List of folk music traditions

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Folk music{{Cite web |title=Collections {{!}} American Folklife Center {{!}} Research Centers {{!}} Library of Congress |url=https://www.loc.gov/research-centers/american-folklife-center/collections/ |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA}} is one of the major divisions of music, now often divided into traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. There are many styles of folk music, all of which can be classified into various traditions, generally based around some combination of ethnic, religious, tribal, political or geographic boundaries.

• North:{{Cite web |title=The Fascinating History of American Folk Music |url=https://www.liveabout.com/the-history-of-american-folk-music-1322572 |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=LiveAbout |language=en}} Central,{{Cite web |last=rilm |date=2023-09-26 |title=Central America’s vast dance and musical heritage |url=https://bibliolore.org/2023/09/26/central-americas-vast-dance-and-musical-heritage/#:~:text=Its%20musical%20traditions%20are%20a,of%20schools%20and%20folklore%20societies. |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=Bibliolore |language=en-US}} South American,{{Cite web |title=Folk / traditional music of South America |url=https://folkcloud.com/folk-music/south-america#:~:text=Folk%20music%20genres%20like%20Choro,indigenous%20people%20in%20Andean%20mountains. |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=folkcloud.com}} and the Caribbean.
• Asia:{{Cite web |title=Folk / traditional music of Asia |url=https://folkcloud.com/folk-music/asia |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=folkcloud.com}} East, Southeast, Northern, Central, Caucasus, and South Asia.
• Europe: Northern, Eastern, Southeastern, Western, and Southern Europe.
• Middle East and North Africa: Southwest Asia and North Africa.{{Cite web |title=Love Songs from the Middle East |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/2021690410/ |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA}}{{Cite web |last=O’Dell |first=Cary |date=2022-11-16 |title=Exploring African Music Through the Collections of the Library of Congress {{!}} Now See Hear! |url=https://blogs.loc.gov/now-see-hear/2022/11/exploring-african-music-through-the-collections-of-the-library-of-congress/ |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=The Library of Congress}}
• Oceania and Australia:{{Cite web |title=Oceanic music and dance {{!}} Traditional Melodies & Rituals {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/art/Oceanic-music |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Aboriginal songs - collection of Australian folk music |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/afc9999005.31665/ |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA}} Polynesia, Australasia, Melanesia, and Micronesia.
• Sub-Saharan Africa: East, Southern, Central, and West Africa.

As well as dividing songs according to geography, it is possible to categorise them by subject matter:

• War song,{{Cite web |title=Echoes of Courage: Folk Music’s Ties to America's Wars |url=https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/head-tilting-history/echoes-courage-folk-music-and-american-wartime-experience |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=American Battlefield Trust |language=en}}
• Anti-war song,{{Cite web |title=Protest Music of the Vietnam War |url=https://peacehistory-usfp.org/protest-music-vietnam-war/#:~:text=Heavy%20metal%20protest%20songs%20gave,orientation%20into%20the%20mainstream%20culture. |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=Peace History |language=en-US}}
• Tamang Selo,{{Cite web |date=2020-10-17 |title=Tamang Selo songs: Music as an agent of restoration of ethnic identity |url=https://cafedissensuseveryday.com/2020/10/17/tamang-selo-songs-music-as-an-agent-of-restoration-of-ethnic-identity/ |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=Cafe Dissensus Everyday |language=en}}
• Sea songs, including sea shanties,{{Cite web |last=Winick |first=Stephen |date=2021-01-29 |title=A Deep Dive Into Sea Shanties {{!}} Folklife Today |url=https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2021/01/a-deep-dive-into-sea-shanties/ |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=The Library of Congress}}
• Drinking song, [https://www.cbc.ca/music/a-brief-history-of-drinking-songs-1.5070012]
• Epic song,{{Cite web |title=Exploring Epic Stories and Themes |url=https://www.launchnotes.com/blog/exploring-epic-stories-and-themes#:~:text=These%20tales%20often%20span%20vast,the%20essence%20of%20oral%20storytelling. |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=www.launchnotes.com}}
• Work song,{{Cite web |last=thenestcollective-admin |date=2020-07-07 |title=Work Songs |url=https://thenestcollective.co.uk/work-songs/#:~:text=A%20key%20part%20of%20the,to%20Cornish%20sailors'%20sea%20shanties. |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=The Nest Collective |language=en-GB}}
• Love song,{{Cite web |title=What’s With All the Songs About Love? {{!}} Arts {{!}} The Harvard Crimson |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/4/23/why-is-there-so-much-love-in-music-thinkpiece/#:~:text=Love%20songs%20have%20a%20robust,Arab%20female%20slaves%20in%20Spain. |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=www.thecrimson.com}}
• Child Ballads (tragic ballads),{{Cite web |title=Tragic Ballads at Mostly Medieval - Exploring the Middle Ages |url=https://www.mostly-medieval.com/explore/tragic.htm |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=www.mostly-medieval.com}}
• Children's song,{{Cite web |last=Migoni |first=Alda Allina |title=Research Guides: Children's Songs and Games: Resources in the American Folklife Center: Searching the Collections |url=https://guides.loc.gov/childrens-resources-folklife/searching-collections |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=guides.loc.gov |language=en}}
• Protest song,{{Cite web |title=Patriotic and Protest Music |url=https://www.loc.gov/nls/services-and-resources/music-service-and-materials/music-appreciation/patriotic-protest-music/ |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) {{!}} Library of Congress}}
• Murder ballad,{{Cite web |last=Zelvin |first=Elizabeth |title=Folk Music and Murder Ballads |url=https://www.sleuthsayers.org/2014/03/folk-music-and-murder-ballads.html |access-date=2024-11-15}}
• Sporting song{{Cite web |title=Songs of Sports and Pasttimes[sic] |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200197829/ |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA}}

Other folk music relates to social events:

• Christmas carol,{{Cite web |last=Saelee |first=Mike |title=Research Guides: Christmas Carols: Topics in Chronicling America: Introduction |url=https://guides.loc.gov/chronicling-america-christmas-carols |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=guides.loc.gov |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Christmas songs and carols |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/jukebox-132207/ |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA}}
• Pub session{{Cite web |last=StephenJones.blog |date=2022-05-25 |title=The Irish pub session |url=https://stephenjones.blog/2022/05/25/irish-pub-session/ |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=Stephen Jones: a blog |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=The most popular irish session tunes |url=https://www.funkywhistle.com/popular-irish-session-tunes/ |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=Funkywhistle |language=en}}