I’m unashamedly a child of the 80s; I’m too young to remember much before 88, but I’m fascinated by the clothing, the big hair and mullets, the songs. I love U2, Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper, but for a guilty pleasure you can’t go past the power ballads. These are some of the ones I still love… so come on, get out your iPod and have a listen; no-one needs to know. 😉
5) The Flame
Cheap Trick
I’ve never been quite sure what the lyrics to The Flame really mean, if the song is about loss or it it’s a statement between lovers. If it is actually the former, then it’s quite like The Police’s Every Breath You Take – a song about obsession and not really a ballad at all.
4) I Want To Know What Love Is
Foreigner
One of my favourite angst songs, I always loved the This mountain I must climb/Feels like a world upon my shoulders line. It went to #1 in Aus, the US and the UK, so I guess I’m not the only one.
3) Sweet Child O’ Mine
Guns N’ Roses
It would be hard not to include Axl Rose and Guns ‘N Roses in a list like this, but Sweet Child O’ Mine is one of my favourite songs anyway; I love the vulnerability of the song and the guitar solos (of course). Just don’t listen to the cut version; if you’ve only ever heard the edit, you’ve never heard Sweet Child O’ Mine.
2) Home Sweet Home
Mötley Crüe
Home Sweet Home was probably one of the first hit songs of the MTV generation; its first release never got past #89 in the US, but it was MTV’s most requested song for four months straight. I must admit, I know it more from the ’91 re-release, but it’s a great song.
1) Holding Out for a Hero/Total Eclipse of the Heart
Bonnie Tyler
Okay, so I’m cheating a bit here with two songs, but I can’t separate them so I’m going for the artist instead; if I had to think of one artist to represent the 80s, Bonnie Tyler would get my vote – huge songs, way overdone, but fun as hell. I love Bonnie Tyler as well because of Cate Blanchett in Bandits; if you haven’t seen the scene where she dances to Holding Out for a Hero while chopping vegetables, you don’t know what you’re missing. 🙂
Some great choices there, CJ. I can remember having loads of fun with Bonnie T’s It’s a hard egg.
Here are a few from my own list from that period. Enjoy.
CJ: Thanks Roads! I just think Bonnie Tyler’s songs are such fun; so infectious. When I was younger I used to love parodying them. Now I just watch Cate Blanchett dancing!
Great playlist as well. Stevie Nicks, Crowded House, Natalie Imbruglia, Time After Time, Don’t Speak, they’d all be on mine too. 🙂
What about some Journey? You gotta love that bad right?
Felipe
CJ: Oh I love Journey! Open Arms and Don’t Stop Believin’ are classics. Now they’re in my head again!
There are so many to choose from, and I wasn’t even able to do one of my favourites because it was from the 90s: Meat Loaf’s I’d Do Anything for Love. I might have to do another list! Thanks for the comment. 😉
Foreigner is on SingStar, and holding those long notes are KILLER. Good fun!
CJ: I’ve played SingStar a couple of times; it’s great fun – though I can never hit the high notes! And there’s actually a SingStar Rock Ballads coming out soon; Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time, Poison’s Every Rose Has Its Thorn – and Meat Loaf’s I’d Do Anything For Love! I might have to check it out. 😉
Here is a list of 100 power ballads I made on playlist dot com for my 20 year high school reunion web site
1. Every Rose Has It’s Thorn — Poison
2. When The Children Cry — White Lion
3. I Still Love You — Kiss
4. Home Sweet Home — Motley Crue
5. Wanted Dead Or Alive — Bon Jovi
6. Love Bites — Def Leppard
7. More Than Words — Extreme
8. Surrender — Trixter
9. Is This Love — Whitesnake
10. Nobody’s Fool — Cinderella
11. Headed For A Heartbreak — Winger
12. Carrie — Europe
13. Amanda — Boston
14. Silent Lucidity — Queensryche
15. Heaven — Warrant
16. Love Song — Tesla
17. Dont Know What You Got — Cinderella
18. I Remember You — Skid Row
19. Life Goes On — Poison
20. Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad — Def Leppard
21. The Angel Song — Great White
22. The Flame — Cheap Trick
23. Foolin’ — Def Leppard
24. Screaming In The Night — Krokus
25. Something To Believe In — Poison
26. Close My Eyes Forever — Lita Ford
27. Sister Christian — Night Ranger
28. Forever — Kiss
29. When I Look Into Your Eyes — Firehouse
30. Love of a LiIfetime — Firehouse
31. Feel It Again — Honeymoon Suite
32. Miles Away — Winger
33. Goodbye — Night Ranger
34. Sentimental Street — Night Ranger
35. Paradise — Tesla
36. Sometimes She Cries — Warrant
37. She’s Gone — Steelheart
38. Angel Eyes — Steelheart
39. Mama, I’m Coming Home — Ozzy Osbourne
40. Dont Cry — Guns n Roses
41. High Enough — Damn Yankees
42. I’ll Be There For You — Bon Jovi
43. Angel — Aerosmith
44. Call To The Heart — Giuffria
45. Bed Of Roses — Bon Jovi
46. November Rain — Guns N’ Roses
47. Wind of Change — Scorpions
48. Send Me An Angel — Scorpions
49. I’ll See You In My Dreams — Giant
50. Crying — Vixen
51. Love Walked In — Thunder
52. All I Want To Do Is Make Love To You — Heart
53. Alone — Heart
54. Save Your Love — Great White
55. Still Loving You — Scorpions
56. Honestly — Stryper
57. Two Steps Behind (Acoustic) — Def Leppard
58. I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing — Aerosmith
59. Love Hurts — Nazareth
60. Million Miles Away — Hanoi Rocks
61. Love Is On The Way — Saigon Kick
62. Patience — Guns ‘N Roses
63. Kayleigh — Marillion
64. Wasted Time — Skid Row
65. Thunderbird — Quiet Riot
66. Silence Is Broken — Damn Yankees
67. never say — bon jovi
68. If You Want My Love — Cheap Trick
69. Crimson and Clover — Joan Jett
70. Here I Go Again On My Own — Whitesnake
71. Janie Got A Gun — Aerosmith
72. Cryin — Aerosmith
73. What About Love — Heart
74. Bringin’ On The Heartbreak — Def Leppard
75. Fly To The Angels — Slaughter
76. To Be With You — Mr. Big
77. Only Time Will Tell — Nelson
78. Stone Cold — Rainbow
79. Ball And Chain — Aldo Nova
80. Dokken – Walk Away — Dokken
81. KIX — Don’t Close Your Eyes mp3
82. Fly High Michelle — Enuff Z’Nuff
83. What Does It Take — Honey Moon Suite
84. Love Walks In — Van Halen
85. Living In Sin — Bon Jovi
86. A Man I’ll Never Be — Boston
87. Dreamer — OZZY
88. House Of Broken Love — Great White
89. So Tired — Ozzy Osbourne
90. When the Smoke is Going Down — The Scorpions
91. Holiday — Scorpions
92. Forever Free — W.A.S.P.
93. Goodbye To Romance — Ozzy Osbourne
94. Feel Like Makin’ Love — Bad Company
95. Keep On Loving You — REO Speedwagon
96. The Ballad Of Jane — L.a. Guns
97. Eyes Without A Face — Billy Idol
98. When It’s Love — Van Halen
99. Meat Loaf — I do anything for love
100. We Are The Champions — Queen
CJ: Some great songs on your list. I might change a couple of the Bon Jovi songs but you’ve got some great bands there! Thanks for stopping by. 😉