Corridos and other Music

            Corridos are Spanish ballads.  Ballads are songs or poems in traditional forms that tell a story in a number of short, regular stanzas.  There are many different types of ballads.  Country music, pop music, folk music, and even hip hop/R&B music.
             Ballads are important because they tell the story of our lives.  They can record history that may not be recorded any other way.  They can connect people from many different places by telling stories the everyone can relate to in some way or another.  

COUNTRY MUSIC

     Johnny Cash wrote many songs over his long career in country music.  "Folsom Prison Blues" tells the story of a man who is imprisoned for shooting a man in Reno "just to watch him die."  This song is similar to many corridos because of the story it tells, and the way in which it tells the story.  Another Johnny Cash song that tells a story, is "A Boy Named Sue" written by Shel Silverstein.  

POP MUISIC

     John Melencamp's song, "Jack and Diane" tells the story of two average American kids growing up and falling in love.  It is the epitome of pop songs for the common man.  

    Foster the People's song "Pumped up Kicks" tells the story of a boy who brings a gun to school.  Just like corridos, it tells a story that isn't really a positive one, and matches it with a catchy beat, and a repetitive chorus. 

FOLK MUSIC

Folk music is known for telling stories.  One of the longest folk songs is "Alice's Restaurant" by Arlo Guthrie.  The song documents his draft experience and how he was rejected for being a litterbug.  It is nearly 20minutes long.  

Bob Dylan is on of the best folk-rock singers of all time.  His song, "Hurricane"  tells the story of boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter who was wrongfully arrested and imprisoned for nearly 20 years. 

RAP/HIP-HOP/R&B MUSIC

"Stan" by Eminem tells the story of an obsessed fan through his letters to his idol.

"Airplanes" by B.O.B. featuring Hayley Williams tells the story of the bands rise to fame, and how the music was better when they were making it for the sake of making it instead of trying to make money.

     Corridos are similar to many different types of music.  Any song that tells a story can be compared to a corrido in some way.  The examples above are just a few of the many different songs that embody the same type of ballad.