Frank-
You're talking about the "traditional" part of "traditional ballads". and wotinhell is an "inauthentic" or "unauthentic" anything if it doesn't claim authenticity?

I think that the definition of as ballad as a song with an explicit narrative is a useful one--if you wish to split out specific classes of ballads (broadside, popular, modern, cowboy, whatever) that's what adjectives are for.