Explore → Folk / Americana / Roots Folk / Americana / Roots The roots-music umbrella: Americana, contemporary folk & singer-songwriter, indie folk, bluegrass, old-time/Appalachian, folk rock, folk blues, gospel roots, protest folk, Celtic, dark/gothic Americana, regional roots, and more. Cross-links Country, Rock, Blues, and Gospel rather than duplicating them.
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Click a family to fan out its sub-genres · dashed = cross-listed Americana Roots Americana Modern Americana Contemporary Americana Folk Americana Country Americana Rock Americana Soul Americana Gospel Americana Bluegrass Americana Indie Americana Southern Americana Literary Americana Roots Revival Americana Cosmic Americana 1 Contemporary Folk Singer-Songwriter Folk Modern Folk Acoustic Folk Folk Singer-Songwriter Confessional Folk Poetic Folk Story Folk Literary Folk Coffeehouse Folk Acoustic Ballad Folk Folk Pop Singer-Songwriter Country Singer-Songwriter Americana Singer-Songwriter Christian Singer-Songwriter Folk Piano Folk Guitar Folk Intimate Folk 2 Indie Folk Folk-Pop Indie Folk-Pop Modern Indie Folk Bedroom Folk Lo-Fi Folk Dream Folk Soft Folk-Pop Acoustic Indie Pop Stomp-and-Clap Folk Festival Folk Harmony Indie Folk Twee Folk Chamber Indie Folk Sad Folk-Pop Viral Folk Campfire Indie Folk 3 Folk Rock Acoustic Rock Electric Folk Indie Folk Rock Americana Folk Rock Country Folk Rock Jangle Folk Rock British Folk Rock Psychedelic Folk Rock Chamber Folk Rock Protest Folk Rock Roots Rock Folk Story Rock Soft Folk Rock 4 Bluegrass Traditional Bluegrass Progressive Bluegrass Newgrass Jamgrass High Lonesome Bluegrass Mountain Bluegrass Instrumental Bluegrass Bluegrass Ballad Bluegrass Gospel Bluegrass Folk Bluegrass Americana Bluegrass-Country Crossover Flatpicking Bluegrass Clawhammer Bluegrass Chamber Bluegrass Bluegrass Jam Band 5 Country-Folk Folk Country Alt-Country Roots Country Indie Country Red Dirt Americana Outlaw Folk-Country Cosmic Country-Folk Country Singer-Songwriter Country Gospel Folk Country Blues Folk Country Rock Americana 6 Traditional Folk American Folk Folk Revival 60s Folk Revival Revival Folk Oral Tradition Folk Archival Folk Field Recording Folk Traditional Ballad Work Song Labor Song Children's Folk Song Historical Song Folk Standard Old Folk Song Public Domain Folk 7 Old-Time Music Appalachian Folk Appalachian Roots Mountain Music String Band Music Fiddle Tune Banjo Folk Clawhammer Banjo Front Porch Folk Primitive Folk Ballad Folk Appalachian Ballad Mountain Gospel Old-Time Country Old-Time Bluegrass Shape-Note Folk Appalachian Gothic 8 Folk-Pop Acoustic Pop Soft Acoustic Pop Coffeehouse Pop-Folk Romantic Folk-Pop Adult Alternative Folk-Pop Soft Indie Folk-Pop Piano Folk-Pop Ukulele Folk-Pop Wedding Folk-Pop Family-Friendly Folk-Pop Christian Folk-Pop Country Folk-Pop Viral Acoustic Folk-Pop 9 Roots Rock Americana Rock Heartland Americana Heartland Folk-Rock Bar-Band Americana Roadhouse Americana Blue-Collar Americana Working-Class Roots Highway Roots Rock Southern Roots Rock Swamp Roots Rock Country Roots Rock Gospel Roots Rock Jam Roots Rock 10 Folk Blues Country Blues Roots Blues Acoustic Blues Delta Folk-Blues Piedmont Folk-Blues Gospel Blues Blues Ballad Slide Guitar Folk-Blues Front Porch Blues Roadhouse Folk-Blues Blues Americana Blues-Soul Americana Work Song Blues Prison Song Blues 11 Gospel Folk Sacred Folk Spirituals Hymn Folk Devotional Folk Testimony Folk Gospel Americana Gospel Bluegrass Mountain Gospel Country Gospel Folk Gospel Blues Sacred Harp / Shape-Note Folk Choir Folk Family Gospel Roots Worship Folk-Pop Black Gospel Roots Spiritual Americana 12 Protest Folk Political Folk Labor Folk Union Song Civil Rights Folk Anti-War Folk Freedom Song Movement Folk Social Justice Folk Environmental Folk Feminist Folk Queer Folk Topical Folk Satirical Protest Folk Folk Protest Rock Gospel Protest Folk Spoken-Word Folk 13 Celtic Folk Irish Folk Scottish Folk Welsh Folk English Folk British Folk British Folk Revival Celtic Folk Rock Irish Rebel Song Sea Shanty Ballad Tradition Fiddle Folk Pub Folk Contemporary Celtic Folk Celtic Americana Celtic Country Appalachian-Celtic Roots 14 Dark Folk Gothic Americana Southern Gothic Folk Southern Gothic Americana Murder Ballad Appalachian Gothic Death Folk Graveyard Folk Ghost Ballad Noir Folk Occult Folk Doom Folk Dark Country-Folk Dark Blues-Folk Horror Folk Weird Old-Time Haunted Americana 15 Southern Roots Swamp Roots Gulf Coast Roots Swamp Pop Cajun Folk Creole Roots Zydeco Roots Louisiana Roots Delta Roots Southern Gospel Roots Southern Blues-Folk Southern Soul Americana Second Line Roots Bayou Folk Gulf Coast Americana 16 Red Dirt Americana Texas Americana Oklahoma Roots Heartland Americana Texas Singer-Songwriter Red Dirt Folk Roadhouse Americana Bar-Band Roots Prairie Folk High Plains Americana Texas Folk-Country Texas Gospel Roots Texas Blues Americana Heartland Story Folk 17 Regional Roots Cajun Roots Zydeco Creole Roots Hawaiian Roots Indigenous / Native American Roots Second Line Brass Band Roots Swamp Pop Conjunto Roots Tejano Roots Polka Roots New Mexico Roots Lowcountry Roots Appalachian Regional Roots Gulf Coast Regional Roots 18 Western Folk Cowboy Folk Cowboy Ballad Trail Song Campfire Western Ranch Folk Frontier Folk Western Story Song Rodeo Folk Singing Cowboy Folk Western Gospel Western Swing Roots Desert Folk New Mexico Folk Cowboy Poetry Song 19 Sea Shanty Maritime Folk Sailor Song Fishing Song Work Song Field Holler Prison Work Song Railroad Song Mining Song Cowboy Work Song Labor Chant River Song Great Lakes Folk Sea Ballad Call-and-Response Work Song Historical Occupational Folk 20 Chamber Folk Baroque Folk Art Folk Orchestral Folk Literary Folk Progressive Folk Avant-Folk Chamber Americana Chamber Bluegrass Chamber Indie Folk String Quartet Folk Harp Folk Poetic Chamber Folk Baroque Folk-Pop Art Song Folk 21 Dream Folk Ambient Folk Pastoral Folk Nature Folk Meditative Folk Spiritual Ambient Folk Drone Folk Slow Folk Ethereal Folk Sleepy Acoustic Folk Ambient Americana Appalachian Ambient Forest Folk Healing Folk Yoga Folk 22 Psychedelic Folk Freak Folk Acid Folk Experimental Folk Avant-Folk Weird Folk Free Folk Cosmic Folk Mystic Folk Drone Folk Psych-Folk Rock Cosmic Americana Tape Folk Lo-Fi Psych Folk Occult Folk Outsider Folk 23 Jamgrass Folk Jam Roots Jam Festival Roots Americana Jam Band Bluegrass Jam Band Country Jam Roots Folk Jam Rock Acoustic Jam String Jam Psychedelic Roots Jam Gospel Jam Roots Blues Jam Roots Festival Folk Improvisational Americana 24 World Folk Global Roots Folk Fusion Celtic Folk Nordic Folk Balkan Folk Mediterranean Folk African Folk Desert Blues Folk Latin Folk Andean Folk Mexican Folk Roots Middle Eastern Folk South Asian Folk Indigenous Folk Traditions Global Americana Fusion Folk-Reggae Fusion 25 Campfire Folk Sing-Along Folk Family Folk Children's Folk Kids Folk Lullaby Folk Nursery Folk Educational Folk School Folk Song Scout Camp Song Church Camp Folk Holiday Campfire Folk Simple Acoustic Folk Ukulele Folk-Pop Clean Folk-Pop Communal Folk Chorus 26 Comedy Folk Novelty Folk Parody Folk Satirical Folk Character Folk Storyteller Comedy Folk Jug Band Novelty Vaudeville Folk Cowboy Comedy Song Children's Novelty Folk Political Satire Folk Quirky Indie Folk Folk Cabaret Humor Ballad 27 Holiday Folk Christmas Folk Advent Folk Winter Folk Harvest Song Wedding Folk Funeral Folk Sacred Seasonal Folk Ritual Folk Community Ceremony Song May Day Song Camp Meeting Song Folk Carol Appalachian Christmas Holiday Americana New Year Folk 28 Spoken-Word Folk Folk Poetry Cowboy Poetry Song Oral History Folk Storytelling Folk Narrative Ballad Recitation Song Talking Blues Protest Spoken Folk Sermon Folk Appalachian Story Song Literary Americana Character Monologue Folk 29 Folk Revival Era 60s Folk Revival Greenwich Village Folk Scene Coffeehouse Folk Era Protest Folk Era Labor Song Tradition Civil Rights Song Movement Old-Time Era Appalachian Roots Era Bluegrass Revival Scene Newgrass Era Americana Revival Era Alt-Country / No Depression Scene Indie Folk Boom Stomp-and-Clap Folk Era Festival Folk Scene Jamgrass Scene Streaming Americana Era TikTok Folk Revival Field Recording / Archive Era Public Domain Folk Tradition Folkways / Archival Revival 30 Folk Americana Roots ◎ hide wheel 1. Americana / Roots Americana 15 › 2. Contemporary Folk / Singer-Songwriter 18 › 3. Indie Folk / Folk-Pop 17 › 4. Folk Rock / Acoustic Rock 14 › 5. Bluegrass / Newgrass / Jamgrass 17 › 6. Country-Folk / Alt-Country / Roots Country 12 › 7. Traditional Folk / Folk Revival 16 › 8. Old-Time / Appalachian / String Band 17 › 9. Folk-Pop / Soft Acoustic Pop 14 › 10. Roots Rock / Heartland / Bar-Band Americana 14 › 11. Folk Blues / Country Blues / Roots Blues 15 › 12. Gospel / Sacred Roots 17 › 13. Protest / Political / Labor Folk 17 › 14. Celtic / British-Irish / Anglo Folk 17 › 15. Dark Folk / Gothic Americana / Murder Ballads 17 › 16. Southern / Swamp / Gulf Roots 15 › 17. Red Dirt / Texas / Heartland Americana 14 › 18. Regional American Roots 15 › 19. Western / Cowboy / Frontier Folk 15 › 20. Sea / Maritime / Work Song Folk 16 › 21. Chamber / Baroque / Art Folk 15 › 22. Dream / Ambient / Pastoral Folk 15 › 23. Psychedelic / Freak / Experimental Folk 16 › 24. Jam / Festival / Improvisational Roots 15 › 25. Global Folk / World Roots / Folk Fusion 17 › 26. Campfire / Family / Communal Folk 16 › 27. Novelty / Comedy / Character Folk 14 › 28. Seasonal / Holiday / Ritual Roots 16 › 29. Poetry / Spoken-Word / Storytelling Roots 13 › 30. Era / Scene Labels 22 ›
1 Americana / Roots AmericanaThe main front door for contemporary roots music: country, folk, rock, blues, soul, gospel, and bluegrass influences blended into a modern roots-oriented sound.
Americana / Roots Americana The main front door for contemporary roots music: country, folk, rock, blues, soul, gospel, and bluegrass influences blended into a modern roots-oriented sound.
Contemporary Folk / Singer-Songwriter Modern lyric-first folk: acoustic guitar or piano, personal storytelling, plainspoken vocals, poetic detail, emotional directness, and songs that feel written before they feel produced.
Indie Folk / Folk-Pop The most modern and streaming-friendly folk lane: soft vocals, intimate production, indie texture, acoustic guitars, warm harmonies, and pop-accessible hooks.
Folk Rock / Acoustic Rock The major bridge between Folk and Rock: acoustic songwriting, electric guitars or band arrangements, harmonies, social commentary, roots textures, and adult-alternative energy.
Bluegrass / Newgrass / Jamgrass Acoustic string-band virtuosity: banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, upright bass, fast picking, high harmonies, mountain roots, and instrumental fire.
Country-Folk / Alt-Country / Roots Country The country side of the roots portal: country storytelling and instruments with folk intimacy, Americana seriousness, and less mainstream Nashville polish.
Traditional Folk / Folk Revival The recognizable "folk music" core: acoustic songs, oral tradition, revival performance, ballads, work songs, protest songs, and songs learned or preserved through community transmission.
Old-Time / Appalachian / String Band The older acoustic mountain and string-band lane: fiddle, banjo, ballads, square-dance tunes, front-porch feel, and Appalachian roots.
Folk-Pop / Soft Acoustic Pop The most accessible folk-pop lane: gentle acoustic guitars, simple emotional writing, clean hooks, harmony vocals, and pop-friendly arrangements.
Roots Rock / Heartland / Bar-Band Americana Roots music with a rock-band engine: guitars, drums, road songs, working-class storytelling, bar-band warmth, and Americana sensibility.
Folk Blues / Country Blues / Roots Blues Acoustic and roots-blues overlap: fingerpicked guitar, slide guitar, blues phrasing, country-blues storytelling, gospel-blues colors, and rural grit.
Gospel / Sacred Roots Faith, testimony, harmony, sacred lyrics, hymns, spirituals, church-rooted singing, and acoustic roots arrangements.
Protest / Political / Labor Folk Message-first folk: social critique, labor songs, civil-rights songs, anti-war songs, movement choruses, and community singing.
Celtic / British-Irish / Anglo Folk The Anglo-Celtic branch: ballads, reels, jigs, sea songs, fiddle tunes, British folk revival, Irish/Scottish/Welsh traditions, and Celtic fusion.
Dark Folk / Gothic Americana / Murder Ballads The shadow side of roots: murder ballads, haunted banjos, minor-key acoustic music, Southern Gothic imagery, death, ghosts, judgment, betrayal, and rural noir.
Southern / Swamp / Gulf Roots Southern and Gulf Coast roots textures: swamp grooves, Cajun/Creole color, blues, gospel, soul, country, fiddle, accordion, second-line feel, and humid regional storytelling.
Red Dirt / Texas / Heartland Americana Texas/Oklahoma and heartland roots: independent songwriting, country-folk grit, road songs, bar-band energy, regional identity, and Americana/country crossover.
Regional American Roots Regional roots traditions that belong in the broader American Roots portal, especially when they are not simply Country, Blues, Jazz, Latin, or Pop.
Western / Cowboy / Frontier Folk Western storytelling outside the stricter Country tree: cowboy songs, trail ballads, campfire music, ranch life, open-range imagery, and frontier folklore.
Sea / Maritime / Work Song Folk Work, travel, water, labor, and communal rhythm: sea shanties, maritime ballads, occupational songs, prison songs, field hollers, and chant-based folk.
Chamber / Baroque / Art Folk Auteur folk with refined arrangements: strings, woodwinds, harp, literary lyrics, unusual harmony, delicate vocals, and chamber-like production.
Dream / Ambient / Pastoral Folk Soft, atmospheric folk: reverb, drones, delicate acoustic instruments, nature imagery, slow tempos, and meditative space.
Psychedelic / Freak / Experimental Folk Strange, surreal, and exploratory folk: altered acoustic textures, drones, tape effects, unconventional vocals, mystical lyrics, and nonstandard structures.
Jam / Festival / Improvisational Roots Roots music built for live performance, festivals, long instrumental sections, string-band improvisation, and genre-fluid sets.
Global Folk / World Roots / Folk Fusion The broader non-US folk and roots portal: traditional and contemporary folk forms from outside the American roots frame, plus global folk fusions.
Campfire / Family / Communal Folk Folk as participation: sing-alongs, children's songs, camp songs, lullabies, simple chord progressions, communal choruses, and family-friendly acoustic music.
Novelty / Comedy / Character Folk Folk defined by humor, persona, satire, character performance, parody, or intentionally old-time theatricality.
Seasonal / Holiday / Ritual Roots Roots and folk music tied to seasons, ceremonies, holidays, community rituals, sacred calendars, or local customs.
Poetry / Spoken-Word / Storytelling Roots Roots music where narrative, recitation, poetry, oral history, or spoken delivery is central.
Era / Scene Labels Use these as filters, not primary sound-homes. Attach them to the song's main family.