Most of us do not remember this, but there is a reason why the birth of Rock n' Roll was the cause of such controversy. Before the 1950s, mainstream music was always so polite and inoffensive, regardless of lyrical content.
During the big band era of the late 40s, Mr. Leo Fender first began mass-producing the electric guitar, which may very well have been the beginning of the end for Mildred Bailey and the Andrews Sisters (and probably the name "Mildred" in general).
Incidentally, the aforementioned guitar was neither the Telecaster nor the Stratocaster, rather a rare solid-bodied predecessor known as the "Broadcaster". I only mention this because if you ever see one, don't touch it unless you either have a lot of money, or intend to steal it. It is likely worth as much as the average Mercedes.
I digress.
In 1950, most parents hated Rock n' Roll. The entire establishment; teachers, policemen, housewives and politicians, all agreed that Rock n' Roll was distasteful, and represented a rebellious phase that would not be tolerated. In short, Rock n' Roll was super-cool!
What made it controversial was that it took the secret underbelly of the musical world; the saloons and speak-easys, and brought it right into homes and schools.
Rock combined the Country & Western pace with the attitude of dirty down-home delta Blues and the free-flowing, anything-goes rhythm of Jazz. Throw in some hard drums and a now-amplified guitar, and the peace in Repressville was undoubtedly to be disturbed.
Fast forward to the mid-60s, and parents had already been slightly desensitized, so it became necessary to explore new alternatives to provoke the folks. Rockers added distortion, and kicked up the volume just a little bit more.
Consequently, there now existed a community of virtuosos who, for the first time in history, had been playing electric guitars all their lives. Good guitarists had discovered not only how to distort, but how to bend chords and sustain and vibrate high notes so that they shrieked and wailed like... well, like the devil (and we all know what the devil sounds like).
Ever since, Rock music has become synonymous with fearlessness, anarchy, and a "We're not gonna take it" attitude. The word "soft" when describing Rock has never been a compliment.
Following Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple in the 60s, the 70s brought a wave of "Heavy Metal" bands. The term "Heavy Metal" was taken from the lyrics of Steppenwolf's Born to Be Wild ("Heavy metal thunder"), perhaps the theme song for the original movement.
Once again, this music was intended to shock the establishment, and challenge their notions of propriety and authority. Still, amidst the chaos of youth, humanity always managed to shine through the tiny cracks in the armour of every artist. Eventually, life gives birth to the most common theme in the world of art... "Love".
It seems that the most bad-ass, hard-rocking groups of all time, inevitably broadened their audience with a passionate ballad, as we are all, in one way or another, simply lovers. (Pause for teary-eyed reflection)
This is a list of some of the sweetest ballads bestowed upon us by some of the heaviest bands:
Anybody Listening? by Queensryche: I never paid attention to this group in its heyday because they frightened me, but when I first heard this song, I was sold. Yes, someone is listening. Me.
Beth by KISS: Some argue that KISS was not always that "hard" a rock band, but they certainly were before they slowed down to record this one. It is the only Kiss song on which the band did not play their own instruments. Peter Criss' vocals were backed by a piano and a string orchestra. It is also their biggest selling single.
Changes by Black Sabbath: Co-written and sung by Ozzy Osbourne in the early 70s, this was the 1st downbeat song they ever did, and it was such the antithesis to their style that they never performed it live until the 90s (without Ozzy).
Close My Eyes Forever by Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne: Neither the hard-edged former lead-guitarist of the Runaways, nor the "Prince of Darkness" give off the warm and fuzzy vibe, but they showed their "metal" on this heavy-duty ballad. It's Ozzy at his most melodic, and Lita at her emotional best.
Fake Plastic Trees by Radiohead: Okay, so Radiohead was more Alt-Rock than Metal but they performed some awesome ballads and I felt that their generation needed to be thrown a bone here. Other notable slow jams are High and Dry and the eerie, Creep.
Home Sweet Home by Motley Crue: One of the first songs to be dubbed a "Power ballad". So good that it was recently covered by Carrie Underwood, and is featured in a great scene by Rob Corddry in the movie Hot Tub Time Machine.
Love Bites by Def Leppard: With so many hits in the 80s, this was their only #1 song. Still holds up.
November Rain by Guns N' Roses: These guys rocked it uptempo, mid-tempo, and with slow jams like this one as well as Patience, and a few others.
Still Loving You by Scorpions: Germany's ambassadors of hard rock, with lead vocals by Klaus Meine, showed their exceptional musicality with this crescendo-building masterpiece.
The Unforgiven by Metallica: Let's just say "This ain't your mama's ballad". Unlike Nothing Else Matters, and One, this was a successful experiment in performing a ballad without going soft. It's hard-hitting and rife with distortion, but also brilliantly melodic.
You and I by Alice Cooper: By today's standards, Alice Cooper, whose performances were always "macabre", wasn't all that hard, but their image was. This delicate tune was an interesting contradiction at the time, and still finds its way onto radio, into films, and the occasional tender video montage.
So don't be surprised when your favourite hardcore rebels eventually wind up on easy listening radio stations. Good music is good music.
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