Clearly the choices, made by a very narrow audience, were performance based not source based. However it is interesting to see three traditional songs - John Henry, Shady Grove and The Water is Wide, were not associated with any particular performance (or possibly were associated with so many performances that they couldnt be listed).

It was good to see that Ashokan Farewell is being considered a song - perhaps a lot more folks have heard the words than I have - I wasn't aware that Jay and Molly used them. But is is a heck of a tune.

There are a couple that I see I need to learn before I can die knowing my knowledge is complete. As for the 95 or so that I do know I agree that they are wonderful, well known and important music (and excellent performances) - except I am a bit mystified about Alice's Restaurant - I presume they mean just the one verse ditty and not the entire 20 minute monologue.   I have enough trouble trying to figure out what folk music is without including comedy routines.

I am curious as to which omitted songs, having failed qualify as "most essential", are merely essential?   All the rest perhaps (or at least American Pie)).   Or do some songs not even rise to the level of essentialism?   I tend to think most of them are essential, at least to me, although I'm beginning to think could do without that tune the Ice Cream truck keeps playing.