This compilation contains songs by legendary female folk singers of the 60s and 70s. It is also exciting and will perhaps arouse your curiosity as to which female folk singers who were rather overlooked in the 60s and 70s can be found in this list, but whose musical greatness was only rediscovered in later years.
1. Joni Mitchell - Big Yellow Taxi
Of course, Joni Mitchell should not be missing from this list. Her musical influence on folk music is inestimable. Incidentally, Big Yellow Taxi has been covered very successfully several times by well-known music acts such as Amy Grant and The Counting Crows.[1]
2. Karen Dalton - Something on Your Mind
Something on Your Mind by Karen Dalton is a 1971 folk song gem. In my opinion, it is important to hear the song from the beginning to the last second. Then the melancholy of the vocals and the music unfold in all their beauty.
3. Buffy Sainte-Marie - The Beauty Way
The Beauty Way by Buffy Sainte-Marie is the seventh track on her 1975 album Changing Woman. I noticed that the lyrics you find on the Internet for the song The Beauty Way seem to be those of another song. The Beauty Way can also be found on the 2010 song collection The Pathfinder - Buried Treasures as the second track on the second CD.
4. Judee Sill - The Kiss
The Kiss by Judee Sill appeared on her 1973 album Heart Food and is one of the top five most popular tracks on her Spotify artist profile. The composition combines various musical styles, including classical, folk and baroque pop, with gentle piano work and Sill's ethereal vocals. The song's themes revolve around mystical and spiritual concepts exploring the relationship between divine and mortal love, with imagery focusing on transcendence and spiritual awakening.
In the Judee Sill documentary Lost Angel: The Genius Of Judee Sill there are numerous Interviews with musicians such as Jackson Browne, Graham Nash, Linda Ronstadt, Big Thief.[2]
5. Judy Collins - Both Sides Now
Joni Mitchell found inspiration for her song Both Sides, Now when she read a passage in Saul Bellow's novel Henderson the Rain King on an airplane. The book describes how Henderson, who was also on a plane at the beginning of the book, looked out of the window and saw the clouds below him. Joni Mitchell then also looked out of the window and saw clouds below her. Finally, she began writing the song Both Sides, Now during the flight.[3]
1967 Judy Collins' rendition of Both Sides, Now by Joni Mitchell was used in popular films and series, including the animated film Toy Story 4 and the series Mad Men. With Both Sides, Now Judy Collins won the 1969 Grammy for Best Folk Performance.[4]
6. Joan Baez - Diamonds And Rust
The American singer-songwriter Joan Baez, also known as the Queen of Folk, confirmed in an interview that the lyrics to her 1975 song Diamonds and Rust were originally supposed to be about something completely different. When Bob Dylan called her at the beginning of her songwriting process, it ended up being about him because of the call. [5]
The lyrics of Diamonds and Rust describe Joan Baez's reflections on the past relationship with Bob Dylan. She recalls bittersweet memories, blending vivid imagery of their romantic and turbulent times. The folk song contrasts precious, diamond moments with the rust of time and regret, capturing the complexity and lingering impact of lost love.
7. Laura Nyro - Money
Laura Nyro was an American singer-songwriter and pianist known for her diverse genre blend of folk, pop, jazz, pop and soul. Songs such as Wedding Bell Blues, Eli's Comin' and Stoned Soul Picnic, which artists such as The 5th Dimension, Three Dog Night and Blood, Sweat & Tears reinterpreted and released, became commercial successes. In 2012, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Money is the third track on her sixth studio album Smile, which she released in 1976.
8. Fairport Convention - Who Knows Where The Time Goes?
Released in 1969, Who Knows Where the Time Goes? by Fairport Convention is a typical British folk song that underlines the band's unique contribution to the folk-rock genre. The song was written by Sandy Denny and contains poetic expressions about the transience of time. e folk song has been covered by popular female artists in particular, here are some examples: Judy Collins, Nina Simone, Sinéad O'Connor and Susanna Hoffs. [6] Sandy Denny died in April 1978, she was only 31 years old.
9. Melanie - Brand New Key
10. Carole King - Sweet Seasons
11. Odetta - Hit Or Miss
12. Janis Ian - At Seventeen
13. Sibylle Baier - I Lost Something in the Hills
14. Vashti Bunyan - Train Song
15. Linda Ronstadt - You're No Good
16. Linda Perhacs - Hey, Who Really Cares
17. Bobby Gentry - Ode To Billie Joe
18. Kate Wolf - Across the Great Divide
19. Elizabeth Cotten - Freight Train
20. Shirley Collins - Barbara Allen
21. Pentangle - Let No Man Steal Your Thyme
22. Cass Elliot - Dream A Little Dream Of Me
23. Jackie DeShannon - What The World Needs Now Is Love
24. Polly Niles - Sunshine In My Rainy Day Mind
25. Phoebe Snow - Poetry Man (Live)
26. Malvina Reynolds - Little Boxes
27. Mary Travers - Follow Me
28. Mimi and Richard Fariña - All The World Has Gone By
References
[1] Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell. (n.d.). https://secondhandsongs.com/performance/20
[2] Chelosky, D. (2024, April 8). Watch Big Thief discuss “The Kiss” in clip from new Judee Sill documentary. Stereogum. https://www.stereogum.com/2258637/watch-big-thief-discuss-the-kiss-in-clip-from-new-judee-sill-documentary/news/
[3] Hilburn, R. (1996, December 8). Both sides, later - Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-12-08-ca-6804-story.html
[4] Agar, C. (2018, November 12). What song is in the Toy Story 4 teaser trailer? ScreenRant. https://screenrant.com/toy-story-4-trailer-song-judy-collins/
[5] Ragogna, M. (2010, March 18). How Sweet the Sound: An interview with Joan Baez. HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-sweet-the-sound-an-in_b_320193
[6] Who Knows Where the Time Goes? — sadness surrounds Sandy Denny’s classic ballad. (2019, August 26). Financial Times. https://ig.ft.com/life-of-a-song/who-knows-where-the-time-goes.html