I'd like to know what your favorite ballads are, or simply put, songs about love.

this is the top 30 according to www.digitaldreamdoor.com


1. Imagine - John Lennon
2. Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkel
3. Cryin' - Roy Orbison
4. Let It Be - Beatles
5. Unchained Melody - Righteous Brothers
6. Only The lonely - Roy Orbison
7. Something - Beatles
8. Can't Help Falling In Love - Elvis Presley
9. Always On My Mind - Willie Nelson
10. Hey Jude - Beatles
11. Last Kiss - J. Frank Wilson & Cavaliers
12. Blue Eyes Cryin' In The Rain - Willie Nelson
13. Angie - Rolling Stones
14. Weekend In New England - Barry Manilow
15. Hard To Say I'm Sorry - Chicago
16. Freebird - Lynyrd Skynyrd
17. Since I've Been Loving You - Led Zeppelin
18. Tears In Heaven - Eric Clapton
19. Stairway To Heaven - Led Zeppelin
20. Long, Long, Long - Beatles
21. Love Me Tender - Elvis Presley
22. Baby, I Love Your Way - Peter Frampton
23. Love Reign O'er Me - The Who
24. Wild Horses - Rolling Stones
25. Who Wants To Live Forever - Queen
26. You're The Inspiration - Chicago
27. Open Arms - Journey
28. Julia - Beatles
29. All I Have To Do Is Dream - Everly Brothers
30. You Don't Bring Me Flowers - Neil Diamond

And I Love Her - The Beatles
Prince - Adore (I know everyone's gonna mention this one)
[Edited 1/17/05 6:31am]

my top 10:

1. The Who: Love, reign o'er me
2. Prince: Purple Rain
3. Led Zeppelin: Since i've been loving you
4. Bruce Springsteen: Thunder Road
5. Neil Young: Only love can break your heart
6. Guns n' Roses: November Rain
7. Nick Cave: Are you the one that i've been waiting for?
8. the Doors: Indian Summer
9. Roy Orbison: In Dreams
10. Allman Brothers Band: Call home

Eraserhead said:

I can't think of a list right now. (too lazy )

But Zeppelin's SIBLY from '73 Madison Square Garden.....

And that Digital Dream Door list is all "rock" ballads of course. There are so many more when it comes to soul and r&b ballads. I wouldn't even know where to begin. Otis's "Try A Little Tenderness" is one that comes to mind though.

you haven't heard ballads until youve heard prince
what ever it is its got to be funky! unless it makes you cry

Prince on a ballad tip wasn't too good. Though "one kiss at a time" is a great slow jam.


U know I go 4 my mullet man. The ball busting Michael Bolton. Only usually the diane Warren songs I like though. Iam a real sucker 4 her pretty melodies and corny lyrics.

Michael Bolton beats anything Mariah or celine ever done.

Narada Michael Walden usually produced the best twinkly 80's-early 90's ballads.

David Foster crops up on a producing tip too.

mine:

Ben E. King: Stand By Me
John Lennon: Love
John Lennon: Woman
The Beatles: Let It Be
Elvis Presley: Suspicious Minds
Andrea Bocelli: Con Te Partiro
Queen: We Are The Champions
Guns N' Roses: November Rain
Meat Loaf: I'd Lie For You
Eric Clapton: Wonderful Tonight
Bonnie Tyler: Total Eclipse Of The Heart
Toto: I Will Remember

thesexofit said:

U got 2 be kidding me
chough cough, Scandelous? Insatiable? Do Me Baby? The One? The Beautiful Ones? Adore? Diamonds & Pearls? You know u my boy and everything,but u crossed the line right there brutha...



Anyway...

Tender Love - Force M.D.'s must be added.

Otis Redding - Cigarettes & Coffee

i put "one kiss at a time", a track forgotten by many as it was off a 3 cd set.

Ok, I like "i love u in me" "the beutiful ones" "strays of the world" and "diamonds and pearls". I guess "morning papers" doesn't count does it?

Oh yeah and "i hate u".....come to think of it, i like quite alot of his ballads, just not the most obvious ones.....


and hear "home again" damnit Paisley. Keeponsmilin' everybody

I have a tale to tell
Sometimes it gets so hard to hide it well
I was not ready for the fall
Too blind to see the writing on the wall

Chorus:

A man can tell a thousand lies
I've learned my lesson well
Hope I live to tell
The secret I have learned, 'till then
It will burn inside of me

I know where beauty lives
I've seen it once, I know the warm she gives
The light that you could never see
It shines inside, you can't take that from me

(chorus)

2nd Chorus:

The truth is never far behind
You kept it hidden well
If I live to tell
The secret I knew then
Will I ever have the chance again

If I ran away, I'd never have the strength
To go very far
How would they hear the beating of my heart
Will it grow cold
The secret that I hide, will I grow old
How will they hear
When will they learn
How will they know

(chorus)
(2nd chorus)


Live to Tell Madonna

Can't take the top 30 2 seriously. Where the hell is all dem black ppl???

thesexofit said:

What the? Have you lost your ever loving mind.


It looks like U like those sappy Top 40 David Foster/Narda Michael Warden ballads and not the sex type/ bump n grind ballads like Prince or Silk, etc.

David Foster did some great work with Whitney Houston and other Arista recording artist but Prince has always had the best soul ballads, followed by Babyface (who also gave us Boys II Men classics like End of The Road and I'll Make Love 2 U. Jimmy Jam and Terry are also up there with the best produced ballads. Study your history man - I think U R missing the boat.

Hotlegs said:

ALRIGHT!!!!!
Now THAT"S better.....
What about....

"Baby I'm For Real"
The Originals

"Distant Lover"
Marvin Gaye

"Lovers Holiday"
Earth, Wind, & Fire

"Heaven Must Be Like This"
The Ohio Players

"I Stand Accuse"
Issac Hayes

"The Makings Of You"
Curtis Mayfield

"Penny Lover"
Lionel Ritchie

"So In Love"
Leroy Hutson
[Edited 1/17/05 20:36pm]
[Edited 1/17/05 20:56pm]
[Edited 1/17/05 20:56pm]

in random order (and genre)

you are so beautiful - joe cocker
at this moment -billy vera
superstar-luther vandross
purple rain-prince
come back to me-janet jackson
where were you when i needed you/superwoman-stevie wonder
is it a crime-sade
take a bow-madonna
distant lover (live)-marvin gaye
prototype-outkast
baby i'm yours-barbara lewis
stardust-hoagie carmichael
wishing on a star-rose royce
fire and desire-rick james/teena marie
portuguese love-teena marie
against all odds-phil collins
unchained melody-righteous brothers
something-beatles
green eyes-erykah badu
where is the love-roberta flack/donny hathaway
lush life-ella fitzgerald/duke ellington/billy strayhorn
no woman no cry-bob marley
how insensitive-astrud gilberto
blue bayou-linda ronstadt
give me your love-curtis mayfield
can't hide love-ewf

plenty more...but you all won't read this whole list anyway
[Edited 1/17/05 21:14pm]

Eraserhead said:

I'm surprised people haven't mentioned more stevie on here. But anyway, some of mine are

Hey Jude-The Beatles
American Pie-Don Mclean
Yesterday-the Beatles
A Day in the life-The Beatles
Dear Prudence-The Beatles
You And I-Stevie Wonder
Blame it on the sun-Stevie Wonder
Overjoyed-Stevie Wonder
All In Love Is Fair-Stevie Wonder
Lately-Stevie Wonder
Superwoman-Stevie Wonder
Sunshine In Their Eyes-Stevie Wonder
Purple Rain-Prince
The Cross (power ballads count don't they)-Prince
Sometimes it snows in april-Prince
Adore-Prince
My Way-Frank Sinatra
Little Wing-Jimi hendrix
Bold As Love-Jimi Hendrix
The wind Cries Mary-Jimi Hendrix
Angel-Jimi Hendrix
It's a man's world-James Brown
King heroin-James Brown
Flamenco sketches-Miles Davis
Goodbie Pork Pie hat-Charles Mingus
Naima-John Coltrane
A Case of U-Joni Mitchell
Tha Makings of you-curtis Mayfield
In My Solitude-Duke Ellington (too many other Duke tunes to count)

it hasnt been released yet.. but Josh Rouse- Sad Eye's from Nashville should be added to greatest ballads..

fuckin incredible

Bee Gees - To Love Somebody

I can't think of a full list at the moment, but I will at some time. And it's gonna include at least a few tunes from The Isley Brothers, The Carpenters, Stevie Wonder and Barry Manilow.

Eraserhead said:

Those 3 that are bolded are a couple of my favorites!

HrdwcH said:

Those Digital Dream Door lists (well at least this one) are usually "rock" lists, so those listed are classic rock ballads.

TheRealFiness said:

LOVE that tune! Such a good one. I actually grew up on the Barbara Mandrell version and can't stand to hear it anymore

add...The Long & Winding Road- The Beatles
Faithfully- Journey
I Wanna Know What Love Is- Foreigner
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road- Elton John
Just The Way You Are- Billy Joel
Love Song (Love Will Find A Way)- Tesla
Why- Annie Lennox
The Drugs Don't Work- The Verve
Angie- The Rolling Stones
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes- The Platters

gotta do another list of "real Ballads"

Body and soul-Lost generation
Pocketful of Heartbreaks-The Moments
when sundown comes-Smokey and the Miracles
In the rain-the dramatics
all about love-earth wind and fire
I can sing a rainbow( Love is Blue)-the dells
Back up Train- Al Green
when something is wrong with my baby -Mel & Tim

DavidEye said:

err... beg to differ ole son' but that came out in 76... because it came out a lil before my sister was born trust me on this one

TheRealFiness said:

You're both right. The album (can't recall the name offhand) came out in 75, the single charted in 76.