Lucky P - Tracy Chapman and Suzanne Vega are hardly commercial successes. Especially in 2004. Each have had a few tunes that crept into the pop charts over the years, but today they are playing to the same audience that listens to the artists you mentioned at the end of your note.

I have a 14 year old daughter who listens to pop music. The closest to "folk" that she listens to is Jason Mraz. You can't force people to listen, there needs to be a reason. Chapman and Vega made it attractive at one point.

I think we have to be less concerned with "selling" the music and more concerned with "making" the music. There were very specific reasons why there was a folk music revival on both sides of the Atlantic and you can't artificially create a scene. Even though the media is accused of creating pop stars, there are more complex reasons why a Madonna or Brittany Spears makes it big.

You can't predict the spot when a meteor will hit again.