folk rock

American  

Or folk-rock

noun

1. a style of music combining characteristics of rock-'n'-roll and folk music, often exemplified by protest songs to a rock-'n'-roll beat, and at its height of popularity in the late 1960s.

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folk-rock British  

noun

1. a style of rock music influenced by folk, including traditional material arranged for electric instruments

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Other Word Forms

• folk-rocker noun

Etymology

Origin of folk rock

First recorded in 1965–70; folk + rock ²

Example Sentences

Over the last 20 years, the 43-year-old singer has earned 11 Grammys and has become a household name in modern folk rock.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2025

Woman of the moment Sabrina Carpenter kicked off the show by performing a duet alongside Paul Simon of folk rock duo Simon and Garfunkel.

From BBC • Feb. 17, 2025

His influence shaped folk rock for decades, even as his longhaired counterculture persona placed him squarely in the 1960s.

From New York Times • Jan. 20, 2023

With his brother Michael Bacon, he fronts a band, the Bacon Brothers, whose style is a blend of alt country and soulful folk rock.

From Salon • Nov. 28, 2022

Early on, her label, Columbia Records, marketed Carpenter as a country artist, even though her music also had elements of folk, rock and pop.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 24, 2022