4 Underrated Folk Albums From the 1960s Every Fan of the Genre Should Own

The 1960s were the golden era of folk music. You could go to a record store and pick virtually any folk album from that era, and it’ll probably be a splendid listening experience. That being said, so much folk music was being produced that decade that quite a few underrated folk albums slipped through the cracks, many of which have been forgotten by modern-day listeners. Let’s refresh your memory and add to your folk record collection, shall we?

Videos by American Songwriter

‘Astral Weeks’ by Van Morrison

Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks has gotten plenty of love through the years, but I happen to think this gorgeous 1968 folk record is on the underrated side. Morrison started his career on the pop side of music, but his full dive into folk felt quite natural, as if he was meant to take this path creatively. The instrumentation is quite pristine, and Morrison’s prog-leaning approach to the genre resulted in one of the finest folk albums of the 20th century.

‘Liege & Lief’ by Fairport Convention

Any folk fan worth their salt knows all about Fairport Convention. However, this band didn’t get enough mainstream attention, in my opinion. The group brought folk music back to the British Isles, with a bit of an American folk influence to make things interesting. The 1969 album Liege & Lief is one of their best releases, and this collection of songs is quite bright and well-composed.

‘Fairytale’ by Donovan

This is one of the most underrated folk albums on this list. And everybody’s favorite Scottish folk crooner, Donovan, really knew what he was doing with Fairytale. Honestly, I’m surprised this album isn’t talked about more in the context of 1960s folk music. There’s a more traditional, very British style to this album that differs from Donovan’s earlier releases. And yet, it sounds unique, at least compared to other releases in the genre in 1965.

‘Bookends’ by Simon & Garfunkel

One might argue that nothing Simon & Garfunkel have produced could be eligible for a list of underrated folk albums. However, in my opinion, Bookends doesn’t get as much love as many of the duo’s other releases. It’s a perfect concept album, made even better by the inclusion of “Mrs. Robinson”. I’d say this is one of the best folk releases to come out of 1969.

Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images