100 Greatest Pop Ballads

Top 100 Pop Ballads

Every decade in music has showcased exemplary ballads. While rock ballads have earned their due, pop ballads haven’t quite. So, here’s a showcase of the best pop ballads.

Ballads have been excessively popular in different music genres. While its jazz ballads of the 40s and 50s that first established the roots of balladry, the 60s paved the way for a new realm of ballads in pop and rock genres. The folk movement of the 60s led to an explosion of pop bands and rock bands. Furthermore, music experimentation in the 60s gave rise to new genres and subgenres taking poignant balladry to a new level. The sentiments expressed through ballads convey a whole range of emotions. Balladic themes differ with bands and artists.

However, songs about, love, trust, angst, breakup, feelings and emotional turmoil are exceeding popular in pop ballads.

Since the 60s pop music has been a commercially popular genre. Needless to say many singers carved a niche with their brand of pop songs right through the 60s and 70s. The 80s added fresh perspective to balladry, thanks to improvements in technology encompassed with fine production and recording techniques. While the 60s and 70s were a golden era for pop ballads, many music purists consider the 80s the decade that paved a new direction for pop ballads. Since the early 50s artists and bands have had chart success with different types of pop ballads.

Unlike rock ballads that have a power packed edgy sound, pop ballads pack a soft and mellow sound. Guitar ballads and piano ballads have become exceedingly popular in pop music since the 60s. While ballads in the pop genre have evolved significantly, since the year 2000 balladry has taken more poetic forms in musical structure. The lyrical and musical structure in ballads often mesmerizes listeners. A number of artists in the 80s and 90s have released pop ballads that have gone onto become memorable anthems associated with nostalgia. Also, music television channels showcased pop ballads and rock ballads of bands and artists in a big way in the 80s and 90s.

100 Greatest Pop Ballads

1. Someone like You- Adele
2. All of Me- John Legend
3. Broken Strings- James Morrison featuring Nelly Futardo
4. Everything Has Changed- Taylor Swift featuring Ed Sheeran
5. Pledging My Love- Johnny Ace
6. In My life- The Beatles
7. Stay With Me- Sam Smith
8. Bleeding Love- Leona Lewis
9. Unchained Melody- The Righteous Brothers
10. Killing Me Softly- Roberta Flack
11. Marry Me- Train
12. He’ll Have To Go- Jim Reeves
13. When I Was Your Man- Bruno Mars
14. Broken Ones- Jacquie Lee
15. Endless Love- Lionel Richie and Diana Ross
16. Can’t Help Falling In Love With You- Elvis Presley
17. Somewhere Only We Know- Lily Allen
18. With or Without You- U2
19. Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head- B.J. Thomas
20. Just The Way You Are- Billy Joel
21. I’m Yours- Jason Mraz
22. Jar of Hearts- Christina Perri
23. All I Have To Do Is Dream- The Everly Brothers
24. You Mean Everything To Me- Neil Sedaka
25. Story of My Life- One Direction
26. If You Don’t Know Me By Now- Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes
27. (Where Do I Begin?) Love Story- Andy Williams
28. I Knew I Loved You- Savage Garden
29. Since I Met You Baby- Ivory Joe Hunter
30. Thinking Out Loud- Ed Sheeran
31. Lean On Me- Bill Withers
32. All I Have To Do Is Dream- The Everly Brothers
33. Jealous Guy- John Lennon
34. Cry Me A River- Julie London
35. I’ll Make Love To You- Boyz 2 Men
36. How Deep Is Your Love- Bee Gees
37. Always On My Mind- Willie Nelson
38. If- Bread
39. End of the World- Skeeter Davis
40. Shape of My Heart- Sting
41. I’d Really Love To See You Tonight- England Dan and John Ford Coley
42. Baby I Love You- The Ronettes
43. Lovin’ You- Minnie Ripperton
44. Apologize- OneRepublic
45. To Sir With Love- Lulu
46. Dream Lover- Bobby Darin
47. Crying in The Rain- Everly Brothers
48. Take Good Care of My Baby- Bobby Vee
49. Key largo- Bertie Higgins
50. From This Moment- Shania Twain
51. Black & Blue- Paloma Faith
52. You Make Me Feel Brand New- The Stylistics
53. Julie, Do Ya Love Me- Bobby Sherman
54. I Think I Love You- The Partridge Family
55. Love Will Keep Us Together- Captain & Tennille 
56. Have I Told You Lately- Van Morrison
57. Love Me or Let Me Be Lonely- The Friends of Distinction
58. Biggest Part of Me- Ambrosia
59. When I Need You- Leo Sayer
60. Sealed With A Kiss- Brian Hyland
61. Lego House- Ed Sheeran
62. Adorn- Miguel
63. Best of My Love- The Emotions
64. Unbreak My Heart- Toni Braxton
65. April Love- Pat Boone
66. I Want To Be your Everything- Andy Gibb
67. I Won’t Let you Go- James Morrison
68. A Little More Love- Olivia Newton John
69. Fields of Gold- Sting
70. So Amazing- Luther Vandross
71. Tonight, I Celebrate my Love- Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack
72. Mack The knife- Bobby Darin
73. How Long Will I Love You- Ellie Goulding
74. Crazy- Patsy Cline
75. Wrecking Ball- Miley Cyrus
76. How Can I Tell You- Cat Stevens
77. Breath of Heaven- Amy Grant
78. It’s All In The Game- Tommy Edwards
79. Love Me Tender- Elvis Presley
80. Kiss From A Rose- Seal
81. Human- Christina Perri
82. Impossible- James Arthur
83. Brand New Me- Alicia Keys
84. We Both Know- Colbie Caillat featuring Gavin DeGraw
85. The Power of Love- Jennifer Rush
86. Close to You- Carpenters
87. Bonfire Heart- James Blunt
88. Need You Now- Lady Antebellum
89. Katy Perry- Unconditionally
90. My Love- Petula Clark
91. Saving All My Love For You- Whitney Houston
92. Love Letters In The Sand- Pat Boone
93. Untouchable- Taylor Swift
94. Set Fire To The Rain- Adele
95. Daydream Believer- The Monkees
96. Let Her Go- Passanger
97. Hand On Heart- Olly Murs
98. Memories are Made of This- Dean Martin
99. You Are The Sunshine of My Life- Stevie Wonder
100. Don’t Know Much- Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville

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