The Groove

The greatest folk artists of all time

19 artists ranked by the Groove — music.nw’s own measure of renown. Not an opinion, a fact computed from the record. Why?

No. 1

Sufjan Stevens

United States of America · 1975– · indie folk

44.170

Why this number?

The full board

Joni Mitchell

Canada · 1943– · folk 33.980

3 Bon Iver

United States of America · 2006– · indie folk 32.560

4 Nick Drake

United Kingdom · 1948–1974 · folk 29.000

5 Joanna Newsom

United States of America · 1982– · folk 19.280

6 Myrkur

Denmark · 1985– · folk 7.400

7 Billy Bragg

United Kingdom · 1957– · folk 5.810

8 Damien Rice

Ireland · 1973– · folk 5.220

9 KT Tunstall

United Kingdom · 1975– · folk 5.180

10 Beth Orton

United Kingdom · 1970– · folk 4.980

11 Cameron Winter

United States of America · 2002– · contemporary folk 4.980

12 Harmonium

Canada · 1972–1979 · progressive folk 4.980