MetaChat - Defending the Indefensible/Rock Poll

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21 April 2008

Defending the Indefensible/Rock Poll →[More:]

What is the best power ballad?

My personal nominees:

Kiss "Beth"
Aerosmith "Angel"
Journey "Faithfully"
Extreme "More Than Words"

(note: songs like 'Freebird' 'Stairway To Heaven' 'Theme From An Imaginary Western' and 'Cowboy Song' are not not power ballads, those are epics. Different thing entirely.)

post by: jonmc at: 12:04 | 44 comments

The one they play after I turn the radio off.

posted by danostuporstar 21 April | 12:06

Hrm. I'd have to go with "Beth". "More than Words" would make it onto my top ten most hated songs of all time.

posted by gaspode 21 April | 12:07

Feel free to pick your own nominees, too.

posted by jonmc 21 April | 12:09

Just my personal opinion, but "power ballad" and "best" don't go together. The least bad of the group would be "Beth", I guess, but only by a hair's breadth.

posted by bmarkey 21 April | 12:10

I think Beth led the way in a manner so power ballad-y that none have EVER been able to top it.

Having said that, I also think it's cringe worthy. Beth shoulda packed her bags and left that goof.

posted by richat 21 April | 12:11

If we stretch the boundaries of the genre, "Sweet Child O' Mine" would be OK.

posted by bmarkey 21 April | 12:14

Well, like a lot of subgenres, the power ballad must be judged by utilitarian means: the power ballad serves the same function as the country weeper: post-breakup moping or drunken sentimentality. So the best example of the genre would be the one that best facilitates these things.

posted by jonmc 21 April | 12:15

also: 'On With The Show' Motley Crue.

posted by jonmc 21 April | 12:16

I've always found "Every Rose Has It's Thorn" amusing; does that count?

posted by bmarkey 21 April | 12:19

I just read the wiki on Power Ballads. It's kinda funny. The author posits the notion that the Carpenters actually made the FIRST power ballad!

posted by richat 21 April | 12:20

I've always found "Every Rose Has It's Thorn" amusing; does that count?

No. Liking something 'ironically,' does not count. (Also, I'm kind of amazed that nobody's done a country cover of 'Every Rose..' yet. Seems like a no-brainer)

posted by jonmc 21 April | 12:21

Well, I think it's the line "just like every cowboy sings a sad, sad song" that's holding that up. Most of the cowboys I've known only sang when they were drunk, and then it was usually something like "I've got friends in low places".

posted by bmarkey 21 April | 12:25

Boston, "Amanda"
and seconding Aerosmith's "Angel"
maybe Mr. Big, "To Be With You"

What qualifies as a power ballad? "More than Words" is all acoustic, but Extreme was known as a rock band... "Everything I Do" has more electric guitar, but Bryan Adams could never play a double bill with, say, KISS. I'm going to say it counts, since jonmc put Journey in the original list, and they're not really a hard rock sort of band.

posted by Joe Invisible 21 April | 12:28

I could never stand the things, so to me there are no good ones. I'm assuming Jim Steinman stuff falls under "epic"? If not, they would be the only exception, they are so gloriously over the top, I can't not like them.

posted by King of Prontopia 21 April | 12:31

OK, having looked at the wiki page that richat linked to, my vote goes to Nazareth's version of "Love Hurts". (If memory serves, Joan Fuckin' Jett did a decent version too.)

posted by bmarkey 21 April | 12:34

KoP: "Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad,' would qualify, but like I said, liking it 'ironically,' dosen't count.

posted by jonmc 21 April | 12:35

1) China in your hand - T'Pau

Anyone who disagrees with me is wrong on this one. Seriously. I am NOT Kidding.

posted by seanyboy 21 April | 12:39

* sax solo - slomo video of shattering china *
O M F G ! ! !

posted by seanyboy 21 April | 12:41

What? No love for Def Leppard's "Bringin' on the Heartbreak"??

posted by scody 21 April | 13:14

My favorite thing about 'Beth': as originally written, the song was called 'Beck,' about a girl named Rebecca. But Simmons insisted they change it, because he didn't want people to think the song was about Jeff Beck.

posted by box 21 April | 13:23

(note: songs like 'Freebird' 'Stairway To Heaven' 'Theme From An Imaginary Western' and 'Cowboy Song' are not not power ballads, those are epics. Different thing entirely.)

Surely you're not talking about "The Cowboy Song" by Public Image Ltd. (the b-side to "Public Image"), are you? Because that isn't a power ballad either.

What about "Total Eclipse of the Heart"? That kinda straddles the line between "power ballad" and "epic", doesn't it?

posted by syntax 21 April | 13:28

Surely you're not talking about "The Cowboy Song" by Public Image Ltd. (the b-side to "Public Image"), are you? Because that isn't a power ballad either.

Um, no. The Thin Lizzy one.

posted by jonmc 21 April | 13:31

If "Total Eclipse" qualifies, that's my vote.

How about "We Belong" by Pat Benatar? Is that a Power Ballad?

posted by lleachie 21 April | 13:32

No. Too much synth.

posted by jonmc 21 April | 13:34

"Angel" is pretty darn bad/good.

How about "Silent Lucidity" by Queensryche? It's a prog rock power ballad. Or "Close My Eyes Forever" with Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne?

Do songs by Bon Jovi count? They all make me cringe AND sing along.

**shudder**

posted by halonine 21 April | 14:31

i find it all cringe inducing generally unless drunk and convivial, but generally i don't like things ironically unless i like them some of the time actually.
So i pick "Sister Christian" from the wiki.

Make sure to make the power fist you draw down slowly for optimum cheese.

posted by ethylene 21 April | 14:40

Hanoi Rocks' "Don't You Ever Leave Me".

posted by Hellbient 21 April | 15:56

I can't believe there's not more Meatloaf here. My first thought was "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad", but maybe I'm mis-categorising it? What about "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth"?

"Paradise By The Dashboard Light" seems like it fits to me, too, but it's not really a ballad.

Am I a bad person because I like both of them un-ironically? Not that I care, just curious.

*changes tunes on iPod from Hendrix to Meatloaf*

posted by dg 21 April | 16:03

I love "More Than Words" and "Beth", definitely. "Beth" always reminds me of Michael Rapaport snow-plowing Martha Plimpton's driveway. I absolutely love, "Angel" by Aerosmith as well. It's one of my favorites. I like "Send Her My Love" by Journey more than "Faithfully". "Faithfully" doesn't do it for me for some reason.

I also love "Carrie" by Europe because it is so bad. If "Sweet Child of Mine" is a power ballad, well, it's one of my favorites too. "Love Song" by Tesla is good in that cheesy power ballad kind of way.

"High Enough" by Damn Yankees makes the top ten.

posted by LoriFLA 21 April | 17:25

Actually, after listening through "Bat Out of Hell" and reading the Wikipedia page, "Paradise By The Dashboard Light" is nothing like a power ballad, but "For Crying Out Loud" certainly qualifies, as do the other two. The only flaw is that part of the definition seems to be that, to be a true power ballad, it must be out of character and meatloaf seems to have made a career out of it.

posted by dg 21 April | 17:26

Surely Bon Jovi's Wanted Dead Or Alive deserves a mention? I'm with you with Aerosmith's Angel. Mmmm. God, I dunno, it's been a while. Did Cinderella do anything good? What about White Lion? Oh! Whitesnake's Is This Love? Love Bites by Def Leppard?

posted by TheDonF 21 April | 17:45

Can I take everything I said back and declare my number one favorite power ballad of all time is "I Remember You" by Skid Row. I was perusing the playlist. How could I forget about this one?

Least Favorite: "Heaven" by Warrant and "The Flame" by Cheap Trick. God, I love Cheap Trick but "The Flame" is the worst.

posted by LoriFLA 21 April | 17:47

Did Cinderella do anything good?

"Nobody's Fool" was one of their power ballads. It's mandatory listening for a ride on the Gravitron at the carnival. I don't know why they don't play a rockin' song.

What about the Scorpions? I like "Still Loving You" and "There's No One Like You". These are really good songs for power ballads. Yes they are.

posted by LoriFLA 21 April | 17:55

Oh yeah, that Skid Row song is awesome! *hopes to hell Seb Bach doesn't get the Velvet Revolver gig, though*

posted by TheDonF 21 April | 17:55

Did Cinderella do anything good?

"Gypsy Road" was great fake Stones.

posted by jonmc 21 April | 18:36

WhatEVER y'all!

The all-time best power ballad since God Created The Hand Of man is.....

Without You, by Harry Nilsson.

I can beat any sumbitch in the house who says no.

posted by Lipstick Thespian 21 April | 18:40

Actually, I've decided that this is the best power ballad as well as my new personal anthem.

posted by jonmc 21 April | 18:46

LT, I thought you were going to say Without You, by Motley Crue.

jon, I downloaded that little ditty when you last offered it.

In my typical manner of loving bad eighties songs, "Stranded" by Heart is a favorite. Of course, Heart has many of a good song, but I like this sappy little number a lot. I would offer the DL, but really? I didn't think so.

posted by LoriFLA 21 April | 19:04

As much as I like Nilsson, LT, I don't think he qualifies as a power-ballad-type dude.

And if I wasn't afraid of Kurt haunting my ass for all eternity, I'd offer this.

posted by bmarkey 21 April | 19:09

Flying the local flag, I nominate "What about Love?" or "Alone" by Heart.

Aside from that, TOTALLY love Total Eclipse of the Heart.

(I maintain that I cannot feel guilty about any song I liked before 1985.)

posted by black8 21 April | 19:28

Oooh! Oooh! Fade To Black! There's your power ballad.

posted by bmarkey 21 April | 19:40

Beth is unlistenable for musical and ideological reasons.

"Total Eclipse of the Heart" is a Jim Steinman song; I think it's an epic, not a ballad.

I nominate "Something to Believe In" by Poison. It has been forgotten, but it was a pretty big hit at the time. Also worth consideration is "Fly to the Angels" by Slaughter.

posted by ibmcginty 21 April | 19:47

Wind Of Change by The Scorpions! Whistling in rock FTW! And Heart's Alone was awesome, too.

posted by TheDonF 21 April | 23:07

Lady by Styx. Yes, I realize it is indefensible, and I will not try.

posted by Doohickie 22 April | 18:21

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