Examine individual changes

'{{For|the painting by Grant Wood|Sentimental Ballad (painting)}} [[Image:Ec-hasslau.de 010.jpg|thumb|To emphasize the emotional aspect of a power ballad, crowds customarily hold up [[lighter]]s adjusted to produce a large flame.<ref>[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E07E4D8173AF932A35751C0A96E958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print "POP VIEW; The Male Rock Anthem: Going All to Pieces"]. ''[[The New York Times]]''. Published February 1, 1998.</ref><ref>[http://www.livescience.com/technology/060715_popsci_lighters.html "Rock Concert Question: Are Lighter Salutes Bad for the Environment?"] ''[http://www.livescience.com/ Live Science]'', July 15, 2006.</ref>]] '''Sentimental ballads''', also known as '''pop ballads''', '''rock ballads''' or '''power ballads''', are an [[emotional]] style of music that often deal with [[romance (love)|romantic]] and [[intimate relationships]], and to a lesser extent, [[war]] ([[protest songs]]), [[loneliness]], [[death]], [[drug abuse]], [[politics]] and [[religion]], usually in a poignant but solemn manner.<ref name="M. Curtis, 1987 p. 236">J. M. Curtis, ''Rock Eras: Interpretations of Music and Society, 1954-1984'' (Popular Press, 1987), p. 236.</ref> Ballads are generally melodic enough to get the listener's attention.<ref>Bronson, B., H. (1969). ''The Ballad as Song.'' Los Angeles: University of California Press</ref> Sentimental ballads are found in most [[music genres]], such as, [[pop music|pop]], [[contemporary R&B|R&B]], [[soul music|soul]], [[country music|country]], [[folk music|folk]], [[rock music|rock]] and [[electronic music]], among others.<ref>Ord, J. (1990). ''Bothy Songs and Ballads.'' Edinburgh: John Donald.</ref> Usually slow in [[tempo]], ballads tend to have a lush musical [[arrangement]] which emphasize the song's [[melody]] and [[harmony|harmonies]]. Characteristically, ballads use [[Musical acoustics|acoustic]] instruments such as [[guitar]]s, [[piano]]s, [[saxophones]], and sometimes an [[orchestral]] set. However though, many modern, mainstream ballads tend to feature [[synthesizer]]s, [[drum machines]] and even, to some extent, a [[Four on the floor (music)|dance rhythm]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://top40.about.com/od/popmusic101/a/popmusic.htm|title=Pop Music - What Is Pop Music - A Definition and Brief History|publisher=Top40.about.com|date=September 7, 2012|accessdate=October 3, 2012}}</ref> Sentimental ballads had their origins in the early [[Tin Pan Alley]] music industry of the later 19th century.<ref>P. Buckley, ''The Rough Guide to Rock'' (Rough Guides, 3rd edn., 2003), p. 378.</ref> Initially known as "tear-jerkers" or "drawing-room [[ballad]]s", they were generally sentimental, narrative, [[Strophic form|strophic]] songs published separately or as part of an [[opera]], descendants perhaps of [[broadside (music)|broadside ballads]]. As new genres of music began to emerge in the early 20th century, their popularity faded, but the association with sentimentality led to the term ''ballad'' being used for a slow [[love song]] from the 1950s onwards.<ref>Witmer. See also Middleton (I,4,i).</ref> ==History== ===Early history=== {{Main article|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. 70-72.</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> ===18th century – early 20th century=== [[File:AftertheBallSheet.jpg|thumb|''[[After the Ball (song)|After the Ball]]'', a ballad by [[Charles K. Harris]], was the most successful song of its era, selling over two million copies of sheet music.<ref name=matters>[http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5761/ "'After the Ball': Lyrics from the Biggest Hit of the 1890s"], History Matters</ref><ref name=Smith>{{cite book|last1=Smith|first1=Kathleen E. R.|title=God Bless America: Tin Pan Alley Goes to War|date=2003|publisher=The University Press of Kentucky|isbn=0813122562|page=91}}</ref>]] Ballads at this time were originally composed in couplets with [[refrain]]s in alternate lines. These refrains would have been sung by the dancers in time with the dance.<ref name="British Literature pg 610">"Popular Ballads", ''The Broadview Anthology of British Literature: The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century'', p. 610.</ref> In the 18th century, [[ballad opera]]s developed as a form of [[England|English]] [[stage play|stage entertainment]], partly in opposition to the [[Italian opera|Italian]] domination of the London operatic scene.<ref>M. Lubbock, ''The Complete Book of Light Opera'' (New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1962) pp. 467-68.</ref> In [[United States of America|America]] a distinction is drawn between ballads that are versions of European, particularly British and [[Irish music|Irish songs]], and '[[Native American music|Native American ballads]]', developed without reference to earlier songs. A further development was the evolution of the [[blues ballad]], which mixed the genre with [[Afro-American music]].<ref name="I. Ousby, 2006 p. 66">D. Head and I. Ousby, ''The Cambridge Guide to Literature in English'' (Cambridge University Press, 2006), p. 66.</ref> In the late 19th century, Danish folklorist [[Svend Grundtvig]] and Harvard professor [[Francis James Child]] attempted to record and classify all the known ballads and variants in their chosen regions.<ref name="N. Bold, 1979 p. 5"/> Since Child died before writing a commentary on his work it is uncertain exactly how and why he differentiated the 305 ballads printed that would be published as ''[[The English and Scottish Popular Ballads]]''.<ref>T. A. Green, ''Folklore: An Encyclopedia of Beliefs, Customs, Tales, Music, and Art'' (ABC-CLIO, 1997), p. 352.</ref> There have been many different and contradictory attempts to classify traditional ballads by theme, but commonly identified types are the religious, supernatural, tragic, love ballads, historic, legendary and humorous.<ref name=Houseman1952/> By the [[Victorian era]], ''ballad'' had come to mean any sentimental popular song, especially so-called "royalty ballads".<ref>Child, F., J. (1898). ''The English and Scottish Popular Ballads'', Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Co</ref> Some of [[Stephen Foster]]'s songs exemplify this genre. By the 1920s, composers of [[Tin Pan Alley]] and [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] used ''ballad'' to signify a slow, sentimental tune or love song, often written in a fairly standardized form. Jazz musicians sometimes broaden the term still further to embrace all slow-tempo pieces.<ref>Temperley (II,2).</ref> Notable sentimental ballads of this period include, "Little Rosewood Casket" (1870), "[[After the Ball (song)|After the Ball]]" (1892), and "[[Danny Boy]]" (1913).<ref name=Cohen2005p297>N. Cohen, ''Folk Music: a Regional Exploration'' (Greenwood, 2005), p. 297.</ref> ===1950s–1960s=== {{See also|Traditional pop}} [[File:Frank Sinatra in 1957.jpg|thumb|left|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, 2008|accessdate=May 15, 2008|last=Fusilli|first=Jim|work=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref>]] Popular sentimental ballad vocalists in this era were [[Frank Sinatra]], [[Doris Day]], [[Andy Williams]], [[Dusty Springfield]], [[Johnny Mathis]], [[Connie Francis]], [[Nat King Cole]], [[Liza Minnelli]] and [[Perry Como]]. Their custom recordings were usually instrumental versions 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 web|url=http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/notes/v061/61.4goldsmith.html|title=Project MUSE - Lounge Caravan: A Selective Discography|doi=10.1353/not.2005.0059|publisher=Muse.jhu.edu|date=February 23, 2005|accessdate=October 3, 2012}}</ref> ===1970s=== {{See also|Soft rock|Easy listening}} [[Soft rock]], a subgenre that mainly consist of ballads, was derived from [[folk rock]] in the early 1970s, using acoustic instruments and putting more emphasis on melody and harmonies. Major sentimental ballad artists of this decade included [[the Bee Gees]], [[Barbra Streisand]], [[Nana Mouskouri]], [[Elton John]], [[Engelbert Humperdinck (singer)|Engelbert Humperdinck]], [[Carole King]], [[Cat Stevens]], [[James Taylor]]. By the early 1970s, softer ballad songs by [[the Carpenters]], [[Anne Murray]], [[John Denver]], [[Barry Manilow]], and even Streisand, began to be played more often on "Top 40" radio.<ref name=SoftRockClassificationMM>{{cite web|url=http://www.mademan.com/mm/10-best-soft-rock-ballads.html|title=10 Best Soft Rock Ballads|publisher=Made Man|accessdate=December 6, 2010}} "Journey fans can easily list a dozen soft rock ballads from the band..."</ref> Furthermore, rock-oriented acts as [[Queen (band)|Queen]], [[Chicago (band)|Chicago]], [[Toto (band)|Toto]], [[England Dan & John Ford Coley]], [[Air Supply]], [[Seals and Crofts]], [[America (band)|America]], [[Eagles (band)|the Eagles]] and [[Bread (band)|Bread]], also had made ballad music.<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 |date= |accessdate=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=April 12, 2012 |accessdate=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=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11733277|title=Journey: The band who did not stop believing|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=December 6, 2010|date=November 12, 2010}}</ref> Some believe that after "the music died," the ballad ''also'' died, inadvertently killed by Fleetwood Mac who in producing too many good ballads effectively made it look too easy.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.eavvon.com/|title=Ballads of America in the 20th Century|last=Eavvon|first=O'Neal|date=|website=|archive-url=|archivedate=|dead-url=|accessdate=August 12, 2017}}</ref> ===1980s–1990s=== {{See also|Adult contemporary}} [[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. [{{Allmusic|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 were [[Richard Marx]], [[Michael Jackson]], [[Bonnie Tyler]], [[George Michael]], [[Phil Collins]], [[Sheena Easton]], [[Amy Grant]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Ruhlmann|first=William|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/amy-grant-mn0000024944|title=Amy Grant - Music Biography, Credits and Discography|publisher=AllMusic|accessdate=October 3, 2012}}</ref> [[Lionel Richie]], [[Christopher Cross]], [[Dan Hill]], [[Leo Sayer]], [[Billy Ocean]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Prato|first=Greg|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/billy-ocean-mn0000089058|title=Billy Ocean - Music Biography, Credits and Discography|publisher=AllMusic|date=January 21, 1950|accessdate=October 3, 2012}}</ref> [[Julio Iglesias]], [[Bertie Higgins]], [[Tommy Page]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Fawthrop|first=Peter|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/tommy-page-mn0000624184|title=Tommy Page - Music Biography, Credits and Discography|publisher=AllMusic|date=May 24, 1970|accessdate=October 3, 2012}}</ref> and [[Laura Branigan]].<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.allmusic.com/artist/phil-collins-mn0000337119/biography| title= Phil Collins Biography | work=AllMusic | first=William | last=Ruhlmann | accessdate=April 21, 2014}}</ref> The 1990s mainstream pop/R&B singers such as [[All-4-One]],<ref>{{cite web|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=all-4-one|chart=all}}|title=All-4-One Album & Song Chart History|publisher=Billboard|accessdate=October 3, 2012}}</ref> [[Boyz II Men]], [[Rob Thomas (musician)|Rob Thomas]], [[Christina Aguilera]], had made a number of successful, chart-topping ballads. In addition to [[Celine Dion]], other artists with multiple number ones ballads on the AC chart in the 1990s included [[Phil Collins]], [[Marc Anthony]], [[Michael Bolton]], [[Whitney Houston]], [[Shania Twain]] and [[Mariah Carey]].<ref name="billboard.com">{{cite web|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=mariah carey|chart=all}}|title=Mariah Carey Music News & Info|publisher=Billboard|accessdate=October 3, 2012}}</ref> [[Backstreet Boys]] and [[Savage Garden]]<ref name="billboard.com"/> 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}}.</ref> ===2000s–2010s=== A popular trend in the early 2000s was remixing [[dance music]] hits into [[acoustic pop|acoustic]] ballads (for example, the "Candlelight Mix" versions of "[[Heaven (Bryan Adams song)|Heaven]]" by [[DJ Sammy]], "Listen To Your Heart" by [[DHT (band)|D.H.T.]], 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> Throughout this era, artists such as [[Nick Lachey]], [[James Blunt]], [[John Mayer]], [[Bruno Mars]], [[Jason Mraz]], [[Kelly Clarkson]], [[Adele]], [[Clay Aiken]], [[Susan Boyle]], [[Michael Bublé]] and [[Josh Groban]] have become successful thanks to a ballad heavy sound. Rock artists such as [[Coldplay]], [[Nickelback]] and [[Evanescence]] have also had made ballad music. Country musicians such as [[Faith Hill]], [[Shania Twain]], [[LeAnn Rimes]] and [[Carrie Underwood]] had also gained popularity for their ballads.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americasmusiccharts.com/index.cgi?fmt=A2|title=AMERICA'S MUSIC CHARTS -- 1 2 . 2 7 . 1 6 -- powered by MEDIABASE|publisher=}}</ref> In the early 2010s, indie musicians like [[Imagine Dragons]], [[Mumford & Sons]], [[Of Monsters and Men]], [[the Lumineers]] and [[Ed Sheeran]] also had indie songs that crossed over to the adult contemporary charts, due to their ballad-heavy sound.<ref>[http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2011/10/26/141694029/has-indie-become-adult-contemporary Has 'Indie' Become 'Adult Contemporary'? : The Record]. NPR. Retrieved on September 29, 2013.</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Kelley|first=Frannie|url=http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2011/10/26/141694029/has-indie-become-adult-contemporary|title=Has 'Indie' Become 'Adult Contemporary'? : The Record|publisher=NPR|date=October 26, 2011|accessdate=October 3, 2012}}</ref> ==Genres== ===Jazz and traditional pop=== [[File:Roberta Flack - Killing Me Softly with His Song.jpg|thumb|For ''[[Killing Me Softly with His Song]]'', [[Roberta Flack]] won the 1973 [[Grammy Award]] for Record of the Year and [[Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance|Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female]].<ref>Fox, Charles. ''Killing Me Softly: My Life In Music.'' Scarecrow Press, Lanham, MD. {{ISBN|978-0-8108-6991-2}}. (2010) p. X</ref> ''Billboard'' ranked it as the No. 3 song for 1973.<ref>[[Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1973]]</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> Examples of notable traditional pop and jazz ballads include: *"[[Always (1925 song)|Always]]" (1925) by [[Irving Berlin]] *"[[God Bless the Child (Billie Holiday song)|God Bless the Child]]" by [[Billie Holiday]] (1941) *"[[Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye]]" (1945) by [[Cole Porter]] *"[[Autumn Leaves (1945 song)|Autumn Leaves]]" (1945) by [[Nat King Cole]] *"[[You Mean Everything to Me (song)|You Mean Everything to Me]]" (1960) by [[Neil Sedaka]] *"[[I Will Wait For You]]" (1965) by [[Connie Francis]]. *"[[My Way]]" (1968) by [[Frank Sinatra]] *"[[Windmills of your Mind]]" (1968) by [[Noel Harrison]] *"[[If You Go Away]]" (1968) by [[Tom Jones (singer)|Tom Jones]] *"[[(Where Do I Begin?) Love Story]]" (1970) by [[Andy Williams]] *"[[Speak Softly Love]]" (1972) by [[Andy Williams]] *"[[Killing Me Softly with His Song]]" by [[Roberta Flack]] (1973) <ref>A. Forte, ''The American Popular Ballad of the Golden Era, 1924-1950'' (Princeton University Press, 1995).</ref> ===Pop and R&B ballads=== [[File:ToniBraxtonUnBreakMyHeartCDSingleCover.jpg|thumb|In the United States, "[[Un-Break My Heart]]" peaked at number one on [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] for eleven weeks.<ref name=sr>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/un-break-my-heart-t1089875|title=Song Review - Un-Break My Heart|last=Hogan|first=Ed|publisher=[[Allmusic]]. [[Rovi Corporation]]|accessdate=March 25, 2012}}</ref> It sold 2.4 million copies domestically and was [[RIAA certification|certified platinum]] by the [[RIAA]].<ref name=bestselling96>{{cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IA8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA61 |title=Best-Selling Records of 1996 |work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|publisher=BPI Communications Inc.|date=January 18, 1997 |accessdate=May 9, 2015 |page=61 |issn=0006-2510|volume=109|number=3}}</ref><ref name=bestselling97>{{cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iQ0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA76 |title=Best-Selling Records of 1997 |work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|publisher=BPI Communications Inc.|date=January 31, 1998 |accessdate=May 9, 2015 |page=76 |issn=0006-2510|volume=110|number=5}}</ref>]] The most common use of the term "ballad" in modern [[pop music|pop]] and [[contemporary R&B|R&B music]] is for an emotional song about romance, breakup and/or [[Longing (emotion)|longing]].<ref name="Cohen2005p297"/> The singer would usually [[lament]] an [[unrequited love|unrequited]] or lost love, either where one party is oblivious to the existence of the other, where one party has moved on, or where a [[romance (love)|romantic]] [[affair]] has affected the relationship.<ref>Smith, L.: ''Elvis Costello, Joni Mitchell, and the Torch Song Tradition'', p. 9. Praeger Publishers, 2004.</ref><ref name=forte>Allan Forte, M. R.: ''Listening to Classic American Popular Songs'', p. 203. Yale University Press, 2001.</ref> Examples of pop ballads include: [[Celine Dion]]'s "[[My Heart Will Go On]]", [[Elton John]]'s "[[Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word]]", [[Delta Goodrem]]'s "[[Lost Without You]]", [[George Michael]]'s "[[Careless Whisper]]", [[Bee Gees]]'s "[[How Deep Is Your Love]]", [[Lana Del Rey]]'s "[[Summertime Sadness]]", [[Kelly Clarkson]]'s "[[Because of You (Kelly Clarkson song)|Because of You]]" and [[Shakira]]'s "[[Underneath Your Clothes]]".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/467487/is-adeles-someone-like-you-the-first-no-1-piano-and-vocal-only|title=Is Adele's 'Someone Like You' The First No. 1 Piano-And-Vocal-Only Ballad? |date=September 13, 2011|accessdate=January 16, 2012|last=Trust|first=Gary|work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]]}}</ref> Examples of R&B ballads include [[Mariah Carey]]'s "[[My All]]" and "[[Love Takes Time]]", [[Lionel Richie]]'s "[[Hello (Lionel Richie song)|Hello]]", [[Ashanti (singer)|Ashanti]]'s "[[The Way That I Love You]]", [[Jazmine Sullivan]]'s "[[Bust Your Windows]]", [[Labrinth]]'s "[[Jealous (Labrinth song)|Jealous]]", [[Rihanna]]'s "[[Unfaithful (Rihanna song)|Unfaithful]]", and [[Toni Braxton]]'s "[[Un-Break My Heart]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.midem.com/2011/01/interview-diane-warren-the-fiercely-independent-hitmaker/|title=Interview: Diane Warren, the "fiercely independent" hitmaker| last=Midemblog| first=James| date=January 13, 2011| accessdate=March 24, 2012| publisher=Midem Blog}}</ref> ===Power ballads=== [[File:DreamOnsingle.jpg|thumb|{{RRHF500|Dream On}}]] [[Simon Frith]], the British [[Sociomusicology|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/> According to [[Charles Aaron]], power ballads came into existence in the early 1970s, when rock stars attempted to convey profound messages to audiences.<ref name=aaron>{{cite book|last=Aaron|first=Charles|editors=Jonathan Lethem, Paul Bresnick|title=Da Capo Best Music Writing 2002: The Year's Finest Writing on Rock, Pop, Jazz, Country,and More|publisher=[[Da Capo Press]]|chapter=Don't Fight the Power|year=2002|isbn=978-0-306-81166-1|page=132}}</ref> Aaron argues that the power ballad broke into the [[mainstream]] of American consciousness in 1976 as FM radio gave a new lease of life to earlier songs such as [[Led Zeppelin]]'s "[[Stairway to Heaven]]" (1971), [[Aerosmith]]'s "[[Dream On (Aerosmith song)|Dream On]]" (1973), and [[Lynyrd Skynyrd]]'s "[[Free Bird]]" (1974).<ref name=aaron/> [[The Carpenters]]' "[[Goodbye to Love]]" (1972) has also been identified as a [[prototype]] of the power ballad.<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|accessdate=February 4, 2013|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|date=August 2, 2010}}</ref> Notable power ballad examples include [[Nazareth (band)|Nazareth]]'s version of "[[Love Hurts]]" (1975),<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> [[Phil Collins]]'s "[[Against All Odds]]" (1984), [[Heart (band)|Heart]]'s "[[What About Love]]" (1985)<ref>P. Buckley, ''The Rough Guide to Rock: the definitive guide to more than 1200 artists and bands'' (Rough Guides, 2003)</ref>, [[Guns N' Roses]]'s [[November Rain]] (1991), and [[Poison (American band)|Poison]]'s "[[Every Rose Has Its Thorn]]" (1988).<ref>H. George-Warren, P. Romanowski and J. Pareles, ''The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll'' (Fireside, 3rd edn., 2001), p. 1060.</ref> [[Journey (band)|Journey]]'s power ballad, "[[Faithfully (song)|Faithfully]]", a late addition to the group's ''[[Frontiers (Journey album)|Frontiers]]'' (1983) album, inspired [[Prince (musician)|Prince]], who obtained the blessing of Journey's singer/songwriter [[Jonathan Cain]], before releasing what was to become Prince's signature song, "[[Purple Rain (song)|Purple Rain]]" (1984).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7348372/prince-purple-rain-journey-faithfully-interviews|work=Billboard|title=Why Prince asked for Journey's Blessing Before Releasing 'Purple Rain'|date=April 26, 2016 |author=Graf, Gary Graff}}</ref> Other power ballads includes American nu-metal band [[Slipknot (band)|Slipknot]]'s song "[[Snuff (song)|Snuff]]" (2009), [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]] band [[Metallica]]'s [[Nothing Else Matters]] (1991), [[The Unforgiven (song)|The Unforgiven]] (1991), [[One (Metallica song)|One]] (1988) and [[Fade To Black (song)|Fade To Black]] (1984), and supergroup [[Velvet Revolver]]'s song "[[Fall to Pieces (Velvet Revolver song)|Fall to Pieces]]" (2004). ===Post-grunge ballads=== During the mid to late 1990s and early to mid 2000s a new form of rock ballad would appear, this time using [[post-grunge]] as the genre rather than [[hard rock]], [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]] and less often [[glam metal]]. A notable post-grunge ballad would be [[Bush (British band)|Bush]]'s "[[Glycerine (song)|Glycerine]]" from their debut album ''[[Sixteen Stone]]''. What makes the ballad stand out of sorts from the other post-grunge ballads is that it features a [[cello]]. Another noted post-grunge ballad would be "[[With Arms Wide Open]]" by [[Creed (band)|Creed]] from their album ''[[Human Clay]]'' in which the [[synthesizer]] is occasionally used. It is also not unusual for a post-grunge ballad to chart on the [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|Adult Contemporary chart]] in addition to the rock charts. A great example of an artist having multiple post-grunge songs played on AC stations would be [[Nickelback]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/312256/nickelback/chart?f=341|title=Nickelback|website=billboard.com|publisher=Billboard|accessdate=July 4, 2017}}</ref> Creed's "With Arms Wide Open" has also charted on the AC chart as well reaching number 29 on the chart.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/299751/creed/chart?f=341|title=Creed|website=billiboard.com|publisher=Billboard|accessdate=July 4, 2017}}</ref> While not considered a post-grunge song, [[3 Doors Down]] (a band with ties to post-grunge music) also charted on the AC chart with "[[Here Without You]]", although it is considered a [[soft rock]] and [[symphonic rock]] song rather than post-grunge and almost never gets airplay on rock radio unlike their previous and future hits. ===Latin ballad=== [[File:Luismiguelcomplices2.jpg|thumb|left|200px|[[Luis Miguel]] in [[Mexico City]].]] [[Latin ballad]] refers to the ballad derivated from [[bolero]] that originated in the early-1960s in Latin America and Spain. Some of the best known artists of the Latin ballad are [[Julio Iglesias]], [[Luis Miguel]], [[Camilo Sesto]], [[Emmanuel (singer)|Emmanuel]], [[Nino Bravo]], [[Roberto Carlos (singer)|Roberto Carlos]], [[Ricardo Montaner]], [[Raphael (singer)|Raphael]] and [[José José]] among others. Because of its difficulty, the Latin balladeers are often recognized as skilled singers such as the case of Nino Bravo, José José, Luis Miguel or Raphael.<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWSAEGMPXT8|title=Jose Jose - El Triste en vivo 1970|language=Spanish|date=March 8, 2011|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=July 4, 2017}}</ref> 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 is recognizable for his gifted vocals. José José has sold over 40 million albums in his career and became a huge influence to very popular ballad singers like: [[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 |date= |accessdate=2014-06-05 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140319025440/http://www.famaweb.com/jose_jose_quotesta_es_mi_vidaquot_lanzamiento-6005.html |archivedate=2014-03-19 |df= }}</ref> The most successful Latin ballad singer of the 1990s was [[Luis Miguel]]. Best known for his technically skilled and smooth crooning vocals, Luis Miguel's super-stardom began since the late 1980s. In 1991, his career went to even greater heights and earned him the respect of a wider audience with the release of ''[[Romance (Luis Miguel album)|Romance]]'', an album of romantic [[bolero]]s. Most of them were from the 1940s and 1950s. Despite singing boleros from years past, Luis Miguel was recognized for reinventing the bolero for modern audiences. The album ''Romance'', which became his most successful album ever, eventually sold 15 million units worldwide. ==See also== *[[Adult contemporary music]] *[[Easy listening]] *[[Lament]] *[[Soft rock]] *[[Threnody]] *[[Torch song]] *[[List of Irish ballads]] *[[List of rock ballads]] *[[Post-grunge]] *[[Slow dance]] ==Notes== {{Reflist|35em}} ==External links== * [http://www.smithsonianglobalsound.org/archives_05.aspx Smithsonian Global Sound: The Music of Poetry]—audio samples of poems, hymns and songs in ballad meter. * [http://www.bartleby.com/243/ The Oxford Book of Ballads, complete 1910 book by Arthur Quiller-Couch] {{Pop music}} {{Singing}} [[Category:Ballads| ]] [[Category:Folk music]] [[Category:Jazz techniques]] [[Category:Poetic form]] [[Category:Radio formats]] [[Category:Song forms]] [[Category:Soft rock]] [[Category:Rock music genres]] [[Category:Music genres]] [[Category:Soul music]] [[Category:Easy listening music]] [[Category:20th-century music genres]] [[Category:21st-century music genres]] [[Category:Popular music]] [[Category:Pop music genres]] [[Category:Electronic music genres]] [[Category:Rhythm and blues music genres]]'