What is a power ballad?

[byebyepride.livejournal.com]

I am watching The Hits '50 Greatest Power Ballads', or at least that's what it claims to be. Now, 'Winds of Change' -- that's a power ballad. But 'Angels' (Robbie), surely that's just a ballad? The wikipedia entry suggests that Christina Aguilera's 'Beautiful' counts (that's on now) but does REM's Everybody Hurts? (just sh!te, but also just a ballad!). I hadn't thought of 'Don't Speak' as a power ballad, but it seems to fit the bill.
Perhaps I am being old-fashioned and stuck in the past by expecting a little more rock to my power ballads?
Perhaps we should have a poll, if only I knew how.

Comments

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Is Springsteen's "Jungleland" a proto-power ballad?

Something I am interested in, in balladry, is the low-mid tempo pop track - "Irreplacable", "Early Winter" - by no means a banger but it doesn't feel right to call them ballads (though Lex does).

[justfanoe.livejournal.com]

My dividing line for ballad is CAN YOU SLOW DANCE TO IT, by which criteria I believe both fit.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

"Early Winter" is problematic here I think - it's basically a Keane or Coldplay style modern rock song, and I don't think of those ("Clocks", "Everything Changes", etc.) as slow danceable.

Maybe it's just a pop song.

[justfanoe.livejournal.com]

Now that I think of it, you are right. "Early Winter" is not a ballad.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I think it fills the structural function of a ballad on the Gwen album, though - it drops the pace, lets the act's sensitive or hurt side show. But it isn't one.

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

I was thinking about this when I was listening to 'Say It Right' the other day; it's essentially a ballad but then it isn't really at all. There seems to be a lot of that going on at the moment and I am not really sure what you would call it. 'Unhappy Slow Jam' possibly although that's probably stupid.