celtic
what it is
Celtic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic peoples of Northern Europe. As such there is no real body of music which can be accurately be described as Celtic, but the term has stuck and may refer to both orally-transmitted traditional music and recorded popular music. The latter sometimes has barely even a superficial resemblance to folk music of any of the Celtic cultures, but on the other hand it sometimes represents sincere work towards adapting Celtic traditions for modern, global culture.
✦ start here: albums
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 2 · the door
big names with a sharper edge
level 3 · one step out
cult favorites and indie darlings
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
✦ make celtic a playlist
turn these 32 artists into something you can press play on.
✦ nearby genres
questions
What is celtic?
Celtic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic peoples of Northern Europe. As such there is no real body of music which can be accurately be described as Celtic, but the term has stuck and may refer to both orally-transmitted traditional music and recorded popular music. The latter sometimes has barely even a superficial resemblance to folk music of any of the Celtic cultures, but on the other hand it sometimes represents sincere work towards adapting Celtic traditions for modern, global culture.
What are good celtic albums to start with?
Try A Day Without Rain by Enya, The Book of Secrets by Loreena McKennitt, A New Journey by Celtic Woman, and Songs From a Secret Garden by Secret Garden.
Who are some women making celtic?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/celtic/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making celtic, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-20