HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHACRAP. No waffles for nobody. I might start four or five accounts just to vote crap again four or five times.

Double crap for the term itself being a misnomer, "cheesy love song" is not what "ballad" means.

ErickC wrote: Mon Jul 19, 2021 6:13 pm HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHACRAP. No waffles for nobody. I might start four or five accounts just to vote crap again four or five times.

Double crap for the term itself being a misnomer, "cheesy love song" is not what "ballad" means.

jason from volo wrote: Mon Jul 19, 2021 5:15 pm Carried over from the “90s Cringe” thread.

Has origins much earlier than 80s metal but seems to have peaked as a song style then.

CRAP, with some waffles. This (and the original by Badfinger) is probably my favorite and worthy of a NC.

No.

I love most of Nilsson, but damn, this song makes me leap across the room for the pause/skip/MAKE IT FUCKING STOP button.

Generally, a resounding CRAP, but there's always one that manages to skirt the old defences. I heard/saw this on one of the rotating-70s-music-video-channels a few months back, and had very sketchy memories of hearing it back in the day, but not at all since. Fairly heavy prog-production vibe throughout, particularly when the drums kick in, and then again, when the strings turn up at the 2 minute mark.

Yeah, I quite like this one.

I look forward to being unswayed by any clip posted in this thread. (the last one was ok in a 4AD-ish way but nothing really 'power' about it)

Do you all have any ground rules here for what's a power ballad and what's not? My understanding is a power ballad must start out slowly, have sentimental/schmaltzy lyrics, and build up to a pretty ripping guitar solo. It also seems like a power ballad is an 80s thing, but that may be more the heyday of the PB rather than a definitive thing.

Crap, for the most part.

I was in the grocery store this weekend and heard Bon Jovi's 'Always'. That song is awful and so cliche.

(Yes, I know a lot of you probably think Bon Jovi is awful and cliche, but I have a soft spot for some of the Slippery When Wet and New Jersey tunes.)

Crap.

Occasional waffle such as Nazareth's version of "Love Hurts."

That song is definitely a power ballad and it rules.

penningtron wrote: Tue Jul 20, 2021 8:06 am I look forward to being unswayed by any clip posted in this thread.

Same here.

I’d define a power ballad as “a ballad that’s afraid someone will call it a wuss.”

jason from volo wrote: Tue Jul 20, 2021 9:13 am
(Blur "The Universal")



Perhaps I'm extending the definition too far??

The Universal is not a power ballad, it's a pure pop song. IMHO, power ballads are based in blues more, less in pop.

I don't need to post REO Speedwagon do I? Yes, I do.