The singer-songwriter/folk/coffeehouse movement occurred during the late sixties after rock and roll was losing its authority. People wanted to calm down and kick back with more easy-listening music. This is where the young kids with acoustic guitars and sweet melodies got to shine. There are a ton of great musicians and singer-songwriters from this legendary era of music, but five of them stand out pretty exponentially in terms of defining a genre and culture of music. This list is sorted in no particular order.
1. James Taylor
James Taylor is an American singer-songwriter who holds five Grammy Awards and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He is noted as one of the best-selling artists of all time with more than 100 million records sold worldwide. Some of his most popular songs include “Fire and Rain”, “You’ve Got a Friend” (written by Carole King) and “Carolina In My Mind”. His music is a fusion of country/folk inspired voice mixed with intricate finger-style guitar playing. James’ lyrics often speak about death, sadness, addiction, and friendship. He rose to fame with his debut album “Sweet Baby James” and continued to make amazing folk music following that.
2. Carole King
Carole King is an American composer and singer-songwriter. She started out a bit different from most musicians, as she was a songwriter for the Brill Building and wrote more than two-dozen chart hits for an array of artists. After being convinced that she needed to take ownership for her music and perform them as well, she debuted an album called “Writer” but unfortunately it failed. However, her following album “Tapestry” was a breakthrough album for her as an artist and music in general, topping the U.S. album chart for fifteen weeks in 1971 and remained on the charts for more than six years. Some of her most popular songs are “You’ve Got a Friend”, “So Far Away”, and “A Natural Woman”. Her signature sound is a soft and easy voice over emotional piano.
3. Elton John
Elton John is an English singer-songwriter, musician, and composer. He works with lyricist Bernie Taupin and creates the musical elements for his songs. John has been working for about fifty years and has sold more than 300 million records with more than fifty Top 40 hits, including seven consecutive No. 1 US albums. Like Carole King, he plays piano and sings but also incorporates a rock band on his albums and live performances. Some of his most popular songs include “Your Song”, “Bennie and the Jets”, and “Tiny Dancer”.
4. Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell is a Canadian singer-songwriter and painter. What sets Mitchell apart from a lot of other artists is her diverse range of genres. Her lyrics are highly respected and speak on topics such as romantic longing, confusion, disillusion, and joy. She combines elements of jazz into rock and roll, R&B, classical music, and even world music. She is the sole producer on most of her albums and even designed some of her album artwork throughout her career. Some of her most popular songs include “Both Sides Now”, “Big Yellow Taxi”, and “Woodstock”.
5. Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne is an American singer-songwriter and musician who came to prominence in the 70’s with songs such as “These Days”, “The Pretender”, and “Doctor My Eyes”. Among this list he has the most rock and roll edge to his music. He often incorporates rock and roll instruments and elements into both his albums and live performances. He typically plays guitar or piano and sings. Besides writing for his own music, he has also written for others. For example, he has written with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Nico, and Eagles. Like Mitchell he is also highly noted for his lyrical work and melodies.
