The Greatest Power Ballads Ever Recorded

The lighter-waving, slow-build, explode-into-the-chorus anthems that defined arena rock.

The power ballad is the most misunderstood format in rock: a slow build, a single tear, and a chorus that detonates so hard the whole arena raises a lighter. We ranked the ten that do it best, from 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn' to 'I Remember You', and the brief was the format, not the song — the slow-build, explode-into-the-chorus structure that defined arena rock, and the structure that every power ballad since has been, knowingly or not, descending from. The ten on this list are the ones that did it best, and the ones that turned every arena encore into a singalong.

The format is the part that makes the list make sense. A power ballad is not a ballad — it's a structured piece with three distinct sections: a slow, quiet, often acoustic opening; a building middle section that adds instruments and dynamics; and a detonating final section that explodes into the full-band chorus. The format was invented in the mid-1970s — the Led Zeppelin 'Stairway to Heaven' is the template, whether the band intended it or not — and reached its peak in the 1980s, when every hard rock and metal band on the planet was required to have one. The format is the thing that makes a power ballad a power ballad, and the thing that the ten records on this list all share.

The 1980s are the part that made the format a genre. The decade that gave us the hair-metal power ballad — the slow-build, explode-into-the-chorus anthem that every arena-rock band was required to have — is the decade that turned the format into a genre, and the decade that the ten records on this list all descend from. The 1980s power ballad was the thing that turned every arena encore into a singalong, and the thing that made the lighter-waving, slow-build, explode-into-the-chorus anthem the defining format of arena rock. The ten records on this list are the ones that did it best, and the ones that defined the genre.

10. Poison — 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn' (1988). The power ballad that taught the genre to be a country song, and the one that defined the acoustic-guitar-opening format. The song is built around the acoustic opening that would define the format, and the chorus that would define the genre. The song is here because it taught the genre that a power ballad could be a country song, and that a country song could be a power ballad.

9. Skid Row — 'I Remember You' (1989). The power ballad that taught the genre to be a metal song, and the one that defined the metal-adjacent power ballad format. The song is built around the Sebastian Bach vocal that would define the format, and the chorus that would define the genre. The song is here because it taught the genre that a power ballad could be a metal song, and that a metal song could be a power ballad.

8. Def Leppard — 'Love Bites' (1987). The power ballad that taught the genre to be a pop song, and the one that defined the pop-adjacent power ballad format. The song is built around the Mutt Lange production that would define the format, and the chorus that would define the genre. The song is here because it taught the genre that a power ballad could be a pop song, and that a pop song could be a power ballad.

7. Whitesnake — 'Is This Love' (1987). The power ballad that taught the genre to be a blues song, and the one that defined the blues-adjacent power ballad format. The song is built around the David Coverdale vocal that would define the format, and the chorus that would define the genre. The song is here because it taught the genre that a power ballad could be a blues song, and that a blues song could be a power ballad.

6. Guns N' Roses — 'November Rain' (1991). The power ballad that taught the genre to be an epic, and the one that defined the epic power ballad format. The song is built around the nine-minute structure that would define the format, and the chorus that would define the genre. The song is here because it taught the genre that a power ballad could be an epic, and that an epic could be a power ballad.

5. Scorpions — 'Still Loving You' (1984). The power ballad that taught the genre to be a European song, and the one that defined the European power ballad format. The song is built around the Klaus Meine vocal that would define the format, and the chorus that would define the genre. The song is here because it taught the genre that a power ballad could be a European song, and that a European song could be a power ballad.

4. Aerosmith — 'Dream On' (1973). The power ballad that invented the format, and the one that every power ballad since has been descending from. The song is built around the slow-build, explode-into-the-chorus structure that would define the format, and the Steven Tyler vocal that would define the genre. The song is here because it invented the format, and because every power ballad since has been, knowingly or not, descending from it.

3. Mötley Crüe — 'Home Sweet Home' (1985). The power ballad that taught the genre to be a hair-metal song, and the one that defined the hair-metal power ballad format. The song is built around the piano opening that would define the format, and the chorus that would define the genre. The song is here because it taught the genre that a power ballad could be a hair-metal song, and that a hair-metal song could be a power ballad.

2. Led Zeppelin — 'Stairway to Heaven' (1971). The power ballad that defined the format, and the one that every power ballad since has been trying to copy. The song is built around the slow-build, explode-into-the-chorus structure that would define the format, and the Jimmy Page guitar work that would define the genre. The song is here because it defined the format, and because every power ballad since has been, knowingly or not, trying to copy it.

1. Scorpions — 'Wind of Change' (1990). The power ballad that defined the genre, and the one that every power ballad since has been descending from. The song is built around the Klaus Meine vocal that would define the format, the whistle hook that would define the genre, and the chorus that would define the arena. The song is here because it defined the genre, and because it's the one that turned every arena encore into a singalong — the one that made the lighter-waving, slow-build, explode-into-the-chorus anthem the defining format of arena rock. These are the songs that turned every arena encore into a singalong and every slow dance into a moment. Learn one on acoustic and watch the room stop talking.