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List of folk rock artists

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All of the performers listed here had or have both significant folk elements and significant rock elements in their music. Most will be considered folk rock.

Most sections on this page are in alphabetical order. This may not be immediately obvious, as people are alphabetised by surname, whereas groups are alphabetised by name.

Singer-songwriters

A number of singer-songwriters are associated strongly with folk rock. Among those who started out strongly identified with folk music but later incorporated rock influences in their music, or vice versa, are:

In addition, others (usually of at least a slightly younger generation) seem to have mixed both elements from the outset of their careers:

Singer-songwriter Paul Simon, as one half of Simon & Garfunkel, was a transitional figure between a Dylanesque singer-songwriter and the folk rock vocal sound.

American singer-songwriter Philip Lindholm often uses an innovative form of classical guitar in otherwise rock-orchestrated music, recalling the lyrical poignancy of Simon and Dylan with a new and rich approach to folk rock.

Canadian singer-songwriter Nathan Bishop performs both folk and rock instrumentation and leans on lyrical and narrative traditions in his songs.

1960s North American folk rock vocal groups

These bands were associated with original North American "folk rock" sound, drawing to some extent on traditional folk music, but to a greater extent on the work of folk-influenced contemporary songwriters, such as Bob Dylan or the Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan.

Other U.S. bands of this era

There were also significant folk influences in the music of several other North American bands of this period who were not generally identified with the folk rock label.

British and Irish folk rock

The British and Irish folk rock (or "electric folk") sound started out as an offshoot of the North American. Fairport Convention and Pentangle, were almost certainly the seminal bands of this movement. Fairport first releases had a sound very close to that of North American folk rock, but began deliberately incorporating elements from the folk music of the British Isles in short order. This in turn led Ashley Hutchings to leave Fairport and found Steeleye Span and later The Albion Band to continue exploring traditional music's relationship with rock instruments and arrangements. Pentangle was more eclectic, and remained acoustic longer. Several bands in Brittany were also closely associated with this musical movement following the work of Alan Stivell.

Unrelated to this movement are a few British acts of the mid-1960s whose music was based on or paralleled US folk rock of the time, such as Chad and Jeremy, Peter and Gordon, The Searchers or Marianne Faithfull.

Electric folk

Main article: Electric folk

The following are electric folk artists, meaning that much of their material is traditional, although presented in a more contemporary style (see electric folk for details). It is ordered chronologically.

Celtic rock

Main article: Celtic rock

A clearly related sound can be found in Irish music of a slightly later period.

Other Celtic rock groups include:

Canadian Celtic rock

The Canadian bands Spirit of the West and Great Big Sea are also more associated with this sound than with the earlier North American folk rock.

The Canadian band Celtae are fusing two folk traditions, that of Cape Breton and Newfoundland with a broad definition of rock that includes elements of hard rock, funk, and jazz while retaining the original flavour of the traditional music.

Also:

Folk punk

Main article: Folk punk

Celtic punk

Main article: Celtic punk

A similar impulse (but a very different sound) can be found in bands who mix traditional Irish and general Celtic music with punk rock.

Uncategorised British and Irish folk rock

Van Morrison, although from rock and roll, released some folk-rock style tracks, always in an idiosyncratic mode. His recent music (since the late 1990s) is more akin to folk-rock, especially in his collaborations with The Chieftains.

The Incredible String Band began doing straight folk before heading off into experimental folk, then folk rock and finally in other musical directions. Band member Robin Williamson has often returned to this style of music.

Other uncategorised folk rock

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