The Anthology of American Folk Music: The Collection That Revived a Genre

Compiled by: Harry Smith
Released: 1952
Label: Folkways Records

The Anthology of American Folk Music is a six-album compilation released in 1952 by Folkways Records comprising eighty-four American folk, blues and country music recordings that were originally issued from 1926 to 1933. Experimental filmmaker Harry Smith compiled the music from his collection of 78 rpm records. He had begun collecting these records around 1940, when many Americans considered 78s almost disposable, and his collection grew to around 7000 recordings, which he felt should be preserved and curated.

As the rights to the recordings were held by many different record labels, many of whom were still in existence, the 1952 release was, technically, a bootleg, and it was not until a re-issue in 1977 that all the rights were obtained by Folkways.

The music on the compilation is generally thought to have been enormously influential on the folk & blues revival of the 1950s and 1960s, and brought the works of Blind Lemon Jefferson, Mississippi John Hurt, Dick Justice and many others to the attention of musicians such as Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. The “Harry Smith Anthology,” as some call it, was the bible of folk music during the late 1950s and early 1960s Greenwich Village folk scene.

Moving forward from there, all the artists influenced by Dylan, etc., and the artists they subsequently influenced can be traced back to some of the songs in this collection, which is one of the reasons they are so important. They also offer an alternative snapshot of a place and time where history was usually written from a white perspective.

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Interesting Facts About the Anthology

1. Compiled by an Eccentric Genius
   Harry Smith was a filmmaker, painter, mystic, and record collector. His obsession with early folk, blues, and country music led him to amass a vast collection of rare 78 RPM records, many of which formed the Anthology.
2. A Time Capsule of American Roots Music
   The Anthology preserved the raw sounds of rural America, featuring blues, gospel, Appalachian ballads, Cajun music, and more. Many of the artists included—such as Mississippi John Hurt and Dock Boggs—were largely forgotten at the time but gained new recognition thanks to the collection.
3. Organized Like a Mystic Text
   Smith structured the collection into three thematic volumes:
   • Ballads (traditional story-songs, many with European roots)
   • Social Music (songs for dancing and religious gatherings)
   • Songs (miscellaneous folk and blues tunes with personal themes)
     He also included cryptic liner notes and surrealist artwork, giving the Anthology an almost occult-like aura.
4. Revived the Folk Movement
   When the set was reissued in the 1950s, it introduced young folk musicians to older, obscure recordings, shaping the sound and ethos of the folk revival. Many artists directly covered songs from the Anthology, giving them new life.
5. Rediscovered Legends
   The Anthology helped revive the careers of several artists featured on it. Mississippi John Hurt and Dock Boggs, for example, were “rediscovered” in the 1960s and enjoyed late-career revivals.
6. A Grammy-Winning Reissue
   In 1997, the Anthology was reissued in a six-CD box set by Smithsonian Folkways, winning a Grammy Award for Best Historical Album. It remains a cornerstone of American folk music history.
7. Inspired Countless Musicians
   Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, the Grateful Dead, and even punk and indie musicians cite the Anthology as a major influence. Its raw, unfiltered recordings set a template for the authenticity many later artists sought to capture.

The Anthology of American Folk Music is more than just a collection of old songs—it’s a portal into America’s musical past, preserving voices and traditions that might have been lost. It remains essential listening for anyone interested in folk, blues, and the roots of modern American music.