Rolling Stone Readers Pick the Best Ballads of All Time

Rolling Stone Magazine ^ | Andy Greene

[ConservativeStatement]

Last week we asked our readers to vote for their favorite ballad or slow jam of all time. Votes were all over the place – from tracks by Pearl Jam to Elvis Presley to Lionel Richie. In the end it was very close, and there was a tie so we had to expand our standard top 10 to a top 12. If this survey has reinforced anything, it's that our readers really, really love Led Zeppelin.

[Hotlanta Mike]

Brook Benton - Rainy Night In Georgia (live 1982)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qr5djzzeA3M

[Hotlanta Mike]

U2 Bad (Wide Awake in America version) live in 1985

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPyhYczii8I

[Hotlanta Mike]

Death of a Disco Dancer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvbCu49lH2Q

[Hotlanta Mike]

No Styx? No Heart? Foreigner? No “Sarah, Smile”? No “Love will keep us alive”?
This list says more about RS readers than it does music.

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Styx - Lady

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uR4if4ble1A

[Hotlanta Mike]

Paradise by the dashboard light, #1.

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Meat Loaf - Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8JA9Qs2Mho

[OL Hickory]

I have for sale an original 8 track cassette player complete with wiring harness from an unknown automobile from the 70’s. know anyone that needs one...

[Hotlanta Mike]

As good a description of Zep’s music as any. And yep, they’re overplayed because they’re amazing.

And speaking of ballads, they had a few epic ones too — “Going to California”......”Ten Years Gone”.....”The Rain Song”......

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As a recovering Zep junkie, I nominate these two:

Tea For One

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

Since I’ve Been Loving You Live ‘73

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flcF4vNa61U

[InvisibleChurch]

Ballads, bah! Those are songs written by artists who’ve run out of ideas.

[Hotlanta Mike]

Some awesome contemporary ballads by a guitar god...

JOE BONAMASSA—Happier Times

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePsPTWGmR-w

Joe Bonamassa - Sloe gin @ Royal Albert Hall

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46UFXQVSnKs&feature=related

[GGMac]

Yes, Linda Ronstadt was really good. I’ve never heard of Eva Cassidy, so thanks for the introduction - what a beautiful performance.

A song not many have heard, but one which could walk off with top honors in this FReeper ‘contest’: “My Dear Old Friend”. It was composed by Patty Griffin. Her own recording of it is beautiful, but is on only one album: “13 Ways To Live”. It’s a compilation of various singers. As far as I’ve been able to find, the song has been recorded by only one other singer - Mary Chapin Carpenter - as part of the album “Music From and Inspired By We Were Soldiers” [the Viet Nam war film with Mel Gibson]. It’s not on any of Carpenter’s own albums, so apparently Griffin allowed it to be recorded, but only for this album.

To hear on You Tube: Patty Griffin’s Dear Old Friend - Katrina [posted by davis771]

and

My Dear Old Friend - Mary Chapin Carpenter [posted by HenningsEnkel]

This is a song every person on God’s green earth can relate to, guaranteed. It’s a song that fills your heart with exquisite joy, and with exquisite anguish. Both recordings are absolutely stunning.

[GGMac]

Yes, Linda Ronstadt was really good. I’ve never heard of Eva Cassidy, so thanks for the introduction - what a beautiful performance.

A song not many have heard, but one which could walk off with top honors in this FReeper ‘contest’: “My Dear Old Friend”. It was composed by Patty Griffin. Her own recording of it is beautiful, but is on only one album: “13 Ways To Live”. It’s a compilation of various singers. As far as I’ve been able to find, the song has been recorded by only one other singer - Mary Chapin Carpenter - as part of the album “Music From and Inspired By We Were Soldiers” [the Viet Nam war film with Mel Gibson]. It’s not on any of Carpenter’s own albums, so apparently Griffin allowed it to be recorded, but only for this album.

To hear on You Tube: Patty Griffin’s Dear Old Friend - Katrina [posted by davis771]

and

My Dear Old Friend - Mary Chapin Carpenter [posted by HenningsEnkel]

This is a song every person on God’s green earth can relate to, guaranteed. It’s a song that fills your heart with exquisite joy, and with exquisite anguish. Both recordings are absolutely stunning.

[Craftmore]

I was referring to when it was popular in the 70s and every radio station had it on thier playlist.Even today if i hear it start playing i turn off the radio,,,blechhhh

[sand lake bar]

I would pick, and I think there’s no question about it, Marty Robbins’ “El Paso.”

[dfwgator]

Taxi was an incredible song.

[Para-Ord.45]

Led Zeppelin - I’m Gonna Crawl :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzGhK52itBY

[HangnJudge]

Taxi was an incredible song.

As well as Sequel

I'd darn near memorized Harry Chapin’s albums back in the 70’s
Cat's in the Cradle is still on the radio and
is a favorite of church groups

[xp38]

Canadian Railroad Trilogy by Gordon Lightfoot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfM_cqOLnE8&playnext=1&list=PL2CC425C803F65CF8

[Georgia Girl 2]

Don’t forget “Bell Bottom Blues” by Derek and the Dominos

[wardaddy]

Zepplin, The Floyd, Who, LS, Allman Brothers, Stones, some Beatles, Kinks, Spirit, Bowie ala Ziggy, Reed with Hunter and Wagner, Hendrix/Axis, anything Beck..Jeff, even Animals, first half dozen Tull works...and so forth

man...you just cannot put a handle on how hard that stuff is to match or replicate

50s rock and roll was great ...I listened as my mom listened to Elvis, Little Richard, Chuck, Jerry, Bill, Link etc.. but 60s and early 70s Rock usurped that limelight handily

and aside from little blips here and there and none recently that has not happened since

nothing has usurped 1967-74...nothing..not punk or big hair or new wave or grunge or today

it’s sad

i find little things I like today...which given my age means it must really suck right?

last song I reallt liked was arguably Bad Girlfriend or Danni California (speaking of the new kings of cash producing ballads eh?)

I like what Shinedown does but it’s a rehash.

I’m more likely to be found listening to Jamey Johnson or my church mate Jason Aldean today or WSM

but if I want to get motivated...LZIV is hard to beat..side two...Big Momma’s ode to the river would be appropriate right now...I’m tempted to drive over and see...I was on the levee for the 73 flood..got within 8 feet of the top of a bigassed levee south of Vicksburg

this one is bigger

the Mississippi river at full level is so big folks don’t really know till they see it...south of Memphis it’s like the lower Amazon..an amazing amount of water

[buccaneer81]

It’s interesting how some opening acts are paired with headliners. I saw Eric Clapton in 1988 and the opening act was Buckwheat Zydeco, who played through 40 minutes of booing. It was worth it for that Clapton concert, though...he had Mark Knopfler, Phil Collins and Nathan East in the band.