Top 20 Rock Ballads

Alrighty-roo here comes a Top 20 Rock Ballads list for you all to glare at.

One thing should be mentioned; It's very difficult to define what is a "rock" ballad, and what is a "metal" ballad...and even what defines as a "ballad". So please keep that in mind while reading the list. Simply what I thought of was a rock/metal/heavy/power song, that feel like they could be called a ballad. I don't know. They're just some "softer" and "musical" songs.

20. Green Day - Time Of Your Life
19. Europe - Carrie
18. Toto - Africa
17. Chad Kroeger - Hero
16. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
15. Whitesnake - Here I Go Again
14. In Flames - Come Clarity
13. Metallica - Turn The Page
12. In Flames - Square Nothing
11. Linkin Park - In The End
10. Guns N' Roses - November Rain

9. Nightwish - Sleeping Sun

I don't care who you are, but listening to this song is just magical. Not only does it have a personal meaning to me, but its just a beautiful song. And Tarja Turunens voice is amazing.

8. Heart - Alone

I quite like Heart. Actually one of the few "female vocalist" bands that I feel fond of.
Another song from Heart that I like is "Never". Check it out.

7. Pink Floyd - High Hopes

My favourite Pink Floyd song. David Gilmours solo is one of my favourite solos of all time, and this is just a exstatic song from the beginning to the end. Beautiful lyrics too.

6. Led Zeppelin - Stairway To Heaven

Great songs always seem to have great solos. This one is no exception. Jimmy Page in your face. One of the best. And this song is probably the most well known song in the world. Everyone knows the beauty of Stairway To Heaven.

5. Megadeth - A Tout Le Monde

One of the few succesful Megadeth "ballads". But this song hits every single spot. Dave surely can sing in a beautiful tone too. Would be nice to hear more of this style from Megadeth.

4. Boston - More Than A Feeling

A classic. And I love it. No more needs to be said. Also one of the catchiest riffs ever.

3. Queen - The Show Must Go On

With Freddie Mercurys vocals and Brian Mays fantastic guitar playing, this is by far Queens best song. And one hell of a ballad. This song was recorded just a few months before Freddie died. Probably the best vocalist ever.

2. Aerosmith - Dream On

I was disappointed when listening to other Aerosmith songs, how they never could make such a masterpiece again that Dream On is. Well, at least there's one. And Dream On is not only one of my favourite songs of all, it's one of the best ballads out there. Steven Tyler, awesome vocals. Looks kinda gay though. But that doesnt hurt this song. Nothing does.

1. Metallica - Nothing Else Matters

I'm sorry but this was just inevitable. No other, I say no other band could EVER top what Metallica did 1990, when they sat in the recording studio and created the best ballad ever. I'd very much like to know what excactly was going through their heads when they wrote this. It is well known by almost everyone, and it's simple, yet complicated structure makes it the most beautiful song out there. The solo? Simple but amazing. The lyrics? Beautiful. Performance? I've never seen them live. However I did hunt around YouTube for clips, and the best performance to me, was in 1991, and for your pleasure, i'll embed it here. One more thing, I've seen a couple of clips from when they performed it in 2006-07, and to me it just seems that the spirit isnt there anymore. They just play it cause they have to play it. There's no love.

Thank goodness there are clips from the early days. This is for you. Cry and weep.