The Lost Art Of The Power Ballad
November 29, 2008 by Scott
In this metal age of “More Brutal Than Brutal”, there seems to be a lost art. There used to be a time when metal/hard rock bands actually wrote power ballads, showing their softer sides. Granted a lot of the bands that did it during the 80’s and early 90’s were Glam metal/rock bands, there used to almost be a standard that would help sell a record…and get some groupie sluts back stage. That standard was a solid power ballad. Some of these songs were about life experiences, suicide, love or whatever. Either way the songs were gripping and heartfelt. I’ve compiled a list of 30 of some of my favorite rock and/or metal power ballads of both yesterday and today. Call me a fag, softy, whatever. Liking a good power ballad doesn’t make you any less “metal”, I don’t give a shit who you are. If that’s the way you think then you are a close minded fool or too “brutal” to admit you like them. I know there are a lot that I have missed and I tried not to repeat any bands, so if you can think of one of your favorites that I missed, add it in the comment area. These are in no particular order.
- Skid Row – Remember Yesterday
- Aerosmith – Angel
- Guns N’ Roses – November Rain
- Stone Sour – Zzyxx Road
- Danzig – Blood And Tears
- Iron Maiden – Wasted Love
- Judas Priest – Diamonds And Rust
- KISS – Hard Luck Woman
- Metallica – Nothing Else Matters
- Megadeth – A Tout Le Monde
- Whitesnake – Is This Love
- Firehouse – When I look IN To Your Eyes
- Stryper – Honestly
- Motley Crue – Home Sweet Home
- Opeth – Burden
- Ozzy And Lita Ford – Close My Eyes
- Pantera – Cemetery Gates
- Queensryche – Silent Lucidity
- The Scorpions – Send Me An Angel
- Slipknot – Snuff
- Testament – Return To Serenity
- Torche – Bring Me Home
- Twisted Sister – The Price
- White Lion – till Death Do Us Part
- Bon Jovi – Never Say Goodbye
- Damn Yankees – High Enough
- Styx – Show Me The Way
- Black Sabbath – Changes
- Black Label Society – In This River
- Guns N Roses – Patience
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Whitesnake? – Here I Go Again
Ensiferum – Lost in dispair
In Flames – Come Clarity
iron Maiden – Blood Brothers
Kill switch is full of them
Mushroom Head – Nowhere to go
I dont really know if this is what you were really talking about but those are a few that I could think of.
Yeah kind of, but without the screaming of Killswitch and Mushroomhead. here I go again is a good one, kind of. A lot of the bands I mentioned have numerous ballads but I didn’t want to be repetitive with names.
Well, since i’m kind of a crazy music collector, i will say that i have most of this on MP3 cds, there’s few other ones from Scorpions that a really like too, but i can’t think of their names right now. But if i start digging in my stuff i can probably make a huge list. oh and i like power ballads which i consider pieces of art like the rest of the music a like.
Coming Home, Still Loving You, Winds Of Change, Woman and Believe In Love. Those are the ones from the Scorpions I can think of off the top of my head. My favorites two are Winds Of Change and Send Me An Angel. I really don’t like much of their heavy stuff.
I probably could have gone to 50, but it may have got embarrassing.
Forevermore by Dream Evil
That is the only one I can think of by a current band
I can think of a couple off the top of my head…
One More Fucking Time – Motorhead
Born Again – Sabbath
And of course,
Catch the Rainbow – Rainbow
Metal gigs need more lighter-waving.
w.a.s.p- sleeping(in the fire) and forever free. It don’t get any better than this