Top Power Ballads

[ThunderVamp9]

So, I was looking at VH1's list of the top 25 power ballads of all time, and was thinking:

What the fuck are some of these songs DOING on this list??

Songs like "It's Been Awhile" by Staind, or Nickelback's "How You Remind Me." Do they belong on such a list, or am I the one out of my fucking mind? What MAKES a song a Power Ballad? Let's look at the Power Ballad entry from Wikipedia:

Power Ballad is the name given to a genre of songs that were frequently included on arena rock, hard rock and heavy metal albums in the 1970s and 1980s, though the style has evolved into more modern forms since.

These songs often explored sentimental themes such as yearning and need, love and loss. Their usually confessional nature differed from metal's more lyrical themes of hedonism, violence, or the occult. The term is partly a misnomer, as they are not so much ballads as love songs. In the years when record companies first considered the marketability of power ballads, they perhaps calculated that power ballad was more accessible and appealing than metal love song. Simply, Power Ballads were immediately marketable, appealing to the public, and ready for radio airplay.

OK, that seems straight forward and may even allow those songs on the list. of course, another defining feature of a Power Ballad is crowds tend to hold up lit cigarette lighters during those songs.

Then we have my own definition, which basically coincides with Wiki's for the most part, which is: a power ballad is a monster love song by a metal/hair band.

Which now brings me to my point...

What songs do you consider to be Power Ballads? Which are your favorites? Feel free to include songs from any decade. I won't limit anyone to the 80's for this. If you think Staind's song was a Power Ballad, then by all means list it. And don't be afraid to duplicate answers. This will be used to create a special show on the Top Power Ballads.

So let's what you come up with.

[Midas]

RAWK.

Here's a list off the top of my head, in no order of favourites:

Warrant - "Heaven"
Cinderella - "Don't Know What You Got 'Til It's Gone"
Bon Jovi - "I'll Be There For You"
Bon Jovi - "Never Say Goodbye"
M?tley Cr?e - "Home Sweet Home"
Europe - "Carrie"
Cheap Trick - "The Flame"
Poison - "Every Rose Has It's Thorn"
Def Leppard - "Love Bites"
Def Leppard - "Bringin' On The Heartbreak"
Van Halen - "When It's Love"
Whitesnake - "Is This Love"
Queensryche - "Silent Lucidity"
Lita Ford & Ozzy Osbourne - "Close My Eyes Forever"
Ozzy Osbourne - "Mama, I'm Coming Home"
Skid Row - "I Remember You"
Boston - "Amanda"
Slaughter - "Fly To The Angels"

Just to name a few.

[ThunderVamp9]

Making my list is:

Night Ranger - Sister Christian
Poison - Every Rose Has Its Thorn
Kiss - Beth
Bryan Adams - Heaven
Cheap Trick - The Flame
Motley Crue - Home Sweet Home
Def Leppard - Bringin' On The Heartbreak
Def Leppard - Love Bites
Def Leppard - Hysteria
Def Leppard - Stand Up (Kick Love Into Motion)
Journey - Open Arms
Journey - Faithfully
Warrant - Sometimes She Cries
Warrant - Heaven
Winger - Headed For A Heartbreak
Sheriff - When I'm With You
Slaughter - Fly to the Angels
Slaughter - Days Gone By
Skid Row - I Remember You
Skid Row - Wasted Time
LA Guns - Ballad of Jayne
Nazareth - Love Hurts
Cinderella - Don't Know What You Got (Til It's Gone)
Cinderella - Coming Home
Guns 'N Roses - Patience
Guns 'N Roses - Don't Cry
Alice Cooper - Only My Heart Talkin'
Steelheart - I'll Never Let You Go
Europe - Carrie
Europe - Superstitious
Bon Jovi - I'll Be There For You
Bon Jovi - Never Say Goodbye
Mr. Big - To Be With You
Prince - Purple Rain
REO Speedwagon - Keep On Lovin' You
Boston - Amanda
REO Speedwagon - Can't Fight This Feeling
Survivor - The Search Is Over
Queensryche - Silent Lucidity
Aerosmith - Angel
White Lion - When The Children Cry
Foreigner - I Want to Know What Love Is
Guns 'N Roses - November Rain
Warrant - I Saw Red
Extreme - More Than Words
The Bangles - Eternal Flame
Kix - Don't Close Your Eyes
Alphaville - Forever Young
Foreigner - I've Been Waiting For A Girl Like You
Damn Yankees - High Enough
Damn Yankees - Come Again
Heart - These Dreams
Heart - Alone
Tesla - Love Song
Ozzy Osbourne - Mama I'm Coming Home
Lita Ford & Ozzy Osbourne - Close My Eyes Forever

I know I'm missing some, but it's a start.

[Rice_Cube]

Well, you guys are the experts But if I had to choose, I'd want to hear:

Poison - Every Rose Has Its Thorn
Cheap Trick - The Flame
Journey - Open Arms
Survivor - The Search Is Over
Foreigner - I Want to Know What Love Is
The Bangles - Eternal Flame
Alphaville - Forever Young
Foreigner - I've Been Waiting For A Girl Like You

I'm not musically intelligent enough to list much more than that.

[ThunderVamp9]

Got some more I thought of:

Loverboy - Heaven In Your Eyes
Whitesnake - Here I Go Again
Whitesnake - Is This Love
Van Halen - Dreams
Van Halen - Love Walks In
Van Halen - When It's Love
Van Halen - Why Can't This Be Love
Bad Company - Hold On To My Heart
Bad Company - If You Needed Somebody
Bad Company - This Could Be The One
Aerosmith - Cryin'
Aerosmith - What It Takes
Steve Perry - Oh Sherrie
Stryper - Honestly
Faster Pussycat - House of Pain
Nelson - Only Time Will Tell


To name a few more. I'll bring in more later...

[Midas]

Healthy lists.

I'll add a couple:

Bad English - When I See You Smile
Journey - Send Her My Love
Aerosmith - Angel
Sheriff - When I'm With You

[Rice_Cube]

Well, this is gonna be a darned good show

[Thomas]

My Choices:

Night Ranger: "Sentimental Street"
Poison: "Every Rose Has It's Thorn"
Poison: "Something To Believe In"
Bon Jovi: "Never Say Goodbye"
Bon Jovi: "Living In Sin"
Vixen: "Love Is A Killer"
Journey: "Faithfully"
Def Leppard: "Miss You In A Heartbeat"
Bryan Adams: "Everything I Do"
Bob Segar: "We Got Tonight"

[ThunderVamp9]

The list has now been gathered, and is available for everyone to start voting for what they think are the TOP Power Ballads. Simply go HERE and start selecting your picks!