History Main / PowerBallad

* {{Aerosmith}}'s "Dream On," "Hole in My Soul," and "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing."

* {{Guns N Roses}} has "November Rain" and "Patience" (although the latter, originally acoustic, is played electrically in live concerts).

* SonataArctica has lots. Some fans complain that too many of them are played at concerts.

* MotleyCrue's Home Sweet Home, which made the power ballad a staple for all Hair Metal bands after that point.

* {{DragonForce}} has one per album: "Trail of Broken Hearts", "Starfire", "Dawn over a New World", and "A Flame for Freedom"
* {{Aqua}}'s "Turn Back Time" is close enough.
* {{Hammerfall}}'s "Glory to the Brave" and "Always Will Be"
* {{Megadeth}}'s "A Tout le Monde"
* {{Guns N Roses}} has "November Rain" and "Patience" (although the latter is played electrically in live concerts)
* {{Poison}} has "Every Rose Has Its Thorn".
** And [[TearJerker "Something to believe in"]]
* {{Alice Cooper}} has a few, notably "Only Women Bleed".
* {{Journey}}'s "Faithfully," "Open Arms," and "After All These Years", etc.
* {{KISS}}'s "Beth" and "Forever". "We Are One" probably counts as well.

* The {{Ramones}}' "Poison Heart"
* {{Rammstein}}'s "Amour" And "Ohne Dich"
* BlindGuardian has several, including "A Past and Future Secret" and the "The Bard's Song (In the Forest)".
* {{Demons and Wizards}} has "Wicked Witch" and "Fiddler on the Green".
* Almost everything Rascal Flatts has released since 2004, starting with "What Hurts the Most".
* IronMaiden, "Wasting Love". The acoustic song "Journeyman" kinda counts (though the lyrical content is pure Maiden).
* {{Manowar}}'s "Master of the Wind", "Hymn of the Immortal Warrior", "Blood Brothers", and "Father". There is one in almost every album they've put out really.
* DreamEvil has "Losing You"
** DreamEvil also has a parody in the form of ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sch7MiUoNH8 The Ballad]]''.
* SkidRow has "18 and Life", "I Remember You", "In a Darkened Room" and "Wasted Time". Actually, if you never heard a Skid Row record, you could be confused that the band only plays power ballads.
* For both OzzyOsbourne and [[TheRunaways Lita Ford]]: "Close my eyes forever"
* {{Aerosmith}}: "Dream On", "Hole in my Soul" and "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing".
* TheBirthdayMassacre, ''Movie''
* Bush updated the form to the grunge era with "Glycerine" and arguably "Letting the Cables Sleep".
* {{Sonata Arctica}} has lots. Some fans complain that too many of them are played at concerts.
* Boston has quite a few--"More Than a Feeling" is probably their best-known one.
** That song's actually pretty fast..."Amanda" is a much better example.
* DreamTheater has a few of their own. "Another Day" and "Hollow Years" are the most popular.
* MeatLoaf has several, including "I'd Lie For You (And That's The Truth)", "For Crying Out Loud", and "It's All Coming Back To Me Now".
* {{Def Leppard}} has many popular ones. "Hysteria", "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad", "White Lightning", "Stand Up (Kick Love Into Motion)", "Gods of War", and "Foolin'", to name a few.
* Extreme's "More Than Words". The music video even lampshades it by opening with a slow pan across a guitar amp... which the guitarist promptly turns off.
* YngwieMalmsteen's "Dreaming".
* It's been stated that the first rule of {{Oasis}}' singles discography is " for every rock out, there must be a heartbreaking follow-up." Examples include "Live Forever", "Wonderwall", "Stop Crying Your Heart Out" and "I'm Outta Time".
* {{Skillet}} "Yours to Hold".
* Squeeze's "Tempted"
* Night Ranger's "Sister Christian"
* Foreigner's "Waiting for a Girl Like You" and "I Want to Know What Love Is"
* About half of RascalFlatts' single releases starting with "What Hurts the Most". Having noted rock producer Dann Huff behind the boards helps.
* And for that matter, the JasonAldean / KellyClarkson duet "Don't You Wanna Stay" , despite being a country song, oozes 80's power ballad so strongly you'd think it was a lost collaboration between Bryan Adams and Heart.
* Every other hit Roxette had was one of these.
* REOSpeedwagon proved capable of truly EpicRocking before TheEighties set in (see: "Riding The Storm Out") but their first two #1 hits in the United States fall under this category-- "Keep On Loving You" and "Can't Fight This Feeling."

* Every other hit Roxette had was one of these.

A very common feature in the setlists of HardRock and GlamMetal bands in the Eighties, although they don't have a monopoly on the genre by any means.

* And for that matter, the JasonAldean / KellyClarkson duet "Don't You Wanna Stay" , despite being a country song, oozes 80's power ballad so strongly you'd think it was a lost collaboration between Bryan Adams and Heart.

* Foreigner's "Waiting for a Girl Like You" and "I Want to Know What Love Is"

* {{Journey}}'s immortal "Don't Stop Believin'."
** "Don't Stop Believin'" might be Journey's best-known song, but it's ''not'' a power ballad. "Faithfully," "Open Arms," and "After All These Years," however, are.

* MotleyCrue's Home Sweet Home, which made the power ballad a staple for all Hair Metal bands after this point.

* MötleyCrüe 's Home Sweet Home, which made the power ballad a staple for all Hair Metal bands after this point.

* MötleyCrüe's Home Sweet Home, which made the power ballad a staple for all Hair Metal bands after this point.

* MeatLoaf has several. ''I'd Lie For You (And That's the Truth)'' is probably the best known.

* Foreigner's "Waiting for a Girl Like You" and "I Want to Know What Love Is."

* Foreigner's "Waiting for a Girl Like You" and "I Want to Know What Love Is"

* Foreigner's "Waiting for a Girl Like You" and "I Want to Know What Love Is"
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<<|MusicTropes|>>

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A song by a band which is of a noticeably slower style than most of their fare. Sometimes overlaps with BlackSheepHit, but this trope also covers songs that aren't necessarily popular. Can be be done to showcase their singer's voice, or to give the members of a particularly EpicRocking-style band a chance to recuperate.

A typical power ballad will open with a solo keyboard or acoustic guitar, with more instruments and more elaborate melodies brought in as the song progresses, building up to a dramatic finale. An electric guitar solo close to the halfway point is pretty much obligatory. Done well, a power ballad shares many characteristics with EpicRocking, although it's less likely to move away from its initial tempo or chord progression. Power ballads are very susceptible to becoming {{Narm}}.

A very common feature in the setlists of HardRock and GlamMetal bands in the Eighties, although they don't have a monopoly on the genre by any means.

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!!Examples:
* "Behind Blue Eyes", by TheWho, is possibly the UrExample.
* {{Metallica}}'s "Hero of the Day" and "Nothing Else Matters". "The Unforgiven" and "The Unforgiven III" too.
* RiseAgainst's "Swing Life Away"
* {{DragonForce}} has one per album: "Trail of Broken Hearts", "Starfire", "Dawn over a New World", and "A Flame for Freedom"
* {{Aqua}}'s "Turn Back Time" is close enough.
* {{Hammerfall}}'s "Glory to the Brave" and "Always Will Be"
* {{Megadeth}}'s "A Tout le Monde"
* {{Guns N Roses}} has "November Rain" and "Patience" (although the latter is played electrically in live concerts)
* {{Poison}} has "Every Rose Has Its Thorn".
** And [[TearJerker "Something to believe in"]]
* {{Alice Cooper}} has a few, notably "Only Women Bleed".
* {{Journey}}'s immortal "Don't Stop Believin'."
** "Don't Stop Believin'" might be Journey's best-known song, but it's ''not'' a power ballad. "Faithfully," "Open Arms," and "After All These Years," however, are.
* {{KISS}}'s "Beth" and "Forever". "We Are One" probably counts as well.
* XJapan has "Endless Rain," "Voiceless Screaming," "Say Anything," "Crucify My Love," "Forever Love," and "Without You." "Jade," at least in its current form, straddles the line between PowerBallad and a heavier rock song.
* The {{Ramones}}' "Poison Heart"
* {{Rammstein}}'s "Amour" And "Ohne Dich"
* BlindGuardian has several, including "A Past and Future Secret" and the "The Bard's Song (In the Forest)".
* {{Demons and Wizards}} has "Wicked Witch" and "Fiddler on the Green".
* Almost everything Rascal Flatts has released since 2004, starting with "What Hurts the Most".
* IronMaiden, "Wasting Love". The acoustic song "Journeyman" kinda counts (though the lyrical content is pure Maiden).
* {{Manowar}}'s "Master of the Wind", "Hymn of the Immortal Warrior", "Blood Brothers", and "Father". There is one in almost every album they've put out really.
* DreamEvil has "Losing You"
** DreamEvil also has a parody in the form of ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sch7MiUoNH8 The Ballad]]''.
* SkidRow has "18 and Life", "I Remember You", "In a Darkened Room" and "Wasted Time". Actually, if you never heard a Skid Row record, you could be confused that the band only plays power ballads.
* For both OzzyOsbourne and [[TheRunaways Lita Ford]]: "Close my eyes forever"
* {{Aerosmith}}: "Dream On", "Hole in my Soul" and "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing".
* TheBirthdayMassacre, ''Movie''
* Bush updated the form to the grunge era with "Glycerine" and arguably "Letting the Cables Sleep".
* {{Sonata Arctica}} has lots. Some fans complain that too many of them are played at concerts.
* Boston has quite a few--"More Than a Feeling" is probably their best-known one.
** That song's actually pretty fast..."Amanda" is a much better example.
* DreamTheater has a few of their own. "Another Day" and "Hollow Years" are the most popular.
* MeatLoaf has several. ''I'd Lie For You (And That's the Truth)'' is probably the best known.
* {{Def Leppard}} has many popular ones. "Hysteria", "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad", "White Lightning", "Stand Up (Kick Love Into Motion)", "Gods of War", and "Foolin'", to name a few.
* Extreme's "More Than Words". The music video even lampshades it by opening with a slow pan across a guitar amp... which the guitarist promptly turns off.
* YngwieMalmsteen's "Dreaming".
* It's been stated that the first rule of {{Oasis}}' singles discography is " for every rock out, there must be a heartbreaking follow-up." Examples include "Live Forever", "Wonderwall", "Stop Crying Your Heart Out" and "I'm Outta Time".
* Squeeze's "Tempted"
* Night Ranger's "Sister Christian"
* Foreigner's "Waiting for a Girl Like You" and "I Want to Know What Love Is"
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<<|MusicTropes|>>

* DefLeppard's "Hysteria." When this troper first heard it, he wasn't sure whether or not it actually was Def Leppard playing.

* {{Metallica}}'s "Hero of the Day" and "Nothing Else Matters"

* Journey's immortal "Don't Stop Believin'."

* IronMaiden, "Wasting Love".

* Skid Row has "18 and Life", "I Remember You", "In a Darkened Room" and "Wasted Time". Actually, if you never heard a Skid Row record, you could be confused that the band only plays power ballads.

* Aerosmith: "Dream on", "Hole in my soul" and "I don't wanna miss a thing".

** "Don't Stop Believin'" might be Journey's best-known song, but it's ''not'' a power ballad. "Lights," "Faithfully," "Open Arms," and "After All These Years," however, are.

* Parodied by Dream Evil's ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sch7MiUoNH8 The Ballad]]'' Not that they're innocent of this or anything.

A typical power ballad will open with a solo keyboard or acoustic guitar, with more instruments and more elaborate melodies brought in as the song progresses, building up to a dramatic finale. A guitar solo close to the halfway point is pretty much obligatory. Done well, a power ballad shares many characteristics with EpicRocking, although it's less likely to move away from its initial tempo or chord progression. Power ballads are very susceptible to becoming {{Narm}}.

** "Don't Stop Believin'" might be Journey's best-known song, but it's ''not'' a power ballad. "Lights," "Faithfully," "Open Arms," and "After All These Years," however, ''are''.

* Journey's immortal "Midnight Train(Don't Stop Believing)"