3 Folk Songs From the 1960s With Melodies That Still Echo Decades Later

The 1960s featured a number of important folk artists. Thanks to the revolutionary moment the decade offered, there were songwriters and performers who cared about the style’s impactful tradition. And they used it to their advantage.

Here below, we wanted to highlight that work and music. We wanted to go back in time to celebrate a trio of folk songs that continue to shape culture. Indeed, these are three folk songs from the 1960s with melodies that still echo decades later.

“Puff, The Magic Dragon” by Peter, Paul And Mary from ‘Moving‘ (1963)

There is something surreal about this song. On the face of it, it should read like a children’s lullaby. But when you get deeper into the tune, it sounds like a foreboding warning. Why is that? Some folk songs are just that way. Because of their deep roots in the oral tradition, they not only entertain but also have a shadow. They can spook you. Like a scary movie with a happy ending, the songs can stir you. And that’s just what happens on the 1963 offering from Peter, Paul And Mary, “Puff, The Magic Dragon”.

“Farewell, Angelina” by Joan Baez from ‘Farewell, Angelina’ (1965)

Originally written by Bob Dylan, this acoustic-driven folk song was recorded and released by Dylan’s friend and former romantic partner Joan Baez on her 1965 LP of the same name. In many ways, Baez was the center of folk music in the 1960s. Her clear and fluttering voice encapsulated the style’s vibe and impact. She sang like a bird on a branch, but her words were often directed at social change. And when Dylan penned lyrics for Baez, it often ended up as a classic song—just like this one.

“Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” by Arlo Guthrie from ‘Alice’s Restaurant’ (1967)

The son of folk icon Woody Guthrie, Arlo had his own moment in the spotlight in the 1960s and 1970s. And perhaps his best-known song today is “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree”, a humorous tune about a day gone very wrong. In fact, if you go to a website and read all the loquacious lyrics, it’s as if Arlo penned a short story more than he did a folk song. But when you hear him perform it with his acoustic guitar and twangy voice, it’s pitch-perfect folk stuff.

Photo by David Redfern/Redferns