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

And down the waterfalllllllllllllll

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

I think it's pretty rock. Though yeah, REM, WTF?

AHEM

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Surely you mean BONNIE TYLER'S 50 Greatest Power Ballads?

[dickmalone.livejournal.com]

Well, the power ballad originated as a ballad done by a hard rock band and so naturally included certain default hard rock band elements, but over the years of its dominance it changed (or reinvented) the ballad form, and when you do a ballad the power-ballad way, even if you don't have distorted guitars, it's still sorta a power ballad. Really, someone should come up with a better term for it, but...

So, for instance, "Beautiful." The chorus makes it a power(-ish) ballad because it uses a fairly direct chord progression and switches to a major feel and is defiant in tone. REM's is belty and does have distorted guitars. (Recall the bridge.) The anthemic feel that wasn't really a part of the ballad vocabulary previously (or only tangentially) is what makes it power now, maybe.

"Don't Speak" is just a power ballad because it's a ballad by a rock band, I don't think it's particularly power-y.

[getbacknow.livejournal.com]

One important aspect of the power ballad is that there has to be something BOMBASTIC in it. The obvious examples are Heaven by Warrant and Total Eclipse of the Heart.

[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).

Tinuviel! Tinuviel!

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

Power ballad = ballad with balls wot you can sing when no one else is in, there is plenteous vodka and that UTTERLY HORRIBLE PERSON has just been UTTERLY HORRIBLE, innit? Or maybe when utterly lovely people are being subjected to utterly horrible scenarios. They are not often much happy, or at least they are describing past torment if they are innit. Much of the recent McFly album verges on power-balladry I thought earlier although doesn't quite get ballady enough. Then again it is possible I was high on the fumes of some kind of oil the boyfriend was spraying on all the door hinges to increase his man factor. (presumably)

My mum is a power ballad afficionado. Then again she likes Iron Maiden.

To me, 'Beautiful' is not a power ballad, however, 'Fighter' is one of the most collosal examples of the genre in recent years, although this may be because I have 0x interest in a lot of Beyonce. 'With Every Heartbeat' is a good one, isn't it? It could be B. Tyler if Robyn had been busy that day. In goth news (and there is nothing more goth than power ballads y/n?) the Dresden Dolls are also major power-ballad purveyors and Morgan Grace and the Hidden Hands basically only do them, Emilie Autumn has made an album recently of such insane spag-out power ballad magnitude (although it is instrumental but definitely Of The Genre and if not the whole of 'Opheliac' is so nevermind) that it would make Meatloaf feel a bit embarassed. Also, Maz Manson is a major power balladeer although I cannot think of any off the top of my head.

Axshully I think maybe the gothism factor is necessary in the def. of power ballads due to the EXTREME MELODRAMA requirement (Sarah McLachlan's 'Fallen' =bloody good power ballad) and they certainly favour female histeria, although this may just be me transposing something. Actually wtf am I talking about; Queen, Bowie, Ozzy, what'shisfacefromAliceinChains, MCR, Nickeldeargodback, etc etc etc etc DISCARD THIS PARAGRAPH IMMEDIATELY.

Within Temptation are still fvcking cr4p, though.

I often think Tolkien is quite heavily related to power ballads but that's only because I can slightly envision Axl Rose casting himself in a SIX HOUR epic video spanning the whole of the 'Ballad of Luthien and Beren' (or vice versa, whatever it is)

[sbp.livejournal.com]

powerballad definitely includes white filmy curtains wafting in the breeze + searchlights.