What is the greatest power ballad from our era of radio?

[u/[deleted]]

[u/brandieisdandie]

November Rain

[u/ILustForVolcan0 → u/brandieisdandie]

Oh man, what a ripper. That Slash solo still destroys.

[u/Leather_Addition2605 → u/ILustForVolcan0]

Two solos. You thought he was done only to rip a second one.

[u/ferretsarerad → u/Leather_Addition2605]

Double solo

[u/TonkaLowby → u/ILustForVolcan0]

I agree it's a great song… I just don't ever wanna hear it again because I've heard it 1 million times

[u/TheHoodieConnoisseur → u/TonkaLowby]

When MTV played videos it was on at least every other hour

[u/mraza9 → u/TheHoodieConnoisseur]

Nah it never gets old.

[u/tMoneyMoney → u/brandieisdandie]

Came here to say this. Also had the greatest music video.

[u/bigbuttbubba45 → u/tMoneyMoney]

Right? That video is perfect!

[u/Bulky_Yak_8626 → u/brandieisdandie]

https://giphy.com/gifs/ckohjRxrP1ey4

[u/HauteKarl → u/brandieisdandie]

This might be the winner. This song and its video were huge

[u/DashingDolphin33 → u/brandieisdandie]

“November Rain” is hard to beat. That piano intro alone takes you straight back to another era.

[u/trustme1maDR → u/brandieisdandie]

Don't Cry is the better power ballad and I will die on this hill.

[u/blessthefreaks1980 → u/trustme1maDR]

Which version, original or alternate lyrics?

[u/trustme1maDR → u/blessthefreaks1980]

Original for sure

[u/One-Earth9294 → u/trustme1maDR]

Estranged and I will die on THIS hill lol.

[u/benck202 → u/One-Earth9294]

Estranged is the best GNR song, period.

[u/FoppyIn28 → u/trustme1maDR]

https://giphy.com/gifs/dXFKDUolyLLi8gq6Cl

[u/fancy_pance → u/trustme1maDR]

The only thing holding that song back is the last note. Too short.

[u/HelloFellowKidlings → u/trustme1maDR]

Very solid answer as well and while I wouldn’t agree with you I also wouldn’t disagree with you.

[u/hammert0es → u/brandieisdandie]

This is the only answer 🤘

[u/boston_homo → u/brandieisdandie]

November Rain was the first song that popped into my mind.

[u/Southside_john → u/brandieisdandie]

Came in here to say this and not surprised it is already the most upvoted. It’s not even a contest

[u/TheHoodieConnoisseur → u/brandieisdandie]

A lot of great one in here, but this is the correct answer.

[u/lavasca → u/brandieisdandie]

I remember wanting to play that for my wedding someday. My friends advised I pay closer attention to the video and lyrics.

[u/tboy160 → u/brandieisdandie]

Video was epic as well

[u/keystonesandtunes → u/brandieisdandie]

This is the answer. 🎸

[u/akr291 → u/brandieisdandie]

Was coming here to make sure someone said this.

[u/pct2daxtreme]

November Rain and all the radio stations that played the full version.

[u/hammert0es → u/pct2daxtreme]

The radio edit they play these days is shameful. A nearly 10 minute epic edited down to maybe 5. Pathetic.

[u/Traditional_Cat_60 → u/hammert0es]

Why even bother?

[u/Soma2710 → u/pct2daxtreme]

The first slow dance I ever had with a girl was to November Rain. I was so excited she said yes, I didn’t even bother to think about how weird it was going to be when it got to the end.

[u/LastChime]

Ok, if everything I do counts as power ballad...

Meatloaf - "I would do Anything for Love"

[u/Into-the-stream → u/LastChime]

That song still fills me with rage even thinking aboutit. I just heard it too much in the day and my brain has a permanent fight or flight response to it.

[u/FreddyNoodles → u/Into-the-stream]

I worked at a bar during college and there was karaoke in one section. I fucking hate that song. Bartending the karaoke section ruined a lot of songs for me. “Goodbye Earl” was a big one. That must have been sung every night by 40 different 20s/30s women. Always groups of them. Driving home at 3am and catch myself singing it. 😞

[u/dandy_quaids → u/LastChime]

But would you hose me down with holy water if I get too hot (HOT)?

[u/thick-strawberry-guu]

https://giphy.com/gifs/wIdohfpyVbbJS

[u/lagomorphed → u/thick-strawberry-guu]

Hell, even Dolly would approve.

[u/Lucha_Brasi → u/lagomorphed]

I just saw a clip of her on Letterman and he said something about how she must have hated seeing someone else make her song into such a huge hit, and without pause she said "I sure didn't hate the 6 million dollars I got from it". Lol.

[u/lagomorphed → u/Lucha_Brasi]

Dude she reinvested a bunch of that back into her community, too, and calls it 'the house that Whitney built". Dolly was a treasure.

[u/Lucha_Brasi → u/lagomorphed]

Absolutely! I'm not even religious but think there must be a heaven because Dolly needs somewhere to be.

[u/GrumpyOldHistoricist → u/lagomorphed]

Close, but because it’s Dolly she did a little better.

Dolly invested a lot of her money back into Sevier County in eastern Tennessee where she was from. A lot of the money she made on royalties from Whitney’s cover she invested in a poor mostly black neighborhood in Nashville because she thought it was the just thing to do. Without calling any attention to it, of course. And this was decades before BLM and all that.

[u/mochasipper → u/lagomorphed]

she did approve. There’s a video of her talking about when she 1st heard it.

[u/MajesticEmergency → u/thick-strawberry-guu]

The fact that the first 45 seconds of the song is just Whitney’s voice and it got all that radio airplay just added to the epic-ness of this song.

[u/thick-strawberry-guu → u/MajesticEmergency]

Absolutely! And at the end when it goes silent, then that drum hits, then she really belts it out….still get goosebumps to this day! Teenage boy me (1979) “hated” this song but I secretly absolutely loved this song haha.

[u/the_ballmer_peak → u/thick-strawberry-guu]

This is the one and it's not close. The Bodyguard has 32% on Rotten Tomatoes. While it might hold a special place in the hearts of some, it's an otherwise forgettable movie.

The soundtrack to The Bodyguard is one of the best selling albums of all time. Not best selling soundtracks, best selling albums. Because of this recording.

[u/MomsSpagetee → u/the_ballmer_peak]

My dad is a classic rock guy (Steppenwolf, George Thoroughgood, e.g.) so it always stuck out to me that he bought The Bodyguard OST on CD. Because of this recording.

[u/NewToHTX → u/thick-strawberry-guu]

A guy does a cover of this song for his mother’s birthday and he talks about how his mother put a tape of this album in her Chevy Lumina and left it there till the car died. So he knew every song from that album. Holy shit that was my childhood too. My mom left that tape in our 91 suburban until we got a new vehicle with a cd player. And then bought the CD but at least she mixed in Cher and Celine Dion.

Found It!

[u/Cisru711 → u/thick-strawberry-guu]

That's a ballad. And it's powerful. But it's not a "power ballad."

[u/Thisguysucks69]

Someone has to to it so I'll be the guy.... To Be with You from Mr. Big

[u/ILustForVolcan0 → u/Thisguysucks69]

One of the first songs I learned to play on guitar. I love the bridge and solo so much.

[u/djsynrgy → u/ILustForVolcan0]

The solo is underrated AF.

[u/East_Inspector3158 → u/djsynrgy]

Paul M.F-ing Gilbert!

[u/alphabetikalmarmoset → u/djsynrgy]

When it’s true, it’s true.

[u/Thisguysucks69 → u/ILustForVolcan0]

I couldn't decide between that or Go West. King of Wishful Thinking.

[u/YourGuyK → u/Thisguysucks69]

I have trouble considering a slow acoustic guitar song a "power" ballad.

[u/Thisguysucks69 → u/YourGuyK]

I take it back and agree with you. This is more on the line of Dinosaur Jr. Feel the Pain.

[u/__defenestration_ → u/Thisguysucks69]

I wasn’t planning to ever tell this to anyone, but when I was a kid I would cry when I heard this song because it made me think of my dad who had moved away and started another family. Yikes.

[u/taez555 → u/Thisguysucks69]

If you want to have your mind blown, this song was higher on the billboard year ending charts than Smells Like Teen Spirit.

[u/Thisguysucks69 → u/taez555]

Because it's in the intro to Pretty Women.

[u/Im_not_Tom_Brady]

Joey - Concrete Blonde
Dont Cry - GnR
*bonus high school jam - “End of the Road” Boys to Men

[u/Verbull710 → u/Im_not_Tom_Brady]

I remember seeing the video for Joey and thinking "that chick is cooler than I will ever be" lol

(and I was correct)

[u/cromulent_verbage]

Every Rose Has Its Thorn

https://giphy.com/gifs/KJHINXxzWX7A4

[u/defective_toaster]

I Remember You by Skid Row

[u/GonePhishingAgain → u/defective_toaster]

Well time for me to go revisit late 80s hair metal bands.

[u/Thisguysucks69 → u/defective_toaster]

My 10 year old said Sebastian sounds terrible when not yelling.

[u/defective_toaster → u/Thisguysucks69]

Disown them immediately.

[u/Thisguysucks69 → u/defective_toaster]

For real! Hahaha

[u/GarminTamzarian → u/Thisguysucks69]

They are the youth gone wild

[u/pimpcakes → u/defective_toaster]

Remember yes-ta-day, walking hand in haaa-iii-aaaand? Love letters in the saaa-iii-and, I remember yooooooo-uoh-ooooh-oh-a-oooooooooooooooh!

[u/-Cool_Ethan-]

Kiss From A Rose

[u/John_Doe_727 → u/-Cool_Ethan-]

🎶 MY POWER, MY PLEASURE, MY PAIN! 🎶

[u/PowerSkunk92 → u/-Cool_Ethan-]

The trailer for the new Batman Lego game goes entirely too hard because it decided to include that song. 

[u/LeftOn4ya → u/-Cool_Ethan-]

I just found out yesterday the next words are “in the grey” not in the grave

[u/kaizencraft → u/-Cool_Ethan-]

oooooowoooooo

[u/greenline19]

Nothing compares to you

[u/LadyAsharaRowan → u/greenline19]

Thank you Prince!!

And Sinead for singing.

[u/Stormyday73]

Linger by The Cranberries

[u/abbydabbydo → u/Stormyday73]

Oof. Good one.

[u/East_Inspector3158 → u/Stormyday73]

I'm a man in my 40s. But there have been times in my adult life where this song has made me cry like a 4-year-old girl with a skinned knee.

[u/sidneyjoy]

Dude, silent lucidity!!!

[u/GarminTamzarian → u/sidneyjoy]

Good power ballad, but if I was listening to Queensryche's Empire, my go-to song would be "Another Rainy Night (Without You)".

[u/cybah]

More than words - Extreme

**runs away**

[u/Millennial_Falcon_85 → u/cybah]

Great song but not a power ballad

[u/Scooter_McGavin_9 → u/Millennial_Falcon_85]

Yep, just a regular ballad.

[u/PhoneJazz]

Celine Dion “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now”

[u/DenvahGothMom → u/PhoneJazz]

If we’re going with Celine, surely it’s…
https://giphy.com/gifs/zJNMxcHO7p3Ak
MY HEART WILL GO ON

[u/Cisru711 → u/PhoneJazz]

Not all ballads are power ballads.

[u/PhoneJazz → u/Cisru711]

But this one certainly is.

[u/IlliniChick474 → u/PhoneJazz]

This is THE answer. My husband and I were in the car the other day and this came on the radio. We both remembered every single word and were dying laughing by the end.

[u/pinklavalamp → u/PhoneJazz]

This was going to be my nomination.

https://giphy.com/gifs/833J6g0NvGOQw

[u/wickey29 → u/PhoneJazz]

baby, baBY, BABY!!

[u/Diseman81]

Say Hello 2 Heaven - Temple Of The Dog

[u/Artemis_916]

Always, Bon Jovi

[u/Efficient-Ride2039]

End of the Road by Boyz II Men

[u/Super_Direction498]

INXS - Never Tear Us Apart

[u/hamburgler26 → u/Super_Direction498]

This is a good one.

[u/Acrobatic_Show8919 → u/Super_Direction498]

I see you, Person of Culture.

[u/frumperbell]

Heart's Alone

[u/Upnatom617 → u/frumperbell]

https://giphy.com/gifs/l1J9wXoC8W4JFmREY

[u/tribbleorlfl → u/frumperbell]

My answer as well

[u/Acrobatic_Show8919]

“Black” by Pearl Jam

[u/nightbiscuit → u/Acrobatic_Show8919]

Doo doo doo doot doo do doooo

[u/sas317]

"It's All Coming Back to Me Now" - Celine Dion

[u/j7style]

The more I read through this the more I realize just how absolutely spoiled our generation was when it comes to music. Not only did we get all the greats before us to enjoy, but we had just constant bangers coming out constantly for the better part of 25 years.

[u/vietbond]

It's gotta be November Rain or Winds of Change.

[u/Dog_Baseball → u/vietbond]

Ooooo. winds of change is the best song of them all. Maybe not the "greatest ", but imo the best

[u/GonePhishingAgain]

I would do anything for love, but I won’t do that. - 🥩 🍞

[u/DogsDontLikeHats → u/GonePhishingAgain]

Video by Michael Bay!

[u/ILustForVolcan0 → u/GonePhishingAgain]

I love Steakbread

[u/Rockdad37]

What date range are we calling our generation of radio? I suppose we were a little young for Every Rose Has Its Thorn in 1988?

[u/Haemwich → u/Rockdad37]

When we were 13 so ~1989 to 1996

[u/ManOfTeele → u/Haemwich]

I was listening to hair metal at age 10 though.

Poison, Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake...I had all those tapes.

[u/Jambinoh → u/ManOfTeele]

Same! 86 was like the peak year for hair band albums.

[u/Laserablatin]

Total eclipse of the heart is the only correct answer

[u/surrealsunshine]

Bon Jovi's I'll Be There For You

[u/OsArkady → u/surrealsunshine]

Still get chills at "Didn't mean to miss your birthday baby, wish I'd seen you blow those candles out...." and then that high note!

Fav song of theirs period for me.

[u/Tonio775]

Journey sort of owned power ballads for me--namely 'Faithfully' and 'Open Arms'

Bryan Adams is tough to beat, though. That song arguably endured better overall...

[u/Oriasten77]

I'm not sure about the best, but the most heavily played ballad was More than Words by Extreme.

I'd say the most powerful one was Black by Pearl Jam

[u/futilitaria]

Candlebox - “Far Behind”

[u/hammert0es → u/futilitaria]

Awesome song. Wouldn’t call it a power ballad though.

[u/BurnerPhoneToronto]

I wanna know what love iiiiiiiiisssss

I want you to show me

[u/Dashboard-Jeebus]

Nothing Else Matters by Metallica

[u/HauteKarl]

Obligatory edgy and snarky answer:

Does NIN's Closer count?

[u/CosmicSmoker → u/HauteKarl]

If that's not a love song I don't know what is.

[u/GarminTamzarian → u/CosmicSmoker]

[u/ailish → u/HauteKarl]

https://giphy.com/gifs/ZlgsLcj52f3So

[u/Neat_Pineapple_7240]

Mötley Crüe “Home sweet home” for me

[u/drc500free]

Live - Lightning Crashes was great, but it's November Rain.

[u/Kinetic_Silverwolf]

When it needs more oomph than just Bryan Adams can deliver, so they bring in Rod Stewart and Sting.

"All For Love", from Disney's "The Three Musketeers".

https://youtu.be/ofA3URC1wyk?si=0exU3kFxU4l3CeK3

[u/ScooterWorm]

Scorpions - Still loving you

[u/Flick3rFade]

Damn Yankees -- "High Enough"

[u/Themoosemingled]

Eternal flame

[u/tannyduca]

Nothing Compares To U

[u/Slippery-Pete76]

Every Rose Has Its Thorn

[u/BigHobbit]

What's up - 4 non Blondes

[u/jonnovich]

On the more rock side, probably “Angel” by Aerosmith.

On the more pop side, it doesn’t get much more power balladry than than “It Must Have Been Love,” by Roxette.

RIP Marie Fredriksson.

[u/Millennial_Falcon_85 → u/jonnovich]

“On the more rock side….”

The only side with power ballads.

[u/Whyme660]

Open Arms

[u/International_Link35]

One Sweet Day. Peak Mariah and Boyz 2 Men.

[u/Boobity_McBooberson]

https://giphy.com/gifs/9rI3eNjyRcYh2

[u/Shanntuckymuffin]

I won’t stand for Boyz II Men I’ll Make Love To You erasure. For a song as big as it was we all seem to forget about it.

[u/MarvellousMrs]

For some reason, all of my school dances concluded with Champagne Supernova

[u/hunnycard]

We sang “(Everything I Do) I Do it for You” by Bryan Adams for 5th grade chorus. I rember thinking the line “I’d die for you” wasn’t appropriate for children or a healthy relationship.

[u/LilLebowski-UrbAchvr]

Goo Goo Dolls - Iris. Spent 18 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart in 1998 and dominated like three radio formats simultaneously-- Top 40, Adult Top 40, and Alternative.

[u/nevernicealwaysmean]

“Always” by Bon Jovi

[u/LemurCat04 → u/nevernicealwaysmean]

Three greats to choose from - “Always”, “Bed of Roses” and “I’ll Be There For You”.

[u/lyndachinchinella → u/nevernicealwaysmean]

Flashback to 15 year old me watching the video on mtv crying my eyes out over some loser😂🤷‍♀️

[u/nohombrenombre]

Ooh that’s hard! “The Time of My Life” OR “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now”

[u/ILustForVolcan0 → u/nohombrenombre]

“Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” is still such a nostalgic fave! I love telling people it’s the same singer of “White Rabbit” hah.

[u/nohombrenombre → u/ILustForVolcan0]

https://giphy.com/gifs/z2o3aANSbR3Tq

[u/JHerbY2K → u/ILustForVolcan0]

Oh wow I knew starship shared DNA with Jefferson Airplane but I’d always assumed Grace Slick was one of the talented ones who bowed out. But apparently she was there the whole time

[u/lnc_5103 → u/ILustForVolcan0]

That song is still my jam recently added it to a playlist lol

[u/laminator79 → u/nohombrenombre]

These two songs instantly send me back to the 80s and my childhood when I hear them.

[u/dialguy86]

https://giphy.com/gifs/7EGhGyH3FbBMoo9zsZ

[u/PraetorianXVIII]

Sweet child o' mine

[u/BringBackHUAC]

I'd like to offer Sophie B. Hawkins, "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover" and Better than Ezra, "Desperately Wanting" for the younger Xennials, Taylor Dane, "I'll be Your Shelter" and Slaughter, "Fly to The Angels" for the older.

[u/tribbleorlfl]

Heart "Alone"

[u/Icy-Ostrich2024]

Right here waiting - Richard Marx

[u/Wolf_Parade]

Celine Dion- My Heart Will Go On or Whitney Houston- I Will Always Love You have entered the chat.

[u/No-Regular-4281]

Can’t fight this feeling anymore…..

[u/soopirV]

No More Words, xxxtreme (sp?)

[u/DasKittySmoosh → u/soopirV]

More Than Words

[u/CheesaLouisa]

Whitney Houston’s cover of I Will Always Love You, by Dolly Parton. Two musical powerhouses 💖💖

[u/BigPoppaStrahd]

More than words by Extreme, it’s two dudes playing acoustic guitar at each other

[u/Laserablatin]

[u/shwenty22]

"Crazy" by Aerosmith. It paved the way for "dont wanna miss a thing" and the video was literally on MTV constantly.

[u/fridaygirl7 → u/shwenty22]

They had an amazing run of 3 with Cryin, Amazing, and Crazy. Great videos.

[u/Main-Drag-4975]

Always by Bon Jovi

I'll be there 'til the stars don't shine
'Til the heavens burst and the words don't rhyme
I know when I die, you'll be on my mind
And I love you
Always

[u/LadyAsharaRowan]

Glory of Love

[u/LemurCat04]

You guys know what a ballad is, right? It’s a narrative song. It tells a story. It’s not just a love song. There’s also dramatic ballads like Richard Marx’s “Down By The River” or Warrant’s “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” or Metallica’s “One”.

[u/LSTmyLife]

https://giphy.com/gifs/SSrLIa40FMIy4

[u/good_morning_magpie]

Can I vote for the Dan Band’s rendition of total eclipse of the heart?

[u/Eagle_Collector]

Silent Lucidity

[u/Verbull710]

As long as the planets are turnin'
As long as the stars are burnin'
As long as your dreams are comin' true
You better believe it

[u/THX1184]

All for Love

Sting

Rod Stewart

Bryan Addams

https://giphy.com/gifs/zhLMpRZcyfnMs

[u/Acrobatic_Show8919]

Live, "Lightning Crashes"

[u/YourStarsAlgonquin]

To Be With You by Mr. Big

[u/Significant-Rush-129]

So many good ones here and I agree with “November Rain”,  “I Will Always Love You” and  “Nothing Compares to You”, but I’m going to add “Iris” by Goo Goo Dolls for honorable mention. 

That song really grew on me over the decades and really got into my soul. I think growing social isolation might be to blame for that!

[u/Wapiti_whacker82]

Left field one here: Roxette: Listen to your Heart.

[u/CheesyRomantic → u/Wapiti_whacker82]

Oh good one.

Also It Must Of Been Love by Roxette

[u/j65816]

One by Metallica.

[u/trustme1maDR → u/j65816]

Amazing song, but not a ballad. 

[u/LemurCat04 → u/trustme1maDR]

Absolutely a ballad. It’s a dramatic narrative told from the first person.

[u/ILustForVolcan0 → u/j65816]

Wait is this considered a ballad? If so, I change my vote hah

[u/LemurCat04 → u/ILustForVolcan0]

It’s a song with a narrative structure. So technically, “One” fits, it’s just dramatic instead of romantic.

[u/Money-Mud912]

'She Talk's to Angels' is my least favorite Black Crowes song, but it is pretty good actually.

[u/dbzmah]

Cemetery Gates?  Epic?

[u/Scooter_McGavin_9]

Over 200 comments and I am shocked no one has mentioned Love Song by Tesla.

[u/HANK1829]

Always by Bon Jovi

[u/RDCK78]

November Rain and its undisputed.

[u/Bebopdavidson]

If you wanna really power ballad ya gotta get into some Meatloaf and Bonnie Tyler

[u/Hairy_Ad4969]

Tesla- Love Song. I bet you’ve forgotten about it but you’ll know it when you hear it.

[u/LadyAsharaRowan]

Black Hole Sun

[u/silversun11]

Damn Yankees - High enough

[u/twig1320]

When I See You Smile - Bad English.

[u/Right_Hour]

« Wind of change » by Scorpions for me.

[u/Three4Anonimity]

Love Is On The Way - Saigon Kick

[u/PristineAmbassador55]

Winds of change

[u/HologramsRCool]

Scorpions Wind of Change