What are the all-time greatest rock power ballads?

I don't know if there's ever been a good definition of what a power ballad is, but like the US Supreme Court's classic ruling on obscenity, you know it when you hear it. It's an emotional song that kicks butt. For example, tonight on the radio I heard Boston's A Man I'll Never Be and thought it must be one of the greatest power ballads ever. So I started to think of some others. Here's my initial list:

Boston: A Man I'll Never Be
Nazareth: Love Hurts
Blue Oyster Cult: Then Came the Last Days of May
Thin Lizzy: Still in Love With You
Rainbow: Catch the Rainbow
Deep Purple: Sail Away and Mistreated from Burn are both great
The Who: Love Reign O'er Me
Led Zep: So many to choose from: Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, Thank You, The Rain Song, Ten Years Gone, All My Love...

And speaking of Dio, the two classic Dio/Sabbath albums from the early 80s both ended with great power ballads: Lonely Is the Word and Over and Over.

 

"A Man I'll Never Be" is my top choice, but here's some others:
Scorpions - Still Loving You
Steelheart - She's Gone
REO Speedwagon - Keep On Loving You
Journey - Faithfully

 

Loved the power ballad in the 80's... not as much now, but they still hold a soft spot.

Here's a couple I've used with success in the past:

Motley Crue - Home Sweet Home
Steelheart - I'll Never Let You Go

And yes, Journey - Faithfully is probably #1

 

Badfinger - Without You

 

And PLEASE do me a favor and check out the GREATEST power ballad nobody outside of Portland, Oregon has ever heard from my friends Dan Reed Network... STRONGER THAN STEEL:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7a2xAsbSQg

 

November Rain

 

UFO - Love To Love
DOKKEN - Alone Again
VANDENBERG - Burning Heart

 

I've always considered Dream On by Aerosmith as the first true power ballad.

 

+1

Journey - Open Arms

 

And while I'm pimping out my buddies, please give this one a chance, even if you never listen again. Dan Reed Network - Salt Of Joy.

Trivia, anyone remember this one from a feature film in the early 90's?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z50JCcnB5-g

 

Cinderella had a couple good ones.
Heartbreak Station and Don't Know What You've Got...

 

Metallica produced some great power ballads, notably:
Fade to Black, Welcome Home (Sanitarium), One, The Unforgiven
Similarly, Iron Maiden - Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Also while this board is on a bit of a collective Radiohead kick, The Bends has a couple of great power ballads in Nice Dream and My Iron Lung.

EDIT: One more: Jeff Buckley - Grace

 

I think I've heard Gram and Emmylou's version enough times that I'm now almost cured of Nazareth's version of Love Hurts. I find it painful. The original isn't a power ballad, and that's a good thing IMHO.

I'll throw this one out there: Guided By Voices, Hold On Hope. One of their most reviled songs, but I love it! I think it would qualify as a power ballad.....

 

KISS - Beth

 

I'd agree, though Wikipedia cites no less than "Stairway to Heaven":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_ballad#Power_ballads

 

Love the two DRN tracks you've mentioned...Stronger Than Steel is phenomenal. Saw the band when they toured here in 1992 one of the best gigs ever!

 

The greatest imo ..and possibly the first
Afterglow( Of Your Love) by the Small Faces
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aueUFhC3Ktg&feature=related

 

Bangles - Eternal Flame

 

"Love Hurts" by Nazareth was the first one that came to mind, but since that's been taken... I'll go with their 1980 opening act:

April Wine - Just Between You and Me

 

Cheap Trick - The Flame

 

April Wine Just Between You And Me is a song I never tire of. They do a great power ballad of The Beatles Tell Me Why. The video is kinda cheesy but the song is great.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42E25GZooIM

 

The Jim Clench years had some great ballads. They did not really catch on in the US until he was long gone and they went the 3 guitar route.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Asu5_hJcyO0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScQ9xjU79AA&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dip4ZzDHhBg&feature=related

 

Cinderella - Don't Know What You Got Till It's Gone

 

Makes me EXTREMELY happy to hear that, my friend.

DRN was an absolutely fantastic and extrmely underrated (unknown) band, and the dudes are some of the coolest cats you could ever meet.

I was lucky enough to see and hang-out with them countless times over the years (back in the day) as they're from right here in my hometown (Portland, OR). Stronger Than Steel / All Of My Love mix-match from LIVE AT LAST is simply breathtaking. If you don't have that double CD please be sure to send me a PM and I'll help you out!

 

Would these qualify as power ballads? I like 'em!!

Holding on to Yesterday - Ambrosia
Crying to the Sky - Be Bop Deluxe
South City Midnight Lady - Doobies
Dying to Live - Edgar Winter
Crystal - Fleetwood Mac
Heartbreaker - Grand Funk
Wind Cries Mary - Hendrix
I Talk to the Wind - King Crimson
For My Lady - Moody Blues
July Morning - Uriah Heep