Bob Dylan is Dr. Frankenstein (**NOT CLICKBAIT**)

 It was on July, 25th, 1965 that music changed - forever. 

As the iconic folk singer Bob Dylan walked out onto the stage of the Rhode Island Newport Folk Festival, he carried with him not the familiar sight of an acoustic guitar, but an electric. The crowd, full of *folk purists and nonconformists alike, shifted in every way imaginable - booing, cheering, dancing, completely still. It's often said of the crowd that, on that night, Dylan, "electrified one half, and electrocuted the other." 

While a man on stage with an electric guitar might not sound very revolutionary to us, it was to the people of the 1960s, as this is the moment many credit with solidifying the new genre of folk rock. 

Let's talk background info - 

During the 60s, folk music, which had taken a beating during the Second Red Scare for its more "liberal" views, made a big comeback in America. This comeback, aptly named the American folk music revival, led to all the folk music and musicians you know and love: Peter, Paul, and Mary, Bob Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel, the list goes on.

                        "Hangman" by Peter, Paul, & Mary

But, as we all know is quite common, things started to change, and some artists started to move away from the traditional sounds of both classic and revival folk. This mainly meant the use of drum kits and electric guitars and basses in conjunction with the more traditional acoustic folk instruments (mainly just acoustic chordophones like guitars, banjos, etc.), as well as the addition of a faster, more rock-ish speed and beat. 

Now, I know I just talked about how Bob Dylan pretty much changed the game with his folk rock performance at Newport, but it's really important to note that, while this was still an insanely important moment at the beginning of the folk rock "movement", he was in no way the creator of folk rock or the first to try anything like this. Changes within folk had already begun with the likes of Harry Belafonte and the Kingston Trio, who began to venture more into folk pop, and others had started to wander into the land of folk rock just before Dylan himself. In fact, in 1963, the aforementioned Peter, Paul, & Mary released a more pop-ish cover of Dylan's own "Blowin' In the Wind" and, more notably, just a month before Bob Dylan's electrified performance at Newport, The Byrds, a band known for their use of electric(!) 12-string guitars, released a very popular full on folk rock cover of Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man." All this to say, Bob Dylan's folk rock performance at Newport was revolutionary, but the change had already been happening, he just gave the world a nice big push out of the folk nest and into the world of folk rock. 

                          The Byrds cover of "Mr. Tambourine Man"

Now that you've got some background, let's talk more about what folk rock actually is.

One thing that is very important to note when talking about the emergence of folk rock on the music scene, is that this was the 60s, and hippies were everywhere. Hippies, or flower children, were essentially a bunch of mostly white, middle class teens and twenty-something-year-olds who didn't agree with the violence, oppression, and consumerism that was so prevalent within society. They spent most of their time just doing what they could to break away - living in communes, practicing holistic medicine, and developing the hippy style I'm sure we're all familiar with - as well as protesting, with one of the main reasons for the culture's existence being protesting the Vietnam War. Needless to say, these people wanted thoughtful music but in a package that fit their young generation's style.

(Here's a nice little video summary of hippie culture)

So, As I mentioned earlier, folk rock is basically just folk music that sounds more rock and roll. Up until folk rock, there wasn't really any socially conscious or deep music that had a more energetic or mainstream sound to it. Most of the more profound lyricism was saved for folk and other singer-songwriter genres. But, again, with the rise of hippie culture, there was a major need to mix both the "deep" lyricism of folk with the electrified, more fast paced feel of popular rock and roll, leading to the music and *protest songs we know as folk rock today!

We've talked about Bob Dylan and The Byrds, now let's talk a little about some of the most famous folk rock artists to come to the surface with the establishment of the genre!

The Mamas and The Papas

The Mamas and the Papas came to be in Los Angeles in 1965 (right when folk rock was becoming an actual thing), and found several folk rock hits in their songs "California Dreamin'", "Monday, Monday", and "Dedicated To The One I Love"

Sonny & Cher

Sonny and Cher met in 1962 in Los Angeles (noticing a trend here?) and began making music together. They took a note out of The Byrds book and released an electric cover of Dylan's "All I Really Want to Do", propelling them into fame.

As you might be able to tell from the above selections, folk rock started to drift, moving from its more definitive sound of literally folk plus rock, to something else entirely. This marked the beginning of the end for folk rock, and the beginning of what we now know (and love) as psychedelic rock. 

BUT, thats a story for another day:)

I hope you guys enjoy learning a little bit about the evolution of folk rock (and maybe got some song recs too!)

*Folk purists - Those who were strongly against bringing electric instruments unto folk. Felt folk was pure and raw and should stay that way.

*Protest song - A song meant to bring awareness to a movement/bring change. 

Sources

“Folk Rock.” Visit the Main Page, https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Folk_rock.

“Hippie.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/topic/hippie.

Holden, Stephen. “Folk Rock.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 1 Feb. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/art/folk-rock.

MasterClass. “Folk Rock Music Guide: What Does Folk Rock Sound like? - 2023.” MasterClass, 7 June 2021, https://www.masterclass.com/articles/folk-rock-music-guide.

Wright-Mendoza, Jessie. “I (Don't) Got You Babe: The End of Sonny and Cher.” Blank on Blank, 18 May 2016, https://blankonblank.org/2016/05/sonny-and-cher-short-history/#:~:text=Sonny%20and%20Cher%20met%20in,named%20Chastity%2C%20born%20in%201969.