Typically, a ballad is a poem that tells a story of love or loss. However, sometimes, it could be a song that is intended to be sung at a low tempo. Therefore, a ballad song is a poetic ballad product that is written to be sung. These are also related to love and loss. They are sung with guitars, pianos, drums, or other musical instruments. However, in the case of ballad pop songs, they are synergized with dance. Recently, it has been a popular musical genre. The top ten best ballad pop songs of all time are as follows.
Example #1
Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) by Beyonce
Don’t treat me to these things of the world
I’m not that kind of girl
Your love is what I prefer, what I deserve
Here’s a man that makes me then takes me
And delivers me to a destiny, to infinity and beyond
Pull me into your arms
Say I’m the one you want
If you don’t, you’ll be alone
And like a ghost I’ll be gone
This ballad pop song was first released in October 2008 by Beyonce in California. Written by Beyonce Knowles and her colleagues, this song hit the headlines and topped the lists of other ballad pop songs. Technically, the ballad pop song “Sing Ladies” is an uptempo dance-pop with 3.4 and 4.4 measures. With several other technical accompaniments such as hand claps, staccato, and ascending whistle, the song presents the singer as a single (unmarried), emphasizing her alter ego, Sasha Fierce, stressing upon her singleness and recent breakup in relationships. This idea finds celebration throughout the song and continues to reverberate until the end. As the ballad song has won various awards, it has been placed first in our order of ranking. These verses from “Single Ladies” show the forceful poetic output and melody of the song.
Example #2
Umbrella by Rehana
When the sun shines, we shine together
Told you I’ll be here forever
Said I’ll always be your friend
Took an oath, I’ma stick it out ‘til the end
Now that it’s raining more than ever
Know that we’ll still have each other
You can stand under my umbrella
Composed by Britney Spears, this tour de force of Rehana was released in 2007. Featuring Released in the album, Good Girls Gone Bad, this song has “ella ella,” a catchphrase with various musical labels tied around it. The song was released with many delays but has a very beautiful theme of protection from vulnerabilities which Rihana herself admitted in an interview. Like its lyrics with constant reverberation of the catchphrase in different tones, this song spells out its theme “When the sun shines, we’ll shine together.” This ballad pop song won many awards, and various titles including “Rihana Curse” though it started the star’s career. It has come second in our order of ranking as some of the verses given below show amply.
Example #3
Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen
I threw a wish in the well
Don’t ask me, I’ll never tell
I looked to you as it fell
And now you’re in my way
I trade my soul for a wish
Pennies and dimes for a kiss
I wasn’t looking for this
But now you’re in my way.
Bedecked with beautiful lyrics of “ll” ending rhyme, this ballad pop song first appeared in 2012 in Kiss, an album released by Carly Rae Jespen. It was one of the best pops of its type in 2012, which grabbed the MTV Europe Music Award along with multiple nominations for several other awards. Written by Jespen in collaboration with Tavis Crow, it was a folk-cum-pop song. Thematically, its presentation comprises infatuation at first sight with a beautiful refrain of “But now you’re in my way” that goes in all stanzas until the end, though, with some modifications. The first stanza, as given below, shows the poetic and musical excellence of the ballad.
Example #4
Baby, can’t you see I’m calling?
A guy like you should wear a warning
It’s dangerous, I’m fallingThere’s no escape, I can’t wait
I need a hit, baby, give me it
You’re dangerous, I’m loving it
Released in 2003 in, In the Zone, an album by Britney Spears, this ballad pop song has set trends in ballad singing in that Britney transformed herself into a femme fatale through its musicality. Bloodshy and Avant wrote the lyrics of this poem with the help of Henrick Jon back and Cathy Dennis. Further spice was added by Britney as she selected varied instruments, including drums and surf guitar, to make techno-pop and dance-pop elements stand out. The start of the ballad with a rhetorical question and the theme of intoxication has made it come fourth place in our order of ranking. It has also won the prestigious award, The Grammy Award for Best Dance. The first two stanzas of this ballad pop song show its excellence.
Example #5
Firework by Kate Perry
Do you ever feel like a plastic bag
Drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?
Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin
Like a house of cards, one blow from cavin’ in?
Do you ever feel already buried deep?
Composed by Esther Dean and colleagues, this beautiful ballad pop song was sung by Kate Perry in 2010 and was included in his album, Teenage Dream. The lyrics of the pop song reverberate in the minds of the listeners as it has an igniting thematic strand that runs from the first rhetorical questions to the last “boom” lines until it rhymes with “moon.” The song is a spark that makes the listeners get up and do something exciting. It makes people feel positive, due to which it has been placed fifth in our order of ranking.
Example #5
Rolling in the Deep by Adele
There’s a fire starting in my heart
Reaching a fever pitch, it’s bringing me out the dark
Finally I can see you crystal clear
Go ‘head and sell me out and I’ll lay your ship bare
“Rolling in the Deep” was sung as well as written by Adele with the support of Paul Epworth. The song was originally recorded in 2010 and released in November 2010. Although Adele had reservations about Paul Epworth though later, she termed this collaboration as made in heaven. Technically, the song is in C minor with 105 beats of tempo. The theme of this ballad pop song shows unrequited love and the mental agony of the singer with the repetition of some lines such as “The scars of your love remind me of us.” This continues until the end as this stanza shows. The ballad song has also won various awards, including the Grammy Award for Record of the Year.
Example #6
Dancing on My Own by Robyn
I’m in the corner watching you kiss her
Oh oh oh
I’m right over here
Why can’t you see me
Oh oh oh
I’m giving it my all
But I’m not the guy you’re taking home
Ooh ooh ooh
I keep dancing on my own (I keep dancing on my own)
Released in 2013, this song was sung in Robyn and included in her album, Girls Soundtrack Volume-1. It was written by Robyn in collaboration with Patrick Berger. With quizzical verses, this song presents the dilemma of the singer about the love in which he is involved and how he is feeling now about it. With 118 beats tempo and 145 chord progress, the ballad song grips the listeners into Robyn’s bait and switch singing strategy. The breakup pop shows its excellence by winning both Grammis and Grammy Awards. Its last stanzas as given here for you to evaluate its excellence.
Example #7
Blinding Lights by Weeknd
Yeah
I’ve been tryna call
I’ve been on my own for long enough
Maybe you can show me how to love, maybe
I’m going through withdrawals
You don’t even have to do too much
You can turn me on with just a touch, baby
Written in collaboration with several writers, including Max Martin and Weeknd himself, this song was first released in 2019. Weeknd, a Canadian teenager singer and recorder, has set a new pace in ballad pop singing in the Synthwave genre. The beauty of the song and its lyrics lies in the references that Weeknd had had with Bella Hadid. The interesting thing lies in his desire to restart this relationship, knowing that he is aging fast “I am running out of time.” The excellence of the song lies in its popularity, due to which the song has been placed the seventh number in our order of ranking of the best ballad pop songs.
Example #8
Rehab by Amy Winehouse
They tried to make me go to Rehab
But I said no, no, no
Yes I’ve been black, but when I come back
You’ll know, know, know
I ain’t got the time
And if my daddy thinks I’m fine
They tried to make me go to Rehab
But I won’t go, go, go
Included in her album Back to Black, this beautiful song was first released in 2006 and has set a new tone in ballad pop singing by including first-person narration through dialogues. Despite having won no award, the song has popped up on several weekly lists. Its excellence lies in the autobiographical elements and poignant reminders that the singer has inserted here and there. Her death in 2011 has even made it more memorable as it shows discrimination being felt by the singer and her own addiction and suffering accompanying it. Its first stanza shows the beauty of its lyrics.
Example #9
Poker Face by Lady Gaga
I wanna roll with him, a hard pair we will be
A little gamblin’ is fun when you’re with me (I love it)
Russian roulette is not the same without a gun
And baby, when it’s love, if it’s not rough, it isn’t fun (fun)
This tour de force of Lady Gaga was first released in 2008. Written by Nadir Khayat and Stefani Germanotta, this ballad pop song has shown a new way of writing lyrics and then subjecting them to musical composition. The major idea of the song, bisexuality, has been infused into its tones, though poker has been derived originally from the card games, with the gleaming face of the card holder showing others as if he has a gold mine of cards with him. This stanza from the song also shows the skill of the writers and the singer.
Example #10
Shake It Off by Taylor Swift
I stay out too late
Got nothing in my brain
That’s what people say, mm, mm
That’s what people say, mm, mmI go on too many dates
But I can’t make ‘em stay
At least that’s what people say, mm, mm
That’s what people say, mm, mm.
Written by Taylor herself in collaboration with the producers, Shellback and Max Martin, Shake it Off has proven a leading song in uptempo dance pop in which saxophone has been featured as the top instrument. Released in 2014, this song has set the stage for other ballad pop songs presented with dance. The lyrics of the song demonstrate their indifference of Swift toward her opponents and the negativity being spread about her iconic image. It is stated that although the song could not win many laurels, it was featured in movies, while hits of Swift about having two guys in mind during its composition have added to its popularity. That is why the song has been placed tenth in our order of ranking. This stanza from the song shows its qualities.
