Feelings at the forefront, the Power Ballad usually talked about situations of love, redemption, loss and everything in between. The PB might be described as chessy, even melodramatic, but the reason I liked them so much (some of them) is that they lent themselves to being great movie soundtracks. Even my own introduction to the PB came via the movies, when the first film I ever watched in the cinema was The Karate Kid Part II. In that film, the PB song that would stay with me forever, was Peter Cetera's 'Glory of Love'. Here are 30 of the best Power Ballads.
The musical arrangement in Power Ballads was usually set against a schmaltzy sound. It often placed a great emphasis on creating a catchy melody, with an equally catchy harmony. The singing voice could be warm, glacial or ethereal, but it was always sung with an emphasis to convey heartfelt emotion.
| TINA TURNER - WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER HERO MOVIE: MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME (1985) CHICAGO - HARD TO SAY I'M SORRY (1982) | PETER CETERA - GLORY OF LOVE MOVIE: KARATE KID PART II (1986) THE CARS - DRIVE (1984) |
| MR. MISTER - BROKEN WORDS (1985) | GLORIA ESTEFAN - CAN'T STAY AWAY FROM YOU (1988) |
| RICHARD MARX - RIGHT HERE WAITING (1989) | HEART - THESE DREAMS (1985) |
| BILL MEDLEY & JENNIFER WARNES - TIME OF MY LIFE MOVIE: DIRTY DANCING (1987) | STARSHIP - NOTHINGS GONNA STOP US NOW MOVIE: MANNEQUINN (1987) |
| BERLIN - TAKE MY BREATH AWAY MOVIE: TOP GUN (1986) | ROXETTE - IT MUST HAVE BEEN LOVE MOVIE: PRETTY WOMAN (1990) |
| JOHN PARR - ST ELMO'S FIRE MOVIE: ST ELMO'S FIRE (1985) | GLADYS KNIGHT - LICENSE TO KILL MOVIE: LICENSE TO KILL (1989) |
| DAN HILL - IT'S A LONG ROAD MOVIE: FIRST BLOOD (1982) JOHN FARNHAM - YOU'RE THE VOICE (1986) | PHIL COLLINS - AGAINST ALL ODDS MOVIE: AGAINST ALL ODDS (1984) DON HENLEY - THE BOYS OF SUMMER (1984) |
| BRUCE HORNSBY & THE RANGE - THE WAY IT IS (2000) | MARC COHN - WALKING IN MEMPHIS (1991) |
| MARIA MCKEE - SHOW ME HEAVEN MOVIE: DAYS OF HEAVEN (1991) | WHITNEY HOUSTON - I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU MOVIE: THE BODYGUARD (1992) |
| BRYAN ADAMS - EVERYTHING I DO MOVIE: ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE THIEVES (1991) TINA ARENA & MARC ANTHONY - I WANT TO SPEND MY... MOVIE: ZORRO (1998) | ETERNAL - SOMEDAY MOVIE: THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (1996) JOSH GROBAN - REMEMBER ME MOVIE: TROY (2004) |
| NATALIE COLE - I LIVE FOR YOUR LONG (1987) | FOREIGNER - I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS (1984) |
| BETTE MIDLER - WIND BENEATH MY WINGS MOVIE: BEACHES (1990) | JOE COCKER & JENNIFER WARNES - UP WHERE WE BELONG - MOVIE: AN OFFICER & A GENTLEMAN (1982) |
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