Power ballad

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To emphasize the emotional aspect of a power ballad, crowds customarily hold up lit lighters.^{[citation needed]}

A power ballad is a song style frequently included on arena rock, hard rock and heavy metal albums in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s; the style has evolved into more modern forms since.

Power ballads are usually not so much ballads as they are love songs. They often explore sentimental themes such as heartache and need, love and loss. They are usually of confessional nature and differ from metal's more lyrical themes of sex, violence, and drugs. Power ballads became a staple in the 1980s and were immediately marketable to the public. A power ballad is usually featured near the end of an album as a wind down from the faster-paced songs that preceded it.