This list contains songs that have become part of the American folk song tradition. The list was created from recommendations by experts in the field. Some songs are short and easy to learn. Others will require a bit more time. Start with the ones you are familiar with and work your way through the list. You’re sure to find some new favorites!
- A Tisket, A Tasket
- All the Pretty Little Horses
- All Through the Night
- Alouette
- Amazing Grace
- America, the Beautiful
- Aura Lee
- Baa, Baa Black Sheep
- Battle Hymn of the Republic
- Bicycle Built for Two
- Big Rock Candy Mountain
- Billy Boy
- Bingo
- Blue Tail Fly, The
- Bought Me A Cat (the cat pleased me)
- Buffalo Gals
- Caissons Song
- Camptown Races
- Cindy
- Clementine
- Columbia, Gem of the Ocean
- Cotton-eyed Joe
- Crawdad Song
- Danny Boy
- Did You Ever See A Lassie
- Dixie
- Dona Nobis Pacem
- Down By the Bay
- Down by the Riverside
- Down in the Valley
- Eency, Weency Spider
- Erie Canal, The
- Farmer in the Dell, The
- Follow the Drinkin’ Gourd
- Frère Jacques
- Frog Went A-Courtin’
- Git Along Little Dogies
- Go Down, Moses
- Go Tell Aunt Rhody
- Go Tell it on the Mountain
- God Bless America
- Goober Peas
- Goodbye, Old Paint
- Hava Nagilah
- Here Comes Peter Cottontail
- He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands
- Hickory, Dickory Dock
- Hokey Pokey, The
- Home on the Range
- Hush Little Baby
- I Couldn’t Hear Nobody Pray
- If I Had a Hammer
- If You’re Happy and You Know It
- I’ve Been Workin’ On the Railroad
- Jim Along, Josie
- Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho
- Kookaburra
- Kum Ba Yah
- Let There Be Peace on Earth
- Liza Jane
- Looby Loo
- Lullaby and Good Night (Brahm’s Lullaby)
- Marines’ Hymn
- Mary Had A Little Lamb
- Michael Row the Boat Ashore
- Muffin Man
- Mulberry Bush
- Oats, Peas, Beans, and Barley Grow
- Oh! Dear! What Can the Matter Be?
- Oh, Susanna
- Oh, Where Has My Little Dog Gone
- Old Chisholm Trail
- Old Dan Tucker
- Old Folks At Home (Swanee River)
- Old John the Rabbit
- Old MacDonald
- On Top of Old Smoky
- Onward Christian Soldiers
- Over the River and Through the Woods
- Polly Wolly Doodle
- Pop! Goes the Weasel
- Ring Around the Rosie
- Rock-a-bye Baby (in the treetops, when the wind…)
- Rock-A-My-Soul
- Row, Row, Row Your Boat
- Scarborough Fair
- She’ll be Comin’ Round the Mountain
- Shenandoah
- Shoo Fly
- Shortnin’ Bread
- Simple Gifts
- Skip to my Lou
- Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child
- Star-Spangled Banner, The
- Susie, Little Susie
- Sweet Betsy From Pike
- Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
- Take Me Out to the Ballgame
- The Water is Wide
- There’s a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea
- There’s a Hole in the Bucket
- This Land is Your Land
- This Little Light of Mine
- This Old Man
- Three Blind Mice
- Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
- Waltzing Matilda
- Water is Wide, The
- We Gather Together
- Wheels on the Bus, The
- When Johnny Comes Marching Home
- When the Saints Go Marching In
- Yankee Doodle
- You Are My Sunshine
- You’re A Grand Old Flag