Folk  •  Contemporary Folk

Contemporary Folk

Overview Artists Albums Songs

Contemporary Folk refers to post-Bob Dylan folk singer/songwriters of the 70s and beyond. Prior to Dylan, most folk performers interpreted classic folk songs or wrote broad-based, topical songs. After Dylan, folk singers changed their approach. Not only did their music open up, accepting certain pop/rock production techniques and instrumentation, but their songs became increasingly introspective, concentrating on the personal instead of the social. In the decades to follow, contemporary folk singers sometimes crossed over into the pop mainstream, but their sound stayed rooted in folk traditions and they tended to frequent their own circles, releasing albums on independent labels and playing folk clubs and coffee houses.