Sentimental ballad: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|styleStyle of music}}

{{ForAbout||the painting by Grant Wood|Sentimental Ballad (painting)|information on the modified type of blues music in South Korea|Korean ballad}}

Sentimental ballads have their roots from medieval [[Music of France|French]] ''chanson balladée'' or ''[[Ballade (forme fixe)|ballade]]'', which were originally "danced songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular [[poetry]] and song of the [[British Isles]] from the later [[medieval]] period until the 19th century. They were widely used across [[Europe]], and later in the [[Americas]], [[Australia]] and [[North Africa]].<ref>W. Apel, ''Harvard Dictionary of Music'' (Harvard, 1944; 2nd edn., 1972), p. 70.</ref><ref>A. Jacobs, ''A Short History of Western Music'' (1972, Penguin, 1976), p. 21.</ref><ref>W. Apel, ''Harvard Dictionary of Music'' (1944, Harvard, 1972), pp. 70-7270–72.</ref> As a narrative song, their theme and function may originate from [[Scandinavia]]n and [[Germanic peoples|Germanic]] traditions of storytelling.<ref name=Houseman1952>J. E. Housman, ''British Popular Ballads'' (1952, London: Ayer Publishing, 1969), p. 15.</ref> Musically they were influenced by the [[Minnesinger]].<ref>A. Jacobs, ''A Short History of Western Music'' (Penguin 1972, 1976), p. 20.</ref> The earliest example of a recognizable ballad in form in [[England]] is "[[Judas (ballad)|Judas]]" in a 13th-century [[manuscript]].<ref name="N. Bold, 1979 p. 5">A. N. Bold, ''The Ballad'' (Routledge, 1979), p. 5.</ref> A reference in [[William Langland]]'s ''[[Piers Plowman]]'' indicates that ballads about [[Robin Hood]] were being sung from at least the late 14th century and the oldest detailed material is [[Wynkyn de Worde|Wynkyn de Worde's]] collection of Robin Hood ballads printed about 1495.<ref name=Sweers2005>B. Sweers, ''Electric Folk: The Changing Face of English Traditional Music'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005), p. 45.</ref>

[[File:Frank Sinatra in 1957.jpg|thumb|left|upright|In 1962, [[Frank Sinatra]] released ''[[Sinatra and Strings]]'', a set of standard ballads, which became one of the most critically acclaimed works of Sinatra's entire Reprise period.<ref name=sinatraasidol>{{cite news|title=Sinatra as Idol – Not Artist|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB121063311685686579|date=May 13, May 2008|access-date=May 15, May 2008|last=Fusilli|first=Jim|work=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref>]]

Popular sentimental ballad vocalists in this era include [[Frank Sinatra]], [[Ella Fitzgerald]], [[Andy Williams]], [[Johnny Mathis]], [[Connie Francis]] and [[Perry Como]]. Their recordings were usually lush orchestral arrangements of current or recent [[rock and roll]] or [[pop music|pop]] hit songs. The most popular and enduring songs from this style of music are known as "pop standards" or (where relevant) "American standards". Many vocalists became involved in 1960s' [[vocal jazz]] and the rebirth of [[swing music]], which was sometimes referred to as "[[easy listening]]" and was, in essence, a revival of popularity of the "sweet bands" that had been popular during the [[swing era]], but with more emphasis on the vocalist and the sentimentality.<ref>{{cite documentjournal |urllast1=http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/notes/v061/61.4goldsmith.htmlGoldsmith |titlefirst1=ProjectMelissa MUSEUrsula -Dawn |title=Lounge Caravan: A Selective Discography |journal=Notes |date=2005 |volume=61 |issue=4 |pages=1060–1083 |id={{Project MUSE|183067}} |doi=10.1353/not.2005.0059|publisher=Muse.jhu.edu|date=February 23, 2005|s2cid=191619811|access-date=October 3, 2012}}</ref>

[[Soft rock]], a subgenre that mainly consists of ballads, was derived from [[folk rock]] in the late 1960s, using acoustic instruments and putting more emphasis on melody and harmonies. Major sentimental ballad artists of this decade included [[Barbra Streisand]], [[Nana Mouskouri]], [[Elton John]], [[Engelbert Humperdinck (singer)|Engelbert Humperdinck]], [[Carole King]], [[Cat Stevens]] and [[James Taylor]]. By the early 1970s, softer ballad songs by [[the Carpenters]], [[Anne Murray]], [[John Denver]] and [[Barry Manilow]] began to be played more often on "Top 40" radio.<ref name=SoftRockClassificationMM>{{cite webfact|url=http://www.mademan.com/mm/10-best-soft-rock-ballads.html|title=10 Best Soft Rock Ballads|publisher=Made Man|access-date=DecemberOctober 6, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101113200141/http://www.mademan.com/mm/10-best-soft-rock-ballads.html|archive-date=November 13, 2010|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all2023}} "Journey fans can easily list a dozen soft rock ballads from the band..."</ref>

Some rock-oriented acts such as [[Queen (band)|Queen]] and the [[Eagles (band)|Eagles]] also produced ballads.<ref name="M. Curtis, 1987 p. 236"/><ref>{{cite web|author=Soft Rock |url=http://www.allmusic.com/subgenre/soft-rock-ma0000011841 |title=Soft Rock : Significant Albums, Artists and Songs, Most Viewed |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=9 January 9, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://80music.about.com/od/genresmovements/p/softrockprofile.htm |title=Soft Rock - Profile of the Mellow, Romantic Soft Rock of the '70s and Early '80s |publisher=80music.about.com |date=12 April 12, 2012 |access-date=9 January 9, 2013}}</ref>

When the word ''ballad'' appears in the title of a song, as for example in [[the Beatles]]' "[[The Ballad of John and Yoko]]" (1969) or [[Billy Joel]]'s "[[The Ballad of Billy the Kid]]" (1974), the [[folk music]] sense is generally implied. The term ''ballad'' is also sometimes applied to strophic story-songs more generally, such as [[Don McLean]]'s "[[American Pie (song)|American Pie]]" (1971).<ref>D. R. Adams, ''Rock 'n' roll and the Cleveland Connection Music of the Great Lakes'' (Kent State University Press, 2002), {{ISBN|0-87338-691-4}}, p. 70.</ref><ref>C. H. Sterling, M. C. Keith, ''Sounds of Change: a History of FM broadcasting in America'' (UNC Press, 2008), pp. 136-7.</ref><ref name=SoftRockClassificationBBC>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11733277|title=Journey: The band who did not stop believing|publisher=BBC News|access-date=December 6, December 2010|date=November 12, November 2010}}</ref>

{{See also|Adult contemporary music}}

[[Image:Celine Dion Concert Singing 'Taking Chances' 2008.jpg|thumb|[[Celine Dion]]'s albums were generally constructed on the basis of melodramatic [[soft rock]] ballads, with sprinklings of [[uptempo]] pop and rare forays into other genres.<ref>Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. [{{AllmusicAllMusic|class=album|id=r328599|pure_url=yes}} Let's Talk About Love: Album review]. Allmusic. Retrieved 12 October 2009.</ref> ]]

Prominent artists who made sentimental ballads in the 1980s include [[Stevie Wonder]], [[Lionel Richie]], [[Peabo Bryson]], [[Barry White]], [[Luther Vandross]] and [[George Michael]].<ref>{{Citecite news web|urllast1=McNulty |first1=Bernadette |last2=https://wwwGreen |first2=Thomas H.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandpopmusic/10974046/ |last3=Sweeting |first3=Adam |title=The 50- best- love- songs- of- the- 1980s.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140717192345/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandpopmusic/10974046what-to-listen-to/50-best-love-songs-of-the-1980s.html/ |archive-datework=2014-07-17The |url-access=subscriptionTelegraph |url-statusdate=live|title=5010 bestSeptember love2018 songs of the 1980s|first=Bernadette McNulty, Thomas H. Green and Adam|last=Sweeting|date=April 15, 2015|via=www.telegraph.co.uk}}</ref>

The 1990s mainstream pop/R&B singers such as [[Boyz II Men]], [[Celine Dion]], [[Shania Twain]], [[Whitney Houston]] and [[Mariah Carey]].<ref>{{Citecite news |last1=Roberts |first1=Amy |title=This '90s Love Song Playlist Is The Only Thing You'll Need To Listen To This Valentine's Day web|url=https://www.bustle.com/p/this-90s-love-song-playlist-is-the-only-thing-youll-need-to-listen-to-this-valentines-day-8105686 |titlework=ThisBustle '90s|date=2 LoveFebruary Song2018 Playlist Is The Only One You'll Ever Need|first=Amy|last=Roberts|website=Bustle}}</ref>

Newer female singer-songwriters such as [[Sarah McLachlan]], [[Natalie Merchant]], [[Jewel (singer)|Jewel]], [[Melissa Etheridge]] and [[Sheryl Crow]] also broke through on the AC chart during this time owing to their ballad-sound.<ref name="Hyatt">Hyatt, Wesley (1999). ''The Billboard Book of Number One Adult Contemporary Hits''. New York City: [[Billboard Books]]. {{ISBN|978-0-823-07693-2}}.{{pn|date=October 2023}}</ref>

A popular trend in the early 2000s was remixing or re-recording [[dance music]] hits into [[acoustic pop|acoustic]] ballads (for example, the "Candlelight Mix" versions of "[[Heaven (Bryan Adams song)#DJ Sammy and Yanou version|Heaven]]" by [[DJ Sammy]], "[[Listen Toto Your Heart (Roxette song)#DHT version|Listen to Your Heart]]" by [[DHT (band)|D.H.T.DHT]], and "[[Everytime We Touch (Cascada song)|Everytime We Touch]]" by [[Cascada]]).<ref>[[Joel Whitburn|Whitburn, Joel]] (2007). ''Billboard Top Adult Songs 1961-2006'' (Record Research Inc.), page 373.</ref>

In the 2010s, indie musicians like [[Imagine Dragons]], [[Mumford & Sons]], [[Of Monsters and Men]], [[the Lumineers]] and [[Ed Sheeran]] had indie songs that crossed over to the adult contemporary charts, due to their ballad-heavy sound.<ref>{{cite webnews |lastlast1=Kelley |firstfirst1=Frannie |title=Has 'Indie' Become 'Adult Contemporary'? |url=https://www.npr.org/blogssections/therecord/2011/10/26/141694029/has-indie-become-adult-contemporary |titlework=Has 'Indie' Become 'Adult Contemporary'? : The Record |publisher=NPR |date=October 26, 2011|access-date=October 3,2011 2012}}</ref>

Most [[traditional pop music|pop standard]] and jazz ballads are built from a single, introductory ''verse'', usually around 16 [[bar (music)|bars]] in length, and they end on the [[dominant (music)|dominant]] – the ''chorus'' or ''[[refrain]]'', usually 16 or 32 bars long and in [[AABA form]] (though other forms, such as ABAC, are not uncommon). In AABA forms, the B section is usually referred to as the ''[[bridge (music)|bridge]]''; often a brief ''[[coda (music)|coda]]'', sometimes based on material from the bridge, is added, as in "[[Over the Rainbow]]".<ref>D. Randel, ''The New Harvard Dictionary of Music'', (Cambridge MS: Harvard University Press, 1986) {{ISBN|0-674-61525-5}}, p. 68.</ref><ref>Buchan, D. (1972). ''The Ballad and the Folk.'' East Linton: Tuckwell Press</ref>

===Rock/Power ballads===

| caption = To emphasize the emotional aspect of a power ballad, crowds customarily hold up [[lighter]]s adjusted to produce a large flame (anor, alternativeas mighta bemore recent alternative, a turned -on [[smartphone]] screen or flashlight function).<ref>[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res{{cite news |last1=9E07E4D8173AF932A35751C0A96E958260&secPowers |first1=&sponAnn |title=&pagewanted=print "POP VIEW; The Male Rock Anthem: Going All to Pieces"] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/02/01/arts/pop-view-the-male-rock-anthem-going-all-to-pieces.html ''[[|work=The New York Times]]''. Published|date=1 February 1,1998 1998.}}</ref><ref>[http://www.livescience.com/technology/060715_popsci_lighters.html{{cite "news |last1=Burgess |first1=Darrin |title=Rock Concert Question: Are Lighter Salutes Bad for the Environment?"] ''[http|url=https://www.livescience.com/4157-rock-concert-question-lighter-salutes-bad-environment.html |work=Live Science]'', July |date=15, July 2006. }}</ref>

* [[adult contemporary music|adult contemporary]]

[[Simon Frith]], the British sociomusicologist and former rock critic, identifies the origins of the power ballad in the emotional singing of [[Soul music|soul]] artists, particularly [[Ray Charles]], and the adaptation of this style by performers such as [[Eric Burdon]], [[Tom Jones (singer)|Tom Jones]], and [[Joe Cocker]] to produce slow-tempo songs often building to a loud and emotive chorus backed by drums, electric guitars, and sometimes choirs.<ref name=Frithpop>S. Frith, "Pop Music" in S. Frith, W. Straw and J. Street, ''[[Cambridge Companions to Music|The Cambridge Companion to Pop and Rock]]'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press), pp. 100-1.</ref> According to [[Charles Aaron]], power ballads came into existence in the early 1970s, when rock stars attempted to convey profound messages to audiences while retaining their "macho rocker" mystique.<ref name=aaron>{{cite book|last=Aaron|first=Charles|editor1=Jonathan Lethem |editor2=Paul Bresnick|title=Da Capo Best Music Writing 2002: The Year's Finest Writing on Rock, Pop, Jazz, Country, and More|workpublisher=[[Da Capo Press]]|chapter=Don't Fight the Power |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-306-81166-1|page=132}}</ref> Typically theThe [[hard rock]] power ballad bespeakstypically ofexpresses love or heartache through its lyrics, buildingshifting ininto emotionalwordless intensity intoand aemotional wordlesstranscendence climaxwith ofheavy drumming and a distorted [[electric guitar]] leads over heavy drummingsolo ie.representing the "power" in the power ballad.<ref name=Metzer2017>{{cite book |title=The Ballad in American Popular Music: From Elvis to Beyoncé |page=144 |last=Metzer |first=David |date=2017 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9781108509749}}</ref><ref name=Brown2016>{{cite book |title=Heavy Metal Studies and Popular Culture |editor1=Gabby Riches |editor2=Dave Snell |editor3=Bryan Bardine |editor4=Brenda Gardenour Walter |last=Brown |first=Andy R. |chapter=The Ballad of Heavy Metal: Re-thinking Artistic and Commercial Strategies in the Mainstreaming of Metal and Hard Rock |page=83 |publisher=Springer |date=2016 |isbn=9781137456687}}</ref>

Aaron argues that the hard rock power ballad broke into the mainstream of American consciousness in 1976 as FM radio gave a new lease of life to earlier loveimpassioned songs such as [[Badfinger]]'s "[[Without You (Badfinger song)|Without You]]", [[Led Zeppelin]]'s "[[Stairway to Heaven]]" and [[Aerosmith]]'s "[[Dream On (Aerosmith song)|Dream On]]".<ref name=aaron/> But such macho "bad boys" may have been inspired by the [[The Carpenters]]' 1972 single "[[Goodbye to Love]]" withhas [[Tonyalso Peluso]]'sbeen distortedidentified as a prototype of the power ballad, driven by the hard rock guitar leadssound of [[Tony Peluso]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Perrone |first=Pierre |title=Tony Peluso: Guitarist whose solos on The Carpenters' 'Goodbye to Love' ushered in the power-ballad era |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/tony-peluso-guitarist-whose-solos-on-the-carpenters-goodbye-to-love-ushered-in-the-powerballad-era-2041048.html|access-date=February 4, February 2013|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|date=August 2, August 2010}}</ref> British [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] band [[Judas Priest]] wrote many power ballads, starting with "[[Dreamer Deceiver]]" and "[[Beyond the Realms of Death]]".<ref name=Brown2016/>

When [[grunge]] appeared as a counterpoint to the decadenceexcesses of 1980s hard rock and glam metal, one clearof stylethe distinctions of the grunge style was the absence of power ballads,;<ref name=Harrison2011>{{cite book |title=Music of the 1980s |page=41 |last=Harrison |first=Thomas |date=2011 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=9780313366000}}</ref> however, itssome subgenresongs from this era such as "Rooster" by Alice in Chains (1992), which Ned Raggett described as the band's "own particular approach" to the style,<ref name="amrooster">{{cite web |last1=Raggett |first1=Ned |title=Rooster by Alice in Chains |url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/rooster-mt0027001536 |website=AllMusic |access-date=15 June 2023}}</ref> and "[[post-grungeBlack Hole Sun]]" wouldby Soundgarden (1994)<ref name="kerranglaw">{{cite news |last1=Law |first1=Sam |title=The 20 greatest Soundgarden songs – ranked |url=https://www.kerrang.com/the-20-greatest-soundgarden-songs-ranked |access-date=15 June 2023 |work=Kerrang! |date=10 May 2021}}</ref> have balladsbeen throwndescribed using this term, and songs in theits mixsubgenre [[post-grunge]] included ballads.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

[[File:Luismiguelcomplices2.jpg|thumb|left|200px|[[Luis Miguel]] in [[Mexico City]].]]

One of the most well-known Latin ballad singers of the 1970s and 1980s was [[José José]]. Known as "El Principe de La Cancion" (The Prince of the Song), he sold over 40 million albums in his career and became a huge influence to later ballad singers such as [[Cristian Castro]], [[Alejandro Fernández]], [[Nelson Ned]], [[Manuel Mijares]] and [[Lupita D'Alessio]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.famaweb.com/jose_jose_quotesta_es_mi_vidaquot_lanzamiento-6005.html |title=José José "Esta es mi Vida" LANZAMIENTO |publisher=Famaweb.com |access-date=5 June 2014-06-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140319025440/http://www.famaweb.com/jose_jose_quotesta_es_mi_vidaquot_lanzamiento-6005.html |archive-date=2014-03-19 March 2014 }}</ref>

==NotesReferences==

{{Reflist|30em}}

[[Category:FolkSentimental ballads| music]]

[[Category:Poetic formforms]]

[[Category:SoftEasy rocklistening music]]