Jon,

"folk" is "folk", and despite there being sevral interpretations, most people agree that the term casts a very wide net, from traditional to Dylan, from Mark Knopfler to bluegrass, from blues to ragtime, from music hall to spirituals, oh I could go on for hours. The "anon" or "at least so many years old" limitations apply to a song being called "traditional", rather than simply "folk". There are threads with a lot more detail on this subject, if you are interested.

I am pleasantly overwhelmed by the response to my request in this thread. You see, there is so much "folk" written (and listened to) outside the "mainstream folk circles" (folk clubs, folk festivals etc), that I wonder - are we folkies not missing a trick by not embracing such songs more warmly, and perhaps attracting a wider audience? Not for discussion in this thread either - other threads do it better.

The reason for my request is that I want to start building, apart from my own songs, a repertoire of such "near miss folk" material. Stuff that many folkies would not listen to simply because of its origins, yet I believe to belong in the folk category. Like, for example, the gorgeous ballad by Metallica (yes, Metallica!) "Nothing Else Matters".