Silver Slug
"Are you saying "These are 'pop' songs......."
Yup, though 'worthiness' doesn't come into it - it's a question of definition, not value. Basically, if it hasn't gone through the 'folk mincer' it isn't a 'folk ballad'. Doesn't mean it hasn't been created using folk forms.
WMD
Most of what you say in your last posting is worth debating - not sure where 'Plaisir d'Amour' fits into all that though.
Of course, you could adopt the 'singing horse' definition, which appears to have crept in here along the way.
Jim Carroll