What constitutes a “folk song” can be debated forever. So let's not. For this harmless exercise I'm working from a particular list of 100 songs, one according to Folk Alley's listeners. See that list here. And, yes, it seems lacking in traditional folk songs, but we've moving on, anyway.
In choosing my five, I added credit to songs that have been recorded by artists other than the original. Songs we've heard sung by various people. So this list is mostly about songs, not just one rendition of a song. As with all my five favorites lists I'm picking what they are today, off the top of my head, and listing them alphabetically. Tomorrow's list could be different. Next week's list surely would be.
Anyway, my five favorites from this list of 100 titles are (I've linked the titles to a good version of the songs on YouTube):
In choosing my five, I added credit to songs that have been recorded by artists other than the original. Songs we've heard sung by various people. So this list is mostly about songs, not just one rendition of a song. As with all my five favorites lists I'm picking what they are today, off the top of my head, and listing them alphabetically. Tomorrow's list could be different. Next week's list surely would be.
Anyway, my five favorites from this list of 100 titles are (I've linked the titles to a good version of the songs on YouTube):
- "Angel From Montgomery" written by John Prime
- "Blowing in the Wind" written by Bob Dylan
- "Goodnight Irene" written by Huddie "Lead Belly" Ledbetter
- "This Land Is Your Land" written by Woody Guthrie
- "Turn, Turn, Turn" written by Pete Seeger
