-The 8 Most Gut-Wrenching Hard Rock BALLADS! Check out all my lesson vids at: www.the-art-of-... Facebook: / fansoftheartofguitar / theartofguitar Thanks!!!
You guys are making awesome suggestions. Anything outside of Hard Rock (which I may do a Part 2), I'm going to do in other genres like Classic Rock, Alt/Grunge, etc. Keep an eye out for them. :)
Nice, here are some (in no real order) that I'd add: - House of Broken Love - Great White - In a Darkened Room - Skid Row - Hysteria - Def Leppard - Estranged - Gn'R (honestly they have loads that could be on here) - Fly to the Angels - Slaughter - Forever Free - WASP - Janie's Got a Gun - Aeorosmith - I saw Red - Warrant - Forever - Kiss - Dead or Alive - Bon Jovi
Number one for me is definitely “I Remember You”. Sebastian’s vocals just scream desperation and it gets me every single time I hear it. Second would be “Love Bites”, and then third is “Still Loving You”. Buts it’s tough because there are just so many great ones!
MSG "Anytime" and Scorps "Still Loving You" will get me in the feels every time just on the intros alone. Such powerful chords. Awesome vid, as usual. I share these with my 17 yo, he's learning to play and LOVES 70's-80's hard rock & metal
One song that always gets me is "Something to Believe In" by Poison. I struggle to cry sometimes, so when I need to let it out, that's the song I go to usually. Something about praying to God when things don't go right gets to me. The second verse is also about Bret Michaels' best friend and bodyguard who died alone on Christmas Eve in 1999, which is just a gut punch when you think about it.
Nice one Mike. Here's a rough top 10: Scorpions - Still Loving You Def Leppard - Bringing On The Heartbreak Great White - Maybe Someday Firehouse - Don't Walk Away Kiss - I Still Love You Skid Row - Wasted Time Deep Purple - When A Blind Man Cries Cinderella - Nobody's Fool Dokken - Heaven Sent Motorhead - Love Me Forever
I wouldn't consider _Heaven Sent_ a ballad. But it does contain some of George Lynch's very best lead guitar. That phrasing, that tone, the vibrato, that clarity where every note rings like a belll... simply awesome!
that "when the children cry" solo is still one of my favorite solos...such an emotional set of notes put together...excellent list man,I know all of these very well,we grew up at basically the same time at the same tender age
8 ballads that shook me to my core back in the day... "For Shame" -- Kix "Mama I'm Coming Home" -- Ozzy Osbourne "All That I Bleed" -- Savatage "Bother" -- Stone Sour "Something To Believe In" -- Poison "Driftaway" -- Motley Crue "Heartbreak Station" -- Cinderella "Before The Dawn" -- Judas Priest
Dude I was born in 68 which made me a kid in the 70's and a teenager in the 80's. When I was in high school the glam metal scene was HUGE. Every song you played is like part of my life's sound track. One song that I think should have made the list was Motley Crue Home Sweet Home. That has got it ALL. Or maybe some Dokken Alone Again. But none of your choices were wrong, just 8 is too short a list when talking about the best ballads. Still Loving You from the Scorps is also at the top of the food chain (which is what I am working on right now, Mathias's parts)
Great list. I'd add Life goes on by poison, blind faith by warrant, wasted time by skid row, standing alone by Tyketto. Heck too many great ballads to list. Theres dozens of them from that era.
Those are all great tunes. I was a HUGE fan of Life Goes On, especially. Unfortunately, this was around the time when bands were starting to shoehorn extra power ballads on their albums and these tunes ultimately ended up feeling like second stringers. It's bittersweet to me, because as much as I love these songs, I also clearly remember feeling like the end was near for this era of metal.
Skid Row punched out 3 unbelievable monster power ballads of the one album - In a darkened room , Wasted time and Quicksand Jesus of Slave to the grind . Thunder had a classic also with A better man and Scorpions - Always somewhere
Don't think it's good enough to qualify as heart-wrenching but I had the honor of running sound at a close friend's wedding a couple years back and they were also heavy metal people so the bride wanted to walk down the aisle to "Love of a Lifetime" by Firehouse. Glad to see White Lion on here. Pride is an outstanding album, and I like that in the age of Power ballads that song didn't follow the trend and stayed mellow. Kix is a great choice too, that album is fantastic and the song is so powerful. My #1 would be "I Remember You". For my money it's the best power ballad of all time. I would have added "Sometimes She Cries" by Warrant, and "Alone Again" by Dokken too. Edit: also "I'll See You In My Dreams" by Giant. Amd thanks for the good word about Adrenalize-era Def Leppard. It's their poppiest album but there's a lot of good stuff.
This group of tunes falls right into my butter zone perfectly. This is how I learned how to play guitar and I believe an obvious choice was left out. Alone Again by Dokken. It is the quintessential 80s metal power ballad. Emadd9 is even the key! 🤘🏻
Thanks Mike for sharing songs that meant a lot to you back then. Here's mine (not all "gut wrenching", but meaningful to me in various ways): Is This Love - Whitesnake To Be With You - Mr Big Heaven - Warrant Mama, I’m coming Home - Ozzy Osbourne Silent Lucidity - Queensryche High Enough - Damn Yankees Sister Christian - Night Ranger Can’t Fight This Feeling - REO Speedwagon Alone - Heart Patience - Guns N Roses Angel - Aerosmith Love Bites - Def Leppard Winds of Change - Scorpions Waiting for a Girl Like You - Foreigner The Flame - Cheap Trick When I See You Smile - Bad English Dream Come True - Frozen Ghost Love Song - Tesla Something to believe in - Poison Home Sweet Home - Motley Crue Bringing On The Heartbreak - Def Leppard 18 & life - Skid Row (it's a ballad to me)
Love Song by Tesla is my all time favorite ballad. The classical intro by Frank Hanon is timeless and the solo has so much emotion and feelings behind it. I could listen to the song nonstop and it never fails to draw me in.
You explain things very well, Mike. I love how you pinpoint certain techniques to drive the point home. After recently going through a bad period, I listened to "Falling to Pieces" by Velvet Revolver, on repeat. What finally helped is my rescue squad: my Fender Strat and Godin Acoustic. I'm getting a sign made to honor them and will hang it on the wall above them.
Maybe it's because I was so young when I first heard it, but "Beth" by Kiss would top my list. I don't remember a lot of my childhood, but hearing it takes me back to 8 years old, during the brief period I lived in Florida, and all of my friends hanging out at one of their houses and them playing Kiss - Alive II (the first hard rock I had ever heard at that point) on repeat pretty much the entire summer. And then the floodgates of memories come rushing it... Having to take either band or orchestra in elementary school, and learning to play cello because all the cool kids had signed up for band before I had a chance to, and cello was all that was left. Funny how a song can do that to you, even when you were really too young to really understand it when you discovered it. The rest of my list would probably line up with yours, more-or-less.
I was lucky enough to be a teenager in early 90s. So I could enjoy 70 80 90s hard rock & metal as well as alternative, grunge and punk rock, even of 90s. I'm pretty sure that 70-90s were golden days for hard rock music even though there were variations, so called genres. Some of my favorite power ballads other than your list are : Wasted Time (Skid Row), Mama don't you cry (Steelheart), Paradise (Tesla), Tonight (Ozzy)
Absolutely best list ever! Being from near Hagerstown and 63 years young I grew up near Kix (originally The Shooze, then The Generators). The band was truly underrated. Brian Forsythe and Ronnie Younkins just complimented each other's style. Brian with AC DC style and Ronnie with Bluesy style worked well and Steve's vocals are just a good fit to both styles. Yes I sadly went to their final show in Columbia Maryland in September.
Not a full list, but a few additions Walk Away - Dokken Fly To The Angels - Slaughter Don't Turn Away - Whitesnake I'll Never Let You Go - Steelheart Til Death Do Us Part - White Lion All of them being perfect songs
Great video. "Sometimes She Cries" by Warrant is superior to "Heaven" imo. "Don't Close Your Eyes" is an awesome song! "Estranged" by GnR and "18 & Life" by Skid Row are also top tier. Also Little Caesar's "In Your Arms" is class.
Dude you described "being in that space" perfectly. I fell in love with a lot of 80's/90's ballads when I was a preteen and obviously didn't have the life experience to entirely relate to the lyrics of those songs but they still brought me to that "space" like you described.
Avenged Sevenfold- So Far Away Alter Bridge- In Loving Memory Alter Bridge- Blackbird The Last of Us (cover)- Future Days I just lost my Dad…just had his service yesterday. Alter Bridge is one of my favorite bands, and I’ve been listening to both of those songs repeatedly.
Great List!! All of them, cut right through the soul!! Not going to mention the ones you listed, just adding some from my perosnal life. I Remember You - Skid Row This holds a special place for a special person that just gutted me when I was in my teens. Still resonates with me today Without You - Motley Crue Two Steps Behind you - Def Leppard (I'm glad you mentioned "Have you ever needed someone so bad" ) Objects in the Rearview Mirror - Meat Loaf For those that really want to go to a Dark Place "I know its over" - The Smiths (This may or may not fit into this list, but it will take you to a dark place)
Mike, remember that as a talented creative soul, you are an antenna that is subject to picking up "signals" out of the atmosphere, randomly, of varying emotional intent. Just like any great artist. Roll with it, buddy. You inspire so many of us. Just like every great artist. Great content today, and you presented it in a way that doesn't make us want to revoke your man card 😊
Great lists everyone. So many perfect tunes. My hat in the ring: Poison - Something To Believe in Guns N Roses - Patience Scorpions - Send Me An Angel Judas Priest - Before The Dawn Skid Row - Wasted Time Ugly Kid Joe's version of Cats in the Cradle Sven Gali - love Don't Live Here Anymore Twisted Sister - The Price And one of my most favorite bands, Savatage - When The Crowds Are Gone.
I read an interview years ago. On the "Don't Close Your Eyes" that "keyboard" is actually a guitar synth piano patch he played. If I remember correctly.
This video was very nostalgic for me I love watching your videos it makes me proud to be a musician. I used to listen to these songs all the time growing up and everybody would pick on me telling me that the 80s music was out of style but that's what I loved and that's what I grew up with and there was always something that was very dear to me and now I'm a local musician here in my hometown and when I think about the things you say when you and your band would go perform live I can't help but relate to a lot of those situations anyways just saying I love your channel you're doing a good thing for and I'm always looking forward to your videos My list of great 80's rock ballads 8. Silent lucidity queensryche 7. I saw red warrant 6. Spell I'm under winger 5. Giving yourself away ratt 4. Don't close your eyes kix 3. Heart break station Cinderella 2. You're all I need white lion 1. Tears of fire keel
Dude, no Dokken? “Alone Again” and “Walk Away”? The solo to “Walk Away” may be Lynch’s most soulful of all. Agree on Great White and Kix (but “Walking Away” is the best ballad from Kix). Mr. Big had some good ones, too.
Remember Monster Ballads by Razor and Ty?! I got friendzoned to that album way too many times because I was the super fat funny friend. So that album inspired me to lose 160lbs and hit the gym hard. Changed my life forever.
I know and like/love all the songs you named. At the end l found myself hoping for “Phantom Rider” by the band Tora Tora. I don’t even know if people know who they are but they did have at least one great album, Surprise Attack. Guilty, Amnesia, Walking Shoes….. Phantom Rider is awesome, it will haunt you.
As much as I don't like poison something to believe in chokes me up when he talks about losing his friend & bodyguard...that's Kimo the flying hawaiian..met him when he was bodyguard for Dio. Great guy gave me passes to see Dio in Buffalo. Huge guy with a huge heart.
Here are my top 8 8. Bang Tango- A Thousand Goodbyes 7. L.A. Guns- It's Over Now 6. Kix- Tear Down The Walls 5. Dokken- Walk Away 4. Skid Row- Breakin Down 3. Tesla- What You Give 2. Warrant- Stronger Now 1. Firehouse- Love Of A Lifetime
Sorry for posting two comments, but you did remind me of my teen years, the best part of my life 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I grew up and discovered music in the mid late 80s when these big ballads were everywhere and to this day when I hear them , they gut me. Skid Row's I Remember You is probably in my top 3 for gut wrenching and meaningful ballads that bring me back to those weird middle school ewrly high school days when girls were starting to become important to me and crushes meant everything. These songs helped me define what I was feeling and helped me understand myself. I'll always love them for that.
I know you’re more into metal but would you ever consider covering Frankie Sullivan from survivor? I think he’s so underrated. If u could do 2 songs “oceans” and “I can’t hold back” by survivor. They both have great guitar melodic and blues sound, thank you either way
This was a great vid. All are great, but here are some others that really pull the emotions out of you (love, heartbreak, sadness, loss, etc.)... Timeless Love - Saraya - Overlooked because this was off the Shocker soundtrack (later added as a bonus track on their debut reissue). Slow build, really showcases her powerful voice. Once Is Enough - Joanna Dean - Her voice just really brings the song to life Love Is A Lie - Great White - Specifically the live version from Anaheim Live. Just the emotion in Jack's voice. "Save Your Love" gets the spotlight, but this is great from a different viewpoint. The Angel Song - Great White Wasted Time - Skid Row - As others have mentioned, just a fantastic song. I Saw Red - Warrant Deep Cuts The Knife - Helix When I Find Love - XYZ If I Go Away - Savatage Love Me In Black - Doro Paradise Lost - Symphony X When All Is Lost - Symphony X We Only Say Goodbye - Fates Warning
motley crues song "your all i need" is really tugging at me right now, it always gets overlooked cause its on the same album as girls girls girls, and wild side
Yes ! I would have chosen the same songs. Similar experience too in that it was a friend's hot older sister crushing on Randy Rhoads who introduced me to hair metal.
From someone old enough to be your father, here are 10 songs that stuck with me (in no particular order or genre): Beatles-- You Never Give Me Your Money. Post-Malone-- Leave. Radiohead-- All I Need. Dire Straits-- Romeo & Juliet. Paul McCartney-- Somedays. Bruce Springsteen-- The River. Rolling Stones-- Wild Horses, Memory Motel. Black Lab-- Time Ago. Eagles-- Wasted Time
OMG 12 years old lol i was 16 or 17 but these are great songs..i judge everything after 1990, by those songs even though so many people hate Nickelback , the song Photograph makes me think of Heaven, which brings back the teenage wanting to be in a hard rock band everything yo played was my teen years, when i had a band and friends
Home Sweet Home - Motley Crue Mama I'm Coming Home - Ozzy Osborne Coming Home - Cinderella Fade to Black - Metallica Romeo and Juliet - Dire Straits Two Out of Three Ain't Bad - Meatloaf I know some of those aren't really in the same genre you're going for. I know a ton of nostalgic, sad, melancholy songs since that was what I related to the most growing up. Something I was wondering about since you were around at the time, have you ever watched the Adventures of Pete & Pete? It was a nineties kid show, but it had a lot of adult humor and I honestly think it still holds up. The reason I ask though is because it had a lot of sad nostalgic songs that never received mainstream attention. I could list a bunch here to save you from having to watch the show.
Love the content man…to me also rock ballads became the soundtrack of my life as i went into 4 heartbreaks,and each time i turn into these songs for comfort..
White Lion had a better ballad but it never got airplay. Check out "Broken Home". And if you listen to their song "Warsong", there are two solos. The first is a frantic, blazing fast piece. Then a break with acoustic guitar that kind of gets drowned out by the vocals and synth, but then the 2nd solo is slow and emotional.
Don't Close Your Eyes is an awesome song. Technically though, a ballad is a song that tells a story, not necessarily just a slow song with/without an acoustic. Lyrically, "18 and Life" by Skid Row could be a ballad.
Nice video! I'm quite amazed you managed to boil it down to 8 songs. I don't think I ever could manage that, since there are just so many fantastic emotional hard rock ballads out there. "St Patrick's" by Savatage is one I have to mention though, as it never fails to make me extremely emotional (as do many of their other ballads as well, both with Jon and Zak handling vocal duties). Another hard hitter for me is WASP's "The Idol" from The Crimson Idol. Many of fantastic emotional moments on that album, but "The Idol" is definitely the huge Comfortably Numb-ish ballad to force the listener into submission. There's just something about Blackie's fantastic voice that never fails to fascinate me when he goes emotional. The closing track on Queensrÿche's Promised Land album, "Someone Else", may be just voice and piano, but Geoff Tate (still in his prime) gives a fantastic performance that always brings a tear to my eye. Not a traditional full-band-ballad, but still... Someone in the comments also mentioned "Bridge" from the same album, and it is a fantastic and beautiful song. Lastly (even though I don't think they quite fit into the hard rock genre, despite rocking quite hard) I must mention Héroes del Silencio's "La Alacena" - the closing track on El Espiritu del Vino. Piano, voice, strings and a splash of acoustic guitar. Enrique Bunbury's vocal delivery is just emotional perfection in my book. That song hits me hard every time. Ok, time to stop now, or I'll be going on forever... 😄
Good video. I worked up the courage to sing “Heaven” to Anna Kemp over the phone when I was in 9th Grade at High School. She was very cool about it, I never got a date with her though. I’d like to suggest “Without You” by Motley Crue for the list. It sounds so thick and epic and ballady, and has a really odd, subtle de-tuned effect that enhances the tear jerkeryness. Great song at the pinnacle of Hair Metal.
I don't really have any tear-jerker songs personally, but these are kinda special: Stratovarius - Forever. Stratovarius - Coming Home. Sonata Arctica - Tallulah. Annihilator - Innocent Eyes. (Jeff Waters wrote this for his then-newborn son). Annihilator - Holding On. (Jeff Waters wrote this for his wife/girlfriend who passed away due to cancer, if I remember correctly). Rainbow - Can't Let You Go. Bryan Adams - Heaven. Ozzy Osbourne - Mama I'm Coming Home (this one felt really special after my mandatory conscript service was done.)
for me wind of change is best song for crying (but in positive way) because i know that without things this song is about i would live in worst part of world under USSR like my parents did but now at least i can feel what is freedom in some way
The first time I heard Don't Close Your Eyes was in concert a couple months before it was released as a single. Before the song was even over I turned to my bro-in-law and told him it was going to be a big hit. It was one of those few songs you come along, where the instant you hear it, you love it.
Out of your list.....my top two in no particular order are LA Guns-The Ballad of Jayne & Kix Don't Close Your Eyes. The others I can give or take, but those two do not really follow the typical love struck or heart break ballad formula that so many other songs did. I like how both bands weren't afraid to talk about the tough things like suicide or death and loss. The subject you can't recover from. Ozzy and Lita do a good job, but I was never a big fan of Close Your Eyes Forever. It just didn't have anything that stood our for me.
Love Song by Tesla and Alone by Heart are my suggestions. I mean Ann Wilson’s vocals put that song at or near the pinnacle of ballads. But having a daughter who’s gonna have a heartbreak-we all do-Love Song will never fail to make me teary-eyed. She likes it already so I’ll be playing it for her when the inevitable happens.
I think Lita was playing a 12 string and that’s why the reverse effect is so haunting. These are all songs every metal head should know. Save Your Love is actually really interesting because it does the Metallica ballad stuff but throws some things in there that most thrash players wouldn’t do. It’s crazy every song on here I never learned growing up, but I’ve actually went back and learned because I love the clean chord picking washed in chorus delay and all things clean guitar 80s . Also it’s a shame that the guy who wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin is known for Cherry Pie and I don’t hate Cherry Pie but Uncle Tom’s Cabin is an extremely well written song it tells a whole story like a movie but in a few minutes.
Hey great picks ! My first concert was Slaughter with Kiss Hot in the Shade tour also ! They really had allot of energy, I never really cared for Kiss but have a funny Kix story. I skipped school and my best friend had just got Blow my Fuse so Ion the first listen we were liking every single song, Ring around Rosie had an AC/DC vibe. We was a little stoned and right at the end of Boomerang I was saying what a redundant earsore that it was and as soon it came out my mouth it says "Shut up!" and we laughed about it for an hour.
Deep cuts the knife - Helix, was # 1 for me. Followed by: - Foolin - Sister Christian - Thunderbird - House of pain - Nobody’s fool - Don’t know what you’ve got
Awesome video! Those were some of my favorites growing up that have stuck with me all my life. Some of those i just completely wore out, like Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad and Wind of Change. It seems funny how when you go through a rough patch in life old ballads can come right back to the surface.
Love Bites, Def Leppard. Killed me back then, reminding me of a specific person. I swear it was written about her. Later, I found it mostly unlistenable because of that. From a purely musicality viewpoint, it has amazing heartwrenching chords and melodies.
So many greats to choose from during that magical era: Skid Row "I Remember You" (I know you set that one aside, but, man, what a song), Kix "Don't Close Your Eyes", Firehouse "Love of a Lifetime", Europe "Carrie", Scorpions "Still Loving You" and "Send Me an Angel", Tesla "Love Song", Damn Yankees "High Enough", Dokken "Alone Again", Night Ranger "Sister Christian", GnR "November Rain", Ozzy "Mamma, I'm Coming Home", Whitesnake "Is This Love", and on and on... Then there's "Love Hurts" by Nazareth, a number of greats scattered across Aerosmith's career,
You guys are making awesome suggestions. Anything outside of Hard Rock (which I may do a Part 2), I'm going to do in other genres like Classic Rock, Alt/Grunge, etc. Keep an eye out for them. :)
Just got done watching this video. Two thumbs up for Kix and LA Guns songs!
Alt/Grunge sounds great
Check out “Shame in You” by Alice In Chains. It hits hard
Oo awesome. Seriously looking forward to all of these! 🤘🏻🔥
If I may make a suggestion, Mayonnaise by Smashing Pumpkins. It sounds like a stupid name for a song, but it's such a good tune.
"18 and Life" very powerful song, powerful vocals and great solo too!!!
Extremely heart wrenching from beginning to end.
The solo in 18 and life...... Oh my lord it's so good and fuckin powerful
GREAT example. Sebastian Bach is incredible in this tune.
Nice, here are some (in no real order) that I'd add:
- House of Broken Love - Great White
- In a Darkened Room - Skid Row
- Hysteria - Def Leppard
- Estranged - Gn'R (honestly they have loads that could be on here)
- Fly to the Angels - Slaughter
- Forever Free - WASP
- Janie's Got a Gun - Aeorosmith
- I saw Red - Warrant
- Forever - Kiss
- Dead or Alive - Bon Jovi
Forever free, so haunting
I saw red is my favorite from that list, brutal.
Recently at an open mic and a guy did I Saw Red acoustically... extremely moving.
@@Daniel189HLL Yeah , I checked it out. Not really feeling it.
Number one for me is definitely “I Remember You”. Sebastian’s vocals just scream desperation and it gets me every single time I hear it. Second would be “Love Bites”, and then third is “Still Loving You”. Buts it’s tough because there are just so many great ones!
MSG "Anytime" and Scorps "Still Loving You" will get me in the feels every time just on the intros alone. Such powerful chords. Awesome vid, as usual. I share these with my 17 yo, he's learning to play and LOVES 70's-80's hard rock & metal
MSG "Anytime"....that's a great deep cut man!👌🏻
One song that always gets me is "Something to Believe In" by Poison. I struggle to cry sometimes, so when I need to let it out, that's the song I go to usually. Something about praying to God when things don't go right gets to me. The second verse is also about Bret Michaels' best friend and bodyguard who died alone on Christmas Eve in 1999, which is just a gut punch when you think about it.
I came here to suggest this one.
Song came out late 1980s.
That's a great song.
Nice one Mike. Here's a rough top 10:
Scorpions - Still Loving You
Def Leppard - Bringing On The Heartbreak
Great White - Maybe Someday
Firehouse - Don't Walk Away
Kiss - I Still Love You
Skid Row - Wasted Time
Deep Purple - When A Blind Man Cries
Cinderella - Nobody's Fool
Dokken - Heaven Sent
Motorhead - Love Me Forever
I wouldn't consider _Heaven Sent_ a ballad. But it does contain some of George Lynch's very best lead guitar. That phrasing, that tone, the vibrato, that clarity where every note rings like a belll... simply awesome!
@@MrClassicmetal Definitely my favorite on his list. And now that reminds me of Krokus: "Our Love", another brilliant gem.
I🎉almost forgot about Skid Row I remember you,Sebastian Bachs voice just rips my heart out!💘💘💘
that "when the children cry" solo is still one of my favorite solos...such an emotional set of notes put together...excellent list man,I know all of these very well,we grew up at basically the same time at the same tender age
House of Pain and Don’t Close Your Eyes are so killer! I remember growing up watching those videos back when MTV actually played music .
I SAW RED by Warrant is one of top 80's ballads to me as far a gut wrenching especially. The bridge in that tune is just killer.
8 ballads that shook me to my core back in the day...
"For Shame" -- Kix
"Mama I'm Coming Home" -- Ozzy Osbourne
"All That I Bleed" -- Savatage
"Bother" -- Stone Sour
"Something To Believe In" -- Poison
"Driftaway" -- Motley Crue
"Heartbreak Station" -- Cinderella
"Before The Dawn" -- Judas Priest
Heartbreak Station is fantastic, and I agree with Mana I’m Coming Home
motley 94 is so good
"Wasting Love" by Iron Maiden is one of my top power ballads. Great lyrics, great solo, and it even uses that famed Emadd9 chord!
Might make my heavy metal ballads list.
Goodbye by Night Ranger is a great melancholy ballad with a great solo
Dude I was born in 68 which made me a kid in the 70's and a teenager in the 80's. When I was in high school the glam metal scene was HUGE. Every song you played is like part of my life's sound track. One song that I think should have made the list was Motley Crue Home Sweet Home. That has got it ALL. Or maybe some Dokken Alone Again. But none of your choices were wrong, just 8 is too short a list when talking about the best ballads. Still Loving You from the Scorps is also at the top of the food chain (which is what I am working on right now, Mathias's parts)
Great list. I'd add Life goes on by poison, blind faith by warrant, wasted time by skid row, standing alone by Tyketto. Heck too many great ballads to list. Theres dozens of them from that era.
Damn! I forgot about Wasted Time. One of the best high notes of all time.
@@TheArtofGuitar how about CC's solo in life goes on? You can feel the pain in that solo.
Those are all great tunes. I was a HUGE fan of Life Goes On, especially. Unfortunately, this was around the time when bands were starting to shoehorn extra power ballads on their albums and these tunes ultimately ended up feeling like second stringers. It's bittersweet to me, because as much as I love these songs, I also clearly remember feeling like the end was near for this era of metal.
Tyketto's "Forever Young" is a perfect song.
Rock without ballads its just like Mike without a guitar.
He’d just be Mike from The-Art.
Perfectly said!
Meh. Tell it to Sabbath.
@@rapid13Sabbath had Sabra Cadbra.
Or, a shoe maker without a toilet seat. 🙄🥴🥴🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Skid Row punched out 3 unbelievable monster power ballads of the one album - In a darkened room , Wasted time and Quicksand Jesus of Slave to the grind .
Thunder had a classic also with A better man and Scorpions - Always somewhere
Don't think it's good enough to qualify as heart-wrenching but I had the honor of running sound at a close friend's wedding a couple years back and they were also heavy metal people so the bride wanted to walk down the aisle to "Love of a Lifetime" by Firehouse.
Glad to see White Lion on here. Pride is an outstanding album, and I like that in the age of Power ballads that song didn't follow the trend and stayed mellow.
Kix is a great choice too, that album is fantastic and the song is so powerful.
My #1 would be "I Remember You". For my money it's the best power ballad of all time.
I would have added "Sometimes She Cries" by Warrant, and "Alone Again" by Dokken too.
Edit: also "I'll See You In My Dreams" by Giant.
Amd thanks for the good word about Adrenalize-era Def Leppard. It's their poppiest album but there's a lot of good stuff.
This group of tunes falls right into my butter zone perfectly. This is how I learned how to play guitar and I believe an obvious choice was left out. Alone Again by Dokken. It is the quintessential 80s metal power ballad. Emadd9 is even the key! 🤘🏻
Thanks Mike for sharing songs that meant a lot to you back then.
Here's mine (not all "gut wrenching", but meaningful to me in various ways):
Is This Love - Whitesnake
To Be With You - Mr Big
Heaven - Warrant
Mama, I’m coming Home - Ozzy Osbourne
Silent Lucidity - Queensryche
High Enough - Damn Yankees
Sister Christian - Night Ranger
Can’t Fight This Feeling - REO Speedwagon
Alone - Heart
Patience - Guns N Roses
Angel - Aerosmith
Love Bites - Def Leppard
Winds of Change - Scorpions
Waiting for a Girl Like You - Foreigner
The Flame - Cheap Trick
When I See You Smile - Bad English
Dream Come True - Frozen Ghost
Love Song - Tesla
Something to believe in - Poison
Home Sweet Home - Motley Crue
Bringing On The Heartbreak - Def Leppard
18 & life - Skid Row (it's a ballad to me)
Love Song by Tesla is my all time favorite ballad. The classical intro by Frank Hanon is timeless and the solo has so much emotion and feelings behind it. I could listen to the song nonstop and it never fails to draw me in.
Love that song. Epic solo.
I still love "House Of Broken Love" by Great White.
You explain things very well, Mike. I love how you pinpoint certain techniques to drive the point home. After recently going through a bad period, I listened to "Falling to Pieces" by Velvet Revolver, on repeat. What finally helped is my rescue squad: my Fender Strat and Godin Acoustic. I'm getting a sign made to honor them and will hang it on the wall above them.
You nailed them all and I was waiting for "The Ballad of Jayne" "House of Pain" was a killer too. Thanks I still listen to these really often!!
Maybe it's because I was so young when I first heard it, but "Beth" by Kiss would top my list. I don't remember a lot of my childhood, but hearing it takes me back to 8 years old, during the brief period I lived in Florida, and all of my friends hanging out at one of their houses and them playing Kiss - Alive II (the first hard rock I had ever heard at that point) on repeat pretty much the entire summer. And then the floodgates of memories come rushing it... Having to take either band or orchestra in elementary school, and learning to play cello because all the cool kids had signed up for band before I had a chance to, and cello was all that was left. Funny how a song can do that to you, even when you were really too young to really understand it when you discovered it. The rest of my list would probably line up with yours, more-or-less.
That’ll probably make my classic rock list.
Beautiful list❤! In addition to your list : "Open Arms" by Journey and "We've Got Tonight" by Bob Seger still kick me in the feels 🥰
Sleeze Beez is my favorite underrated band, and they did a cover of Journey's "Faithfully" in 2011.
I was lucky enough to be a teenager in early 90s. So I could enjoy 70 80 90s hard rock & metal as well as alternative, grunge and punk rock, even of 90s. I'm pretty sure that 70-90s were golden days for hard rock music even though there were variations, so called genres. Some of my favorite power ballads other than your list are : Wasted Time (Skid Row), Mama don't you cry (Steelheart), Paradise (Tesla), Tonight (Ozzy)
Absolutely best list ever! Being from near Hagerstown and 63 years young I grew up near Kix (originally The Shooze, then The Generators). The band was truly underrated. Brian Forsythe and Ronnie Younkins just complimented each other's style. Brian with AC DC style and Ronnie with Bluesy style worked well and Steve's vocals are just a good fit to both styles. Yes I sadly went to their final show in Columbia Maryland in September.
Summerland by Kings X. Great tune, beautiful solo... And a guitar sound for the ages
Sorry to hear you’re going through it. You’re a good guy Mike, hang in there.
Not a full list, but a few additions
Walk Away - Dokken
Fly To The Angels - Slaughter
Don't Turn Away - Whitesnake
I'll Never Let You Go - Steelheart
Til Death Do Us Part - White Lion
All of them being perfect songs
Taking me back to my teen years man. I had to catch the countdown every day and then Headbanger's Ball on Saturday played it all too. Good times.
Great video. "Sometimes She Cries" by Warrant is superior to "Heaven" imo. "Don't Close Your Eyes" is an awesome song! "Estranged" by GnR and "18 & Life" by Skid Row are also top tier. Also Little Caesar's "In Your Arms" is class.
Dude you described "being in that space" perfectly. I fell in love with a lot of 80's/90's ballads when I was a preteen and obviously didn't have the life experience to entirely relate to the lyrics of those songs but they still brought me to that "space" like you described.
Avenged Sevenfold- So Far Away
Alter Bridge- In Loving Memory
Alter Bridge- Blackbird
The Last of Us (cover)- Future Days
I just lost my Dad…just had his service yesterday. Alter Bridge is one of my favorite bands, and I’ve been listening to both of those songs repeatedly.
Might make my metal ballads list. Sorry to hear about your dad.
Great List!! All of them, cut right through the soul!! Not going to mention the ones you listed, just adding some from my perosnal life.
I Remember You - Skid Row This holds a special place for a special person that just gutted me when I was in my teens. Still resonates with me today
Without You - Motley Crue
Two Steps Behind you - Def Leppard (I'm glad you mentioned "Have you ever needed someone so bad" )
Objects in the Rearview Mirror - Meat Loaf
For those that really want to go to a Dark Place "I know its over" - The Smiths (This may or may not fit into this list, but it will take you to a dark place)
Mike, remember that as a talented creative soul, you are an antenna that is subject to picking up "signals" out of the atmosphere, randomly, of varying emotional intent. Just like any great artist. Roll with it, buddy. You inspire so many of us. Just like every great artist. Great content today, and you presented it in a way that doesn't make us want to revoke your man card 😊
Great lists everyone.
So many perfect tunes.
My hat in the ring:
Poison - Something To Believe in
Guns N Roses - Patience
Scorpions - Send Me An Angel
Judas Priest - Before The Dawn
Skid Row - Wasted Time
Ugly Kid Joe's version of Cats in the Cradle
Sven Gali - love Don't Live Here Anymore
Twisted Sister - The Price
And one of my most favorite bands,
Savatage - When The Crowds Are Gone.
I read an interview years ago. On the "Don't Close Your Eyes" that "keyboard" is actually a guitar synth piano patch he played. If I remember correctly.
No idea, but I think the live album version had some cool piano at the end. Donnie Purnell is a genius.
This video was very nostalgic for me I love watching your videos it makes me proud to be a musician.
I used to listen to these songs all the time growing up and everybody would pick on me telling me that the 80s music was out of style but that's what I loved and that's what I grew up with and there was always something that was very dear to me and now I'm a local musician here in my hometown and when I think about the things you say when you and your band would go perform live I can't help but relate to a lot of those situations anyways just saying I love your channel you're doing a good thing for and I'm always looking forward to your videos
My list of great 80's rock ballads
8. Silent lucidity queensryche
7. I saw red warrant
6. Spell I'm under winger
5. Giving yourself away ratt
4. Don't close your eyes kix
3. Heart break station Cinderella
2. You're all I need white lion
1. Tears of fire keel
Dude, no Dokken? “Alone Again” and “Walk Away”? The solo to “Walk Away” may be Lynch’s most soulful of all.
Agree on Great White and Kix (but “Walking Away” is the best ballad from Kix). Mr. Big had some good ones, too.
Remember Monster Ballads by Razor and Ty?! I got friendzoned to that album way too many times because I was the super fat funny friend. So that album inspired me to lose 160lbs and hit the gym hard. Changed my life forever.
Great Whites Save your Love was the first song I learned how to play by ear alone.
One of my proudest moments.
Come to think of it Dokken have a lot of great ballad type songs... In My Dreams, Alone Again, Heaven Sent, Walk Away, Jaded Heart etc
I know and like/love all the songs you named. At the end l found myself hoping for “Phantom Rider” by the band Tora Tora. I don’t even know if people know who they are but they did have at least one great album, Surprise Attack. Guilty, Amnesia, Walking Shoes….. Phantom Rider is awesome, it will haunt you.
“I’ll See You in My Dreams” by Giant
18 and life hits home to me, my days in highschool where not a walf in the park
Love the list. My top three Something to Believe In - Poison, Bring on the Heartbreak - Def Leppard, and I'll Be There For You - Bon Jovi
As much as I don't like poison something to believe in chokes me up when he talks about losing his friend & bodyguard...that's Kimo the flying hawaiian..met him when he was bodyguard for Dio. Great guy gave me passes to see Dio in Buffalo. Huge guy with a huge heart.
Here are my top 8
8. Bang Tango- A Thousand Goodbyes
7. L.A. Guns- It's Over Now
6. Kix- Tear Down The Walls
5. Dokken- Walk Away
4. Skid Row- Breakin Down
3. Tesla- What You Give
2. Warrant- Stronger Now
1. Firehouse- Love Of A Lifetime
EVERY song listed, is in my favorite playlist, that i listen to on repeat
How Can Love Just Fade Away by Concrete Jungle always gets me in the feels
Sorry for posting two comments, but you did remind me of my teen years, the best part of my life
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I’m so great full I was a teenager during this era of music. They hit me the same way
I grew up and discovered music in the mid late 80s when these big ballads were everywhere and to this day when I hear them , they gut me. Skid Row's I Remember You is probably in my top 3 for gut wrenching and meaningful ballads that bring me back to those weird middle school ewrly high school days when girls were starting to become important to me and crushes meant everything. These songs helped me define what I was feeling and helped me understand myself. I'll always love them for that.
Great list! My list would add Giant - In my Dreams and MSG - When I'm Gone.
Always by Jovi is a good one. Video makes it better. Not too keen on Richie’s choice of tone for his solo.
I know you’re more into metal but would you ever consider covering Frankie Sullivan from survivor? I think he’s so underrated. If u could do 2 songs “oceans” and “I can’t hold back” by survivor. They both have great guitar melodic and blues sound, thank you either way
Talking of all the feels, Jani Lane's daughter Madison has covered "Heaven".
Awesome video Mike! Thanks for mentioning my favorite band, Faster Pussycat.
This was a great vid. All are great, but here are some others that really pull the emotions out of you (love, heartbreak, sadness, loss, etc.)...
Timeless Love - Saraya - Overlooked because this was off the Shocker soundtrack (later added as a bonus track on their debut reissue). Slow build, really showcases her powerful voice.
Once Is Enough - Joanna Dean - Her voice just really brings the song to life
Love Is A Lie - Great White - Specifically the live version from Anaheim Live. Just the emotion in Jack's voice. "Save Your Love" gets the spotlight, but this is great from a different viewpoint.
The Angel Song - Great White
Wasted Time - Skid Row - As others have mentioned, just a fantastic song.
I Saw Red - Warrant
Deep Cuts The Knife - Helix
When I Find Love - XYZ
If I Go Away - Savatage
Love Me In Black - Doro
Paradise Lost - Symphony X
When All Is Lost - Symphony X
We Only Say Goodbye - Fates Warning
motley crues song "your all i need" is really tugging at me right now, it always gets overlooked cause its on the same album as girls girls girls, and wild side
Yes !
I would have chosen the same songs. Similar experience too in that it was a friend's hot older sister crushing on Randy Rhoads who introduced me to hair metal.
Your thought process and your list just made me think of Motley Crue's On with the Show.
From someone old enough to be your father, here are 10 songs that stuck with me (in no particular order or genre): Beatles-- You Never Give Me Your Money. Post-Malone-- Leave. Radiohead-- All I Need. Dire Straits-- Romeo & Juliet. Paul McCartney-- Somedays. Bruce Springsteen-- The River. Rolling Stones-- Wild Horses, Memory Motel. Black Lab-- Time Ago. Eagles-- Wasted Time
White lions you're all I need has vitos best solo imo. Guy was brilliant.
OMG 12 years old lol i was 16 or 17
but these are great songs..i judge everything after 1990, by those songs
even though so many people hate Nickelback , the song Photograph makes me think of Heaven, which brings back the teenage wanting to be in a hard rock band
everything yo played was my teen years, when i had a band and friends
Home Sweet Home - Motley Crue
Mama I'm Coming Home - Ozzy Osborne
Coming Home - Cinderella
Fade to Black - Metallica
Romeo and Juliet - Dire Straits
Two Out of Three Ain't Bad - Meatloaf
I know some of those aren't really in the same genre you're going for. I know a ton of nostalgic, sad, melancholy songs since that was what I related to the most growing up.
Something I was wondering about since you were around at the time, have you ever watched the Adventures of Pete & Pete? It was a nineties kid show, but it had a lot of adult humor and I honestly think it still holds up. The reason I ask though is because it had a lot of sad nostalgic songs that never received mainstream attention. I could list a bunch here to save you from having to watch the show.
Check out, “Life Goes On” by Poison if you don’t know it. Heartbreaking and also has one of the best guitar solos ever!
Love the content man…to me also rock ballads became the soundtrack of my life as i went into 4 heartbreaks,and each time i turn into these songs for comfort..
I'd add Alone Again by Dokken and Shot Through The Heart by Bon Jovi, definitely one of my favourite ones
White Lion had a better ballad but it never got airplay. Check out "Broken Home". And if you listen to their song "Warsong", there are two solos. The first is a frantic, blazing fast piece. Then a break with acoustic guitar that kind of gets drowned out by the vocals and synth, but then the 2nd solo is slow and emotional.
Don't Close Your Eyes is an awesome song. Technically though, a ballad is a song that tells a story, not necessarily just a slow song with/without an acoustic. Lyrically, "18 and Life" by Skid Row could be a ballad.
Wow. Walk down memory lane of my teenage years.
These songs made me who I am! Incredible stuff.
Don’t Know What You Got is still one of my favorite ballads of all time. Keifer sounds believable which is what makes it great.
Great selections. Glad to see House of Pain and When the Children Cry get some love.
Vandenburg Burning Heart. Cool chordal progression including harmonics, and an awesome solo by Adrian Vandenburg.
Nice video! I'm quite amazed you managed to boil it down to 8 songs. I don't think I ever could manage that, since there are just so many fantastic emotional hard rock ballads out there. "St Patrick's" by Savatage is one I have to mention though, as it never fails to make me extremely emotional (as do many of their other ballads as well, both with Jon and Zak handling vocal duties). Another hard hitter for me is WASP's "The Idol" from The Crimson Idol. Many of fantastic emotional moments on that album, but "The Idol" is definitely the huge Comfortably Numb-ish ballad to force the listener into submission. There's just something about Blackie's fantastic voice that never fails to fascinate me when he goes emotional. The closing track on Queensrÿche's Promised Land album, "Someone Else", may be just voice and piano, but Geoff Tate (still in his prime) gives a fantastic performance that always brings a tear to my eye. Not a traditional full-band-ballad, but still... Someone in the comments also mentioned "Bridge" from the same album, and it is a fantastic and beautiful song. Lastly (even though I don't think they quite fit into the hard rock genre, despite rocking quite hard) I must mention Héroes del Silencio's "La Alacena" - the closing track on El Espiritu del Vino. Piano, voice, strings and a splash of acoustic guitar. Enrique Bunbury's vocal delivery is just emotional perfection in my book. That song hits me hard every time. Ok, time to stop now, or I'll be going on forever... 😄
Good video. I worked up the courage to sing “Heaven” to Anna Kemp over the phone when I was in 9th Grade at High School. She was very cool about it, I never got a date with her though. I’d like to suggest “Without You” by Motley Crue for the list. It sounds so thick and epic and ballady, and has a really odd, subtle de-tuned effect that enhances the tear jerkeryness. Great song at the pinnacle of Hair Metal.
I don't really have any tear-jerker songs personally, but these are kinda special:
Stratovarius - Forever.
Stratovarius - Coming Home.
Sonata Arctica - Tallulah.
Annihilator - Innocent Eyes. (Jeff Waters wrote this for his then-newborn son).
Annihilator - Holding On. (Jeff Waters wrote this for his wife/girlfriend who passed away due to cancer, if I remember correctly).
Rainbow - Can't Let You Go.
Bryan Adams - Heaven.
Ozzy Osbourne - Mama I'm Coming Home (this one felt really special after my mandatory conscript service was done.)
Kix and Ratt was my first concert.
for me wind of change is best song for crying (but in positive way) because i know that without things this song is about i would live in worst part of world under USSR like my parents did but now at least i can feel what is freedom in some way
The first time I heard Don't Close Your Eyes was in concert a couple months before it was released as a single. Before the song was even over I turned to my bro-in-law and told him it was going to be a big hit. It was one of those few songs you come along, where the instant you hear it, you love it.
Awesome list for me Walk Away by Dokken always strikes me straight through the heart
Keep your head up Mike. We’ve all been there, some of us are now as well!
Nice list. For me, Forever Free by W.A.S.P. is the ultimate hard rock ballad.
Every Rose Has its Thorn should’ve been at least an honorable mention.
Slippin’’ Away or Jaded Heart from Dokken also.
See You Someday by Lillian Axe. A super underrated band with one of the most incredible guitarists ever.
The way i remember it...this whole list is songs we had to endure to get to the good music...
Out of your list.....my top two in no particular order are LA Guns-The Ballad of Jayne & Kix Don't Close Your Eyes. The others I can give or take, but those two do not really follow the typical love struck or heart break ballad formula that so many other songs did. I like how both bands weren't afraid to talk about the tough things like suicide or death and loss. The subject you can't recover from. Ozzy and Lita do a good job, but I was never a big fan of Close Your Eyes Forever. It just didn't have anything that stood our for me.
Well I would've put money on 'These Dreams' being in here 😁
This entire list is spot on, my friend. Music will never be this good again. 🤘🏻
Love Song by Tesla and Alone by Heart are my suggestions. I mean Ann Wilson’s vocals put that song at or near the pinnacle of ballads. But having a daughter who’s gonna have a heartbreak-we all do-Love Song will never fail to make me teary-eyed. She likes it already so I’ll be playing it for her when the inevitable happens.
I think Lita was playing a 12 string and that’s why the reverse effect is so haunting. These are all songs every metal head should know. Save Your Love is actually really interesting because it does the Metallica ballad stuff but throws some things in there that most thrash players wouldn’t do. It’s crazy every song on here I never learned growing up, but I’ve actually went back and learned because I love the clean chord picking washed in chorus delay and all things clean guitar 80s .
Also it’s a shame that the guy who wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin is known for Cherry Pie and I don’t hate Cherry Pie but Uncle Tom’s Cabin is an extremely well written song it tells a whole story like a movie but in a few minutes.
Hey great picks ! My first concert was Slaughter with Kiss Hot in the Shade tour also ! They really had allot of energy, I never really cared for Kiss but have a funny Kix story. I skipped school and my best friend had just got Blow my Fuse so Ion the first listen we were liking every single song, Ring around Rosie had an AC/DC vibe. We was a little stoned and right at the end of Boomerang I was saying what a redundant earsore that it was and as soon it came out my mouth it says "Shut up!" and we laughed about it for an hour.
Saddest guitar solo of all time: "Cure My Tragedy" by Cold. The whole song is heartbreaking.
Deep cuts the knife - Helix, was # 1 for me.
Followed by:
- Foolin
- Sister Christian
- Thunderbird
- House of pain
- Nobody’s fool
- Don’t know what you’ve got
Awesome video! Those were some of my favorites growing up that have stuck with me all my life. Some of those i just completely wore out, like Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad and Wind of Change. It seems funny how when you go through a rough patch in life old ballads can come right back to the surface.
Love Bites, Def Leppard. Killed me back then, reminding me of a specific person. I swear it was written about her. Later, I found it mostly unlistenable because of that. From a purely musicality viewpoint, it has amazing heartwrenching chords and melodies.
Forever young by Tyketto is a gut wrenching rocker!
So many greats to choose from during that magical era: Skid Row "I Remember You" (I know you set that one aside, but, man, what a song), Kix "Don't Close Your Eyes", Firehouse "Love of a Lifetime", Europe "Carrie", Scorpions "Still Loving You" and "Send Me an Angel", Tesla "Love Song", Damn Yankees "High Enough", Dokken "Alone Again", Night Ranger "Sister Christian", GnR "November Rain", Ozzy "Mamma, I'm Coming Home", Whitesnake "Is This Love", and on and on... Then there's "Love Hurts" by Nazareth, a number of greats scattered across Aerosmith's career,