Having felt a bit cheated by a news article about chart-rankings for seventeenth century English ballads over missing ourselves a link to the project, we appreciated the extra digging from Web Curios and the chance to take a second look and visit the collection of top pop broadsides, complete with sheet-music and actual recordings and historical context as well as insights into the industry and artists. With a wide range of themes ranging from knaves and knights, to kings and kidnapping, vis-a-vis the preceding post, one is sure to find something resonant and engaging. Sorted by popularity, the number one hit from the era is a much covered retelling of The Aeneid, the “Wandring Prince of Troy.” Much more at the links above.
synchronoptica
one year ago: Groundhog Day, never a poem as lovely as a tree plus a Nutcracker tradition
two years ago: Candlemas plus problematic portrait artist Charles Frederik Goldie
three years ago: assorted links to revisit, the Great Comet plus free market capitalism
four years ago: the Lake District in Limburg, outsider artist Madge Ethel plus Cynthia the Mannequin
five years ago: suggestion boxes, Zuckerberg in Congress plus more on Candlemas