Did Johnny Cash really sing "Beat me Dady, 8 To The Bar"? That puts a whole new perspective on it for me - I've only ever heard it by the Andrews Sisters!

I would differentiate between two related things: beat and rhythm.

In popular music, there is usually a BEAT provided by a bass drum/snare drum/ hi hat, or by some electronic gizmo. Although it may be decorated, the basic regular beat acts as a metronome for the rest of the music.

RHYTHM, on the other hand, is there with or without the beat. Rhythm is what makes you tap your foot when you hear a well played hornpipe or jig, or hear some nice doowop. The rhythm is there in the music, just like the rhythm in good poetry.

But there can be rhythm within the melody, OR within the harmonies.

In some music, there is a very clear 1,2,3,4 rhyhm (for example) from bar to bar, carried by the melody/lyrics; in other music, the rhythm is there in changes of chord/harmony ever bar, or two bars, or whatever. Usually, there is some of each in a good song.

I think your description of folk music contains some preconceptions << Folk music is more story-songs and ballads, where the words are more important than the rhythm.>> Sea chanties, hunting songs, nonsense songs, and anything with a whack fol dir o day in it rely much more on their rhythm than their narrative.

And some tunes are for dancing to, and some aren't, whether you're talking about pop music or folk music. Not many people boogied to Annie's Song; not many people get sentimental and misty eyed about a tune like Dingle Regatta.