Back in the 1980s, there was something about a good power ballad that could really resonate with brokenhearted radio listeners. That was the case for the following three songs, each of which dove into heartbreak with precision and sick guitar solos. If you were unlucky in love back in the 80s, I bet at least one of these songs made it to your rotation regularly.
“Never Say Goodbye” by Bon Jovi from ‘Slippery When Wet’ (1987)
This breakup song is drenched in nostalgia, and anyone who had their heart broken in the 80s likely remembers it well. “Never Say Goodbye” by Bon Jovi was inescapable out in the wild; it was all over basically every radio station through the latter half of 1987. This glam metal power ballad, complete with Jon Bon Jovi’s emotional, drawn-out vocals, peaked at No. 11 on the Mainstream Rock chart in the US. It was also an international hit in the UK and several other countries.
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“Keep On Loving You” by REO Speedwagon from ‘Hi Infidelity’ (1980)
“Keep On Loving You” by REO Speedwagon is easily one of the most recognizable power ballad songs of the 1980s. And it’s an ode to trying to make a relationship work, despite infidelity and betrayal. “Keep On Loving You” by REO Speedwagon was an enormous hit for the band. It peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the Top 30 across the globe. If a soft rock compilation was released in the 1980s, it had this song on it.
“What About Love” by Heart from ‘Heart’ (1985)
This Heart jam is a dramatic, desperate song in which the narrator begs their love to return to them after withdrawing emotionally. Plenty of people listened to this jam on repeat during messy breakups in 1985. “What About Love” was actually first recorded by the band Toronto back in 1982. Heart covered it in 1985 and made it into their comeback smash hit. This hard rock song peaked at No. 10 on the Hot 100 chart. The track did well in Canada, Australia, and West Germany as well.
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