Ballad Folk
tagStarted 19th centuryPeak 1910–1965Last big hit still active
Located in 1 route
Ballad folk is the narrative side of old-time song, where melody moves steadily and accompaniment, if any, exists mainly to hold attention on the text.
History
Although ballads exist across many folk traditions, the Appalachian and Southern old-time worlds preserved especially powerful narrative versions through oral transmission and revival.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- Library of Congress
- Smithsonian Folkways
- NPS
- Britannica. citeturn16search0turn8search6turn7search1