1.   His pivotal contributions are still celebrated in hundreds of popular ballads, but have been played down in history books.

2.   The English songs on the second half of the program were mostly light-spirited pieces that danced in the gray area between refined art song and popular ballad.

3.   While he was an all-around singer who also excelled with popular ballads, Mr. Williams was most influential with his sophisticated approach to blues material.

4.   Within a few years, Shaw had formed his own chorus, the Collegiate Chorale, that specialized in popular American ballads.

5.   Church documents plainly advise that popular ballads be excluded from Mass, said David Early, a spokesman for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

6.   Many of the lyrics are sung over famous Arab music or popular Palestinian ballads.