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- Journey, Heart and Bon Jovi were among the acts leading the charge, but power ballads came from unexpected sources as well, like Ozzy Osbourne, Motorhead and Metallica. And while power ballads are often derided for their cheesiness, in many cases they delivered timeless classics.
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- Aerosmith - I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing (1998) Aerosmith toyed with the power ballad formula as early as 1973 with the floaty Dream On. 25 years later, with the help of composer Diane Warren and exposure in the film Armageddon, I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing hit No1.
- Poison - Every Rose Has Its Thorn (1989) Poison had previously shown few signs of having a soft centre (Talk Dirty To Me, anyone?) so when they released the fragile EveryRose Has Its Thorn it shocked the hell out of people.
- Journey - Open Arms (1982) In the US, Journey were the undisputed sultans of the surge-athon (this song reached No.2 over there). But with typical British reserve we found it difficult to embrace a band that advocated plenty of lovin’, touchin’ ’n’ squeezin’ among their fans.
- Guns N’ Roses - November Rain (1991) Guns N' Roses achieved a delicate balance with November Rain: it’s beautiful without being sappy, tormented without being wrist-slashing.
- “Open Arms” by Journey
- “I Don’T Want to Miss A Thing” by Aerosmith
- “I’ll Be There For You” by Bon Jovi
- “With Arms Wide Open” by Creed
- “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” by Poison
- “Kiss from A Rose” by Seal
- “Iris” by Goo Goo Dolls
- “November Rain” by Guns N’ Roses
- “Is This Love” by Whitesnake
- “Love Bites” by Def Leppard
It should come as no surprise that the first of our power ballads comes from Journey. “Open Arms” is an instantly relatable song that details the plea from one lover to another for forgiveness after a mess-up. Who hasn’t felt the desperate need for acceptance from a loved one? In addition to being memorable, “Open Arms” has been featured in movies,...
Next up on our list is an Aerosmith classic, “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” Even though it was originally written for the Armageddonsoundtrack and wasn’t intended for radio play, it became so instantly popular that it wasn’t long before it was picked up in the regular rotation. The song’s lyrics are simple yet soulful and supposedly were inspired ...
You had to know that Bon Jovi would show up on this list. With his distinctive voice and chart-topping singles, “I’ll Be There for You” perfectly captures the essence of a rock power ballad. Feeling your heart fall apart from love engages a sentimental response from any listener, and Bon Jovi’s lyrics don’t disappoint! This song’s rise to the #1 sp...
Since the beginning, Creedhas been a powerhouse of emotional songs. It’s no wonder their song “With Arms Wide Open” got so popular! The song details the love a father has for his children, and it’s genuinely an emotional and sweet song. Along with its heartfelt sentiment, this song reached the #1 slot on Billboard’s Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks for f...
The next song on our list is from the 80s rock band Poison, and it’s considered their signature song. “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” is a powerful melody depicting the ending of a relationship that can be devastating and inevitable. It snagged the #1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart for three weeks in 1988, the very year it was released. It also reach...
Did you know that Seal’s song “Kiss From a Rose” gained popularity when it was included in Batman Forever? The official music video takes place in Gotham itself! Even though the exact meaning of the lyrics hasn’t been disclosed by Seal, the highly poetic lines leave plenty to the imagination. In 1995, this song topped the US charts for a week, and ...
Considered Goo Goo Dolls‘ best work, the band released their hit song “Iris” in 1998 to critical success. With powerful lyrics that belt out the wish to give everything up to be the person you love, “Iris” is a song that sticks in your heart. This song has been included in movie soundtracks and topped Billboard‘‘sAdult Top 40 chart for a record-bre...
Even though Guns N’ Rosesis most known for their up-tempo, driving rock songs, they have been known to release solid power ballads too. “November Rain” is one such song! Originally recorded at 18 minutes long, the song has undergone several edits. Its lyrics about love lasting forever or leaving the singer alone in the rain have remained consistent...
Originally intended for Tina Turner, “Is This Love” was eventually given to Whitesnaketo the great joy of their fans. This song’s lyrics are about the grip love has on a person’s whole being blended over a distorted guitar. Reaching #2 on Billboard’sHot 100 chart wasn’t the end for “Is This Love.” Even after it stopped appearing on US charts, it co...
The next song on our list is “Love Bites” by Def Leppard. You probably know this band from their other hit singles, but their power ballad doesn’t disappoint! Originally intended to be a country-style song, the band spruced it up with heavier guitars to keep it more in line with their style. The lyrics are straightforward about the difficulties of ...
May 6, 2024 · Journey, Heart and Bon Jovi were among the acts leading the charge, but power ballads came from unexpected sources as well, like Ozzy Osbourne, Motorhead and Metallica. And while power...
- I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing’ - Aerosmith. Power ballads are traditionally based around grandness. With that considered, being the theme to 1998’s Armageddon — a film about an asteroid threatening to destroy Earth — is about as over-the-top as it gets.
- Purple Rain’ - Prince. Similar to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird,” Prince’s “Purple Rain” isn’t typically in the power ballad conversation, because the idea of a power ballad is traditionally reserved for metal bands.
- Open Arms’ - Journey. “Open Arms” truly took power ballads to a new level upon its release on Escape in 1981. The entire ‘80s decade saw a massive boom in the release of power ballads, and one could argue that Journey had a lot to do with that considering the success of “Open Arms.”
- I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)’ - Meat Loaf. This delightfully over-the-top classic resurfaced following the untimely death of Meat Loaf, which sadly happened just nine months after the death of songwriter Jim Steinman.
- Brett Milano
- Guns N’ Roses: November Rain. In the middle of two albums full of outlaw rock, Axl Rose tapped into his sensitive side. During the Use Your Illusion era, Guns N’ Roses were the most ambitious band in rock, and here they set out to create the ultimate power ballad – and succeeded.
- Heart: Alone. Heart’s more commercial period gets relatively little love, but ‘Alone’ may be the definitive power ballad, not to mention the performance of Ann Wilson’s life.
- Prince: Purple Rain. Prince, of course, wouldn’t settle for a simple love-song lyric: his epic ballad is mythic, cathartic, and otherworldly… and that’s just the guitar solo.
- Foreigner: I Want To Know What Love Is. Foreigner’s 1984 hit is as close a pop ballad ever get to gospel testifying, with a soul-tearing vocal from Lou Gramm.
May 16, 2023 · 1. “I Want to Know What Love Is”—Foreigner. 2. “Faithfully”—Journey. 3. “With or Without You”—U2. 4. “Every Rose Has It’s Thorn”—Poison. 5. “Sweet Child o’ Mine”—Guns N’ Roses. 6. “I’ll Be There for You”—Bon Jovi. 7. “I Remember You”—Skid Row. 8. “Keep On Loving You”—REO Speedwagon. 9. “Amanda”—Boston. 10. “The Flame”—Cheap Trick.
Dec 19, 2023 · 1. Vision of Love – Mariah Carey. Mariah Carey - Vision Of Love. When Mariah Carey burst on the scene with this song, the world knew they had struck gold. Not only did it showcase her compelling voice, but it solidified her path to stardom. A song like that was the best way to kick off a decade, given it came out in 1990.
