folk music
Traditional music passed down orally within a community, reflecting its culture and history.
In Depth
Folk music encompasses the traditional songs and instrumental music of communities worldwide, typically passed down through oral tradition rather than written notation. It reflects the lives, work, beliefs, and stories of ordinary people — work songs, lullabies, dance tunes, ballads, and ceremonial music.
The folk revival of the 1950s and 60s, led by artists like Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Joan Baez, and Bob Dylan, brought folk music to a mass audience and politicised it as a vehicle for social protest. Today, folk music continues to evolve — contemporary folk artists blend traditional forms with modern production and songwriting.
The folk song Greensleeves was once attributed to Henry VIII. While this is almost certainly false, the melody dates from at least the 1580s and is still one of the most recognisable tunes in the English-speaking world.