It is Metal Monday once again at the Pastor Matt blog. Unfortunately, That Metal Show has gone on hiatus until the late summer, so we will be reaching back and interacting with past episodes to discuss Eddie, Don and Jim’s Top 5 List and their “throw down” debate.
On one previous show, the three debated the top 5 power ballads of all time. Here is the list they finally settled on:
TMS Top Five Power Ballads
1. “Home Tonight” Aerosmith
2. “Still in Love with You” Thin Lizzy
3. “Bringin’ on the Heartbreak” Def Leppard
4. “Home Sweet Home” Motley Crue
5. “Goodbye to Romance” Ozzy Osbourne
I love the show and the lists but this is weak! Here are my top 5 with comment.
My 5 favorite
1. “Stairway to Heaven” Led Zeppelin. The song that arguably created the power ballad. “Stairway” has been ruined for those who listen to classic rock radio but for those of us who always ignored FM radio it is still THE song.
2. “Dream On” Aerosmith. If “Stairway” set the standard than Dream On made rockin’ ballads a near necessity….oh, and it’s just friggin’ sweet!
3. “Home Sweet Home” Motley Crue. If “Stairway” and “Dream On” created a pattern in rock, “Home Sweet Home” re-ignited the passion for the bad boy blues. Crue’s video for the “Home Sweet Home” was the most demanded video on MTV’s former evening top 10 for so many weeks that MTV enacted “The Crue Rule,” which set a 12-week limit on requests of an individual video. “Home” was so popular that nearly every band had to have a power ballad.
4. “Patience” Guns N’ Roses. Many credit Tesla with creating the unplugged rage of the late ’80′s and early ’90′s. They’re wrong. GNR’s 1988 #1 acoustic hit (recorded in a single day live with the band in a circle) is the real instigator and, again, it is friggin’ sweet!
5. “House of Pain” Faster Pussycat. A power ballad about more than just a broken heart. The song was an anthem for those of us with…oh, shall we say, “parental issues.” It also gave a great band a gold record.
There is my list. What’s yours?
During the Throw Down, the hosts, Frankie Banalie of Quiet Riot and Phil Collen of Def Leppard debated which Lep LP was stronger, “High N’ Dry” or “Pyromania.” All but Collen and Banalie went with ”High N’ Dry.” I agree that ”High N’ Dry” is a better hard rock album but I have a nostalgic place in my heart for Pyromania. It was the very first album I purchased and “Photograph” is one of my favorite songs of all time. However, you can’t go wrong with either. In fact, despite “Hysteria” being Lep’s biggest selling LP, I prefer ”High N’ Dry” and “Pyromania” to anything else that Leppard has done.
Now for this week’s trivia question–What Swiss hard rock vocalist was offered the seemingly impossible job of replacing Bon Scott in AC/DC before Brian Johnson?
The answer to last week’s trivia question was Blue Murder. After leaving Black Sabbath but before joining Badlands, Ray Gillen briefly joined the John Sykes, Tony Franklin, Carmen Appice project Blue Murder. It didn’t work out and Sykes took on both the lead guitarist and lead vocal role while Gillen joined former Ratt and Ozzy guitarist Jake E. Lee to form the under rated band Badlands.
Here’s mine:
1. Nobody’s Fool~Cinderella
2. Bringin’ on the Heartbreak~Def Leppard
3. I Remember You~Skid Row
4. Alone Again~Dokken
5. Tesla~Changes
I love that you chose House of Pain! Great song!
There should be a top 12…too many =)
Amy, very nice! I tossed Alone Again (pre-Home Sweet Home!) and Nobody’s Fool around (as well as Skid Row’s “Quicksand Jesus”) but, in the end, House of Pain was just too close to the heart. Very nice list!
Andy’s list makes me look like Stewart on Beavis & Butthead…putting my Winger shirt on in shame, lol!
Don’t reach for the Winger shirt yet. Andy is a good dude but you put together an awesome list.
Andy’s List
1. Judas Priest-Beyond The Realms of Death~This is Priest’s Stairway To Heaven.Great live too.
2.Wasp-Sleeping In The Fire~This song seems to scream power ballad.Should maybe number one on my list.
3.Iron Maiden- Remember Tomorrow~Number of the Beast was the first Maiden album I had then I learned of the First two with Paul Dianno and Remember Tomorrow blew me and my friends away.
4. Rainbow-Catch The Rainbow~DIO on vocals enough said.
5.Twisted Sister-The Price~Amy made put this on my list because she didn’t think of it first and made stick to it so I am doing this for her.lol Not everything Twisted Sister did was Cheesy.Would rather put queensryche The Lady Wore Black or Take Hold Of The Flame but those are probably pushing it for ballads.I realize not everyone will agree my list are ballads i’m even wondering myself but they are close.
Catch the Rainbow and The Price are awesome. I am a big Twisted Sister fan. Before the disastrous “Come Out and Play,” they were the balls!
And my vote goes to Pyromania as well and mainly because of being a kid and watching Photograph on Mtv (music television). High N’ Dry is absolutely fabulous too and in my collection of CDs where it will forever remain =) Def Leppard was my all time favorite band for many many years.
Hi Matt its Andy here.I don’t know for sure if this is the answer or not but Allan Fryer who sings for Heaven was a heavy candidate I remember but he lost the job and was not offered it.But Heaven was from Australia I think.I have an old Hit parader from the 80′s with the story in it.I met Allen with a friend at the Alrosa Villa in 1988.My friend Greg Lawless actually knows the guy.Allan knew who he was when we walked up to him because Greg gave him a ride from Cincinnati to Columbus on a previous tour.I don’t think this is the answer you are looking for I just took a shot at it.Hope I not talking to much.
Andy, good try, bro (and awesome story BTW). But the singer was Swiss and had just took a job with a fairly well-known metal band and decided his new band was a better gamble than a Bon Scott-less AC/DC. When you hear the answer it will make sense. His voice would have worked well!
Here is my top 5.
#5 Skid Row – I Remember You
#4 Kiss – Beth… I know its not really “Power” ballad. But for a band that was straight forward rock n roll to have a song that didnt fit their image what so ever and to have Peter Criss who had never sang a Kiss song, be the front man was a very daring move.
#3 Poison – Somthing To Believe In… Most people would say Every Rose Has Its thorn would be the best Poison ballad. Not me. Something To Believe in was a real powerhouse song that was abou the death of Brets best friend. Every Rose was just another love song that “about a stripper that cheated on him” you could hear from any rock band. Something to believe in was real, sentimental, and In my opinion a way better song.
#2 – Motley Crue – You’re All I Need…While I love Home Sweet Home. This song was a suprise when I heard it. Starts out, you think its just another love song, But WHOA!! Vince is singing a song that describes a horror movie. Love it! Nice suprise..
#1 Ozzy Osbourne – Mamma Im Coming Home – For one reason this song is number one…Lemmy wrote it!
Cannot really give an honest vote on Def Leppard. While I like them. They are a band to me that the Greatest Hits works fine. I know I am probably missing out, but just havent dug deeper into their catalog. But based on the “singles”, Pyromania.
Very nice. Can’t believe I forgot Beth.
You def need to check out all of Pyromania and High N’ Dry. To quote Chuck Klosterman, if aliens landed and asked me to define rock n’ roll for them, I would play “Let It Go” from High N’ Dry!
Here is my top 5!
1. “Still in Love with You” Thin Lizzy
2. “Home Tonight” Aerosmith
3. “Bringin’ on the Heartbreak” Def Leppard
4. “Goodbye to Romance” Ozzy Osbourne
5. “Home Sweet Home” Motley Crue