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Ten Power Ballads for Valentine’s Day That Actually Don’t Suck
Yes, there are a few
Power ballads have traditionally gotten a bad rap. Especially in the 1980s, they were often the only way for a hair metal band to actually break into the Billboard charts, which briefly expanded their audience but tended to cause either anger or eye-rolling among fans of their typically harder sound. However, there are some truly great power ballads out there, and I’ve picked ten that deserve some love this Valentine’s season (it is a season; the candy showed up in stores the day after Christmas).
“Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” — Def Leppard
Well before Pyromania (1983) and Hysteria (1987) made them global superstars, the boys from Sheffield recorded this gem for their 1981 second album, High ’n’ Dry. I’m going to say something unpopular here: this is the only Def Leppard song I’ve ever really liked.
“Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone)” — Cinderella
