3 Folk Songs From the 1990s That Still Shake the Ground We Stand On

Flannels and an attitude—Those are the two surface-level similarities between grunge rock and the folk music movement. However, what they don’t have in common, at least extensively, is their sound, and as we all know, grunge music ruled the 90s. So, folk music was a bit drowned out. Although in between and a little behind the main focus of grunge music resides some phenomenal 1990s folk music.

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The 1990s folk scene was a transformative time for the genre. Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and Neil Young were still major players, but the traditional sound of the genre had faded a bit and was somewhat replaced by a new alternative tone. And partially for that reason, these three folk songs from the 1990s still shake the ground we stand on.

“Between The Bars” by Elliot Smith

Elliot Smith‘s work has and will certainly continue to live on for decades and decades to come. Smith’s work is confessional, pleasantly melancholic, and highly, highly introspective. Lyrically, it was a culmination between folk and grunge, and sonically, it was an infusion of acoustic alternative and traditional folk, and his 1997 staple “Between The Bars” is one of his many songs that attest to those relationships.

Released in 1997, Elliot Smith’s “Between The Bars” was a standalone cult classic. However, it became truly immortalized when it became one of the signature songs of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s 1997 film, Good Will Hunting.

“The Ghost Of Tom Joad” by Bruce Springsteen

While the folk music scene of the 90s was primarily dominated by the new-wave alternative sound, there was, of course, still a taste of the oldies, and none other than Bruce Springsteen was keeping that alive. Springsteen helped preserve the past with the release of his 1995 album The Ghost of Tom Joad, and the title track of the same name.

“The Ghost Of Tom Joad” toils with topics such as oppression, poverty, and immigration through a prototypical folk American lens. It is not necessarily anything we haven’t heard before, but for the 90s, it was a piece of music that went against the grain.

“Fade Into You” by Mazzy Star

Mazzy Star‘s 1993 staple “Fade Into You” is one of the biggest and most memorable alternative and folk-esque songs of the 90s. Its slow tempo, tranquil vibe, and adventurous whimsy have cemented it as an anthem of the decade and as a cross-genre sensation.

Also, when it comes to this song’s national appeal, the numbers don’t lie, as it peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. While one could certainly categorize this outside of the folk genre, it does have some elements that mirror the likes of the greats such as Joni Mitchell, Tracy Chapman, and Gillian Welch.

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