During these tough times we’re all facing, it’s nice to look back on an era where the world seemed like a better place. That being said, power ballads have gotten the world through tough times before, and there’s no reason to believe they can’t do it again. Here are five power ballads to get you through the week.
Poison – ‘Every Rose Has It’s Thorn’
If this song wasn’t on this list, let alone kicking it off, the list would be completely invalid. While “Talk Dirty To Me” is a much more fun and energetic tune, people who grew up in the ‘80s have much more fond memories of “Every Rose Has Its Thorn.” And understandably so. The track was made for couples to dance to, and at the same time made for recently broken up couples to sob to. How it works on both levels is an incredible feat of songwriting that deserves more credit, and it is still to this day a perfect song to ride off into the sunset with when all is said and done.
Alice Cooper – ‘Poison’
The most surprising addition to this list is “Poison” by Alice Cooper. The reason this comes as a shock is because Alice Cooper and his band were anything but power ballad curators in the ‘70s. However, when frontman Alice Cooper decided to go solo, he created this masterpiece of ‘80s music. The track still maintains the creepy energy of all the great Alice Cooper tracks, but there’s an added sense of pop prowess to it that adds an extra oomph to a sinister sounding work of art.
Berlin – ‘Take My Breath Away’
Arguably the most popular and enduring song to be released as a part of the “Top Gun” soundtrack in 1986, Berlin’s “Take My Breath Away” is a perfect power ballad. The synths, the vocals and everything sandwiched in between make this a perfect top 40 hit of that era. One of the best songs of the entire decade, the song unfortunately overshadowed anything else Berlin would create as they faded away into the sands of time as a one-hit wonder. But what a wonderful one-hit it was.
Nelson – ‘(Can’t Live Without Your) Love And Affection’
Released during the odd point of history where music started to transition from hair metal to grunge in 1990, Nelson’s “(Can’t Live Without Your) Love And Affection” makes a case for being one of the most catchy and upbeat power ballads of that era. You can also make the case that it’s one of the cheesiest, but that’s part of what makes it so great and endearing. Sometimes, good old fashioned cheesiness is all a track needs to make it memorable, and this track has that kind of strange charisma to get stuck in your head all day.
Eric Carmen – ‘All By Myself’
While not traditionally what people think of when it comes to power ballads, Eric Carmen’s “All By Myself” actually is an early prototype for what would become the power ballad in the ‘80s. There’s an infectious and powerful chorus, soft and thoughtful verses and above all is a song you can sing your heart out to. In the end, that’s what really makes a power ballad a power ballad. One of the most enduring songs of the ‘70s, “All By Myself” is a classic case of turning loneliness into gold.
