Traditional Folk
Represents the core of folk music, passed down orally through generations.
- Notable Artists: Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez.
- Woody Guthrie - "Dust Bowl Ballads"
- Pete Seeger - "We Shall Overcome"
- Joan Baez - "Joan Baez" (self-titled)
- Lead Belly - "Lead Belly's Last Sessions"
- The Carter Family - "Can the Circle Be Unbroken"
Bluegrass
Features fast-paced, acoustic music often centered around the banjo, fiddle, and mandolin.
- Notable Artists: Bill Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs, Alison Krauss.
- Bill Monroe - "Bluegrass Ramble"
- Flatt and Scruggs - "Foggy Mountain Jamboree"
- Alison Krauss & Union Station - "Every Time You Say Goodbye"
- The Stanley Brothers - "An Evening Long Ago"
- The Del McCoury Band - "Del and the Boys"
Celtic Folk
Originating in Celtic regions like Ireland and Scotland, it features traditional instruments like the fiddle, accordion, and bodhrán.
- Notable Artists: The Chieftains, Altan, Loreena McKennitt.
- The Chieftains - "The Chieftains 4"
- Altan - "Harvest Storm"
- Loreena McKennitt - "The Visit"
- Clannad - "Magical Ring"
- The Dubliners - "A Drop of the Hard Stuff"
Americana
A blend of folk, country, blues, and rock, often exploring themes of American identity and heritage.
- Notable Artists: Bob Dylan, The Band, Gillian Welch.
- Bob Dylan - "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan"
- The Band - "Music from Big Pink"
- Gillian Welch - "Time (The Revelator)"
- Johnny Cash - "At Folsom Prison"
- Emmylou Harris - "Wrecking Ball"
World Folk
Encompasses folk music traditions from various countries and regions around the world.
- Notable Artists: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (Qawwali), Buena Vista Social Club (Cuban Son), Ali Farka Touré (African Blues).
- Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - "Devotional and Love Songs"
- Buena Vista Social Club - "Buena Vista Social Club"
- Ali Farka Touré - "Talking Timbuktu"
- Lhasa de Sela - "La Llorona"
- Caetano Veloso - "Caetano Veloso" (self-titled)
