Best Folk Song
Take Me Out to the Ball Game is a 1908 song written by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer. Although the original song features verses about a woman named Katie Casey, the chorus is traditionally sung during the seventh-inning stretch at baseball games. The tune became deeply ingrained in American c...
"Beautiful Dreamer" is a parlor song composed by American songwriter Stephen Foster and published posthumously in 1864. Written in a 9/8 waltz tempo, the piece features a gentle melody and lyrics that speak of a lover serenading a sleeping woman. It was created during a period when sheet music was t...
"On Top of Old Smoky" is a traditional American folk ballad of Appalachian origin, cataloged as Roud 414. The song features a widely recognized melody commonly sung in a 3/4 waltz tempo, with lyrics referencing romance and infidelity in the Smoky Mountains. It was first recorded commercially in the...
For the Sake of the Song is the debut studio album by Texas singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt, released in 1968 on Poppy Records. The album introduced Van Zandt's stark, literary songwriting style, featuring enduring acoustic tracks like "Tecumseh Valley" and the titular song. Producer Jack Clement...
"Waltz Across Texas" is a classic American country music song popularized by artist Ernest Tubb in the mid-twentieth century. The track is structured as a traditional waltz, utilizing a 3/4 time signature that complements its narrative of a romantic journey across the state of Texas. It has since be...
Boots No. 2: The Lost Songs is a 2020 archival compilation album by American singer-songwriter Gillian Welch. The release comprises three volumes of previously unreleased material recorded during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Produced in collaboration with her long-time musical partner David Rawli...
"My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean" is a traditional Scottish folk song that gained widespread popularity during the 19th century. The lyrics describe a narrator's longing for a beloved person who has traveled across the sea. Some historians suggest the song may have Jacobite origins, potentially referr...
Annie's Song is a folk ballad written and recorded by American singer-songwriter John Denver. Released in 1974, it was inspired by his relationship with his then-wife, Annie Martell, and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. The recording is distinguished by its flowing m...
"When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" is a popular nostalgic ballad written in 1912 by Ernest R. Ball, Chauncey Olcott, and George Graff Jr. Composed in a gentle 3/4 waltz tempo, the song was originally intended for the Broadway production of "The Isle O'Dreams." It quickly became a cultural standard, deepl...
Songs of the Plains is the second studio album by Canadian country and folk singer-songwriter Colter Wall, released in 2018 on Young Mary's Record Co. Produced by Dave Cobb, the record deeply explores Wall's rural Saskatchewan roots through Western folk narratives and traditional cowboy songs. It fe...
The Missouri Waltz is a patriotic American song adopted as the official state song of Missouri in 1949. The melody, attributed to John Valentine Eppel with lyrics by James Royce Shannon, gained national recognition through its frequent performance by President Harry S. Truman, a Missouri native, dur...
Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan is a four-disc compilation album released in 2012 as a benefit for Amnesty International. The album features over 75 contemporary and classic artists, including Miley Cyrus, Adele, and Dave Matthews Band, covering the extensive catalog of Bob Dylan. It was p...
Tower of Song: The Songs of Leonard Cohen is a 1995 tribute album dedicated to the catalog of Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen. The album features major pop and rock artists such as Elton John, Bono, Don Henley, Billy Joel, and Aaron Neville performing their interpretations of Cohen's compos...
Tyler Childers' 'Canyon Songs' is a collection of hauntingly beautiful acoustic ballads that showcase his exceptional songwriting and vocal talent. The album's sparse production and intimate atmosphere create a deeply moving listening experience, rooted in Appalachian folk traditions. 'Canyon Songs'...
