John Prine
Dancer with Bruised Knees
Alice's Restaurant
Loudon Wainwright III

Folk » Contemporary Folk » Contemporary Folk

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.

Contemporary Folk Artists Highlights

John Prine
John Prine
Loudon Wainwright III
Loudon Wainwright III
Lucinda Williams
Lucinda Williams
Townes Van Zandt
Townes Van Zandt
Arlo Guthrie
Arlo Guthrie
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman

More Contemporary Folk Artists

Contemporary Folk Album Highlights

Dancer with Bruised Knees
Kate & Anna McGarrigle
Dancer with Bruised Knees
Alice's Restaurant
Arlo Guthrie
Alice's Restaurant
For the Sake of the Song
Townes Van Zandt
For the Sake of the Song
The United Artists Collection
Gordon Lightfoot
The United Artists ...
John Prine
John Prine
John Prine
Diamonds & Rust
Joan Baez
Diamonds & Rust

More Contemporary Folk Albums

Contemporary Folk Song Highlights

Title/Composer Performer Stream
Alice's Restaurant Massacree Arlo Guthrie
Angel from Montgomery John Prine
I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight Richard & Linda Thompson
Tom's Diner Suzanne Vega
Dead Flowers Townes Van Zandt
She's That Kind of Mystery Bill Morrissey
Sunny Came Home Shawn Colvin
Now That the Buffalo's Gone Buffy Sainte-Marie
Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking) Janis Ian
Love at the Five and Dime Nanci Griffith

More Contemporary Folk Songs

Other Styles in Contemporary Folk