I Can’t Believe No One Remembers These 3 Underrated Singer-Songwriters From Folk’s Golden Age

Folk music experienced a substantial boom in the 1960s and 1970s. The Greenwich Village folk scene had exploded with talented singer-songwriters during those decades, and far too many of them remain underrated. Let’s look at just a few such underrated folk singer-songwriters from the 1960s and 1970s that you need to hear ASAP.

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Bridget St. John

Remember Bridget St. John? Her music was so incredible that one John Peel created the label Dandelion specifically to release her music. St. John’s compositions were put together with some help from friend and collaborator John Martyn, and she released a number of albums in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Sadly, St. John eventually stopped making music in the 1970s and almost totally disappeared. Thankfully, in the early 1990s, St. John made a comeback of sorts, offering up her vocals to a Mike Oldfield album. Now, though, it seems like St. John is officially retired. We’re lucky we have albums like Ask Me No Questions and Songs For The Gentle Man to enjoy today.

Sibylle Baier

Sibylle Baier recorded much of her written work in the 1970s on tape. And if you’ve heard her once, you’ll likely be able to recognize her forever. So much of Baier’s work focused on melancholia, nostalgia, falling in love, community, and similar themes. And you’ve probably never heard of her because she never really had an interest in fame. In fact, it wasn’t until the year 2000 that Baier’s son discovered her recordings and compiled them into a release called Colour Green. Originally a birthday gift for Baier, Colour Green was later released to the public in 2006 and has become a cult classic among folk fans.

Isla Cameron

This Scottish crooner makes it to our list of underrated folk singer-songwriters from the 1960s for good reason. Isla Cameron enjoyed some pretty hefty success back in the 1960s and 1960s folk scene across the pond, and she provided music to a number of films. However, in the 1970s, Cameron had all but abandoned music in favor of pursuing an acting career. She passed in 1980, and it’s wild to me that her name isn’t brought up in conversations about the golden age of folk. Cameron was totally vital to the movement in England. Fortunately, she left a ton of albums and EPs behind.

Photo by Brian Shuel/Redferns