100 Best Metal Ballads of the ‘80s, ‘90s and 2000s
Heavy Metal Love Songs
Ballads are like a musical outburst of emotion. While many believe ballads are associated entirely with love, in truth they go beyond that. Ballads can evoke other feelings and emotional situations, such as grief, guilt, hate, breakups, missing someone, and death.
The list below is an epic showcase of the best metal ballads and metal love songs. If you like heavy metal ballads, you will have something to say about these picks. Feel free to share your views, opinions and song suggestions in the comments section. Stay safe!
Top 10 Best Metal Ballads of the ‘80s, ‘90s and 2000s
- “Cemetery Gates”—Pantera
- “Nothing Else Matters”—Metallica
- “Return to Serenity”—Testament
- “Snuff”—Slipknot
- “The Bard’s Song (In the Forest)”—Blind Guardian
- “Fiddler on the Green”—Demons and Wizards
- “The Spirit Carries On”—Dream Theater
- “So Far Away”—Avenged Sevenfold
- “A Tale That Wasn’t Right”—Helloween
- “Is This Love”—Whitesnake
What Are Metal Ballads?
Metal ballads are slow tempo, heavy metal songs which often have lush musical arrangements. Many of these songs have operatic undertones fused with traditional musical structures. The hair metal scene in the ‘80s resurrected power ballads to a new level, thereby broadening the reach of metal ballads globally.
Although these songs do not have a conventional sound, high-pitched vocals have become a distinguishable feature in this form of metal. While it is true that high vocal register gives a unique identity to traditional metal love songs, a number of metal vocalists have also mesmerized fans with their deep baritone.
#11—20
11. “When All Is Lost”—Symphony X
12. “A Tout Le Monde”—Megadeth
13. “Dreaming (Tell Me)”—Yngwie Malmsteen
14. “One”—Metallica
15. “Goodbye to Romance”—Ozzy Osbourne
16. “Silent Lucidity”—Queensryche
17. “Heart of Steel”—Manowar
18. “Your Turn”—Heloween
19. “I Remember You”—Skid Row
20. “The Unforgiven”—Metallica
The Ballad Years in Rock Music
While there is no clarity in regards to the origin of the term “metal ballad,” heavy metal purists believe the term came into prominence in the ‘80s when bands in various subgenres of metal experimented with slow tempo songs that featured operatic vocals. This experimental structure paved new beginnings for love songs in the realms of heavy metal. The power metal genre in the ‘80s is considered by heavy metal purists as the genre that paved the way for metal ballads.
#21—40
21. “Another Day”—Dream Theater
22. “Ghost of Freedom”—Iced Earth
23. “More than Words”—Extreme
24. “My Last Sunrise”—Demons and Wizards
25. “Communion and the Oracle”—Symphony X
26. “Forever and One”—Heloween
27. “Lake of Tears”—Gamma Ray
28. “Princess Aurora”—Luca Turilli
29. “Still Loving You”—Scorpions
30. “Mama, I’m Coming Home”—Ozzy Osbourne
31. “Wasting Love”—Iron Maiden
32. “Last Drop Falls”—Sonata Arctica
33. “Sleep”—Savatage
34. “Fade To Black”—Metallica
35. “Miles Away”—Winger
36. “Sleeping (In The Fire)”—W.A.S.P.
37. “Runaway”—Riot
38. “Love of A Lifetime”—Firehouse
39. “Greater Darkness”—Moonspell
40. “Into The Unknown”—Avantasia
Instrumentation in Rock Ballads
The instrumentation of rock ballads comprises of acoustic guitars, keyboards, electric guitars, drums, bass, piano, and drums. Melodic guitar solos are a notable feature of many songs. High pitch vocals are exceedingly popular in these ballads. Singers of certain metal bands are known for their display of wide-range vocals on ballads. Certain bands feature symphonic orchestras on metal ballads. A number of power metal bands and symphonic metal bands incorporate a strings section in their brand of ballads.
Since the ‘80s, ballads have evolved a great deal. However, the epic sound in metal ballads hasn’t changed in all these years. The ‘90s witnessed a number of Scandinavian heavy metal bands breathe new life in ballads with their melodic approach through lyrical tales of gallantry. Many metal bands broke away from traditional metal roots, and chased an experimental sound, bringing to life new subgenres in metal. As the metal soundscape started to evolve, metal love songs started gaining momentum in the ‘90s.
#41—60
41. “Summer’s Rain”—Savatage
42. “When the Children Cry”—White Lion
43. “Love Song”—Tesla
44. “Forever”—Edugy
45. “In A Darkened Room”—Skid Row
46. “Master of the Wind”—Manowar
47. “Carrie”—Europe
48. “Strange Without You”—Zihard
49. “When I See You Smile”—Bad English
50. “Forever More”—Dionysus
51. “Every Rose Has It’s Thorn”—Poison
52. “My Eternal Flame”—Iron Mask
53. “Tears”—X Japan
54. “Solitary Ground”—Epica
55. “The Sound of the Blade”—Dark Moor
56. “Fly To The Angels”—Slaughter
57. “El Retraro Oval”—Opera Magna
58. “Son of Pain”—Rhapsody of Fire
59. “Undiscovered Dreams”—Pathfinder
60. “Tears of a Dragon”—Bruce Dickinson
Popularity of Heavy Metal Ballads
Heavy metal ballads have been exceedingly popular in US, Europe, Japan and Russia. While the majority of American metal bands are rooted in traditional metal, a number of metal bands from Norway, Denmark, Finland and Sweden have incorporated mellow musical arrangements, making their music accessible to non-metal audiences globally.
#61—80
61. “I’ll Be There For You”—Bon Jovi
62. “Nana”—Warcry
63. “Heaven”—Warrant
64. “Farewell”—Gamma Ray
65. “November Rain”—Guns N’ Roses
66. “The Swan Song”—Within Temptation
67. “Love’s Tragedy”—Demons & Wizards
68. “The Siren of the Woods”—Therion
69. “I’ll Never Let You Go”—Steelheart
70. “Dreamer”—Ozzy Osbourne
71. “Always”—Bon Jovi
72. “Hold Me in Your Arms”—Heloween
73. “The Flame”—Cheap Trick
74. “All This Time”—Rage
75. “I Can’t Stop Loving You”—Van Halen
76. “High Enough”—Damn Yankees
77. “Season of Faith’s Perfection”—Stratovarius
78. “Rain Forest”—Concerto Moon
79. “Princess of the Night”—At Vance
80. “Alone Again”—Dokken
Heavy Metal Love Songs Post-2000
Since the year 2000, heavy metal love songs have come alive in a new avatar bringing back old school tonalities with fresh new sounds. The heart and soul of a metal ballad lie in composition, which is why there is no singular aspect that defines balladry in songs.
While the debate on traditional metal and non-traditional metal continues, the best of both worlds have been aesthetically encompassed through rock ballads. The sounds of ballads in the realms of metal will only get bigger in the near future.
#81—100
81. “Hopes and Dreams”—Masterplan
82. “Don’t Leave Me”—Axxis
83. “Endless Rain”—X Japan
84. “Tides of Time”—Epica
85. “Starfire”—Dragonforce
86. “The Crown and the Ring”—Manowar
87. “Sister Christian”—Night Ranger
88. “Don’t Know What You Got (Till’ It’s Gone)”—Cinderella
89. “River Of Love”—Stormwind
90. “When It’s Love”—Van Halen
91. “The Land Of Ice and Snow”—Stratovarius
92. “This Isn’t What We Meant”—Savatage
93. “Never Ending Nightmare”—MSG
94. “Bed of Roses”—Bon Jovi
95. “Lonely”—After Forever
96. “The Message”—Power Quest
97. “Child of Desolation”—Virgin Steele
98. “I’ll See You in My Dreams”—Giant
99. “Reason to Be”—Throne of Chaos
100. “I’ll Be Waiting for You”—Rob Rock
Other Notable Metal Ballads of the ‘80s, ‘90s and 2000s
- “Angel of Light”—Iron Fire
- “Wings of Destiny”—Rhapsody
- “Don’t Close Your Eyes”—Kix
- “Always Will Be”—HammerFall
- “Serenade”—Versailles
- “The Power of Love”—Lunatica
- “Close My Eyes Forever”—Ozzy Osbourne and Lita Ford
- “Sleep”—Meduza
- “18 Years”—Gamma Ray
- “Keeper of My Heart”—Kapel Maister
- “Where You Goin’ Now”—Damn Yankees
- “Fly High Michelle”—Enuff Z’ Nuff
- “The Sacrifice”—Highland Glory
- “In Memory”—Ravenheart
- “Oceans of Time”—Axel Rudi Pell
- “Love Bites”—Def Leppard
- “Birth of the Harp”—Amberian Dawn
- “Winter Dreams”—Accept
- “The Ballad of Jayne”—L.A. Guns
- “A Little Too Far”—Soulspell
- “The Golden Stream Of Lapland”—Sentenced
- “Why”—Derdian
- “25 Days from Home”—Loudness
- “Another Sun”—Magic Kingdom
- “The Day That I Met You”—Lillian Axe
- “Without You”—Motley Crue
- “Forever Shine On”—Edenbridge
- “She’s Gone”—Steelheart
- “Heaven in Your Eyes”—Loverboy
- “Into The Blue”—Cain’s Offering
- “What Love Can Be”—Kingdom Come
- “Freedom Heart”—Majesty
- “Angelheart”—Gwyllion
- “Tuonela”—Amorphis
- “Headed For a Heartbreak”—Winger
- “Not Every Pain Hurts”—Lacrimosa
- “Approaching the Storm”—Majestic
- “I Still Think About You”—Danger Danger
- “Windmill”—Heloween
- “Goodbye My Friend”—Kaledon
- “Time Has Gone By”—Ancestral
- “When I Look Into Your Eyes”—Firehouse
- “Beauty Has Come”—Kotipelto
- “Never Say Goodbye”—Bon Jovi
- “The Price”—Twisted Sister
- “Seren”—Secret Sphere
- “Ballad of Susan”—Savage Circus
- “House of Pain”—Faster Pussycat
- “Save Your Love”—Great White
- “Where Are You Now”—Dawn of Destiny
- “Reason To Live”—Kiss
- “The Light of Your Eyes”—Delirion
- “Heartbreak Station”—Cinderella
- “She Who Summoned Me”—Pyramaze
- “Love against the Power of Evil”—Holy Knights
- “When I Find Love”—XYZ
- “More Than a Feeling”—Boston
- “One More Promise”—Supreme Majesty
- “Portals of Light”—Falconer
- “Waiting for the Princess”—Skylark
- “I Died For You”—Iced Earth
- “Standing Alone”—Tyketto
- “Why is it Never Enough”—Bonfire
- “Emerald Eye”—Altaria
- “Falling Rain”—Labyrinth
- “Anytime”—MSG
- “Calling the Rain”—Atrocity
- “Wind of Change”—Scorpions
- “Dawn over a New World”—Dragonforce
- “Called Up”—Karelia
- “Right By Your Side”—Enuff Z’ Nuff
- “Keep the Flame Alive”—Revolution Renaissance
- “Cassandra”—Theatre of Tragedy
- “Tears”—Enisferum
- “After The End”—Rage
- “Just Take My Heart”—Mr. Big
- “Rain”—Nemesis
- “Can’t Stop Falling Into Love”—Cheap Trick
- “Love Kills”—Vinnie Vincent Invasion
- “Tears of Fire”—Keel
- “Mirror”—Dreamtale
- “Love Is on The Way”—Saigon Kick
- “A Sailorman’s Hymn”—Kamelot
- “Nobody Knows”—Lillian Axe
- “You’re All I Need”—Motley Crue
- “Losing You”—Dream Evil
- “Slippin Away”—Dokken
- “One Cold Winter Night”—Silent Fall
- “Honestly”—Stryper
- “Take Away My Pain”—Dream Theater
- “Rainy Nights”—Angra
- “Winterlight”—Visions of Atlantis
- “You’ll Never Be Lonely”—Highlord
- “Long Live the King”—Narnia
- “Only Time Will Tell”—Nelson
- “Burning Heart”—Vandenberg
- “More Than Words Can Say”—Alias
- “Baby You’re The Greatest”—Enuff Z’ Nuff
- “Forever Walking Alone”—Dragonland
- “Like a Paradise”—Kenziner
© 2017 Ansel Pereira