Best Folk Rock Artists
Folk rock originates from... you guessed it, folk music. Folk rock hit the mainstream thanks to The Animals 1964 hit "House of the Rising Sun," a song that dates back to the late 19th century. Their success was followed by some of the best remembered artists in the genre including Bob Dylan.
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, author, and artist who has been an influential figure in popular music and culture for more than five decades. Knockin' on Heaven's Door, All Along the Watchtower, Chimes of Freedom. Bob Dylan was more than a folk rock artist. His music influenced so many significant artists that some people don't even know that it was originally his music. Bob Dylan is a genius.
Each of his songs bears depth in lyrics with a simple but beautiful tune. His songs can swing your mood better than anything. Such beauty, such composure! The best folk rock artist ever born!
Masters of War, Make You Feel My Love, All Along the Watchtower, all amazing songs that stir something inside you. The guy knew how to get a message across. He's the best and always will be.
Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo consisting of singer-songwriter Paul Simon and singer Art Garfunkel. This band does not have a bad song. Paul Simon is an amazing songwriter, writing every song they made. "The Sound of Silence" is a deep song with amazing lyrics. "Bridge Over Troubled Water" is such an inspirational song. Don't forget "Homeward Bound," "Cecilia," "Scarborough Fair," and "Mrs. Robinson." There is something for everyone.
Go on YouTube and search for the song "Bridge Over Troubled Water." It is a song filled with beauty and wonder. Paul Simon was one of the greatest songwriters, and Art Garfunkel has such an amazing voice.
Neil Percival Young is a Canadian singer-songwriter and musician, producer, director and screenwriter. Neil Young is brilliant. He is one of the only musicians who capture the real essence of emotion in his songs. You can connect Heart of Gold with loss and Are You Ready for the Country with hope. He is also quite funny. One of the truly great folk artists. He and Dylan are #1 for me because I can't choose which is better.
Neil is the best singer-songwriter after Dylan. In addition to folk and folk rock, he dabbled in many genres and styles (some not so good). Neil and his band Crazy Horse rocked very hard without losing control, and sometimes they could also be tender and soft (Barstool Blues, Pardon My Heart). They also paved the way to grunge. With such a pedigree, including CSNY, he must be the most versatile artist ever.
Mumford & Sons are a British indie folk band from London, formed in 2007. The band consists of Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett, Winston Marshall and Ted Dwane. Mumford and Sons is the best folk rock band of all time because of their musical genius, style, poetic and meaningful lyrics, and a sound that appeals to all. They are the modern-day saviors of this genre of folk rock music! They have revitalized the music industry!
They are the best in the current scenario because they learned from Bob Dylan. Their second album, "Babel," won the Album of the Year award at the prestigious 2013 Grammy Awards.
You must take time and be patient with their songs, but the more you hear each one, the more amazing and perfect they sound. I promise!
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member, until the group disbanded in 1973. Although they only managed to attain the huge commercial... read more The Byrds perhaps have the most influence on the rock music scene next to the Beatles. In addition to kick-starting folk rock, they pioneered psychedelic rock and country rock. Sometimes they are unfairly dismissed as a has-been band (starting from Dr. Byrds), but they did come up with a couple of great albums subsequently.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and R.E.M. made huge careers based on the signature folk rock of the Byrds. The Byrds also influenced almost the entire lot of alt-country bands (listen to Jayhawks and Uncle Tupelo) and paved the way to the Americana genre. Their influence on psychedelic rock is second only to the Beatles (e.g., The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Quarter After, The Temples).
The Band was a Canadian-American roots rock group formed in 1965 . Which originally consisting of Rick Danko (bass guitar, double bass, fiddle, vocals), Levon Helm (drums, mandolin, guitar, vocals), Garth Hudson (keyboards, saxophones, trumpet), Richard Manuel (piano, drums, vocals) and Robbie Robertson... read more
Nicholas Rodney "Nick" Drake (19 June 1948 – 25 November 1974) was an English singer-songwriter and musician, known for his acoustic guitar-based songs. A singular talent who passed almost unnoticed during his brief lifetime, his work has posthumously achieved wider notice and recognition. A poor, talented soul who deserved much more during his lifetime.
Such a beautiful voice. I could listen to him all day.
Yusuf Islam, commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, humanitarian, and education philanthropist. Absolutely. Creativity abounds from this man. If only that incident in the ocean never happened, who knows how many more great Stevens albums we would have had. I just discovered him at the age of 31 this year and only wish I knew of him earlier, before his 2016 tour, so I could have gone to see him live.
Where is Cat? He is always forgotten because he converted to Islam and changed his name, but back in his reign, during the '70s, he wrote some of the greatest songs of all time, including Peace Train, Wild World, Foreigner Suite, Moonshadow, and many more.
Leonard Norman Cohen was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, sexuality and personal relationships. Cohen died on November 7, 2016 at the age of 82. Leonard Cohen deserves to be at the top of this list! He might have changed his style a bit in his later albums, but his folk rock songs are the best ever! His lyrics, his voice, his music, and the connection between them are just amazing!
Leonard was nothing short of incredible, amazing, and wonderful. He was a special man who will be missed and continued to be loved by his true fans.
The Animals are an English band of the 1960s, formed in Newcastle upon Tyne, during the early part of the decade. The Animals were everything. They could play blues, rock, folk, anything. They certainly deserve a higher spot.
The Newcomers
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty was an American musician, singer, songwriter, multi instrumentalist and record producer. Tom Petty's voice and songwriting are like no other. What an inspiration.
I'm not surprised the Levellers weren't on the list. Most TheTopTenners have never heard of them.
But check them out - they are a really good folk rock band from the '90s.
Crosby, Stills & Nash were an American-British-Canadian folk rock supergroup made up of David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash. They were known as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young when joined by occasional fourth member Neil Young. The best harmony band ever. Everyone knows about Young, but Stills was very good on guitar, particularly the acoustic, in addition to being a very good songwriter and a great vocalist. Crosby and Nash blended in with perfect harmonies while often contributing some brilliant songs. However, most of their later albums were disappointing.
Some of the greatest harmonies ever. Crosby from The Byrds, Stills from Buffalo Springfield (and later Neil Young), and Graham Nash from The Hollies. Suite: Judy Blue Eyes, written for Judy Collins, is particularly amazing.
The Mamas & the Papas were an American folk rock vocal group formed in Los Angeles, California which recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968. The group was a defining force in the music scene of the counterculture of the 1960s. The group was composed of Americans John Phillips, Cass Elliot, and Michelle... read more Love this group so much! I grew up watching Denny as the Harbour Master on Theodore Tugboat.
Kinda poppy, but still, they had great harmonies.
My all-time favorite band! So much talent.
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling artists of all time, and he has sold more than 100 million records worldwide. For me, his music is more of a mixture of folk rock and soft rock, as he is basically in the same boat as Jackson Browne or Dan Fogelberg (I still have Saturate Before Using and Phoenix on vinyl). But James Taylor pretty much embodied '70s folk rock for me. His albums, such as Sweet Baby James and Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon, deserve a lot more listens, in my opinion.
James grew up in Chapel Hill, NC, and was blessed to be part of a very musical family, including his father, who was Dean of the Medical School at UNC. Obviously, he became the most celebrated musical member of the family and is so deserving of being on this list. I dare say he should be in the top 5!
Roberta Joan Mitchell, professionally known as Joni Mitchell, is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Drawing from folk, pop, rock, and jazz, Mitchell's songs often reflect social and environmental ideals as well as her feelings about romance, confusion, disillusionment, and joy. Poetry and great melodies. Songwriter's songwriter. God bless you for all those great albums. If you can only listen to one album to understand Joni Mitchell, listen to Travelogue.
The album Blue is one of the best albums of all time regardless of genre. The songwriting is superb. Joni is right up there with Bob and Neil as well as James and Carole!
Brilliant. She should be in the top 3.
Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. was a Canadian singer-songwriter who achieved international success in folk, folk-rock, and country music. He is credited with helping to define the folk-pop sound of the 1960s and 1970s. Absolutely. Move this man WAY up! So underrated, not just his singles, but album cuts like Beautiful, For Lovin' Me, Daylight Katy. He does great covers too (Me and Bobby McGee, Last Thing on My Mind). Great singer and songwriter.
"The Edmund Fitzgerald" is in my head and I can't get it out! This great singer-songwriter is pure folk rock. He should be at least in the top 5 in this lineup.
This guy wrote 12 to 15 songs I would call flat-out classics and many other merely good ones. Sadly neglected today.
James Joseph Croce was an American folk and rock singer-songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, Croce released five studio albums and singles. His songs "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" and "Time in a Bottle" reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Name ten contemporary folk albums that you can listen to straight through without skipping a track. Both Lumineers albums will be in that top ten. Simply amazing attention to detail. Check out the KEXP live sessions from them. Amazing artists. Amazingly rugged. Amazingly simple. Amazing.
Every one of their songs is incredible. I would definitely switch them out with Mumford and Sons.
The songs and lyrics have a meaning! Music with great lyrics is great music.
Joan Chandos Baez is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist whose contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest or social justice.
Of Monsters and Men is a five-member, English-language, indie folk-pop band from Reykjavík, Iceland, formed in 2010. I just can't stop listening to their music. It invokes my very being. When I listen to "Little Talks," "Dirty Paws," "King and Lionheart," and "Mountain Sound," I feel most alive. I treasure everything a bit more after I have listened to their songs. Give them a try. You will not regret it.
These guys are my favorite band ever! They're so different from normal bands, yet they still have that folk rock feel. Vote for them!
My top five Of Monsters and Men songs:
- Mountain Sound
- Little Talks
- King and Lionheart
- Sloom
- Silhouettes
Check them out!
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" Buckley (November 17, 1966 – May 29, 1997) raised as Scott "Scottie" Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist... read more He should be higher than number 15!
Grace. What more could you want?
Beautiful, poetic lyrics, beautiful and accomplished vocals, great guitar, great chords, etc.
The very best in their category. Their music touches the soul!
Unrivaled. I'm in awe of the size and depth of their catalog.
I realize their heyday was fifty years ago. Still, they should be top ten.
I love Peter, Paul, and Mary. They have great songs and great harmonizing.
They should be in the top 10. This list is all wrong!