The 5 Most-Covered Songs In Folk Rock History

There's just something about folk rock that keeps people coming back for more. That's not meant as shade to other genres, of course. But you can't deny that the deeply thoughtful, lyrical artistry and rich music that characterizes folk rock are endlessly engaging in the right hands. Just look at the many, many covers that have sprung up in the wake of the genre's most popular tunes. Though it's hard to pin down exactly how many covers are out there, the most popular in folk rock have generated thousands of works. There are loving adaptations that take many cues from the original, as well as more daring covers that dramatically change a song while keeping its character intact.

The tracks that follow are the five most covered in folk rock history. They take you on a journey that includes popping in on a young Bob Dylan performing in 1960s Greenwich Village, getting an earful about Judy Collins courtesy of Joni Mitchell, and tracking the progress of a song so old you might have heard it in a Renaissance court. All have legit folk rock roots, be they original creations of beloved creators or old songs that gained new and vibrant life when they entered the 20th-century music scene.

Back when Bob Dylan was a relatively unknown young singer, he hung around New York City's burgeoning folk rock scene in Greenwich Village. There, he saw the New World Singers performing the Civil War-era song "No More Auction Block" (which Dylan himself would cover live). Inspired, he composed "Blowin' in the Wind," which he claimed to have written in only 10 minutes at a cafe — tres bohemian.

The song became a hit, and covers began to roll in almost immediately. The Staples Singers recorded their take at practically the same time Dylan's was released, with a more country- and gospel-influenced sound. The Peter, Paul and Mary cover released in 1963 was the most successful of all, sailing past Dylan's version to win a couple of Grammys and land at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Judy Collins also recorded a cover with her characteristically ethereal voice, and it's no surprise that Bruce Springsteen — who called Dylan "the father of my country" in his autobiography, "Born to Run" — adapted it as well.

Other covers don't just follow well-trod folk rock paths. Duke Ellington recorded an instrumental jazz version, Stevie Wonder brought a Motown edge to his take, and Dolly Parton (who once said of Dylan to the Daily Mail, "I love his music but he's a weird buckaroo") has naturally put out a bluegrass cover. The Elvis Presley demo of this song is essential, too, as Dylan himself was greatly influenced by him. Yet, this version wasn't released until 1997, long after Presley's 1977 death.

Perhaps calling "Scarborough Fair" a folk rock song isn't entirely right. It assuredly is just that, looking at how Simon & Garfunkel turned their deceptively quiet, almost whispered rendition into a hit in 1966. But the tune is at least 400 years old, with guitarist Martin Carthy arranging the version that became popular in the '60s. He long believed that Paul Simon stole his arrangement, but it turned out Carthy had actually signed away his copyright (remember to always read the small print). His publisher was happily collecting royalty payments without informing him.

The covers came fast on the heels of Simon & Garfunkel's "Scarborough Fair." There were multiple versions in different languages and even a duet between a lute-playing Simon and Miss Piggy. Bobbie Gentry and Glen Campbell also turned it into a duet, while Harry Belafonte played up the Renaissance style with flutes, bells, and twiddly horns.

Martin Carthy's 2025 version, performed at the Mercury Prize ceremony with sitar accompaniment, illustrates why Bob Dylan so urgently asked Carthy to teach him the song. A 21-string harp guitar version by Javier Rubio Carballo proves that the melody works just as well without vocals, while a slowed-down version by Sylwia sounds like you just heard it emanating from a mist-filled glen and must follow the music to its source. And the Roundtable's 1969 cover of "Scarborough Fair" is suitably psychedelic, with the theme played on a crumhorn, a medieval double-reed instrument that brings its centuries of history into the future.

Written when Joni Mitchell was just 23, "Both Sides Now" carries a maturity and world-weariness that was far beyond her years. Mitchell herself has re-recorded the track multiple times, including a legendary live version at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival that marked her return to performing after many years away. But she's hardly the only one — in fact, "Both Sides Now" has been covered over 1,800 times.

Technically, Judy Collins got in first with a 1967 release that was a hit and even netted her a Grammy for best folk performance. However, Mitchell allegedly got sniffy. "Sounds like the damsel in the greenroom," Mitchell reportedly said, per "Reckless Daughter: A Portrait of Joni Mitchell." "There's something la-di-da about her." Frankly, the harpsichord and vocal styling of Collins' cover are a bit twee. Regarding all that, Collins told Vulture in 2022, "I'm sorry she didn't have the hit, but I'm sure glad I did!" But it wasn't all storm clouds. "When I first started Judy Collins was a great influence on me, so of course I was so pleased when she sang that," Mitchell told Disc and Music Echo in 1970.

Fairport Convention, which Mitchell liked enough to co-headline a 1968 London show with them, also covered "Both Sides Now" with pre-Sandy Denny lead singer Judy Dyble. In the Oscar-winning 2021 film "CODA," an American Sign Language version capped the finale. And then there's Seal, who sung it for Mitchell at her 75th birthday celebration, with jazz-inflected backing music supporting his powerful voice.

No one knows who first wrote "House of the Rising Sun." Sure, you've heard the 1964 cover by the Animals, which became a near-instant folk rock classic upon release, but recorded versions date back to the 1930s and lyrics published in the 1920s. As for the house of the title — variously interpreted as a red-light establishment, a gambling house, a prison, or maybe even a coffee shop — tracking it down gets tricky. Real or not, the House of the Rising Sun's presence in folk songs has grown far beyond any brick-and-mortar establishment.

When the Animals played "House of the Rising Sun" live, audience members loved it so much that the band recorded it in-studio, despite initial skepticism about its runtime and moody theme. Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Joan Baez, and Bob Dylan all covered it. Meanwhile, Nina Simone's covers (one 1962 live version and a 1967 studio track) are nothing short of masterful, retaining the sorrow of earlier takes while bumping up the tempo to almost frenetic levels.

Japanese guitar legend Takeshi Terauchi's instrumental version is also worth a listen for his command of the instrument and how he skillfully blended traditional Japanese music and rock 'n' roll. Dolly Parton's cover includes new lyrics and an '80s-riffic synth beat, while Five Finger Death Punch adapts it to heavy metal. And, for real folk blues cred, listen to Lead Belly's covers, which he first recorded in the 1940s.

Written by Paul Simon around 1963, some sources speculate "The Sound of Silence" was written in response to the JFK assassination, or at least to the dark national mood of the time. Others note Art Garfunkel's college friend Stanford Greenberg, who became blind as a result of glaucoma and often depended on the singer to get around. An incident in which Garfunkel forced Greenberg to finally navigate New York City on his own may have also inspired Simon. 

Greenberg apparently had no hard feelings, as he financed Simon & Garfunkel's first album. The result, "Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.," was initially a flop. Then, in 1968, radio stations began playing "The Sound of Silence," which proved popular amongst college students. In response to the growing acclaim, producer Tom Wilson cooked up an electric version. Simon & Garfunkel weren't impressed, but this single was even more successful, becoming the pair's breakthrough.

With the single already floating around in the U.K., the Irish group the Bachelors recorded a cover, which charted at No. 3 in the U.K. in spring 1966. For something a bit different, singer Carmen McRae released a funky jazz cover in 1968, while a 2019 performance by Lorde and Marlon Williams at a New Zealand benefit concert held in the wake of anti-Muslim violence in Christchurch remains haunting and beautiful. But perhaps the most-recognized version of "The Sound of Silence" comes from the hard rock band Disturbed, released in 2015. Its dramatic, growly vocals and soaring music are crowd favorites and have even garnered praise from Simon himself.