Folk Hits of the 60s

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 12, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Shout Factory
• ASIN: B0000AKCMH
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #36,900 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #97 in Music > Pop > By Decade > 1960s

Track Listings

1. This Land Is Your Land - Woody Guthrie

2. Both Sides Now - Judy Collins

3. We'll Sing in the Sunshine - Gale Garnett

4. Don't Let the Rain Come Down - The Serendipity Singers

5. Baby the Rain Must Fall - Glen Yarbrough

6. Banana Boat Song - Harry Belafonte

7. Guantanamera - The Sandpipers

8. The Lion Sleeps Tonight - The Tokens

9. Tom Dooley - The Kingston Trio

10. If I Were a Carpenter - Bobby Darin

11. Don't Think Twice - The Wonder Who

12. If I Had a Hammer - Trini Lopez

13. You Were on My Mind - We Five

14. Green, Green - The New Christy Minstrels

15. There but for Fortune - Joan Baez

16. Greenfields - The Brothers Four

17. Lemon Tree - Trini Lopez

18. Walk Right In - The Rooftop Singers

19. Washington Square - Village Stompers

20. Goodnite Irene – Weavers

Editorial Reviews

Long after the one-two punch of Dylan and the Beatles rendered traditional material unhip, folk’s influence continued to assert itself on the airwaves, as folk-schooled artists transported the songs and sounds of the coffeehouse into a new era of musical electricity.

This collection serves as your window to a time when folk music was as much (or more) of a fixture on the pop charts as rock ’n’ roll.

These tracks were all once major hits or became standards in their own right or both and every one is by the original artist.

Some have been forgotten, some were reviled by purists at the time of their release and some can still be heard on oldies stations (or around campfires) to this day. But taken together, they reveal the glorious elasticity of the folk idiom, while refuting the notion that all great folk music must necessarily be politically oriented. If these tracks don’t put a smile on your face, you must have been suckled by a lemon.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Collection of Folk-Pop Hits, January 2, 2004

By 

Steve Vrana (Aurora, NE) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Folk Hits of the 60s (Audio CD)

Only five of these songs were recorded outside the time frame of 1960-1965, and only "Both Sides Now" was written after that time. During this time period, folk music usually fell within one of two groups. There was the political/protest music camp. And then there was the folk/pop group. Nearly all of these songs fall in the latter category. In fact, all but Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" and Joan Baez's rendition of the Phil Ochs-penned "There But for Fortune" landed in the Top 40 of the pop charts.

While several of these artists have the pedigree as protest singers (Joan Baez, The Weavers, Woody Guthrie), the focus here is clearly on listener-friendly songs. But even with the compiler's intent to put the focus on folk-lite, it seems a bit of a stretch to include Gale Garnett's "We'll Sing in the Sunshine," and The Wonder Who's version of Dylan's "Don't Think Twice" is almost unlistenable. [Note: The Wonder Who is Franki Valli and the Four Seasons, who took this song to No. 12 in 1965!]

With that said, if you like your folk music sanitized and the rough edges smoothed over, this is a very listenable and enjoyable album. The only glaring omission from this collection is the absence of anything by Peter, Paul and Mary. [It would have made more sense to use THEIR hit version of "Don't Think Twice"!] All things considered, this is a delightful album from start to finish. RECOMMENDED

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The happy side of the Sixties Folk Movement, November 13, 2003

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Folk Hits of the 60s (Audio CD)

"Folk Hits of the 60s" is strongly skewed towards the lighter side of the movement. Granted, you do have Woody Guthrie and Joan Baez, but they are not exactly signing vehement protest songs and you will not find Bob Dylan or Phil Ochs in these twenty tracks. Instead you will find Harry Belefonte and Bobby Darrin, along with a cover of a Dylan song by Wonder Who? This collection came out in August 2003, after the film "A Mighty Wind" successfully lampooned and honored the happy peppy side of the folk movement, and it is not difficult to see a collection. The faux groups of the (New) Main Street Singers, the Folksmen, and Mitch & Mickey would fit right in with the Serendipity Singers, the Kingston Trio, and...okay, there really are no counterparts to the pretend sweethearts of the folk movement, so that analogy falls apart at that point..

Most of the songs are certainly recognizable, although a few, such as "Day-O," are actually from the 1950s. The main reason for not considering these songs to be "real" folk songs is simply because most of them were commercially successful, from Judy Collins' "Both Sides Now" and "Guantanamera" by Sandpipers to "You Were On My Mind" by We Five and "Walk Right In" by the Rooftop Singers. You also get signature songs by the Kingston Trio ("Tom Dooley"), the New Christy Minstrels ("Green, Green"), and the Weavers ("Goodnight Irene"). You might do a double take at Trini Lopez being the one artist to get two tracks on the album, but that is a minor complaint all things considered. The main thing here is that you have to be appreciative of happy folk music going in, because you there are a lot of feel good songs here, like "We'll Sing in the Sunshine," "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," and several others already mentioned. But if you are not the sort to roll your eyes at such music, this is a very solid collection.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just like old times, February 22, 2006

By 

Lady Helen (Eastern Wa state) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Folk Hits of the 60s (Audio CD)

Oh joy! Like being back in Albuquere NM in 1964-67 and listening to my beloved folk station 24/7. There are a couple of songs here from the late 50's that carried over to the 60's The sound quality is pretty good too.It doesn't have that scratchy sound that some of the music that was originally on vinyl does.If you're an old hippie or maybe just hip get this CD.Almost makes me feel like I'm 19 again!