Folk Rock is another sub-genre of the folk movement which has emerged in recent years, in part due to the achievements of artists such as Bob Dylan and Joan Baez in the mid-twentieth century and beyond. The intention of the style was to use the same features as traditional folk – clean and clear melodic, instrumental and vocal techniques and socially-inspired lyrics – with the added advantages of the new rock movement, such as the introduction of the electric guitar. The Byrds, The Beatles, The Highway Men, The Mamas & The Papas, The Seekers, Paul Simon, Donovan, The Beach Boys, and John Denver all made use of this new merged style between folk and rock and were incredibly successful in the charts.
Folk Rock itself was so popular amongst singer-songwriters and guitar-based bands and artists in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s that it eventually spawned several sub-genres, such as Electric Folk, Celtic Rock, Folk Punk, Folk Metal, Indie Folk and Acoustic Rock. The main difference that set these sub-genres apart from other types of folk music was that there was an increasingly widespread use of electrified and amplified instruments.
Folk Rock itself was so popular amongst singer-songwriters and guitar-based bands and artists in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s that it eventually spawned several sub-genres, such as Electric Folk, Celtic Rock, Folk Punk, Folk Metal, Indie Folk and Acoustic Rock. The main difference that set these sub-genres apart from other types of folk music was that there was an increasingly widespread use of electrified and amplified instruments.
Of course, the large majority of the music was also commercialised (if not initially, many artists eventually signed and became quite successful within the charts) and was thus also subject to copyright laws, another key difference between the rock-inspired style and traditional folk. Although Folk Rock saw it’s hay day in the sixties and seventies it is still a living style today – The Dropkick Murphys, The Pogues, Bright Eyes and Nick Drake all have active and successful careers.