20 Best Folk Music Albums of All Time

[JKL2000]

Some interesting stuff to explore here (I know a lot of it is well known to many of us, but there are several things I haven't heard of or just want to listen to - it's mostly a good list IMO), but where are albums 8 -- 20?

https://www.nme.com/photos/20-best-f...l-time-1409184

I found this post on a wacky-looking forum that contains the list of 20 albums, but they're in the wrong order:

http://www.acclaimedmusic.net/forums...pic.php?t=3913

Fairport Convention - Liege and Leif
Nick Drake – Five Leaves Left
Bert Jansch – 'Bert Jansch'
Leonard Cohen – Songs Of Leonard Cohen
John Martyn – Solid Air
Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
Bright Eyes - I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning
Bob Dylan – The Times They Are A-Changin’
Fotheringay – Fotheringay
Sandy Denny – Sandy
The Pogues – Rum Sodomy and the Lash
Joanna Newsom – The Milk-Eyed Mender
Richard and Linda Thompson – I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
Woody Guthrie – Dust Bowl Ballads
Laura Marling – Once I Was An Eagle
Odetta – Odetta Sings Folk Songs
Pentangle – Cruel Sister
The Watersons – Frost and Fire
The Weavers – At Carnegie Hall
Bonnie “Prince” Billy – I See A Darkness

[Monet]

Spirogyra's "St Radigunds" should not have been omitted, in my humble opinion.

[Piskie]

No incredible String Band? Or Donovan. Hmm.

[Monet]

No incredible String Band? Or Donovan. Hmm.

I agree. No Joni Mitchell's "Blue", no Cat Stevens' "Mona Bone Jakon", no Roy Harper' "Stormcock", no Tim Buckley's "Happy Sad"....

[Camelogue]

What is folk?

[Monet]

What is folk?

In fact, the genre that we call 'folk' evolved from 'folklore' during the 20th-century folk-revival. In 1846, English antique dealer William Thoms had invented the term 'folklore' to describe "the traditions, customs, and superstitions of the uncultured classes". The term further draws from the German expression volk, in the way that "the people as a whole", as used over half a century earlier by the German Romantics for national traditional music.

[NogbadTheBad]

Personal Top 17 one per band

Roy Harper - Stormcock
Alec K Redfearn & the Eyesores - Sister Death
Comus - First Utterance
Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left
Leonard Cohen - New Skin for the Old Ceremony
North Sea Radio Orchestra - I A Moon
Neil Young - After The Goldrush
Jan Dukes de Grey - Mice & Rats in the Loft
Tim Buckley - Starsailor
Heilung - LIFA
John Martyn - Solid Air
CSN&Y - Deja Vu
Nico - The Marble Index
Ill Wicker -Untamed
Richard Thompson - Mock Tudor
Grateful Dead - Blues for Allah
Admirals Hard - Upon a Painted Sea

[jake]

What is folk?

Apparently, any rock album with an acoustic guitar on it.

[hippypants]

Some of the above I've not heard, others I would have substituted something else as others have stated: Cat Stevens, Joni Mitchell, and also: Simon & Garfunkel, Jame Taylor, etc.

[Piskie]

The big distinction in folk is between traditional songs and the singer songwriter variety. I like and am happy to include both and they do overlap of course. I'd add some Irish stuff as well to the list- a Planxty album or two and some Bothy Band for the tradition- Tir Na Nog for songwriting, and Horslips and Mellow Candle for a bit of folk rock! Lots of good new bands like Lankum too.

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

They're using a very broad brush for "folk", which I approve of -- though considering the Pogues folk is beyond me.

Missing favorites: Steeleye Span, Kingston Trio, Chad Mitchell Trio, Pete Seeger

[Mister Triscuits]

They're using a very broad brush for "folk", which I approve of --

I was at Grooves in SF yesterday and noticed a copy of Jon Anderson's Song of Seven under "A" in the folk bins.

[mozo-pg]

I have never heard of any Pogues' music as folk.

[StarThrower]

They're using a very broad brush for "folk", which I approve of -- t

Yeah, very broad. All white British and American artists with the exception of Odetta. Apparently no other countries or brown people have folk music traditions. Steeleye Span is certainly in the tradition considering the material they've covered. I've never considered Roy Harper, or Tim Buckley to be folk musicians.

[rdclark]

Apparently your music is forever folk music if you’ve ever once been caught playing a traditional song.

[moecurlythanu]

I have never heard of any Pogues' music as folk.

They're Irish FolkRock. Mostly Trad material, mixed with a Punk approach, but plenty of traditional instruments as well.

I have them filed with my Irish Folk LPs/CDs.

[mozo-pg]

They're Irish FolkRock. Mostly Trad material, mixed with a Punk approach, but plenty of traditional instruments as well.

I have them filed with my Irish Folk LPs/CDs.

As Johnny Carson would say: "I DID NOT KNOW THAT".

[Progbear]

Yeah, very broad. All white British and American artists with the exception of Odetta. Apparently no other countries or brown people have folk music traditions. Steeleye Span is certainly in the tradition considering the material they've covered. I've never considered Roy Harper, or Tim Buckley to be folk musicians.

Yeah, they could at least have thrown a Garo or NSP album in there.

[alucard]

In terms of anglosaxon Folk , I would add Folk Blues like Mississippi John Hurt or Elizabeth Cotton, Country Folk like the Carter Family and Bluegrass like Garcia/Grisman.
For me singer/Songwriters like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell are no "real"Folkies even so the use the idiom. There is a great American Folk Anthology from the 50s compiled by Harry Smith

[Sunlight Caller]

I just found this thread when I did a search for Laura Marling and was pleased to see her Once I Was An eagle album acknowledged. I love her music but it never gets discussed here.

I saw her performing last night in London in her Lump project with Mike Lindsay of Tunng. It’s not folk, and so probably doesn’t belong here, but thought I would mention it it was great to get back to a proper gig, and their wonky psych, folk, electronica came across really well to a sold out crowd. It has far more punch live that on record,with some Mogwai levels of sonic assault.loved it!

[Steve F.]

Alec K Redfearn & the Eyesores - Sister Death
Comus - First Utterance
Jan Dukes de Grey - Mice & Rats in the Loft
Tim Buckley - Starsailor
Nico - The Marble Index

I'm a very big fan of all of these, but I think it's a stretch to call any of them 'folk' albums, even if the artists earlier or later did more 'folk' stuff.

YMMV. Anyway, I dig your list.

[NogbadTheBad]

Well they're certainly not Woody Guthrie. They have folky elements to me. I'm a broad church kinda guy.

[Piskie]

Comus & Jan Dukes De Grey are normally labelled as Acid Folk - the former seems to appeal to people who've watched the Wicker Man too many times. Neither are favourites of mine in that field.

[TheLoony]

The soundtrack to A Mighty Wind. I just dig it, so sue me.

[walt]

Davy Graham-Folk,Blues and Beyond
Shirley Collins and Davy Graham-Folk Roote,New Routes