In the late '50s, folk music experienced an upswing in popularity on college campuses across America. This Folk Revival brought many old stars back into the spotlight and it increased the audience for folk substantially. Pop arrangements of folk songs became hit singles and the folk aesthetic provided the groundwork for the counterculture rock movement of the '60s. (read more)

In the late '50s, folk music experienced an upswing in popularity on college campuses across America. This Folk Revival brought many old stars back into the spotlight and it increased the audience for folk substantially. Pop arrangements of folk songs became hit singles and the folk aesthetic provided the groundwork for the counterculture rock movement of the '60s. Ironically, the folk revival's popularity dipped sharply in the mid-'60s, after the British Invasion took over America, but the folk revival remains a pivotal moment in 20th century pop music.(collapse)