Top pop from seventeenth-century England. Broadside ballads were single-sheet songs that sold for a penny a piece. This website concentrates on over 100 resoundingly successful examples that you can investigate through recordings, images and a wealth of other materials. Whether you are interested in music, art, love, gender, tragedy, politics, family life, crime, history, humour or death, you will find something to engage you here. See also User’s Guide.

History - Ancient/mythological  

Showing 1 to 20 of 21

1 A proper new Ballad, intituled, The wandring Prince of Troy [Pepys 1.84-85]
15 The Lamentable and Tragicall History of Titus An-/dronicus [Folger L252a]
19 A Pleasant Ballad of Tobias, wherein is shewed/ what wonderful things chanced to him in his Youth [Euing 270]
24 An Excellent Ballad, intituled, The Constancy of/ Susanna [Bodleian Douce 1 (30a)]
25 A most notable example of an ungracious Son, who/ in the pride of his heart denyed his own Father [Roxburghe 1.226-27]
28 A most excellent Song of the love of young Palmus, and faire Sheldra, with their unfortunate love [Pepys 1.350-51]
34 The Brides Buriall [Roxburghe 1.59]
38 A worthy example of a vertuous wife, who fed her father with her own milk [Roxburghe 3.48-49]
60 A new Sonnet, shewing how the Goddesse Diana transformed Acteon into the/ shape of an Hart [Manchester Central Library Blackletter Ballads 1.29]
61 The Wandring Jew,/ OR, The Shoo-maker of Jerusalem [Pepys 1.524-25]
63 A most godly and comfortable Ballad of the glorious/ Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ [Roxburghe 1.258-59]
67 A new Ditty, shewing the wonderfull Miracles of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ [Pepys 1.58]
69 Ile never Love thee more/ being a true Love Song between a young/ Man and a Maid [Pepys 3.266]
76 Saint Georges commendation to all Souldiers [Pepys 1.87]
87 New Mad Tom of Bedlam / OR,/ The Man in the Moon drinks Clarret [Pepys 1.502-03]
90 Cupids Courtesie:/ OR,/ The young Gallant foild at his own Weapon [Euing 39]
91 A pleasant new Song, betwixt/ The Saylor and his Love [Pepys 1.422-23]
101 Saint Bernards Vision./ OR,/ A briefe Discourse (Dialogue-wise) betweene the Soule and the Body of a dam/ned man newly deceased [Roxburghe 1.376-77]
108 The Wandring Jews Chronicle [Pepys 1.482-83]
109 Christ's Tears over JERUSALEM;/ OR,/ [A] Caveat for England to call to God for mercy [Pepys 2.6]