Power Ballads

As atmospheric as a lighter-lit arena, as stirring as a pulse-pounding, slow-dance embrace, these are the power ballads — songs of yearning, songs of burning, all wrapped up in spine-tingling vocals and rafter-raising guitars. So, settle into the sonic embrace of Journey and “Open Arms,” while Cheap Trick heats things up with the slow-burn sounds of “The Flame,” and even bad-boy mischief makers Mötley Crüe leave the road and its temptations behind to head for the comfort of “Home Sweet Home.”

“What About Love?” cry Heart, and we’ve got their answer in Next Steps.

Oh, the sweet torture — when it comes to a lovestruck power ballad, pleasure and pain are the name of the game. Bon Jovi wades through the thorns to lay down a “Bed of Roses” for the object of his desire, while lovelorn ladies Vixen wise up and dry their eyes on the had-enough “Cryin’.” Alannah Myles is brought to her knees by one little boy’s smile and a husky hit of “Black Velvet,” while glam-rockers Cinderella learn an old lesson the hard way on “Don’t Know What You Got (’Til It’s Gone).”

Ann Wilson and Mike Reno blend heavy-hitting pipes on the twice-as-nice “Almost Paradise,” and we shoot for power ballad heaven, in Deep Cuts.

“(Everything I Do) I Do It For You,” cries Bryan Adams on his power ballad classic, and that’s how we feel when it comes to mining the vaults for the best in searing, soaring songs of all-out, scorched-earth devotion. Tracks like the bittersweet arm-waver “The Price” from Twisted Sister, Cher’s divalicious wish “If I Could Turn Back Time,” and Bonnie Tyler’s fade-to-black love-light extinguisher “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” Hey, even the Prince of Darkness has a soft side, as Ozzy Osborne himself tells his woman “Mama, I’m Coming Home.”

It’s in the heart-baring, lung-blaring power of the vocals, the pounding percussion that matches the beat of your own overtaxed organ, the way it feels like that longhaired guitar wizard is working your heartstrings instead of his ax. It’s the potent persuasion of the power ballad, and it’s the key ingredient in our Essential set of rock-pop pledges, with everything from Aerosmith’s emotional extravaganza “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” to Mr. Big’s acoustically intimate charmer “To Be With You,” to Warrant’s X-large trip to hair-metal “Heaven.” Foreigner’s dramatic rock searcher “I Want to Know What Love Is” has been raising pulses (and goose bumps) for nearly 30 years — now, with our playlist of all things big and besotted, you can do the same anytime the feeling strikes.