80s Power Ballads
The greatest 80s power ballads include Poison's "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is", Journey's "Faithfully", Def Leppard's "Love Bites", Whitesnake's "Is This Love" and Mötley Crüe's "Home Sweet Home". A power ballad starts soft, then builds to loud guitars, a huge chorus and a soaring solo.
What is a power ballad?
A power ballad is a slow rock song that gets loud. It usually opens with piano or acoustic guitar and a quiet vocal, then the drums crash in, the guitars turn up and the last chorus goes as big as the band can make it. Somewhere in the middle there is a guitar solo, often the most melodic one on the album.
Power ballads were the secret weapon of 80s rock and roll. A heavy band could get on pop radio, reach listeners who would never buy a metal album, and sell millions. For many hair bands the ballad was their biggest hit by far.
The early-80s blueprint
Arena rock bands wrote the formula before the hair bands arrived. REO Speedwagon's "Keep On Loving You" went to No. 1 in 1981. Foreigner's "Waiting for a Girl Like You" spent ten weeks at No. 2, and Journey's "Open Arms" spent six weeks at No. 2 in 1982. Bryan Adams' "Heaven", Heart's "Alone" and Cheap Trick's "The Flame" all reached No. 1 later in the decade.
Those six are covered on our 80s love songs page, so here they only open the playlist above. The ranked list below covers the rest of the decade's power ballads.
How this list is ranked
Songs are ranked by chart success, how well they have lasted, and how well they fit the power ballad shape: soft start, big finish. Every song was first released between 1980 and 1989, although a few peaked on the chart in early 1990. Every pick follows our song selection rules, and the player plays the whole list in ranked order.
- 1
Every Rose Has Its Thorn — Poison (1988)
Bret Michaels wrote it in a laundromat after calling his girlfriend and hearing another man's voice in the background. The acoustic guitar, the cowboy imagery and C.C. DeVille's short, crying solo made it the purest power ballad of all. It spent three weeks at No. 1 in December 1988.
- 2
I Want to Know What Love Is — Foreigner (1984)
Mick Jones brought in the New Jersey Mass Choir and Broadway star Jennifer Holliday, and the song turned into something close to gospel. It went to No. 1 in the US and the UK in early 1985. It was Foreigner's only No. 1 single in America.
- 3
Faithfully — Journey (1983)
Jonathan Cain wrote it on a tour bus, about what life on the road does to a marriage. Steve Perry's vocal and Neal Schon's closing solo made it one of the most requested wedding songs of the decade. It reached No. 12 in 1983.
- 4
Love Bites — Def Leppard (1988)
Mutt Lange brought the song to the band, and his layers of vocals and guitars make it sound enormous. It was the fifth single from Hysteria and Def Leppard's only No. 1 in the US, in October 1988. The chorus stacks the band's harmonies higher than ever.
- 5
Is This Love — Whitesnake (1987)
David Coverdale and guitarist John Sykes first wrote it with Tina Turner in mind, then kept it for themselves. It reached No. 2 in 1987. The video, with actress Tawny Kitaen, helped the album Whitesnake sell more than eight million copies in America.
- 6
Home Sweet Home — Mötley Crüe (1985)
Tommy Lee's piano intro made the hardest-partying band in LA sound homesick. The single only reached No. 89, but MTV viewers requested the video so often that the channel changed its rules on how long a video could stay on its request countdown. A 1991 remix reached No. 37.
- 7
Can't Fight This Feeling — REO Speedwagon (1984)
Kevin Cronin started writing it years earlier and kept putting it aside. When the band finally recorded it, the song spent three weeks at No. 1 in March 1985. The slow piano start and the final guitar surge follow the power ballad shape exactly.
- 8
Sister Christian — Night Ranger (1984)
Drummer Kelly Keagy wrote it about his younger sister growing up too fast, and he sang it from behind the kit. It reached No. 5 in 1984. The film Boogie Nights brought it back to a whole new audience in 1997.
- 9
Heaven — Warrant (1989)
Jani Lane's love song was the biggest hit Warrant ever had, reaching No. 2 in 1989. It is a textbook late-decade power ballad: acoustic verses, a big harmony chorus and a short, melodic solo. It kept the band on MTV all through the next year.
- 10
I Remember You — Skid Row (1989)
Skid Row were one of the heaviest bands of the hair metal era, and this is their tender side. Sebastian Bach's final high note is one of the most famous in the genre. Released in late 1989, the song reached No. 6 early the next year.
- 11
When I See You Smile — Bad English (1989)
Bad English was a supergroup of John Waite with Journey's Jonathan Cain and Neal Schon. Diane Warren wrote the song, and Waite nearly turned it down. It went to No. 1 in November 1989, one of the last big power ballads of the decade.
- 12
Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone) — Cinderella (1988)
Tom Keifer's raspy voice gives this breakup song real ache, and the piano sets it apart from most hair metal ballads. It reached No. 12 in 1988 and was the biggest hit from Long Cold Winter, the album where Cinderella traded glam for the blues.
- 13
Carrie — Europe (1987)
Everyone knows Europe for "The Final Countdown", but in America this ballad did almost as well, reaching No. 3 in 1987. Joey Tempest's vocal over Mic Michaeli's keyboards is gentler than most songs on this list, and the song lets the melody carry it instead of the guitars.
- 14
These Dreams — Heart (1986)
Bernie Taupin, Elton John's lyricist, co-wrote it, and Nancy Wilson sang lead on a Heart single for the first time. She had a cold during the session, which gives her voice a husky edge. It became Heart's first No. 1 in March 1986.
- 15
Angel — Aerosmith (1988)
Steven Tyler wrote it with Desmond Child, the songwriter behind Bon Jovi's biggest hits. It reached No. 3 in 1988, the highest chart position Aerosmith had ever had, and it opened the door for their even bigger 90s ballads.
- 16
When the Children Cry — White Lion (1988)
Most power ballads were about love. This one is about war and the world children inherit. Mike Tramp sings over Vito Bratta's acoustic guitar, with almost no drums at all. It reached No. 3 in early 1989, the biggest hit White Lion ever had.
- 17
I'll Be There for You — Bon Jovi (1989)
Bon Jovi's fourth No. 1 single, from New Jersey, in 1989. Richie Sambora's guitar cries through the whole song, and Jon Bon Jovi's vocal gets louder with every chorus until it breaks. It was the last of their four No. 1 hits.
- 18
The Search Is Over — Survivor (1985)
Survivor were best known for "Eye of the Tiger", but new singer Jimi Jamison made them a ballad band too. This song reached No. 4 in 1985, about realizing that the right person had been there all along.
- 19
Still Loving You — Scorpions (1984)
Klaus Meine's six-minute plea only reached No. 64 in America, but in Europe it was enormous, especially in France. Rudolf Schenker's slow, heavy riff near the end is one of the most powerful moments in any ballad on this list.
- 20
Amanda — Boston (1986)
Boston took six years to make their third album, Third Stage. Its lead single went to No. 1 in November 1986, Boston's only chart-topper. Tom Scholz built the band's sound himself in his basement studio, and his layered guitars sound like a whole orchestra.
- 21
Close My Eyes Forever — Lita Ford & Ozzy Osbourne (1988)
Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne wrote it together, and both have said they barely remember the session. The dark, dramatic duet reached No. 8 in 1989, the highest-charting single of either career in America. Lita plays the guitar solo herself.
- 22
When It's Love — Van Halen (1988)
Sammy Hagar gave Van Halen a romantic side that David Lee Roth never did. From OU812, "When It's Love" reached No. 5 in 1988. Eddie Van Halen's solo is short, tasteful and built around the melody, a side of his playing that the hits of the Roth era rarely showed.
- 23
Love Song — Tesla (1989)
Tesla built it from a classical guitar intro into a full-band anthem about love surviving hard times. Frank Hannon's intro and Jeff Keith's rough, bluesy voice set it apart from the glossier ballads of the time. It reached No. 10 on the Hot 100, the Sacramento band's biggest hit.
- 24
Don't Close Your Eyes — Kix (1988)
Kix were a party band from Maryland, so a serious ballad was a surprise. It became the band's biggest hit, reaching No. 11 on the Hot 100 in 1989. Steve Whiteman's restrained vocal is the key, and the song's message about holding on through hard times has kept it on rock radio ever since.
- 25
What About Love — Heart (1985)
The song that started Heart's comeback. It was originally written by members of the Canadian band Toronto. Ann Wilson's voice goes from quiet to thunderous, and the song reached No. 10 in 1985. It set the pattern for the three even bigger ballads that followed.
- 26
Without You — Mötley Crüe (1989)
Tommy Lee wrote the words about his marriage to actress Heather Locklear. It was a softer, more polished ballad than "Home Sweet Home", and it reached No. 8 in 1990 as the fourth hit from Dr. Feelgood, the band's only No. 1 album.
- 27
Forever — KISS (1989)
Paul Stanley co-wrote it with Michael Bolton, then at the start of his own solo success. Paul Stanley sings the verses over acoustic guitar before the band comes in. It reached No. 8 in 1990, KISS's biggest hit since "Beth" in 1976.
- 28
I Won't Forget You — Poison (1987)
Poison's first ballad hit, from their debut album. It reached No. 13 and showed that even the most cartoonish band on the Sunset Strip could write a real love song. "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" followed a year later.
- 29
Headed for a Heartbreak — Winger (1988)
A moody, keyboard-heavy song, much darker than the average hair metal ballad. Reb Beach's solo is one of the most technically impressive on this list, and it became a Top 40 hit in 1989. Kip Winger's high, clear voice holds it all together.
- 30
Don't Let It End — Styx (1983)
Dennis DeYoung's piano ballad from Kilroy Was Here reached No. 6 in 1983. It is closer to soft rock than metal, but its slow build from piano to full band made it a model for the hair metal ballads that followed.
- 31
Sentimental Street — Night Ranger (1985)
Night Ranger's follow-up to "Sister Christian" was another slow song sung by Kelly Keagy. Keagy's soaring chorus and the twin guitars of Brad Gillis and Jeff Watson follow the same formula. It reached No. 8 in 1985, the band's second Top 10 hit.
- 32
Honestly — Stryper (1987)
The Christian metal band's love song was one of the first hair metal ballads by a band that sang openly about faith. Michael Sweet's high tenor carries the whole song. It reached No. 23 in 1988, Stryper's only Top 40 hit.
- 33
Never Say Goodbye — Bon Jovi (1987)
Never released as a single in America, it became one of the most-played prom songs of the late 80s anyway. Jon Bon Jovi looks back on high school, first love and the car, and Richie Sambora's guitar does the rest.
- 34
The Ballad of Jayne — L.A. Guns (1989)
L.A. Guns were a dirty, street-level rock band, and this acoustic song was their biggest hit. The lyrics were inspired by the actress Jayne Mansfield. It reached the Top 40 in 1990, just as the power ballad era was ending.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the first power ballad?
There is no single answer. Critics point to 70s songs like Aerosmith's "Dream On" and Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven". In the 80s, REO Speedwagon's "Keep On Loving You" and Journey's "Open Arms" set the formula.
What is the best 80s power ballad?
Poison's "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is" and Journey's "Faithfully" are the most common answers. All three are in the playlist above.
Which 80s power ballads went to No. 1?
"Keep On Loving You", "I Want to Know What Love Is", "Can't Fight This Feeling", "Heaven" by Bryan Adams, "These Dreams", "Amanda", "Alone", "Love Bites", "The Flame", "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", "I'll Be There for You" and "When I See You Smile" all topped the Billboard Hot 100.
Are power ballads love songs?
Most are, but not all. White Lion's "When the Children Cry" is about war, and "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" is about a breakup. For slow songs from every genre, see the love songs page linked above.
What are good 80s power ballads for karaoke?
"Faithfully", "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", "I Remember You" and "Alone" are the classic tests of a big voice. "Home Sweet Home" and "Heaven" by Warrant are easier and just as fun to sing.
Last updated: September 24, 2026