Dudes, we've appended to the end of the post a transcript of the audio. It's not perfect, and you'll have to imagine who's saying what, but it should do the job if you want to listen to power ballads at the same time that you ingest our thoughts on them. 🫶
Another great and thought provoking Stoop. Some of the songs you mentioned in the Stoop definitely brought back memories, not all good ones, of songs that I’d forgotten about (High Enough) and in some cases (Firehouse's abomination) that I wish I’d not been reminded of.
I’d not class myself as liking power ballads but the playlist has some notable songs that I do like (e.g. Blaze of Glory – not classed it as a power ballad before today but you’re right -, and Fly to the Angles - more of an ad hoc guilty pleasure-).
I can’t be reminded about Starship without thinking of how the evolution (or devolution) of a band can move from songs like Jefferson Airplane’s "White Rabbit" to “Nothings Gonna Stop Us Now” in the space of about 20 years. Granted though, the membership varied greatly and it wasn’t written by them.
To answer your first question, you’ve not mentioned Miles Away by Winger.
This is a vast amount of content. OK. I can do this. Any chance of a transcript to the stoop chat (A.I. could be of service 😬) so we can listen and read concurrently?
I'd nominate Everything Everything - To the Blade as a power ballad released after 1998. I did think maybe Spanish Sahara by Foals, but I think it's missing that sing along at the top of your voice element.
This was brilliant. That playlist takes me right back to high school and early college, before I had access to KROQ and Tower Records. Back then, I had a lot of discussions with my rock-oriented friends about the aesthetic and cultural value of power ballads. The general consensus was that they were money grabs and/or attempts to draw more female fans and/or made to be used by unattractive rocker dudes in their efforts to get girls (not women yet) to make out with them. Those who enjoyed power ballads could generally be identified by whether they preferred David Lee Roth-era Van Halen or Sammy Hagar-era Van Halen, and their masculinity or femininity could be (harshly) judged in accordance with that preference. One of the exceptions was "Dream On", which was universally appreciated.
To Martyn's point about the best power ballads being female-led, I'm not sure I agree. It seems to me that lot of the powerful female voices in hard rock (Lita Ford, Ann Wilson, Pat Benatar, Joan Jett), at least in the 80s and 90s, were trying to avoid ballad-y types of songs in an effort to distinguish themselves from pop stars and be more appealing to the young male customer base. They made a lot of fantastic songs, some of which fit the power ballad genre (definitely agree about "Alone"), but the songs they're really remembered for are the big, bombastic rock anthems. For example, I feel like Pat Benatar should be a purveyor of power ballads, but when I review her singles, they all seem to start out too big or maintain the "power" aspect for too much of the song. Maybe "We Belong" or "Promises in the Dark" would count. Part of the issue, of course, is that there just weren't that many women rockers during that period. If there had been more equal representation, I bet there would be a lot more easily classifiable power ballads by women.
Thanks for this, everyone! I'm going to be listening to this playlist for a while, I think.
I enjoyed listening to this so much. I love a substack post that forces me to take notes! I was unfamiliar with most of your playlist tbh and, even having listened to it, there is much that remains unmemorable! I have always been a huge fan of “The Glory of Love” though so I’m pleased to see that included. Nice to see Armageddon get a mention too. Power ballads seem so often to be linked to film sound tracks, perhaps it’s their easy digestibility? I am hugely surprised that there was no discussion of either Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” or Foreigner’s “I Want To Know What Love Is”, surely the two most famous examples of the genre (at least in the UK). I also thought of the Cutting Crew track “I Just Died In Your Arms” although I’m not 100% sure it’s a power ballad. It definitely feels like it should be though.
I am spending WAY too much time thinking about this today and I’m confusing myself, I think. Radiohead’s Fake Plastic Trees feels very similar in tone to Run by Snow Patrol but I think it has more of a gradual build up than a big chorus. The idea of a Radiohead power ballad is making me laugh though so I wish it were true.
I’m actually wondering about this one. I feel like maybe it could be but my instinct says no and I’m not sure why.
Thanks for slipping an extra Aerosmith at the end there, the playlist became a bit of a come down after Heart - Alone 😭
I feel like our UK power ballads were soothed/tempered a bit by the new wave/synth/electronic scene of the 80s compared to the big hair/metal influenced output from across the Atlantic:
1. T'Pau - China in Your Hand (the quiet then sax crescendo is 🥊)
Ultravox - Vienna (? too soft)
And I'm gonna chuck Manic Street Preachers - Motorcycle Emptiness into the ring as a power ballad for the yearning/pang feel, soaring guitars and piano run
2. Struggling to think but is Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball a power ballad?
3. Bear with me, but T-Pau - China in Your hand. As a child all I could think about was imagining not dropping or crushing a tea cup I was holding, but could just about get to grips with "don't wish too hard, because they may come true, and you can't help them" was trying to say careful what you wish for, but as an adult finding out the whole song is referencing Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was 🤯
I mean, as a playlist it's ok - but it's a very 'masculine' playlist - when we know that the best power ballads are female-led... It's time for a rethink, I think.
Also - STILL waiting for Crap Attack to get a vinyl release!!
1) I would argue that John Waite's "These Times Are Hard For Lovers" (1987) is at least a Very Dramatic Ballad. (It's co-written with Desmond Child!) It might be a little too up-tempo or have too much guitar at the opening to fit a strict definition of a power ballad, but it's darn close.
2) Man, I don't know. Do you ever listen to The Struts? I feel sure something they've done qualifies as a power ballad.
***TRANSCRIPT NOW AVAILABLE***
Dudes, we've appended to the end of the post a transcript of the audio. It's not perfect, and you'll have to imagine who's saying what, but it should do the job if you want to listen to power ballads at the same time that you ingest our thoughts on them. 🫶
Imagine making a power ballad playlist that doesn't include a single Power of Love song. Jennifer? Frankie?
Another great and thought provoking Stoop. Some of the songs you mentioned in the Stoop definitely brought back memories, not all good ones, of songs that I’d forgotten about (High Enough) and in some cases (Firehouse's abomination) that I wish I’d not been reminded of.
I’d not class myself as liking power ballads but the playlist has some notable songs that I do like (e.g. Blaze of Glory – not classed it as a power ballad before today but you’re right -, and Fly to the Angles - more of an ad hoc guilty pleasure-).
I can’t be reminded about Starship without thinking of how the evolution (or devolution) of a band can move from songs like Jefferson Airplane’s "White Rabbit" to “Nothings Gonna Stop Us Now” in the space of about 20 years. Granted though, the membership varied greatly and it wasn’t written by them.
To answer your first question, you’ve not mentioned Miles Away by Winger.
This is a vast amount of content. OK. I can do this. Any chance of a transcript to the stoop chat (A.I. could be of service 😬) so we can listen and read concurrently?
What? No shout out for Meatloaf?
Also going to put the Darkness - Love is Only a Feeling out there for consideration for a post 1998 power ballad.
I've started a playlist, folks. No idea how to make it collaborative but let me know if anything should be added (or, indeed, removed). To be clear, this playlist is for songs that fit the power ballad formula / dynamic, but may not at first glance (listen) be considered power ballads: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/333BxciCRfqorBRq4oc0gG?si=NHVOKGrmQhujtaJ0_61GTQ&pi=e-YRiP0nc4RQyh
The trouble with posts like this is the topic fast becomes my entire personality.
I'd nominate Everything Everything - To the Blade as a power ballad released after 1998. I did think maybe Spanish Sahara by Foals, but I think it's missing that sing along at the top of your voice element.
This was brilliant. That playlist takes me right back to high school and early college, before I had access to KROQ and Tower Records. Back then, I had a lot of discussions with my rock-oriented friends about the aesthetic and cultural value of power ballads. The general consensus was that they were money grabs and/or attempts to draw more female fans and/or made to be used by unattractive rocker dudes in their efforts to get girls (not women yet) to make out with them. Those who enjoyed power ballads could generally be identified by whether they preferred David Lee Roth-era Van Halen or Sammy Hagar-era Van Halen, and their masculinity or femininity could be (harshly) judged in accordance with that preference. One of the exceptions was "Dream On", which was universally appreciated.
To Martyn's point about the best power ballads being female-led, I'm not sure I agree. It seems to me that lot of the powerful female voices in hard rock (Lita Ford, Ann Wilson, Pat Benatar, Joan Jett), at least in the 80s and 90s, were trying to avoid ballad-y types of songs in an effort to distinguish themselves from pop stars and be more appealing to the young male customer base. They made a lot of fantastic songs, some of which fit the power ballad genre (definitely agree about "Alone"), but the songs they're really remembered for are the big, bombastic rock anthems. For example, I feel like Pat Benatar should be a purveyor of power ballads, but when I review her singles, they all seem to start out too big or maintain the "power" aspect for too much of the song. Maybe "We Belong" or "Promises in the Dark" would count. Part of the issue, of course, is that there just weren't that many women rockers during that period. If there had been more equal representation, I bet there would be a lot more easily classifiable power ballads by women.
Thanks for this, everyone! I'm going to be listening to this playlist for a while, I think.
I enjoyed listening to this so much. I love a substack post that forces me to take notes! I was unfamiliar with most of your playlist tbh and, even having listened to it, there is much that remains unmemorable! I have always been a huge fan of “The Glory of Love” though so I’m pleased to see that included. Nice to see Armageddon get a mention too. Power ballads seem so often to be linked to film sound tracks, perhaps it’s their easy digestibility? I am hugely surprised that there was no discussion of either Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” or Foreigner’s “I Want To Know What Love Is”, surely the two most famous examples of the genre (at least in the UK). I also thought of the Cutting Crew track “I Just Died In Your Arms” although I’m not 100% sure it’s a power ballad. It definitely feels like it should be though.
This compelled me to get out of bed, great start to the weekend. Commencing research!🤟🔥🔥🔥🎸
I am spending WAY too much time thinking about this today and I’m confusing myself, I think. Radiohead’s Fake Plastic Trees feels very similar in tone to Run by Snow Patrol but I think it has more of a gradual build up than a big chorus. The idea of a Radiohead power ballad is making me laugh though so I wish it were true.
I’m actually wondering about this one. I feel like maybe it could be but my instinct says no and I’m not sure why.
https://open.spotify.com/track/7jePbTgyKol6gHshTbF3Xz?si=NhdiCimGTGud5_f5GomvZg&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A3Hnux3n5xhBOIrIxUsO2AF
Thanks for slipping an extra Aerosmith at the end there, the playlist became a bit of a come down after Heart - Alone 😭
I feel like our UK power ballads were soothed/tempered a bit by the new wave/synth/electronic scene of the 80s compared to the big hair/metal influenced output from across the Atlantic:
1. T'Pau - China in Your Hand (the quiet then sax crescendo is 🥊)
Ultravox - Vienna (? too soft)
And I'm gonna chuck Manic Street Preachers - Motorcycle Emptiness into the ring as a power ballad for the yearning/pang feel, soaring guitars and piano run
2. Struggling to think but is Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball a power ballad?
3. Bear with me, but T-Pau - China in Your hand. As a child all I could think about was imagining not dropping or crushing a tea cup I was holding, but could just about get to grips with "don't wish too hard, because they may come true, and you can't help them" was trying to say careful what you wish for, but as an adult finding out the whole song is referencing Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was 🤯
I mean, as a playlist it's ok - but it's a very 'masculine' playlist - when we know that the best power ballads are female-led... It's time for a rethink, I think.
Also - STILL waiting for Crap Attack to get a vinyl release!!
"Kiss From A Rose" by Seal, especially the way this guy sings it to his cat:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scczP4z9xr4&pp=ygUZa2lzcyBmcm9tIGEgcm9zZSBzZWFsIGNhdA%3D%3D
1) I would argue that John Waite's "These Times Are Hard For Lovers" (1987) is at least a Very Dramatic Ballad. (It's co-written with Desmond Child!) It might be a little too up-tempo or have too much guitar at the opening to fit a strict definition of a power ballad, but it's darn close.
2) Man, I don't know. Do you ever listen to The Struts? I feel sure something they've done qualifies as a power ballad.