Folk Rock Songs From the 60s That Everyone Should Know

The 1960s folk rock landscape is surveyed through a curated set of classics that defined the era. The Byrds popularized Turn! Turn! Turn! in 1965 after The Limeliters released it first, with Pete Seeger also recording a version; the lyrics weave Ecclesiastes into a protest-era frame. California Dreamin’ by the Mamas and the Papas stands out for its harmonies, while Stevie Nicks’s high school meeting with Lindsey Buckingham—where they first sang California Dreamin’—is recalled alongside the Sounds of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel, and Bob Dylan’s Like A Rolling Stone. Peter, Paul and Mary popularized Leaving On A Jet Plane, and John Denver penned Country Roads, initially titled Babe I Hate To Go. The compilation underscores how these tracks bridged folk, rock and social discourse, shaping popular music for decades.