song for Woody.” Dylan's music was cherished by many who sought political and social change in the United States. Perhaps his most famous song, “Blowin’ in the Wind,” became the anthem of the civil rights movement when folk group Peter, Paul and Mary performed and recorded it in 1963. The group's members are Peter Yarrow (1938–), Noel Paul Stookey (1937–), and Mary Travers (1937–).

With the 1962 release of the album Peter, Paul and Mary, the group shot to stardom. The album remained in the Top 10 for ten months and in the Top 20 for two years. Within one year, the trio had three albums in the top six slots on the record charts. Their popularity was solidified with hits like “If I Had a Hammer” and “Puff, the Magic Dragon.” Folk musicians became famous not only for their music but also for living its message. Many, like Joan Baez (1941–) and Peter, Paul and Mary, were deeply involved in protests against the Vietnam War (1954–75). They performed and spoke out at demonstrations, marches, and fundraisers.

Canada was experiencing its own folk movement during the 1960s and early 1970s. The most famous Canadian folk musicians—Gordon Lightfoot (1938–), Leonard Cohen (1934–), and Joni Mitchell (1943–)—all became international stars. Peter, Paul and Mary recorded Lightfoot's tune, “In the Early Mornin’ Rain,” which helped them achieve eight gold and five platinum albums by 1970.

Changing times

By the mid-1970s, folk music as a genre had declined in popularity. New musicians were blending folk with popular music or country music and playing it with electric guitars and syncopated (off-beat) rhythms. Other genres, such as heavy metal and hard rock, incorporate folk melodies and traditional folk instruments such as fiddles and bagpipes.

Popular musicians continue to acknowledge the value of folk tradition. In 2006, for instance, rock superstar Bruce Springsteen (1949–) released We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions. Along with about a dozen musicians playing banjos, fiddles, and accordions, Springsteen paid tribute to Seeger by covering his most beloved songs. In giving these songs a rock-and-roll twist, Springsteen illustrated that folk music is the basis of American classic rock.