For what it¹s worth, The September 1996 issue of Acoustic Guitar Magazine picked the 100 essential CD's for acoustic guitar fans, and listed the top 10 FOLK as follows:
³Joan Baez, Volume 2²; Ry Cooder ³Boomer¹s Story²; Elizbeth Cotten, ³Freight Train and Other North Carolina Folksongs and Tunes²; Rev. Gary Davis ³Pure Religion and Bad Company²; Woody Guthrie ³Dust Bowl Ballads²; Ian and Sylvia ³Four Strong Winds²; Peter, Paul & Mary ³In the Wind²; Harvey Reid ³Steel Drivin¹ Man², ³The Prestige/Folklore Years, Vol. 1:All Kinds of Folks²; ³The Weavers at Carnegie Hall²
I have only two of these "Dust Bowl Ballads" and "Steel Drivin' Man", but I'd include both in my top 5, so I'd take the list seriously.