A roots revival is a trend which includes young performers popularizing the traditional musical styles of their ancestors. Often, roots revivals include an addition of newly-composed songs with socially and politically aware lyrics, as well as a general modernization of the folk sound. A wave of roots revival swept the world in the 1960s and 70s. Countries that underwent a roots revival during this period include:

United States folk and blues

In the 1950s and 1960s, a loose network of folk and blues enthusiasts/musicians, largely bohemian jews, instigated a renaissance of folk (poor white) and blues (poor black) music in America. Inspired by the rare records they were able to unearth from the pre-war period (that is, before radio and records began to homogenize American culture), they searched out these musicians; and in some cases gave them status of 'living legends'. They also "faithfully" (more or less authentically) revived the music themselves, influencing American musical culture and thereby the decades' effect on international popular music.

The original musicians included:

Active figures in the revival included