Talk:Power ballad: Difference between revisions

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Here's an interesting article about the history of power ballads. Power Me Ballad Me

Is Metallica's "Fade to Black" really a good example here? I've tried to limit the examples to songs that would have had extensive radio exposure and that most people would recognize. Every band has songs that are beloved by fans but relatively unknown to the general public. I think this is probably one of them. "Nothing Else Matters" is in the VH1 countdown list, and the band gets their due here.

Also, the gist of the paragraph is that "power ballad" was applied retroactively to songs which predated the power ballad craze. If I'm not mistaken, "Fade to Black" was 1984, definitely too late for the point of the paragraph.

--Trweiss 14:49, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Personal curiosity here: although it's not by a heavy metal band, would it be fair to label Green Day - Wake Me Up When September Ends as a power ballad? The definition given in this article (interplay between clean and distorted guitar, power chords, "confessional" lyrics) seems to promote a strong yes, but I've never heard it called such. --CannedLizard 17:14, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I really think a reference to the Finnish band HIM is most appropriate here. Consider the main body text, "...the phrase power ballad was more accessible and appealing than the phrase metal love song."

and then consider this 1990's group is known for self styled "Love Metal", indeed it is the name of one of their albums. Perhaps they best exemplify the modern 1990s take on 'power ballards'? --

I don't think "Wake Me Up When September Ends" is a power ballad. It's sort of like "Stairway to Heaven," i.e. an actual [not power] ballad that evolves into a harder-rock song. I think the power-ballad in its classic form is a slower-tempo song that may begin more quietly (the vocalist usually still sounds histrionic, and the instruments synthetic) but moves quickly up to a big, plodding/majestic chorus that suddenly arrives with loud guitars and metal-style vocals. Someone should have mentioned 1984's "Almost Paradise" by Nancy Wilson and Mike Reno as a prototype. Another good example is "I Want to Know What Love Is" by Foreigner. Most of the earlier examples, like the Raspberries and Eric Carmen songs, have more subtle vocals, a less jarring transistion to the chorus, or less guitar distortion. I would call these influences on the style. I agree that "Beth" by Kiss is just a plain old ballad.

--albalb 07 July 2006

Question is if the VH1 Top 25 Power Ballads List should be included at all, as several of the songs on it does not confirm to the definition given here. Most notably is Beth by KISS, which in it's original version on the album Destroyer (and all versions I have heard) is a piano/symphony ballad through and through. There aren't even any drums (Peter Criss was busy singing I guess).

--EdVogue 19 April 2006

What is VH1 anyway ? Some US radiostation? The article doesn't explain, and assumes it common knowledge

-- 88.159.73.50 15:23, 3 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I second EdVogue's opinion - several songs don't even fit into the category. It seems more like advertisement to that obscure station than anything else (has anyone else even heard of that before?).--ForemanDomai 00:03, 28 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Wildflower by Skylark an early example?

I just finished writing a stub article on the band Skylark, and included a description of their most famous song, Wildflower, which I described as an early example of a power ballad. It's not as heavy as some later examples, but with its combination of a Freddy Mercury-esque vocal and the Pink Floyd/Moody Blues guitar/percussion, I think it fits as at least a proto-example. It was released in early 1973, charted no. 8 on Billboard, and was quite original for the time. I also think the lyrics were very typical of early-70s (Journey, Styx, etc) examples.--Anchoress 08:54, 22 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Where is the complete list of power ballads?

--Aeternus 17:36, 26 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It was taken out, given a second chance, and taken out again. Apparently, there were songs on the list that were not really power ballads, and it was felt that it was better to get rid of the entire list, instead of debating which songs belonged on the list and which ones did not. It was a really long list of dozens of songs. There were too many songs and it did not meet the standards of Wikipedia. 204.80.61.10 15:50, 10 July 2006 (UTC)Bennett Turk[reply]

power ballads

To me the turn powerballad is the one's by eighties hair metal bands. Songs like "every rose has its thorn" by poison and "forever" by kiss. Not Metallica songs.

Hit Parader recently listed the top 10 power ballads of all-time and the choices were:

1. Home Sweet Home

   Motley Crue

2. Every Rose Has Its Thorn

   Poison

3. Beth

   KIss

4. I Don't Want to miss a thing

   Aerosmith

5. Is This Love?

   Whitesnake

6. I Saw Red

   Warrant (Personally, I think Heaven is the 
   better power ballad)

7. Never Let You Go

   Steelheart

8. I Remember You

   Skid Row

9. November Rain

   Scorpions

10. Wind of Change

    Scorpions

My pick for the best power ballad of all-time would have to be Home Sweet Home by Motley Crue and it has been documented that it was the first power ballad. Motley Crue is credited with the development of the first power ballad ever.