The power ballad is rock’s ultimate show of emotion. They’re where hard-rock singers like Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott and Guns N’ Roses’ Axl Rose expose their softer sides, where masters of drama like Meat Loaf turn up their theatrics and their amps in unison, and where guitarists like Bon Jovi’s Richie Sambora and Journey’s Neal Schon lay down their sweetest solos. Power ballads have soundtracked romance’s most blissed-out moments and break-ups’ hardest times, offering listeners solace in hooky, heart-opening anthems.