I now consider adding The Beatles to the HM's as well. They were one of the first bands to add significant folk influences to their music. You will frequently find some of their 'Rubber Soul'-era recordings classified as folk rock or folk pop. Yet their influence/acclaim within British folk is very limited. Their folk influences are themselves more likely to be of American origin, and they had more influence on the American folk scene.

Should I add them or not?

While there's part of me that wants to put The Beatles on every list possible, I think you're right that What folk influence they had mainly came from America (mostly Dylan).

If anything, you could include McCartney protege Mary Hopkin; her second Apple album, Earth Song Ocean Song, is a really fine folk album, but I don't know that her whole career merits inclusion.

I'm no expert on this stuff, but from what I can tell it looks like a really good list.

Thanks, Brett! I added Hopkin to the HM's. The Welsh do deserve a representative more.


Yet The Beatles are a British band. They don't do well in any of the main criteria, but in the secondary ones they do very well. Some of the artists on the main list also were strongly influenced by American folk and blues, especially the big folk baroque players (Graham, Renbourn, Jones; Jansch not so much) or Jackson C. Frank, who even was American. Yet all of them had a much bigger impact on the British folk scene than The Beatles (or at least than The Beatles' folk recordings).

Simon & Garfunkel (I even briefly considered adding Paul Simon to the HM's) are a similar case, just the other way round. Paul Simon lived in England for a brief time in the mid-1960s, picked up many influences from the scene (most obvious in S&G's recording of "Scarborough Fair", which they directly adapted from Martin Carthy's version), became friends with Al Stewart and Jackson C. Frank among others, and even recorded his solo debut album there. S&G do have very obvious British folk influences in their music, yet they will definitely be on the American folk artists list. Still their influence on American folk is probably bigger than that of The Beatles on British folk. I'm torn.

Whatever, I added The Beatles to the HM's. They probably did have some influence on some British folk(-pop) singer/songwriters and if pop/rock acts such as LedZep, BJH and Big Country are in the HM's then there'd be no logical reasoning behind leaving The Beatles off.

Last chance for everybody to complain about whatever (preferrably the list). If nothing happens, I'll send the list to lew tonight.

OK, the more I look into her, the more convinced I am that Peggy Seeger should get a place on the list. I maybe could add her as combined entry with MacColl but I'm leaning towards giving her her own placement somewhere in the Top 50. That means one of the bottom five has to go to the HM's, probably either Stealers Wheel or the Dransfields.

Stealers Wheel, probably.

Also, here's two of the more popular/acclaim groups of the British indie folk wave for the honorable mentions section:
Fanfarlo (two acclaimed records)
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. (4 UK Top 40 singles, 3 Top 100 albums)

I was also leaning towards Stealers Wheel.

I added Seeger at #42, moved SW to the HM's, and also added Fanfarlo and Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.

There are now 78 artists in the honorable mentions, but since these artists don't necessarily reflect the greatest not on the list, I'm not planning to extend the main list to 150 entries.

The list has been added to the main page now: http://digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/best_artists-english-celtic-folk.html

Thanks lew!

Good list, but it is missing SORELY a major omission:

Ossian - The GREAT Scottish folk band from Glasgow, active in the 1980's, and comparable for Scotland what the Chieftains have been for Ireland. Recommended listening (especially) these albums: "Seal Song" (worth the trouble to search out), and "Borders" (also essential), as well as "Best Of Ossian". I'm not sure if they made a bad album. I am not an expert on them, as I have yet to real in the also recommended album/CD "Dove Across The Water".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ossian_(band)

Listen at least to the first one of these, "The Road To Drumleman":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMsRE0_d ... re=related

"Jamie Raeburn/The Broomielaw":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chQh0XlI ... ure=relmfu

I'm not sure there is a more beautiful Celtic song or performance than the following:

"Rory's Sister's Lament":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0csrg-I ... ure=relmfu

"Drunk The Night, Dry The Morning":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zDDiswC2DE

"Corn Rigs":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RU6f21Bd ... ure=relmfu

's Gann Gunn Dirich Mi Chaoidh:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijNOq8lR ... re=related

The Working Man:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z0mnOli ... ure=relmfu

The Braes O' Strathblane:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZmhMQxR ... re=related

St. Kilda's Wedding:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0Gb1pfV ... re=related

Ma Rovin' Eye:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTNVcGK7 ... re=related

Complete your education; if you listen enough to these guys, you might put them in your Top 10 for this list. Omitting them, your list is fatally flawed, and frankly worthy to be balled up and thrown in the circular file.

Tom Blumenthal
Philadelphia, PA

Hello Tom and welcome to this forum,

I did consider Ossian when I compiled this list and they could have ended up in the honorable mentions section. Your evaluation of their credentials though seems to be mainly based on your personal opinion. Ossian were indeed a very acclaimed band within the world of Scottish folk but to call them The Chieftains of Scottish folk is an exaggeration. Ossian were formed as late as 1976. Bands like The Boys of the Lough, Silly Wizard, The Tannahill Weavers, The Battlefield Band or The Clutha came before them and were more influential and/or acclaimed in the Scottish folk scene of the 1970s than Ossian.