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.

Religion - Ancient Gods  

Showing 1 to 7 of 7

60 A new Sonnet, shewing how the Goddesse Diana transformed Acteon into the/ shape of an Hart [Manchester Central Library Blackletter Ballads 1.29]
68 Poor Robin's Dream, commonly call'd, Poor Charity [Euing 285]
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]
94 An Excellent Ditty, called the Shepherds wooing Dulcina [Roxburghe 2.402-03]
107 A good Wife, or none [Roxburghe 1.140-41]

Top Fives

Click any item to filter the ballad list.
Use the search function to find additional material.

Authors

Publishers

Topics

Instruments

Performers

Tunes

Woodcuts

Holding Libraries