# Sentimental ballad

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sentimental_ballad
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sentimental_ballad.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sentimental_ballad
> Source revision: 1354399381
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Style of music

For the painting by Grant Wood, see [Sentimental Ballad (painting)](/source/Sentimental_Ballad_(painting)). For information on the modified type of blues music in South Korea, see [Korean ballad](/source/Korean_ballad).

A **sentimental ballad** is an [emotional](/source/Emotional) style of music that often deals with [romantic](/source/Romance_(love)) and [intimate relationships](/source/Intimate_relationships), and to a lesser extent, [loneliness](/source/Loneliness), [death](/source/Death), [war](/source/War), [drug abuse](/source/Drug_abuse), [politics](/source/Politics) and [religion](/source/Religion), usually in a poignant but solemn manner.[1] Ballads are generally melodic enough to capture the listener's attention.[2]

Sentimental ballads are found in most [music genres](/source/Music_genre), such as [pop](/source/Pop_music), [R&B](/source/Contemporary_R%26B), [soul](/source/Soul_music), [country](/source/Country_music), [folk](/source/Folk_music), [rock](/source/Rock_music) and [electronic music](/source/Electronic_music).[3] Usually slow in [tempo](/source/Tempo), ballads tend to have a lush musical [arrangement](/source/Arrangement) which emphasizes the song's [melody](/source/Melody) and [harmonies](/source/Harmony). Characteristically, ballads use [acoustic](/source/Musical_acoustics) instruments such as [guitars](/source/Guitar), [pianos](/source/Piano), [saxophones](/source/Saxophone), and sometimes an [orchestral](/source/Orchestra) set. Many modern mainstream ballads tend to feature [synthesizers](/source/Synthesizer), [drum machines](/source/Drum_machine) and even, to some extent, a [dance rhythm](/source/Four_on_the_floor_(music)).[4]

Sentimental ballads had their origins in the early [Tin Pan Alley](/source/Tin_Pan_Alley) music industry of the later 19th century.[5] Initially known as "tear-jerkers" or "drawing-room [ballads](/source/Ballad)", they were generally sentimental, narrative, [strophic](/source/Strophic_form) songs published separately or as part of an [opera](/source/Opera), descendants perhaps of [broadside ballads](/source/Broadside_(music)). As new genres of music began to emerge in the early 20th century, their popularity faded, but the association with sentimentality led to the term *ballad* being used for a slow [love song](/source/Love_song) from the 1950s onwards.[6]

## History

### Early history

Main article: [Ballad](/source/Ballad)

Sentimental ballads have their roots from medieval [French](/source/Music_of_France) *chanson balladée* or *[ballade](/source/Ballade_(forme_fixe))*, which were originally "danced songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular [poetry](/source/Poetry) and song of the [British Isles](/source/British_Isles) from the later [medieval](/source/Medieval) period until the 19th century. They were widely used across [Europe](/source/Europe), and later in the [Americas](/source/Americas), [Australia](/source/Australia) and [North Africa](/source/North_Africa).[7][8][9] As a narrative song, their theme and function may originate from [Scandinavian](/source/Scandinavia) and [Germanic](/source/Germanic_peoples) traditions of storytelling.[10] Musically they were influenced by the [Minnesinger](/source/Minnesinger).[11] The earliest example of a recognizable ballad in form in [England](/source/England) is "[Judas](/source/Judas_(ballad))" in a 13th-century [manuscript](/source/Manuscript).[12] A reference in [William Langland](/source/William_Langland)'s *[Piers Plowman](/source/Piers_Plowman)* indicates that ballads about [Robin Hood](/source/Robin_Hood) were being sung from at least the late 14th century and the oldest detailed material is [Wynkyn de Worde's](/source/Wynkyn_de_Worde) collection of Robin Hood ballads printed about 1495.[13]

### 18th century – early 20th century

"[After the Ball](/source/After_the_Ball_(song))", a ballad by [Charles K. Harris](/source/Charles_K._Harris), was the most successful song of its era, selling over two million copies of sheet music.[14][15]

Ballads at this time were originally composed in couplets with [refrains](/source/Refrain) in alternate lines. These refrains would have been sung by the dancers in time with the dance.[16] In the 18th century, [ballad operas](/source/Ballad_opera) developed as a form of [English](/source/England) [stage entertainment](/source/Stage_play), partly in opposition to the [Italian](/source/Italian_opera) domination of the London operatic scene.[17] In [America](/source/United_States_of_America) a distinction is drawn between ballads that are versions of European, particularly British and [Irish songs](/source/Irish_music), and '[Native American ballads](/source/Native_American_music)', developed without reference to earlier songs. A further development was the evolution of the [blues ballad](/source/Blues_ballad), which mixed the genre with [Afro-American music](/source/Afro-American_music).[18]

In the late 19th century, Danish folklorist [Svend Grundtvig](/source/Svend_Grundtvig) and Harvard professor [Francis James Child](/source/Francis_James_Child) attempted to record and classify all the known ballads and variants in their chosen regions.[12] Since Child died before writing a commentary on his work it is uncertain exactly how and why he differentiated the 305 ballads printed that would be published as *[The English and Scottish Popular Ballads](/source/The_English_and_Scottish_Popular_Ballads)*.[19] There have been many different and contradictory attempts to classify traditional ballads by theme, but commonly identified types are the religious, supernatural, tragic, love ballads, historic, legendary and humorous.[10]

By the [Victorian era](/source/Victorian_era), *ballad* had come to mean any sentimental popular song, especially so-called "royalty ballads", for which publishers would pay a star singer to promote new songs in exchange for a lump sum or a "royalty signature" on the sheet music and a small percentage of sales.[20] Some of [Stephen Foster](/source/Stephen_Foster)'s songs exemplify this genre and, in England, the ballads of [Montague Phillips](/source/Montague_Phillips) written for his wife [Clara Butterworth](/source/Clara_Butterworth) in the early 1900s. By the 1920s, composers of [Tin Pan Alley](/source/Tin_Pan_Alley) and [Broadway](/source/Broadway_theatre) used *ballad* to signify a slow, sentimental tune or love song, often written in a fairly standardized form. Jazz musicians sometimes broaden the term still further to embrace all slow-tempo pieces.[21] Notable sentimental ballads of this period include, "Little Rosewood Casket" (1870), "[After the Ball](/source/After_the_Ball_(song))" (1892), and "[Danny Boy](/source/Danny_Boy)" (1913).[22]

### 1950s–1960s

See also: [Traditional pop](/source/Traditional_pop)

In 1962, [Frank Sinatra](/source/Frank_Sinatra) released *[Sinatra and Strings](/source/Sinatra_and_Strings)*, a set of standard ballads, which became one of the most critically acclaimed works of Sinatra's entire Reprise period.[23]

Popular sentimental ballad vocalists in this era include [Frank Sinatra](/source/Frank_Sinatra), [Ella Fitzgerald](/source/Ella_Fitzgerald), [Andy Williams](/source/Andy_Williams), [Johnny Mathis](/source/Johnny_Mathis), [Connie Francis](/source/Connie_Francis) and [Perry Como](/source/Perry_Como). Their recordings were usually lush orchestral arrangements of current or recent [rock and roll](/source/Rock_and_roll) or [pop](/source/Pop_music) hit songs. The most popular and enduring songs from this style of music are known as "pop standards" or (where relevant) "American standards". Many vocalists became involved in 1960s' [vocal jazz](/source/Vocal_jazz) and the rebirth of [swing music](/source/Swing_music), which was sometimes referred to as "[easy listening](/source/Easy_listening)" and was, in essence, a revival of popularity of the "[sweet bands](/source/Sweet_band)" that had been popular during the [swing era](/source/Swing_era), but with more emphasis on the vocalist and the sentimentality.[24]

### 1970s

See also: [Soft rock](/source/Soft_rock) and [Easy listening](/source/Easy_listening)

[Soft rock](/source/Soft_rock), a subgenre that mainly consists of ballads, was derived from [folk rock](/source/Folk_rock) in the late 1960s, using acoustic instruments and putting more emphasis on melody and harmonies. Major sentimental ballad artists of this decade included [Barbra Streisand](/source/Barbra_Streisand), [Nana Mouskouri](/source/Nana_Mouskouri), [Elton John](/source/Elton_John), [Engelbert Humperdinck](/source/Engelbert_Humperdinck_(singer)), [Carole King](/source/Carole_King), [Cat Stevens](/source/Cat_Stevens) and [James Taylor](/source/James_Taylor). By the early 1970s, softer ballad songs by [the Carpenters](/source/The_Carpenters), [Anne Murray](/source/Anne_Murray), [John Denver](/source/John_Denver) and [Barry Manilow](/source/Barry_Manilow) began to be played more often on "Top 40" radio.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

Some rock-oriented acts such as [Queen](/source/Queen_(band)) and the [Eagles](/source/Eagles_(band)) also produced ballads.[1][25][26]

When the word *ballad* appears in the title of a song, as for example in [the Beatles](/source/The_Beatles)' "[The Ballad of John and Yoko](/source/The_Ballad_of_John_and_Yoko)" (1969) or [Billy Joel](/source/Billy_Joel)'s "[The Ballad of Billy the Kid](/source/The_Ballad_of_Billy_the_Kid)" (1974), the [folk music](/source/Folk_music) sense is generally implied. The term *ballad* is also sometimes applied to strophic story-songs more generally, such as [Don McLean](/source/Don_McLean)'s "[American Pie](/source/American_Pie_(song))" (1971).[27][28][29]

### 1980s–1990s

See also: [Adult contemporary music](/source/Adult_contemporary_music)

[Celine Dion](/source/Celine_Dion)'s albums were generally constructed on the basis of melodramatic [soft rock](/source/Soft_rock) ballads, with sprinklings of [uptempo](/source/Uptempo) pop and rare forays into other genres.[30]

Prominent artists who made sentimental ballads in the 1980s include [Stevie Wonder](/source/Stevie_Wonder), [Lionel Richie](/source/Lionel_Richie), [Peabo Bryson](/source/Peabo_Bryson), [Barry White](/source/Barry_White), [Luther Vandross](/source/Luther_Vandross) and [George Michael](/source/George_Michael).[31]

The 1990s include mainstream pop/R&B singers such as [Boyz II Men](/source/Boyz_II_Men), [Celine Dion](/source/Celine_Dion), [Shania Twain](/source/Shania_Twain), [Whitney Houston](/source/Whitney_Houston) and [Mariah Carey](/source/Mariah_Carey).[32] [*[clarification needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Please_clarify)*]

Newer female singer-songwriters such as [Sarah McLachlan](/source/Sarah_McLachlan), [Natalie Merchant](/source/Natalie_Merchant), [Jewel](/source/Jewel_(singer)), [Melissa Etheridge](/source/Melissa_Etheridge) and [Sheryl Crow](/source/Sheryl_Crow) also broke through on the AC chart during this time owing to their ballad-sound.[33]

### 2000s

A popular trend in the early 2000s was remixing or re-recording [dance music](/source/Dance_music) hits into [acoustic](/source/Acoustic_pop) ballads (for example, the "Candlelight Mix" versions of "[Heaven](/source/Heaven_(Bryan_Adams_song)#DJ_Sammy_and_Yanou_version)" by [DJ Sammy](/source/DJ_Sammy), "[Listen to Your Heart](/source/Listen_to_Your_Heart_(Roxette_song)#DHT_version)" by [DHT](/source/DHT_(band)), and "[Everytime We Touch](/source/Everytime_We_Touch_(Cascada_song))" by [Cascada](/source/Cascada)).[34]

### 2010s

In the 2010s, indie musicians like [Imagine Dragons](/source/Imagine_Dragons), [Mumford & Sons](/source/Mumford_%26_Sons), [Of Monsters and Men](/source/Of_Monsters_and_Men), [the Lumineers](/source/The_Lumineers) and [Ed Sheeran](/source/Ed_Sheeran) had indie songs that crossed over to the adult contemporary charts, due to their ballad-heavy sound.[35]

## Genres

### Jazz and traditional pop

Most [pop standard](/source/Traditional_pop) and jazz ballads are built from a single, introductory *verse*, usually around 16 [bars](/source/Bar_(music)) in length, and they end on the [dominant](/source/Dominant_(music)) – the *chorus* or *[refrain](/source/Refrain)*, usually 16 or 32 bars long and in [AABA form](/source/AABA_form) (though other forms, such as ABAC, are not uncommon). In AABA forms, the B section is usually referred to as the *[bridge](/source/Bridge_(music))*; often a brief *[coda](/source/Coda_(music))*, sometimes based on material from the bridge, is added, as in "[Over the Rainbow](/source/Over_the_Rainbow)".[36][37]

### Pop and R&B ballads

The most common use of the term "ballad" in modern [pop](/source/Pop_music) and [R&B music](/source/Contemporary_R%26B) is for an emotional song about romance, breakup and/or [longing](/source/Desire).[22] The singer would usually [lament](/source/Lament) an [unrequited](/source/Unrequited_love) or lost love, either where one party is oblivious to the existence of the other, where one party has moved on, or where a [romantic](/source/Romance_(love)) [affair](/source/Affair) has affected the relationship.[38][39]

### Power ballads

"Power ballads" redirects here. For other uses, see [Power Ballads (disambiguation)](/source/Power_Ballads_(disambiguation)).

Power ballad To emphasize the emotional aspect of a power ballad, crowds customarily hold up lighters adjusted to produce a large flame (or, as a more recent alternative, a turned-on smartphone screen or flashlight function).[40][41] Stylistic origins Arena rock pop rock hard rock heavy metal soft rock Cultural origins Early 1970s Other topics Soft rock glam metal power pop post-grunge adult contemporary

[Simon Frith](/source/Simon_Frith), the British sociomusicologist and former rock critic, identifies the origins of the power ballad in the emotional singing of [soul](/source/Soul_music) artists, particularly [Ray Charles](/source/Ray_Charles), and the adaptation of this style by performers such as [Eric Burdon](/source/Eric_Burdon), [Tom Jones](/source/Tom_Jones_(singer)), and [Joe Cocker](/source/Joe_Cocker) to produce slow-tempo songs often building to a loud and emotive chorus backed by drums, electric guitars, and sometimes choirs.[42] According to [Charles Aaron](/source/Charles_Aaron), power ballads came into existence in the early 1970s, when rock stars attempted to convey profound messages to audiences while retaining their "macho rocker" mystique.[43] The [hard rock](/source/Hard_rock) power ballad typically expresses love or heartache through its lyrics, shifting into wordless intensity and emotional transcendence with heavy drumming and a distorted [electric guitar](/source/Electric_guitar) solo representing the "power" in the power ballad.[44][45]

Aaron argues that the hard rock power ballad broke into the mainstream of American consciousness in 1976 as FM radio gave a new lease of life to earlier impassioned songs such as [Badfinger](/source/Badfinger)'s "[Without You](/source/Without_You_(Badfinger_song))", [Led Zeppelin](/source/Led_Zeppelin)'s "[Stairway to Heaven](/source/Stairway_to_Heaven)" and [Aerosmith](/source/Aerosmith)'s "[Dream On](/source/Dream_On_(Aerosmith_song))".[43] [The Carpenters](/source/The_Carpenters)' 1972 single "[Goodbye to Love](/source/Goodbye_to_Love)" has also been identified as a prototype of the power ballad, driven by the hard rock guitar sound of [Tony Peluso](/source/Tony_Peluso).[46] British [heavy metal](/source/Heavy_metal_music) band [Judas Priest](/source/Judas_Priest) wrote many power ballads, starting with "[Dreamer Deceiver](/source/Dreamer_Deceiver)" and "[Beyond the Realms of Death](/source/Beyond_the_Realms_of_Death)".[45]

American rock band [Styx](/source/Styx_(band)) has been credited with releasing the first true power ballad, the song "[Lady](/source/Lady_(Styx_song))", in 1973.[47] Its writer, [Dennis DeYoung](/source/Dennis_DeYoung) is called the "father of the power ballad".[48] In 1976 the heavy metal band [Kiss](/source/Kiss_(band)) shocked their fans with the release of the ballad "[Beth](/source/Beth_(song))", (essentially a solo track by [Peter Criss](/source/Peter_Criss), produced by [Bob Ezrin](/source/Bob_Ezrin) on which no other members of the band played).

In the 1980s, bands such as [Foreigner](/source/Foreigner_(band)), [Journey](/source/Journey_(band)), and [REO Speedwagon](/source/REO_Speedwagon) contributed to the power ballad becoming a staple of hard rock performers who wanted to gain more radio airplay and satisfy their female audience members with a slower, more emotional love song.[49] [Mötley Crüe](/source/M%C3%B6tley_Cr%C3%BCe) was one of the bands showcasing this style, with songs such as "[Home Sweet Home](/source/Home_Sweet_Home_(M%C3%B6tley_Cr%C3%BCe_song))" and "[You're All I Need](/source/You're_All_I_Need_(song))".[50] Nearly every hard rock and [glam metal](/source/Glam_metal) band wrote at least one power ballad for each album, and record labels often released these as the album's second single.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] In 2008, *[Classic Rock](/source/Classic_Rock_(magazine))* critic Paul Elliott declared Journey's 1983 song "[Faithfully](/source/Faithfully_(song))" to be "the greatest power ballad of all time".[51]

When [grunge](/source/Grunge) appeared as a counterpoint to the excesses of 1980s hard rock and glam metal, one of the distinctions of the grunge style was the absence of power ballads;[50] however, some songs from this era such as "Rooster" by Alice in Chains (1992), which Ned Raggett described as the band's "own particular approach" to the style,[52] and "[Black Hole Sun](/source/Black_Hole_Sun)" by Soundgarden (1994)[53] have been described using this term, and songs in its subgenre [post-grunge](/source/Post-grunge) included ballads.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

### Latin ballad

Main article: [Latin ballad](/source/Latin_ballad)

[Luis Miguel](/source/Luis_Miguel) in Mexico City

[Latin ballad](/source/Latin_ballad) refers to the ballad derived from [bolero](/source/Bolero) that originated in the early-1960s in Latin America and Spain.

One of the most well-known Latin ballad singers of the 1970s and 1980s was [José José](/source/Jos%C3%A9_Jos%C3%A9). Known as "El Principe de La Cancion" (The Prince of the Song), he sold over 40 million albums in his career and became a huge influence to later ballad singers such as [Cristian Castro](/source/Cristian_Castro), [Alejandro Fernández](/source/Alejandro_Fern%C3%A1ndez), [Nelson Ned](/source/Nelson_Ned), [Manuel Mijares](/source/Manuel_Mijares) and [Lupita D'Alessio](/source/Lupita_D'Alessio).[54]

## See also

- [Threnody](/source/Threnody)

- [Torch song](/source/Torch_song)

- [List of Irish ballads](/source/List_of_Irish_ballads)

- [List of rock ballads](/source/List_of_rock_ballads)

- [Slow dance](/source/Slow_dance)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-M._Curtis,_1987_p._236_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-M._Curtis,_1987_p._236_1-1) Curtis, James M. (1987). *Rock Eras: Interpretations of Music and Society, 1954-1984*. Popular Press. p. 236. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-87972-369-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-87972-369-9).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Bronson, Bertrand Harris (1969). *The Ballad as Song*. University of California Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-520-01399-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-520-01399-5).[*[page needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources)*]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Ord, J. (1990). *Bothy Songs and Ballads*. Edinburgh: John Donald.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Pop Music – What Is Pop Music – A Definition and Brief History"](https://web.archive.org/web/20051020042544/http://top40.about.com/od/popmusic101/a/popmusic.htm). Top40.about.com. 7 September 2012. Archived from [the original](http://top40.about.com/od/popmusic101/a/popmusic.htm) on 20 October 2005. Retrieved 3 October 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** P. Buckley, *The Rough Guide to Rock* (Rough Guides, 3rd edn., 2003), p. 378.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Witmer. See also Middleton (I,4,i).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** W. Apel, *Harvard Dictionary of Music* (Harvard, 1944; 2nd edn., 1972), p. 70.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** A. Jacobs, *A Short History of Western Music* (1972, Penguin, 1976), p. 21.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** W. Apel, *Harvard Dictionary of Music* (1944, Harvard, 1972), pp. 70–72.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Houseman1952_10-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Houseman1952_10-1) J. E. Housman, *British Popular Ballads* (1952, London: Ayer Publishing, 1969), p. 15.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** A. Jacobs, *A Short History of Western Music* (Penguin 1972, 1976), p. 20.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-N._Bold,_1979_p._5_12-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-N._Bold,_1979_p._5_12-1) A. N. Bold, *The Ballad* (Routledge, 1979), p. 5.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Sweers2005_13-0)** B. Sweers, *Electric Folk: The Changing Face of English Traditional Music* (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005), p. 45.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-matters_14-0)** ["'After the Ball': Lyrics from the Biggest Hit of the 1890s"](http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5761/), History Matters

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Smith_15-0)** Smith, Kathleen E. R. (2003). *God Bless America: Tin Pan Alley Goes to War*. The University Press of Kentucky. p. 91. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0813122562](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0813122562).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-British_Literature_pg_610_16-0)** "Popular Ballads", *The Broadview Anthology of British Literature: The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century*, p. 610.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** M. Lubbock, *The Complete Book of Light Opera* (New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1962) pp. 467–68.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-I._Ousby,_2006_p._66_18-0)** D. Head and I. Ousby, *The Cambridge Guide to Literature in English* (Cambridge University Press, 2006), p. 66.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** T. A. Green, *Folklore: An Encyclopedia of Beliefs, Customs, Tales, Music, and Art* (ABC-CLIO, 1997), p. 352.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** Child, F., J. (1898). *The English and Scottish Popular Ballads*, Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Co

1. **[^](#cite_ref-21)** Temperley (II,2).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Cohen2005p297_22-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Cohen2005p297_22-1) N. Cohen, *Folk Music: a Regional Exploration* (Greenwood, 2005), p. 297.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-sinatraasidol_23-0)** Fusilli, Jim (13 May 2008). ["Sinatra as Idol – Not Artist"](https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB121063311685686579). *The Wall Street Journal*. Retrieved 15 May 2008.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-24)** Goldsmith, Melissa Ursula Dawn (2005). "Lounge Caravan: A Selective Discography". *Notes*. **61** (4): 1060–1083. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1353/not.2005.0059](https://doi.org/10.1353%2Fnot.2005.0059). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [191619811](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:191619811). [Project MUSE](/source/Project_Muse) [183067](https://muse.jhu.edu/article/183067).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-25)** Soft Rock. ["Soft Rock : Significant Albums, Artists and Songs, Most Viewed"](http://www.allmusic.com/subgenre/soft-rock-ma0000011841). AllMusic. Retrieved 9 January 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-26)** ["Soft Rock - Profile of the Mellow, Romantic Soft Rock of the '70s and Early '80s"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130116133043/http://80music.about.com/od/genresmovements/p/softrockprofile.htm). 80music.about.com. 12 April 2012. Archived from [the original](http://80music.about.com/od/genresmovements/p/softrockprofile.htm) on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 9 January 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-27)** D. R. Adams, *Rock 'n' roll and the Cleveland Connection Music of the Great Lakes* (Kent State University Press, 2002), [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-87338-691-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-87338-691-4), p. 70.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-28)** C. H. Sterling, M. C. Keith, *Sounds of Change: a History of FM broadcasting in America* (UNC Press, 2008), pp. 136-7.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-SoftRockClassificationBBC_29-0)** ["Journey: The band who did not stop believing"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11733277). BBC News. 12 November 2010. Retrieved 6 December 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-30)** Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. [Let's Talk About Love: Album review](https://www.allmusic.com/album/r328599). Allmusic. Retrieved 12 October 2009.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-31)** McNulty, Bernadette; Green, Thomas H.; Sweeting, Adam (10 September 2018). ["The 50 best love songs of the 1980s"](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/50-best-love-songs-1980s/). *The Telegraph*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-32)** Roberts, Amy (2 February 2018). ["This '90s Love Song Playlist Is The Only Thing You'll Need To Listen To This Valentine's Day"](https://www.bustle.com/p/this-90s-love-song-playlist-is-the-only-thing-youll-need-to-listen-to-this-valentines-day-8105686). *Bustle*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Hyatt_33-0)** Hyatt, Wesley (1999). *The Billboard Book of Number One Adult Contemporary Hits*. New York City: [Billboard Books](/source/Billboard_Books). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-823-07693-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-823-07693-2).[*[page needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources)*]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-34)** [Whitburn, Joel](/source/Joel_Whitburn) (2007). *Billboard Top Adult Songs 1961-2006* (Record Research Inc.), page 373.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-35)** Kelley, Frannie (26 October 2011). ["Has 'Indie' Become 'Adult Contemporary'?"](https://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2011/10/26/141694029/has-indie-become-adult-contemporary). *The Record*. NPR.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-36)** D. Randel, *The New Harvard Dictionary of Music*, (Cambridge MS: Harvard University Press, 1986) [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-674-61525-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-674-61525-5), p. 68.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-37)** Buchan, D. (1972). *The Ballad and the Folk.* East Linton: Tuckwell Press

1. **[^](#cite_ref-38)** Smith, L.: *Elvis Costello, Joni Mitchell, and the Torch Song Tradition*, p. 9. Praeger Publishers, 2004.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-forte_39-0)** Allan Forte, M. R.: *Listening to Classic American Popular Songs*, p. 203. Yale University Press, 2001.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-40)** Powers, Ann (1 February 1998). ["POP VIEW; The Male Rock Anthem: Going All to Pieces"](https://www.nytimes.com/1998/02/01/arts/pop-view-the-male-rock-anthem-going-all-to-pieces.html). *The New York Times*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-41)** Burgess, Darrin (15 July 2006). ["Rock Concert Question: Are Lighter Salutes Bad for the Environment?"](https://www.livescience.com/4157-rock-concert-question-lighter-salutes-bad-environment.html). *Live Science*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Frithpop_42-0)** S. Frith, "Pop Music" in S. Frith, W. Straw and J. Street, *[The Cambridge Companion to Pop and Rock](/source/Cambridge_Companions_to_Music)* (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press), pp. 100-1.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-aaron_43-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-aaron_43-1) Aaron, Charles (2002). "Don't Fight the Power". In Jonathan Lethem; Paul Bresnick (eds.). *Da Capo Best Music Writing 2002: The Year's Finest Writing on Rock, Pop, Jazz, Country, and More*. [Da Capo Press](/source/Da_Capo_Press). p. 132. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-306-81166-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-306-81166-1).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Metzer2017_44-0)** Metzer, David (2017). *The Ballad in American Popular Music: From Elvis to Beyoncé*. Cambridge University Press. p. 144. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781108509749](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781108509749).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Brown2016_45-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Brown2016_45-1) Brown, Andy R. (2016). "The Ballad of Heavy Metal: Re-thinking Artistic and Commercial Strategies in the Mainstreaming of Metal and Hard Rock". In Gabby Riches; Dave Snell; Bryan Bardine; Brenda Gardenour Walter (eds.). *Heavy Metal Studies and Popular Culture*. Springer. p. 83. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781137456687](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781137456687).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-46)** Perrone, Pierre (2 August 2010). ["Tony Peluso: Guitarist whose solos on The Carpenters' 'Goodbye to Love' ushered in the power-ballad era"](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/tony-peluso-guitarist-whose-solos-on-the-carpenters-goodbye-to-love-ushered-in-the-powerballad-era-2041048.html). *[The Independent](/source/The_Independent)*. Retrieved 4 February 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-47)** Dominic, Serene (3 September 2003). ["Power Me, Ballad Me: The Power Ballad Timeline"](https://www.metrotimes.com/detroit/power-me-ballad-me-the-power-ballad-timeline/Content?oid=2176365). *Detroit Metro Times*. Retrieved 21 February 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-48)** ["Dennis DeYoung on Story of Styx 70s Hit Lady"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2pnyduhfjM). *YouTube*. 25 August 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-49)** Maisey, Jeff (29 July 2022). ["PREVIEW: REO Brings Power Ballad Hits"](https://veermag.com/2022/07/preview-reo-brings-power-ballad-hits/). *VEER Magazine*. Retrieved 27 March 2026.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Harrison2011_50-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Harrison2011_50-1) Harrison, Thomas (2011). *Music of the 1980s*. ABC-CLIO. p. 41. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780313366000](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780313366000).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-elliott_51-0)** Elliott, Paul (20 August 2008). ["Journey: a guide to their best (and worst) albums"](https://www.loudersound.com/features/journey-the-ballads-and-the-bust-ups-the-buyer-s-guide). *[Classic Rock](/source/Classic_Rock_(magazine))*. Louder. Retrieved 22 September 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-amrooster_52-0)** Raggett, Ned. ["Rooster by Alice in Chains"](https://www.allmusic.com/song/rooster-mt0027001536). *AllMusic*. Retrieved 15 June 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-kerranglaw_53-0)** Law, Sam (10 May 2021). ["The 20 greatest Soundgarden songs – ranked"](https://www.kerrang.com/the-20-greatest-soundgarden-songs-ranked). *Kerrang!*. Retrieved 15 June 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-54)** ["José José "Esta es mi Vida" LANZAMIENTO"](https://web.archive.org/web/20140319025440/http://www.famaweb.com/jose_jose_quotesta_es_mi_vidaquot_lanzamiento-6005.html). Famaweb.com. Archived from [the original](http://www.famaweb.com/jose_jose_quotesta_es_mi_vidaquot_lanzamiento-6005.html) on 19 March 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2014.

## External links

- [Smithsonian Global Sound: The Music of Poetry](https://web.archive.org/web/20070426114919/http://www.smithsonianglobalsound.org/archives_05.aspx)—audio samples of poems, hymns and songs in ballad meter.

- [The Oxford Book of Ballads, complete 1910 book by Arthur Quiller-Couch](http://www.bartleby.com/243/)

v t e Pop music Stylistic origins Tin Pan Alley Traditional pop Rock and roll Styles Adult contemporary Christian Quiet storm Rhythmic Urban Alternative Ambient Art Avant Beach Beat Brill Building Bubblegum Bubblegrunge Chamber Contemporary Christian music Country Bro-country Cowboy Cringe Dancehall Dance Freestyle Crunkcore Disco polo Dream Experimental Folk Hyperpop Hypnagogic Indie Dunedin sound Twee Operatic Orchestral Baroque Pop rap Pop rock Dream Emo Jangle Paisley Underground Pop metal Bubblegrunge Pop-punk Power Soft rock Tropical rock Yacht rock Progressive Psychedelic Recession Schlager Sophisti-pop Space age Sunshine Swamp Synth-pop Electropop Futurepop Teen Traditional Wonky Regional variants Africa Africa Afrobeats Moroccan The Americas American Argentine Brazilian (MPB) Brega pop Choro Cumbia Pop Latin Tropipop Mexican Nueva ola Asia Arabic Armenian Assyrian Azerbaijani Chinese Cantopop Hakka Hokkien Mandopop French Xinyao Zhongguo feng Gufeng Hong Kong English Indian Bhangra Hindutva Indonesian Melankolis Kreatif Iranian Japanese City Kayōkyoku Ryūkōka Shibuya-kei Kazakhstani Korean North South Lao Malaysian Pakistani Philippine Taiwanese Campus folk Hakka Taigi Indigenous Mandopop Thai Vietnamese Europe Austropop Balkan pop-folk Chalga Laïko Manele Tallava Turbo-folk British New pop Dutch Nederbeat Eurodance Europop French pop French Mandopop Yé-yé Hungarian Italian Macedonian Čalgija Romanian Manele Russian Schlager Serbian Swedish Turkish SFR Yugoslavia Soviet VIA music Ukrainian Related topics Celebrity Bobby-soxer Sasaeng fan Teenybopper Wota Honorific nicknames Lists of pop artists Music and fashion Pop music automation Popular music pedagogy Rockism and poptimism Songwriter Talent manager Talent agent Teen idol Boy band Girl group Verse–chorus form Virtual band Worldbeat

v t e Singing Singing types A cappella Bathroom singing Extended technique Throat singing Overtone singing White voice Oversinging Rapping Scat singing Sign singing Sing-along Vocal percussion Beatboxing Forms · Genres Choral Opera Lied Vocables Voice classification Voice type Alto Bass Bass-baritone Baritone Baritenor Tenor Countertenor Contralto Mezzo-soprano Soprano Fach Non-classical music Concepts · Techniques Backup vocals Belting Coloratura Chest voice Crooning Cursive singing Death growl Falsetto Head voice Lead vocals Passaggio Quintus Rapping Scat singing Screaming Sprechgesang Tessitura Timbre Vocal pedagogy Vocal range Vocal register Vocal resonation Vocal weight Sound equipment (popular music) In-ear monitor Microphone Pitch correction Sound reinforcement system Monitor speaker Miscellaneous Vocal music Choir Vocal coach

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sentimental ballad](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sentimental_ballad) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sentimental_ballad?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.