Progressive folk

Progressive folk is a type of folk music that rejects or de-emphasizes the conventions of traditional folk music and encourages stylistic or thematic innovation. While folk music has always purported to be a highly i

Progressive folk is a type of folk music that rejects or de-emphasizes the conventions of traditional folk music and encourages stylistic or thematic innovation. While folk music has always purported to be a highly innovative form, given its late-coming into institutional circles and its ties to the "common man" or ordinary people, progressive folk refers more narrowly to folk music that shies from an over abundance of nostalgia, tradition, and generic convention.

Progressive folk acts of note have been solo singer-songwriters such as Nick Drake, John Fahey, Daniel Johnston, and Bela Fleck, or bands such as Pentangle, Dead Can Dance, and Clannad.