Night Ranger wrote many ballads in the 1980s, but none were as successful as "Sister Christian." This quintessential 1980s ballad is a slow-paced number that uses distorted guitar and big vocal harmonies during the chorus, but tones down with piano in the verses and interludes.
This 1980s glam rock band fronted by Bret Michaels scored hits early on with both moderately paced and slightly heavier songs, such as "Cry Tough" and "Talk Dirty to Me." But the band got its first No. 1 single with the ballad "Every Rose Has Its Thorn." It is a sentimental piece that opens with acoustic guitar and vocals, then gradually builds into a rock ballad.
Foreigner was primarily an upbeat pop/rock band with hits like "Cold as Ice," "Hot Blooded" and "Head Games." In true 1980s fashion, they broke format and released a ballad entitled "I Want to Know What Love Is" in 1984. It's a somber song built on a foundation of synthesizers rather than electric guitar.
Although REO Speedwagon was part of the mainstream music scene in the 1970s, some of its biggest hits were in the 1980s. "Can't Fight This Feeling" is a powerful ballad that was one of only two REO Speedwagon No. 1 hits (the other being "Keep On Loving You"). Many REO Speedwagon songs were ballads, but not all of them are as iconic as "Can't Fight This Feeling." The song got worked into movie and TV soundtracks well into the 2000s.
"Missing You" by John Waite drips with the synthesized drums and keyboards characteristic of 1980s ballads. The song about heartbreak and loss was Waite's only No. 1 "Billboard" hit. It was released in 1984 on the album "No Brakes," and although Waite continued to write and release music, as of 2011 he had yet to match the success of "Missing You."
Whitesnake was a 1980s hard rock band, arguably most known for their No. 1 hit "Here I Go Again." But in a change of pace, Whitesnake released the power ballad "Is This Love" in 1987. It became their second most successful song. Although it still had guitar, drums and bass, the rock elements were toned down, the tempo was lowered, and the synthesizers took center stage.
Journey cranked out power ballads throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including such hits as "Open Arms" and "Who's Crying Now." But none achieved the popularity of "Don't Stop Believin'." This mega hit from the 1981 album "Escape" got a huge second life in 2007 when it played over the final scene of the HBO hit series "The Sopranos."