folk ballad

Joni Mitchell, 80, has been singing her prismatic folk ballad “Both Sides Now” since she was 23, and yet every time she performs it, she seems to be interpreting its infinitely wise lyrics anew.

“Ready For Love” is a regal, devotional folk ballad on record, but when India.Arie puts down her guitar and pulls out her flute for solos in concert, it’s an instant barnburner.

Oliver Anthony’s folk ballad “Rich Men North of Richmond” has shot all the way to the top spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.

Before launching into the folk ballad “Love Letter,” Lim thanked the thousands of fans who packed the theater.

And there was Crosby, shooting his drugs and shooting his guns, singing these folk ballads that sounded as if they’d fallen into Laurel Canyon from someplace better than heaven.