Printed lyrics of folk songs were extremely popular from the 16th century until the early 20th century. They were commonly known as broadsides or broadsheets. Over time, the name came to refer to any printed matter confined to one side of a single sheet of paper, such as handbills, advertisements, posters, etc. Folk music, in the original sense of the term, is music by and of the people. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the...

Broadsides were generally printed on one side of a peice of paper, and included only the lyrics and a note designating the tune. Since folk tunes were used and reused, people generally only needed to learn the words. They were written by hand before the invention of the printing press, and only grew extremely popular after they could be cheaply reproduced. Broadside ballads were sold by travelling peddlers or by merchants in stalls in a town's marketplace, and were pasted on walls or other locations before being learned; after the words had been committed to memory, the broadside was replaced or pasted by another. The printing press is a mechanical device for printing many copies of a text on rectangular sheets of paper. ...

One of the first known broadsides was A Lytel Geste of Robyne Hood, printed in 1506. Their popularity grew quickly—one merchant sold 190 ballads in 1520, a remarkable sum considering the rarity of literacy at the time. After 1556, printers were required to register with the Stationers' Company in London, and had pay four pence to register each ballad beginning in 1557 and continuing to 1709. As well as being popular in the UK, they became popular in western Europe and the United States. Events January 18 - King Christian II of Denmark and Norway defeats the Swedes at Lake Asunde. ... Events January 16 - Abdication of Emperor Charles V. His son, Philip II becomes King of Spain, while his brother Ferdinand becomes Holy Roman Emperor January 23 - The Shaanxi earthquake, the deadliest earthquake in history, occurs with its epicenter in Shaanxi province, China. ... The Worshipful Company of Stationers, now known as the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers. ... St. ... Events Spain is effectively bankrupt. ... // Events January 12 - Two-month freezing period begins in France - The coast of the Atlantic and Seine River freeze, crops fail and at least 24. ... World map showing location of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ...

Broadsides were often folded into pamphlets called chapbooks, which were popular in the 18th century, sold by chapmen. The collection of songs and ballads in chapbooks were known as garlands. (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ...

Although broadsides enjoyed a brief resurgence of popularity in the late 19th century century, this proved shortlived. By the beginning of the 20th century, broadsides were declining in popularity due to the influx of newspapers, and the tradition soon died out. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the...

It is not uncommon in the 21st century, however, to find broadsides published at local cultural events, in particular poetry readings or art show openings. In this case the broadsides commemorate the event with samples of the art in question. In calendars based on the Christian Era or Common Era, such as the Gregorian calendar, the 21st century is the current century, as of this writing. ...