Folk rock

Folk Rock is exactly what it sounds like, a combination of folk music and rock and roll. It had its day in the sun between 1964 and 1967 but has continued to be influential ever since, with numerous folk rock and folk rock-inspired scenes popping up in the intervening 6 decades.

Folk Rock is not Art Rock, which begs the question as to why we're covering it on this site.

Why is Folk Rock Important in the History of Art Rock?

Folk Rock was the first time in the history of rock and roll that rock bands consistently reached out to a genre outside of the rock and roll tradition (i.e. not blues, country or gospel) and outside of the professional popular song world for inspiration. This act was important in a number of ways:

• The folk tradition encouraged pop rock songwriters to write songs using different chords and different chord progressions, and encouraged longer compositions
• The folk tradition's serious attitude toward lyric writing utterly transformed pop lyrics. We've called this The Lyrical Revolution.
• Listening to folk music encouraged pop rock bands to use different instruments than just the standard two electric guitars, bass, drums (or electric guitar, keyboard, bass, drums).
• The very act of reaching into a different genre for inspiration encouraged these folk rock artists, and those inspired by them, to reach into new genres for inspiration, notably Indian music, Jazz and other forms of High Art Music. It's no coincidence that the earliest Psychedelic bands were originally folk rock bands.

Who Are the Most Important Folk Rock Bands?

The three most important early folk rock bands and artists were:

• The Beatles, who invented the genre with their third album, A Hard Days Night
• The Byrds who, inspired by A Hard Days Night, became the definitive folk rock group for the genre's apex
• Bob Dylan, who came at folk rock from the other side of the divide but who forever altered the way popular music lyrics were written, opening up the world to endless lyrical possibilities.