3 Singers That Dominated the Folk Revival of the 60s (And Made Music History)

The American folk music revival, which really began in the 40s in New York City, exposed us to some of the greatest voices of the last generation. It was during the 60s, especially though, that a brighter spotlight was placed on some of these voices, which sang about civil rights and war during times of political tension. Here are some of the singers who dominated the Folk Revival of the 60s and made history while doing so.

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Joan Baez

It’s worth noting that as much as she was a songwriter, Joan Baez was a political activist. Baez’s career began in 1959 with a performance at the Newport Folk Festival and the release of her first self-titled album. Then, in 1963, the singer notably performed a version of Pete Seeger’s “We Shall Overcome” during Martin Luther King’s March in Washington, D.C.

In the early and mid-60s, Baez also introduced folk fans to Bob Dylan, who was at the time unknown, and who we’ll look at next.

Bob Dylan

It’s pretty much impossible to make a list like this without including Dylan. The harmonica and guitar player first made a splash when a Peter, Paul & Mary cover took his song “Blowin’ in the Wind” to new heights. This song and his 1964 track “The Times They Are A-Changin’” became anthems for change.

In total, Dylan has released more than 50 albums and over 600 songs, and continues to establish himself as one of the folk greats. In 2016, the folk songwriter even won a Nobel Prize in Literature for his contributions to American music.

Odetta

If any folk artist was a voice for change during this era, it was Odetta. After spending much of her coming-of-age years singing opera and in musical theater productions, the vocalist decided to focus on folk music in the 50s. It seems like she was on track, as in 1961, Martin Luther King would refer to her as “The Queen of American Folk Music.” Also during the March in Washington, Odetta sang for the King a beautiful rendition of the song “Oh Freedom”, a song that originates from Civil War times. Her album, Odetta Sings Folk Songs, also ended up being one of the best-selling folk albums of that year.

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