More Than a Feeling Edition

More Than a Feeling Edition

From Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia by Slate Podcasts

June 13, 2026 · 51 min

About this episode

This episode explores the history and evolution of power ballads, highlighting their enduring appeal and cultural significance.

If you were watching cable TV around midday at the turn of the millennium, there’s a good chance you saw a commercial for a compilation CD called Monster Ballads . It promised you more than two hours of musical cheese—some of the most over-the-top, cornball, leather-clad romantic jams ever to grace the charts, from “Heaven” to “High Enough,” “Carrie” to “Amanda.” There’s another, more common term for these rockin’ romancers: power ballads . And while this TV ad suggested the power ballad was perfected in the ’80s—preferably sung by a dude in spandex, with long, flowing locks—its roots go back decades earlier. Acts as seemingly mild as Roy Orbison, Harry Nilsson and even the Carpenters were pivotal to the way these mega-devotionals evolved. R&B divas would turn power vocals into an athletic sport, alongside hair-metal howlers. Eventually, power ballads colonized the charts in the ’80s, the ’90s and beyond. Maybe they’re cheesy, cringeworthy and melodramatic—but power ballads have proven remarkably enduring, with even 21st-century Zoomer stars like Olivia Rodrigo offering their own variations. So, join Chris Molanphy as he brings on the heartbreak, finds thorns on every rose…

People in this episode

Host: Chris Molanphy

Topics covered

  • power ballads
  • music history
  • romantic jams
  • 1980s music
  • commercial music
  • pop music

Keywords

  • power ballads
  • music history
  • romantic songs
  • 1980s
  • Olivia Rodrigo
  • commercials
  • Monster Ballads

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Slate Podcasts

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