As with the term "anthem," the term "ballad" is subjective. I view a ballad as a slow acoustic song: A piano, an acoustic guitar, strings, light percussion and a narrative. A ballad spins off of the song's meaning and emotional effect. The primary instrument should be the voice. A ballad can't be happy.
Ballads are different from power ballads. Power ballads are self-explanatory: Power ballads start slow and build up to heavier, more driving rhythms and instrumentation. For power ballads, see songs like Breaking Benjamin's Give Me a Sign, SLIPKNOT's Snuff or Fuel's Hemorrhage.
10. Seether's Broken: I'm hesitant to put this song on my top since its full-band remakes overshadows this version. At first, Broken was a simple ballad off of Disclaimer. Later, frontman Shaun Morgan partnered with his girlfriend of the time, Evanescence's Amy Lee and remade Broken into a duet power ballad.
9. Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss' Whiskey Lullaby: Whiskey Lullaby is the most beautiful original to come out of country music this decade, hands down. Paisley and Krauss' harmonic voices together are haunting.
8. Tie: Kelly Clarkson's Because of You and Dixie Chicks' Travelin' Soldier: Because of You tells the story of Kelly Clarkson's rough childhood. Many people misinterpret the song as a beak-up song, but the meaning is much deeper and more personal. Travelin' Soldier is among the saddest war songs of all time. The narration tells the story of a waitress who meets a Vietnam-bound soldier who writes to her while he serves. Later in the song, she finds out the soldier was killed.
7. Christina Perri's Jar of Hearts: I wish I could put this song higher. This song was my guilty pleasure a few years ago when I could still tolerate Star 100.7. Perri's husky, beautiful voice and harmonies still give me goosebumps. While I admit she is stunning, I abhor the tattoos.
6. Evanescence's My Immortal: My Immortal is the most beautiful song on this list. Truth be told, Amy Lee can top any "top ten best list" in music.
5. Three Doors Down's Here Without You: Three Doors Down never foresaw this song's success when they released it. Its reception was helped in part by the Iraq war. The song became an anthem for grieving loved ones, families missing their soldiers overseas and troops missing families back home. Peace sells, but so do war songs. See: Toby Keith's The Angry American.
4. Adele's Someone Like You: The first thing my girlfriend said when I read her this list was "that song is so overplayed." While I agree that the song was played to death, it's still beautiful. Since no one can stand it anymore, here's a
3. Gary Jules' Mad World: This song gained popularity from being played in Donnie Darko. Gary Jules' Mad World is a cover of a Tears for Fears song. Adam Lambert covered the song also, but no one did it as well as Jules. The music video adds another dimension to the depression and hopelessness of the song.
2. Rise Against's Hero of War: Hero of War was inspired by the stories lead singer Mcllrath heard from returning soldiers. It's a song that speaks of the horrors and traumas soldiers endure when they're overseas. The song is wrought with pain. How would you feel if you murdered a little girl?
1. Johnny Cash's Hurt: The top ballad of this century is a cover of a Nine Inch Nails song. This song will make you cry. You will hurt with Cash. It was the dying country star's final hit and is seen as his epitaph.
Honorable Mention: Beck's Lost Cause, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' O Children, Iron and Wine's Naked as We Come, Mumford and Son's White Blank Page
Gotta respect Gary Jules' Mad World. Even though it
ReplyDeletes overplayed now, it set a perfect mood in Donnie Darko and is in general a great song. Better than the original (Although TfF's Head Over Heels is used to great effect in DD, as well)