[driftless2]

Many or most "folk" songs that became popular hits in the last century were not really folk songs. More like neo-folk songs. Most real folk songs were pretty old. Dylan basically sang what could be called neo-folk songs.

Of course real folk songs were the popular hits in their day. So I guess a number of the popular neo-folk songs that were hits in the fifties and sixties might be considered folk songs in the future.

[dfwgator]

"Mention modern art, civil rights, or folk music and you're in like Flynn."

"Oh boy, I hope I score."

[Ben Ficklin]

You could frame it another way by saying back in those days folk, western, and bluegrass were acoustic. So the style the fans were listening to was acoustic and if you went to Newport you would hear folk, bluegrass, and country and it was acoustic. Doc Watson and Clarence white, two of the top bluegrass guitarists, did a set together at Newport '64

Dylan was big hit at Newport, except he went electric in 1965, and Pete Seeger was not happy with that. Not long after that, the Byrds started playing folk rock or folk music with electric instrument.

In 1965 Clarence White, the bluegrass acoustic guitarist, bought an electric and developed what would be called country rock that was picked up by Jackson Browne, Eagles, Rosanne Cash, and many others. White joined the second Byrds band in '68 until '72. Now, in modern times, that is mainstream country.

By the early 70s, because of advances in microphones, there was a resurgence of Bluegrass and many of the bluegrass boys were also playing jazz. With the new microphones they could play to larger crowds

And somewhere along the line, somebody coined the term "Roots Music", which is mainly acoustic