Every country and even region has its own folk music tradition, and America is no different. Often socially conscious, American folk music draws from a variety of resources including freedom spirituals, sea shanties, cowboy songs, Appalachian music and much more. Folk can encompass everything from proud protest songs to quiet, confessional poetry. And these are the 6 folk albums you won’t want to miss. 

Pink Moon - Nick Drake, 1972
The third and final album by Nick Drake before he took his own life two years later, “Pink Moon” was the only album of Drake’s to come out in the United States during his lifetime. It was recorded over a series of sessions after midnight with just Drake’s quiet voice, his acoustic guitar, and a brief overdubbed piano on the opening track. The intimate, confessional tone of the lyrics combined with his beautiful, delicate tunes is what helped build the cult-following Drake has experienced long after his death. The songs are short windows into the man’s heart with the total album running time at only 28 minutes.

Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkel, 1970
The fifth and final studio album from Simon & Garfunkel isn’t to be missed in the realm of folk music, even though it successfully blends elements of R&B, pop, gospel, and rock. Major hits include, “Keep The Customer Satisfied”, “Cecilia”, “The Boxer”, “The Only Living Boy in New York”, and many more.

For Emma, Forever Ago - Bon Iver, 2008
The mythos holds that in 2006, Justin Vernon moved from North Carolina to unplug from the world and deal with a heartbreak for an extended winter in his father’s Michigan cabin. While there, he began fooling around with wordless melodies trying to encapsulate the feelings he was experiencing. He later found his own poetic lyrics to give each melody, recording songs and hunting for food. When he emerged at the end of the winter, he had nine songs and what would go on to be a hit album. With Vernon’s now famous falsetto, multiple horns, and stacked guitar recordings, “For Emma, Forever Ago” became one of the most popular and influential folk albums of the 21st century and a beautiful album in which to immerse oneself.

Emotionalism - The Avett Brothers, 2007
There’s a big draw toward cynicism in our modern hipster-filled, post-everything culture. It’s hard I think for artists to stand behind their artwork with earnest sincerity without the shield of irony to hide behind. Not so for The Avett Brothers. “Emotionalism” is filled with just that; sincere and earnest emotion bursting at the seams. With a fully-backed band, the Avett Brothers are able to luxuriate in their melodies a little more without losing their initial raw, scraggly nature. The album is classic folk that covers a whole host of genres within that niche, dabbling in everything from early Beatles pop to bluegrass to classic orchestral pieces.

Songs of Leonard Cohen - Leonard Cohen, 1967
In 1967 there was a poet and novelist who decided to try his hand at becoming a singer-songwriter. His first album, “The Songs of Leonard Cohen” was the result, and the world is all the better for it. The first song, “Suzanne” was initially published as a poem and then recorded by Judy Collins before Cohen was convinced to do something more with what would become a hit song. And “So Long, Marianne” is one of the great tragic love songs.

The Times They Are A-Changin’ - Bob Dylan, 1964
Bob Dylan is arguably the crowned king of folk as his recent Nobel prize will attest. It would be wrong to not include an album of his on this list, although nearly all of them have a right to be on here. I’ve chosen 1964s “The Times They Are A-Changin’” for its timelessness, despite being deeply rooted in and associated with the turmoil of the early civil rights battles of the 1960s. The album includes hit songs such as “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll”, “When The Ship Comes In”, and a personal favorite, “Boots of Spanish Leather”.