40 greatest power ballads according to Classic Rock

[gr8dane]

Styx is here with 'Lady' 1973 on the 26th spot.
One of the first-ever power ballads(so now you know who to blame).
A track on Styx 2 and later a US top 10 single-Lady begins quietly with wafting keyboards and faint windchime jingles.DDY's squeaky vocals are something of an aquired taste,but then the all-important 'crunch' arrives halfway through-cue guitar pyrotecnics and marching rhythm par excellence.

Who is in #1 spot you might think???
Aerosmith-I don't wanna miss a thing.
Ehh yes i do ,anytime this one gets played.

[bugsymalone]

Hey gr8, post the whole list if you can!

"Lady" is a good choice. "Squeaky"???? They must have listened to Gowan's rendition!!!

I agree with "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing." I don't hate it, but I sure got tired of hearing it.

Bugsy

[gr8dane]

Well,I am very very busy right now, but what the hey.
I am only going to do # 3 right now because this is exactly the way I feel about this band.
Journey-Open arms 1982.
In the US ,Journey were the undisputed sultans of the surge-athon(this song reached # 2 over there).But with typical British reserve we found it difficult to embrace a band that advocated plenty of 'lovin' touchin'squeezin' among their fans.Open arms has a theme in common with the top 2 in our chart: it's schmaltzz is offset by blistering ,bleeding-heart vocals (in this case by the incomparable SP).

Excuse me while I run to to the ehh,,,anywhere.


Hhmmm ,who is # 2 I wonder???

More later,but just the list.

[gr8dane]

OK,working my way from 40 to 1.

Badfinger-without you
Eric Carmen-All by myself
Bryan Adams-Heaven
Boston-Amanda
Queensryche-Silent lucidity
Winger-Miles away
Alias-More than words can say
Darkness-Love is only a feeling
Quarterflash-Harden my heart
Ciderella-Don't know what you got(until it's gone)
Warrent-Heaven
Europe-Carrie
Toto-I won't hold you back
Styx-Lady
Slaughter-Fly to the angels
Cheap trick-The flame
Cher-I found someone
Kiss-Reason to live
Skid Row-I remember you
Peter Cetera-Glory of love
Bad English-When i see you smile
Mr.Mister-Broken wings
Motley Crue-Home sweet home
Foreighner-I want to know what love is
Asia-The smile has left your eyes
Velvet revolver-Fall to pieces
Scorpions-Wind of change
Night Ranger-Sister christian
Ozzy-Goodbye to romance
Bon jovi-Never say goodbye
Def Leppard-Love bites
REO speedwagon-Can't fight this feeling
Whitesnake-Is this love
Heart -Alone
Meat Loaf-2 out of 3
GunsnRoses-November rain
Journey-Open arms
Poison-Every rose has it's thorn
Aerosmith-You don't wanna miss a thing

[bugsymalone]

THANKS, gr8!!!!!!

Very interesting list. Some of these songs, of course, I like very much. In fact, some are among my favorites -- Silent Lucidity, Lady, The Flame, I Remember You, I Want to Know What Love Is.

Thanks for posting it. 'Preciate it!

Bugsy

[classicstyxfan]

The Author is obviously a child of the late 80's - Early 90's.....and biased towards that periods music.

[DarrenUK]

I Wont Hold You Back by Toto is my fave on the list.....Lady is not even Styx's best power ballad in my opinion that honor goes to Best Of Times.

Your All I ever Needed by Bobby Kimball is the ultimate power ballad

[jrnyman28]

The Author is obviously a child of the late 80's - Early 90's.....and biased towards that periods music.

Well, power-ballads were coined in the early 80's and they became a sickening trend by the late 80's. Before REO and Journey, ballads were just ballads. They were rare, they were different, they were almost novelty.

[Zan]

The Author is obviously a child of the late 80's - Early 90's.....and biased towards that periods music.

Well, power-ballads were coined in the early 80's and they became a sickening trend by the late 80's. Before REO and Journey, ballads were just ballads. They were rare, they were different, they were almost novelty.

Get outta my head!!! lol

Harden My Heart? I don't think so...

Ozzy? Motley Crue & Guns n Roses? Shirley, you can't be serious.

[jrnyman28]

Shirley, you can't be serious.[/color][/b]

I am serious, and don't call me Shirley!

[gr8dane]

Sometimes these guys (writers) are hilarious.Or at least i think so.
Re: 7 Whitesnake-Is this love.
Power balladry with added ham.This monster from the 1987 album,begins slowly and throbbingly,and David Coverdale's vibrato is weirdly compulsive .Like the bulge in Dave's underpants,this song just grows and grows.By the end he's got an erection tall enough to ride one of the scariest rides at Alton Towers (?) without a parent.That said,Is this love' is more sentimental than sleazy.And that tinkle-tinkle repeat phrase on the keyboards is genious.

[gr8dane]

8 REO
In truth we could have included any one of several contenders from REO.Like 'Keep on loving you' ad infinitum.Can't fight this feeling' presses all the right buttons on the power ballad beverage machine.... and delivers a hot chocolate with 6 sugars and a Cadbury Flake on top.As sweet and sticky as you like.Singer Kevin Cronin sounds somewhat sappy and so what-we're not talking extreme metal-deathcore here.

[ek88]

People never get tired of coming up with these lists, do they? Just when you think you've seen them all, here comes another. But what they hey, it's fun. I suppose I'd come up with one, too, if I had an avenue to share it with the public.

[gr8dane]

People never get tired of coming up with these lists, do they? Just when you think you've seen them all, here comes another. But what they hey, it's fun. I suppose I'd come up with one, too, if I had an avenue to share it with the public.

YOU do Buddy-right here.
Though I myself usually can't come up with much myself.
But sometimes i do go ballistic.

[froy]

OK,working my way from 40 to 1.

Badfinger-without you
Eric Carmen-All by myself
Bryan Adams-Heaven
Boston-Amanda
Queensryche-Silent lucidity
Winger-Miles away
Alias-More than words can say
Darkness-Love is only a feeling
Quarterflash-Harden my heart
Ciderella-Don't know what you got(until it's gone)
Warrent-Heaven
Europe-Carrie
Toto-I won't hold you back
Styx-Lady
Slaughter-Fly to the angels
Cheap trick-The flame
Cher-I found someone
Kiss-Reason to live
Skid Row-I remember you
Peter Cetera-Glory of love
Bad English-When i see you smile
Mr.Mister-Broken wings
Motley Crue-Home sweet home
Foreighner-I want to know what love is
Asia-The smile has left your eyes
Velvet revolver-Fall to pieces
Scorpions-Wind of change
Night Ranger-Sister christian
Ozzy-Goodbye to romance
Bon jovi-Never say goodbye
Def Leppard-Love bites
REO speedwagon-Can't fight this feeling
Whitesnake-Is this love
Heart -Alone
Meat Loaf-2 out of 3
GunsnRoses-November rain
Journey-Open arms
Poison-Every rose has it's thorn
Aerosmith-You don't wanna miss a thing

Where is Faithfully JRNY ?
Babe Styx ?

Aerosmith is crap total garbage

[gr8dane]

Froy,
Only one song per band.That was the rule.

[froy]

Froy,
Only one song per band.That was the rule.

Ah I see

[SuiteMadameBlue]

Classic says:

The Author is obviously a child of the late 80's - Early 90's.....and biased towards that periods music.

In the last 5 years, has there been any "power ballads"?

Gr8dane, thanks for posting I like these lists. I like most of the songs on this list.

[sadie65]

I'm about 50-50 in the like category...and if I never hear I Wanna Know What Love is by Foreigner again, I will be a happy camper. That song literally just drones on...worse than the energizer bunny. MHO of course.

[SuiteMadameBlue]

Isn't STYX credited some where with having the first "power ballad" song? "Lady"

I don't think there were any power ballard songs before 1972? Anyone?