Sooty's Top 20 Power Ballads

[b.o.b.]

Great thread Soot . I will surely follow your new posts. I also like power ballads, in fact the metal ballads opened my way in the 80's to rock/metal music .

My favorite from your list until now is Damn Yankees - High Enough.

 

[Soot and Stars]

Thanks guys! U just wanted to show respect to music that I don't normally express my love for but had a part in shaping my taste and (I still respect to this day. I plan on doing other more specific list as well!

As far as "Cradle Of Love" I can see why it may not fit but part of this thread is nostalgia and in my mind I associated it with the rest of the songs I've selected! Also when I see collections for these types of songs I've seen it thrown into that mix!


#13

White Lion-When The Children Cry


The power in this ballad comes from the emotion it contains. Yeah, it's not filled with powerful choruses but I still count it. This is the first song I ever heard that was about a cause or was socially aware. No sex, drugs and while it was still rock it was the opposite of excess. Beautiful song and it may have been a little spark in wanting my music to mean more in the long run!

 

[Soot and Stars]

#12

Foreigner-I Want To Know What Love is

Honestly this is not a song I saw amongst the time line of my other picks and actually I don't remember when I first heard it but I think it's a great epic ballad. I love the tone of Lou Gramms vocals (like his solo work as well) and the addition of the choir. This is one of those songs you either call cheesy or powerful and I'll go for the latter!

 

[Soot and Stars]

#11

Metallica-The Unforgiven


I went back and forth between this and "Nothing Else Matters" but I find this one to be the better of the two as it's much more dynamic. I know "One" could've worked as well but of all Metallica ballads this one has the soft/heavy transitions I love most in songs as well as a nice dark, melodic atmosphere. I also have more memories of the song/video due to the time it came out so that increases the attachment to it over the others!

 

[Soot and Stars]

#10

Def Leppard-Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad


As we enter the top ten we enter the bands that made me restrict myself to one song per band. This band was in particular hard as hell to pick just one ballad but out of my three choices this beats out "Love Bites" because I didn't hear it much until their Greatest Hits comp. which also contained "When Love and Hate Collide" which was my other contender. I picked this one for the time it came out and how much I listened to it every time it came on. It made me a Def Leppard fan!

 

[Soot and Stars]

#9

Guns N' Roses-November Rain


This was one of my first obsessions with a rock band. The top two were Aerosmith AND G n' R for a long period. To be honest, it I hadn't burned myself out on 'Sweet Child of Mine" it would've been here. "November Rain" also got played a lot but it has so much going on that it doesn't have that wear and tear. It stands the test of time. It has so many things I like in general like the piano intro, an epic feel and plenty of ebbs and flows throughout the song. It's that once in a lifetime song that few bands get to create.

 

[Soot and Stars]

#8


Slaughter-Fly To The Angels


I was obsessed with this track when it came out. It's the only element I was obsessed as far as the band as the album never really caught on to the other material ("Up All Night...." was alright). The vocalist could really wail on this one!!! I loved this song though and it still sticks in my head after just one listen.

 

[Soot and Stars]

#7

Bon Jovi-Never Say Goodbye


Between Bon Jovi and Aerosmith I could've filled up this whole list. The other two contenders were "Blaze of Glory" which I'm not quite sure if it fit and "Always" which seemed too new for the era I was aiming for. I first heard this track as a b-side for a single and listened to it as much as the track I bought it for! It's still one of my favorite Bon Jovi tracks.

 

[Magic]

Sooty,

You have been busy with the power ballads. Some good ballads listed so far. I am extremely curious to see your top 5

 

[Cosmic Harmony]

Sooty,

You have been busy with the power ballads. Some good ballads listed so far. I am extremely curious to see your top 5

As am I. Especially since I would have put "November Rain" in my top five for power ballads.