4 Songs That Made Folk Music Cool

Folk music has enjoyed its ups and downs. And during those “downs”, a song would eventually come out of the woodwork and lend a refreshing take on the genre. Let’s take a look at just a few folk songs that made folk music cool again! 

It is worth mentioning that this list is far from exhaustive. I’m just a fan of these four tunes, in particular.

1. “Last Goodbye” by Jeff Buckley

Nobody was doing folk music in the 1990s like Jeff Buckley. “Last Goodbye” is still considered his most commercially successful single in the United States. The song peaked at no. 19 on the Alternative Songs chart, too.

Surprisingly, “Last Goodbye” didn’t originally have the folk-rock vibe it is known for today. The song was originally given the working title “Unforgiven” and sounded more like a classic rock song.

2. “I Ain’t Got No Home In This World Anymore” by Woodie Guthrie

Let’s go way, way back to one of the OG cool folk singers with a stellar catalog of work, Woodie Guthrie. Plenty of Guthrie tunes could make it to this list, especially the 1940 classic “This Land Is Your Land”. However, I went with the 1940 Dust Bowl Ballads classic, “I Ain’t Got No Home In This World Anymore”.

This song was originally based on a gospel tune and became an anthem for Dust Bowl refugees in America at the time. It’s still loved today, the better part of a century after it was first released.

3. “At Seventeen” by Janis Ian

Remember this gorgeous 1975 folk song? Singer/songwriter Janis Ian penned this tune about someone who lived the life of a social outcast in high school. The song would go on to earn Ian a Grammy award and a spot at no. 3 on the Hot 100 chart. This folk song, complete with soft rock and pop-leaning elements, is certainly relatable and essential listening for any folk fan.

4. “The Bourgeois Blues” by Lead Belly

Lead Belly should be included on every list of cool folk songs ever. The man had a talent unlike any other, and there’s a reason why musicians decades his junior have covered his songs. Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain is just one example.

“The Bourgeois Blues” is the perfect blend of blues and folk, and the meaning behind the song is powerful. Lead Belly penned this tune about the segregation that he experienced while visiting Washington, D.C. during the Jim Crow era. It’s a contemporary classic and one that shouldn’t be forgotten.

Photo by David Tonge/Getty Images

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