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Luminifer (talk | contribs)
good job, but i think you accidentally left out the 70s stuff that's also in the essay on the gbook pages referenced... putting it back in.
NOthing was accidently left out the source doesn't say that and the links provided do not support it either. SOmeone call an admin on this guy
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A '''power ballad''' is a type of [[song]] typically characterized by a relatively slow [[tempo]], long voiced notes, and reduced emphasis on [[percussion]] and [[bass guitar|bass]]. Some sections of the song may include strong [[percussion]] and [[bass guitar|bass]] that are more typical of the [[hard rock]] and [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] genres for increased emotional effect, and often the electric guitar comes back in the song's climax. Common power ballad themes include (but are not limited to) emotional pain, need, love and loss.
A '''power ballad''' is a type of [[song]] typically characterized by a relatively slow [[tempo]], long voiced notes, and reduced emphasis on [[percussion]] and [[bass guitar|bass]]. Some sections of the song may include strong [[percussion]] and [[bass guitar|bass]] that are more typical of the [[hard rock]] and [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] genres for increased emotional effect, and often the electric guitar comes back in the song's climax. Common power ballad themes include (but are not limited to) emotional pain, need, love and loss.


According to music essayist Charles Aaron, power ballads came into the existance in the early 1970s, when rock stars attempted to be introspective and sensitive<ref>http://books.google.com/books?id=8g9-L3ymrq4C&pg=PA130&dq=9780306811661+%22power+ballad%22+hair-metal#v=onepage&q=&f=false</ref><ref name=aaron/>. In 1976, the power ballad broke<ref>http://books.google.com/books?id=8g9-L3ymrq4C&lpg=PA132&dq=9780306811661%20%22power%20ballad%22&pg=PA132#v=onepage&q=&f=false</ref> the top 40: earlier songs like [[Stairway To Heaven]], Dream On, and Free Bird had a new lease on life. By the mid-1980s, hard rock and heavy metal bands routinely released power ballads in an effort to cross over to [[Top 40]] radio. He cites [[Mötley Crüe]]'s "[[Home Sweet Home (Mötley Crüe song)|Home Sweet Home]]" as the power ballad that popularized the style in the 1980s<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 = 0306811669, 9780306811661 | page = 132}}</ref> The song aired frequently on [[MTV]] in 1985 becoming the most requested video for four months straight and the most requested video on the station in its history up to that time.<ref>Bukszpan, Daniel (2003). The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal. London: Barnes & Noble Publishing. ISBN 0760742189</ref>
According to music essayist Charles Aaron by the mid-1980s, hard rock and heavy metal bands routinely released power ballads in an effort to cross over to [[Top 40]] radio. He cites [[Mötley Crüe]]'s "[[Home Sweet Home (Mötley Crüe song)|Home Sweet Home]]" as the power ballad that popularized the style in the 1980s<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 = 0306811669, 9780306811661 | page = 132}}</ref> The song aired frequently on [[MTV]] in 1985 becoming the most requested video for four months straight and the most requested video on the station in its history up to that time.<ref>Bukszpan, Daniel (2003). The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal. London: Barnes & Noble Publishing. ISBN 0760742189</ref>


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Revision as of 18:53, 1 September 2009

To emphasize the emotional aspect of a power ballad, crowds customarily hold up lit lighters.[1][2]

A power ballad is a type of song typically characterized by a relatively slow tempo, long voiced notes, and reduced emphasis on percussion and bass. Some sections of the song may include strong percussion and bass that are more typical of the hard rock and heavy metal genres for increased emotional effect, and often the electric guitar comes back in the song's climax. Common power ballad themes include (but are not limited to) emotional pain, need, love and loss.

According to music essayist Charles Aaron by the mid-1980s, hard rock and heavy metal bands routinely released power ballads in an effort to cross over to Top 40 radio. He cites Mötley Crüe's "Home Sweet Home" as the power ballad that popularized the style in the 1980s[3] The song aired frequently on MTV in 1985 becoming the most requested video for four months straight and the most requested video on the station in its history up to that time.[4]


See also

References

  1. ^ "POP VIEW; The Male Rock Anthem: Going All to Pieces". The New York Times. Published February 1, 1998.
  2. ^ "Rock Concert Question: Are Lighter Salutes Bad for the Environment?" Live Science. Published July 15, 2006.
  3. ^ Aaron, Charles (2002). "Don't Fight the Power". Da Capo Best Music Writing 2002: The Year's Finest Writing on Rock, Pop, Jazz, Country, and More. Da Capo Press. p. 132. ISBN 0306811669, 9780306811661. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help); Unknown parameter |editors= ignored (|editor= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ Bukszpan, Daniel (2003). The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal. London: Barnes & Noble Publishing. ISBN 0760742189