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Theme Deep-Dive

Power Ballads

Lighters up, mullets out.

Look Away by Chicago — cover art

In the neon glow of smoky arenas, where lighters flickered like stars, power ballads ruled the airwaves from 1981 to 1994. These slow-burn gems took us on emotional rollercoasters, with their heart-wrenching verses and soaring choruses, while guitar solos had us feeling every note in our bones. Think of the epic moments shared at school dances, where 'Alone' and 'Is This Love' played, and love was as electric as the hair teased to the heavens. These anthems became the soundtrack of our lives, each one a heartfelt declaration, echoing through the halls of our youth. The power ballad wasn't just a song; it was a rite of passage, a way to express the complexities of young love, heartbreak, and everything in between.

On the playlist

Look Away by Chicago — cover art
Look Away
Chicago
1989
Alone by Heart — cover art
Alone
Heart
1987
I Want to Know What Love Is by Foreigner — cover art
I Want to Know What Love Is
Foreigner
1985
Broken Wings by Mr. Mister — cover art
Broken Wings
Mr. Mister
1986
Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now by Starship — cover art
Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now
Starship
1987
Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler — cover art
Total Eclipse of the Heart
Bonnie Tyler
1983
Keep On Loving You by REO Speedwagon — cover art
Keep On Loving You
REO Speedwagon
1981
Hard to Say I'm Sorry by Chicago — cover art
Hard to Say I'm Sorry
Chicago
1982
Can't Fight This Feeling by REO Speedwagon — cover art
Can't Fight This Feeling
REO Speedwagon
1985
Glory of Love (Theme from "the Karate Kid, Pt. II") by Peter Cetera — cover art
Glory of Love (Theme from "the Karate Kid, Pt. II")
Peter Cetera
1986
High Enough by Damn Yankees — cover art
High Enough
Damn Yankees
1991
Heaven by Warrant — cover art
Heaven
Warrant
1989

Did you know

  • Extreme's 'More Than Words' was an acoustic outlier that became the band's biggest hit — to their lasting frustration.
  • The power ballad was a record-label strategy: a soft single to get a hard-rock band onto pop radio and MTV.

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