The 10 best rock ballads of all time
From Led Zeppelin to Arctic Monkeys, many of our favourite rock outfits have delivered stellar ballads over the years. Usually, these act as a foil to their high-octane numbers, providing a moment of respite for them and their fans, on record or in the live arena.
Aside from the ballad serving as a chance to catch breath, it also appeals to the more melancholic side of life when things aren’t going as planned, such as when we’re dealing with heartbreak.
In this sense, the ballad is a natural part of rock and music in general, as not everything is always as rosy as we’d like, but such is life. This is why rock acts from all backgrounds have produced ballads of the finest quality, with a host of subject material ranging from the trials and tribulations of love to wild horses dragging the author away.
Although many on the outside might see rock ‘n’ roll as purely the medium of the devil, it is not so. Rockstars have hearts too, and they have the propensity to deliver some of the most emotive moments in all of music, despite what their songs are about, which is a testament to how moving the form can be and the quality of the artist in question.
So without further ado, join us as we list the ten best rock ballads of all time. Expect to be surprised, as ‘Stairway to Heaven’ has been denied.
The 10 best rock ballads of all time:
10. Jimi Hendrix – ‘Little Wing’ (1967)
People rightly see Jimi Hendrix as the forefather of all shredders. He’s one of the most high-octane rock acts there’s ever been, with the photograph of him burning his guitar at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 a symbol of this.
However, Hendrix also had a softer side, and naturally, this found its way into his music, with no moment better than 1967’s ‘Little Wing’. One of his slower, most melodic cuts, Hendrix’s work here is enough to bring anyone to their knees and is suitably one of the greatest rock ballads of all time.
9. Beatles – ‘Let It Be’ (1970)
It is only fitting that one of the final singles The Beatles released is an absolute heartbreaker. Written by the eminent Sir Paul McCartney, it’s a piano-driven number surrounding a dream he had that featured his late mother, who passed away from cancer when he was just 14.
This is how ballads should be done: complete with thought-provoking lyrics, swooning instrumentation and a blues-inspired solo.
8. The Rolling Stones – ‘Wild Horses’ (1971)
The Rolling Stones have been the kings of the rock ballad for nearly 60 years, releasing a string of memorable cuts such as ‘Ruby Tuesday’ and ‘Angie’. However, their most emotive is ‘Wild Horses’ from Sticky Fingers. A country rock classic featuring the band’s former guitarist Mick Taylor, it was recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama, with the spirit of the environment making its way into the song. The track speaks for itself, and the chorus is one that invariably unites a room whenever it pours through the speakers.
“It almost wrote itself,” guitarist Keith Richards wrote in his autobiography, Life. “Once you’ve got the vision in your mind of wild horses, what’s the next phrase you’re going to use? It’s got to be ‘couldn’t drag me away.’ That’s one of the great things about songwriting; it’s not an intellectual experience. One might have to apply the brain here and here, but basically, it’s capturing moments.”
7. The Who – ‘Behind Blue Eyes’ (1971)
Although Limp Bizkit did their best to trash this song’s reputation in 2003, backed with a music video that features Halle Berry in Gothika, they ultimately failed in their mission. Taken from The Who’s celebrated record Who’s Next, which was borne out of guitarist and creative mastermind Pete Townshend’s failed Lifehouse project, it remains one of their best-loved cuts.
Featuring one of Townshend’s best performances on the guitar and the unforgettable lyrics: “No one knows what it’s like /To be the bad man / To be the sad man / Behind blue eyes”, the song slowly builds up to one of The Who’s most electrifying climaxes, with Roger Daltrey’s vocal performance a real highlight.
6. Billy Joel – ‘Piano Man’ (1973)
We’ve all been in pubs late in the evening when the melodic sounds of Billy Joel’s ‘Piano Man’ come on courtesy of the jukebox. Then, everyone, old and young, sings Joel’s semi-autobiographical ballad in unison, making us wonder why so much divides us when sober as Joel unites us with his expert pairing of the piano and harmonica.
A C-major waltz, you’d have to be a real curmudgeon not to get behind this timeless cut, with the line, “Son can you play me a memory?” one of the most treasured in all of rock.
5. Pink Floyd – ‘Wish You Were Here’ (1975)
No list of the ultimate rock ballads would be complete without this utter masterpiece. Kicking off with the sound of a radio playing and the finale of Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony, we then hear the sentimental sound of David Gilmour’s guitar fade in.
An incredibly moving track that appeals to all of us that have lost someone, whether that be via death or other, ‘Wish You Were Here’ makes a solid claim to being the best rock ballad ever written, with the themes of the song and music speaking for themselves.
4. Prince – ‘Purple Rain’ (1984)
This was the song that confirmed the diminutive Minneapolis native as a genuine icon. An extended power ballad that contains flecks of gospel and R&B, no one had ever heard anything like ‘Purple Rain’ when it dropped back in 1984. Perhaps the most dreamlike rock ballad ever written, this was Prince repackaging the format for the future.
Originally written and intended to be a collaboration with Fleetwood Mac frontwoman Stevie Nicks, she couldn’t commit to the song as she felt overwhelmed by it, leaving Prince to finish the job himself, which he did in the best way possible. This also happens to be one of Prince’s most important moments on a guitar, with the solo etched into the history books forever as it pulls right at the proverbial heartstrings.
3. Chris Isaak – ‘Wicked Game’ (1989)
This might be a somewhat surprising entry, but Chris Isaak’s ‘Wicked Game’ deserves more than its place on the list. A brooding piece of country rock, it is most famous for Isaak’s stellar vocal performance and that guitar line, with it also having a strange connection to David Lynch’s Wild at Heart.
Although people largely believe the track to be about unrequited love, it is quite the opposite. Isaak once revealed that it was directly inspired by a phone call he received late one night from a woman who wanted to arrange a casual sexual liaison, and that is actually about “what happens when you have a strong attraction to people that aren’t necessarily good for you”.
2. Extreme – ‘More Than Words’ (1991)
Boston funk metallers Extreme were one of the most prominent acts in their field in the ’80s, largely coming from the combined talent of guitar hero Nuno Bettencourt and frontman Gary Cherone.
However, when they dropped the acoustic ballad ‘More Than Words’ as the fifth and final single from Pornograffitti, it all changed, and their music found its way into the hearts of the masses. Courtesy of Bettencourt’s heartfelt work and Cherone’s lyrics, such as: “Saying ‘I love you’ / Is not the words I want to hear from you”, the track went to number one, and the rest was history.
1. Skunk Anansie – ‘Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good)’ (1997)
Another slightly surprising one, ‘Hedonism’ by London rockers Skunk Anansie is about as cool as a rock ballad can get. Kicking off with some emotive, almost John Frusciante-like guitar from Martin Kent, the song comes complete with one of the best choruses of the day, appealing to our modern propensity to do whatever we want because it feels good.
Frontwoman Skin sings: “Just because you feel good / Doesn’t make you right, oh no / Just because you feel good/ Still want you here tonight”, which reminds everyone of the unhealthy relationships we’ve all been in and just how toxic they can get.
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