Been putting one of these together and pretty happy with it but let's see Rofers suggestions for such a playlist. I have included classics like Total Eclipse of the Heart, Living on a Prayer, Don't Stop Believing.
A lot of cloudy genre picking above. I would add paradise city, paint it black, stairway to heaven, god gave rock and roll to you and a bit of gimme all your lovin'
I've already got Boston and Aerosmith on the list.
Just to clarify the parameters for my list are pretty flexible so it's generally power ballads but also just good classic tunes from yesteryear. To some extent it was compiled from two years of having builders who love Heart 80's.
Seriously though, if you like classic soft rock, check out some of Rick Beato's What Makes This Song Great videos on youtube. He's done Rosanna, More Than a Feeling, Don't Stop Believing (as well as loads of other, mostly metal, songs). Really worth watching even if, like me, you barely understand half of what he is talking about.
Seeing as we're now listing hot 80s pop stars, I see your Tiffany and I raise you a Wendy James.
Good shout for Alannah Myles. Such a sexy voice. That song used to feature often on those "Soft Rock Classic" compilation tapes you used to find for £2.99 in WH Smith.
Mutters I love that song. Falls in with My sharona / centerfold / duke of earl (darts version) and the it’s a short hop to Blister in the Sun and we’re totally off piste
Pleased to see Titanium get acknowledgement as a modern power ballad, which it clearly is.
Another modern interpretation of the form is the big rap-ballad duet, usually with a male vocalist supplying the rap and a woman the big melody. There are loads of these, Umbrella being maybe the biggest and arguably best.
Jack and Diane! I’d forgotten about that. Spent the summer as a nanny in Westchester New York and went to a tailgate party, first time I drunk beer. JCM wall to wall.
Other people go to New York and become cool, I just turned redneck :(
0
3
Rush - Spirit of Radio
0
1
Rush don't do power ballads ffs!
0
2
I don't think Livin' On a Prayer qualifies as a power ballad.
Sister Christian?
0
4
Wind of Change - Scorpions
The Temple of the King - Rainbow
0
1
You lot have obviously been lurking in different clubs to me as I've never sung any of your suggestions late at night whilst drunk.
0
0
Toto-Africa
Eric Carmen-Hungry Eyes
Cuttin Crew- Died in your arms
Roxette- It must have been love
0
3
Why is Whitney Houston not on this list?
0
4
Oh and Bonnie Tyler and Gloria Gaynor
0
4
The Power of Love - FGTH.
(I'm not sure I know what qualifies as a power ballad tbh).
Titanium - David Guetta / Sis?
0
0
Alone - Heart
0
2
SIA ffs.
0
4
Eternal Flame - the Bangles
Don't you - Simple Minds
Listen to your Heart - Roxette
I'd do anything for Love - Meatloaf
I feel as if my contribution here has been significant. What do I get as a prize?
0
3
Toto - Roseanna
0
2
Here I go again - Whitesnake
I want to know what love is - Foreigner
If you want to bore yourself shitless that Robin Hood one by Bryan Adams.
A little more leftfield would be Jessie's Girl by Rick Springfield.
0
1
Chicago-Glory of Love
Bonnie Tyler- Holding out for a hero
Chesney Hawkes- The one and only
0
4
Electric Dreams - Human League
0
0
I will do anything for love -Meatloaf
0
4
Too many to mention. Agree with most of the above. You have missed out "Alone" by Heart though!
0
2
Balls, no you haven't. As you were.
0
0
Some good suggestions. My playlist is currently 45 tunes or so and does include Roxette, the Bangles and Bonnie Tyler.
0
1
Jesus, i do hope this thread is meant to be ironic
0
3
Toto - Africa
Mariah Carey - Hero
0
3
Supes you know you sing I Will Always Love You in the shower every day.
0
0
This thread is like a list of the greatest abominations in the history of music
0
3
REO Speedwagon : I can't fight this feeling any more
0
0
Chicago - Hard to Say I'm Sorry
REO Speedwagon - Keep on Loving You
Styxx - Babe
Sad Cafe - Every Day Hurts
0
1
Show me the way - Peter Frampton
I'll fall in Love Again - Sammy Hagar
0
1
Peter Frampton and his amazing TalkBox.
0
4
I think I might get a headache listening to all that on rotation.
0
3
Somethign inside so strong - Labi Siffre.
0
1
Left field: Love will Tear will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division.
0
0
A lot of cloudy genre picking above. I would add paradise city, paint it black, stairway to heaven, god gave rock and roll to you and a bit of gimme all your lovin'
0
2
Really it all needs putting in a room and then send in the ghost of Johnny Rotten to wee all over it
0
2
All the 70s kids with a a bowie semillon may be rounded up and burned
0
2
Johnny Rotten's dead?
Oh.
I thought he got fat and made prime minister.
0
2
No that was your mum
0
3
She died yesterday.
0
1
That is indeed left field. Because it is not in the genre of a power ballad. You may as well have said "Left field: String Quartet No. 14 - Beethoven.
0
2
Guns n Roses - November rain
Bon Jovi - Always
Alice Cooper - Poison
And, while I don't really like it, Aerosmith - Don't wanna miss a thing is an archetypal power ballad.
0
2
Of course you all are missing:
John Waite - Missing You
Boston - More Than a Feeling
Phil Collins - In the Air Tonight
mmmmm Stevie Nicks - Edge of Seventeen
Toto - Rosanna
Tool - Prison Sex whoops wrong playlist
0
2
kingfaff I have mentioned Rosanna above.
Obadiah, fair enough, thought I might sneak it in but difficult to defend
0
2
I've already got Boston and Aerosmith on the list.
Just to clarify the parameters for my list are pretty flexible so it's generally power ballads but also just good classic tunes from yesteryear. To some extent it was compiled from two years of having builders who love Heart 80's.
0
1
Guy, so you did, your utter butchering of the spelling stymied my word search.
Sails, are you only allowing yourself one song per artist? That is going to result in some hard choices.
I only discovered Heart 80s recently. It's now the only station I allow in the car.
0
2
No I've got multiple numbers from Belinda Carlisle and Sophie B Hawkins amongst others.
I was at uni in the 90's so prefer Absolute Radio 90's for general and in car listening.
0
4
John Parr-St Elmo's Fire
Starship-Nothing's gonna stop us now
0
1
" I've got multiple numbers from Belinda Carlisle and Sophie B Hawkins "
*edges backwards out the of the thread*
0
2
If you're going Belinda (and who wouldn't) then perhaps Tiffany - I think we're alone now.
0
1
Seriously though, if you like classic soft rock, check out some of Rick Beato's What Makes This Song Great videos on youtube. He's done Rosanna, More Than a Feeling, Don't Stop Believing (as well as loads of other, mostly metal, songs). Really worth watching even if, like me, you barely understand half of what he is talking about.
0
2
allanah myles - black velvet
Cher - If I could turn back time
Some of the songs above veer into yacht rock. I think the Song Sommelier might have an anthems playlist. His yacht one is fab
0
3
Tiffany and Cher are already there.
Good shout on black velvet.
King I can't believe that anyone man who grew up in the 80's was not a little bit in love with Belinda.
0
5
Boy meets Girl- waiting for a star to fall
0
3
Seeing as we're now listing hot 80s pop stars, I see your Tiffany and I raise you a Wendy James.
Good shout for Alannah Myles. Such a sexy voice. That song used to feature often on those "Soft Rock Classic" compilation tapes you used to find for £2.99 in WH Smith.
0
3
Mix this in somewhere, just to calm it down a bit
https://youtu.be/JeHgNqbdBKs
0
2
honourable mention to Sheryl Crow and the one about Billy peeling the label from his bottle of bud
0
0
True colours - Cyndi Lauper
Rocky Mountain high - John Denver
0
2
Don Henley - Boys of Summer
0
4
Another vote for Boys of Summer. I heard it played on the radio a few days ago and was reminded how good it is.
0
1
Not sure it passes the "ballad" test but what about Jack & Diane by John (Cougar) Mellenkamp
0
0
Mutters I love that song. Falls in with My sharona / centerfold / duke of earl (darts version) and the it’s a short hop to Blister in the Sun and we’re totally off piste
0
2
The Flame - Cheap Trick
Wanted Dead or Alive - Bon Jovi
Never Say Goodbye - Bon Jovi
Iris - Goo Goo Dolls
It Must Have Been Love - Roxette
Possibly controversial, but given I first fell properly in lust whilst listening to this: Everything I do (I Do It For You) - Bryan Adams
Creep - Radiohead
Don't Give Up - Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush
Does The Police count? If so, Every Breath You Take
And I vote for Jack and Diane and Living on a Prayer regardless of semantics. And Boys of Summer.
0
2
Oh and Life on Mars + Within You - David Bowie
0
2
Actually, whilst thinking of Bowie add:
Blackstar
Girl Loves Me
As the World Falls Down
Starman
Loving the Alien
Glass Spider
Blue Jean
The Man Who Sold The World
Young Americans
Underground
0
4
For me, if you're going Bowie, it has to be Heroes, or even better Boys Keep Swinging.
0
3
Oh, and not really a power ballad, but Bachmann Turner Overdrive - You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet.
0
5
Pleased to see Titanium get acknowledgement as a modern power ballad, which it clearly is.
Another modern interpretation of the form is the big rap-ballad duet, usually with a male vocalist supplying the rap and a woman the big melody. There are loads of these, Umbrella being maybe the biggest and arguably best.
0
1
Some brilliantly alternative options on here, including Creep, which I’ve certainly never thought of as a power ballad, but which I suppose is.
0
4
Fleetwood Mac - Landslide
Dolly Parton - I will always love you and You are
Radiohead - Street spirit (fade out)
Nick Cave & Kylie - Where the wild roses grow
PH.D. - I won't let you down
Kansas - Dust in the wind
Sarah Bareilles - She used to be mine
0
2
Perhaps some Pat Benatar - Hit Me With Your Best Shot or Shadows of the Night.
0
4
Ultravox-Vienna
0
4
Laz, are you talking about the version of Rihanna's song with Jay-Z? Or is there an artist under the name Umbrella doing this kind of thing?
For me, the best example of that kind of mash-up will remain this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqVC7ZlW3uQ
Although I do enjoy listening to this mash-up (not in any sense a ballad or classic rock tho):
https://soundcloud.com/this_is_stix/deceptacon-state-of-mind-drake
But for a classic rock/rap mash-up, you really can't beat this:
https://www.ebaumsworld.com/videos/voodoo-problems/81744937/
Although this deserves an honorable mention:
https://soundcloud.com/djschmollitracks/rock-of-ages
Phew!
0
2
laura branigan, Gloria. Since we're veering off piste
0
0
I can’t Live ( if living is without you) - Harry Nilson
It’s a Sin - Pet Shop Boys
0
2
Jack and Diane! I’d forgotten about that. Spent the summer as a nanny in Westchester New York and went to a tailgate party, first time I drunk beer. JCM wall to wall.
Other people go to New York and become cool, I just turned redneck :(
Join the discussion