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Folk Pop is a genre originating from the 1950s which blends Pop music with Contemporary Folk. It has many similarities with Folk Rock of its era and many folk pop bands have been defined as such, as they both tend to use backing bands and pop structures. However, Folk Pop is characterized by a more commercial sound, with less reliance on electric guitar, a larger presence of harmonized and catchy melodies, and shorter, softer songs.
Recording production values created a unblemished style that appealed to a mass audience, and thus led to commercial success as measured by high record sales, particularly as illustrated by hit records reaching the Top 40 on AM radio in the United States. Folk Pop developed during the 1960s folk music and folk rock boom.
Key example of folk-pop artists include the Kingston Trio and Peter, Paul and Mary with contracts with major record labels (Capitol Records and Warner Bros. Records, respectively). The commercially successful artists stood in contrast to more politically charged and uncompromising folk music performers such as Joan Baez, Odetta, Phil Ochs, Nina Simone, the Weavers, Melanie, Steve Goodman, Steve Forbert, Leonard Cohen and Glenn Yarbrough, or in more recent decades Tracy Chapman or Ani DiFranco.
Contemporary Folk refers to post-Bob Dylan folk singer/songwriters of the 70s and beyond. Prior to Dylan, most folk performers interpreted classic folk songs or wrote broad-based, topical songs.
sources: discogs, wikipedia, rateyourmusic
