Flac Power Ballads Gold

It appears as though many metalheads lost track of the Scorpions after their whistle-heavy ballad, "Wind of Change," hit in 1991. But as fans who have faithfully stuck by the group's side will tell you, they have continued to issue new albums and tour on a regular basis since then. And while there have been quite a few Scorpions compilations issued over the years, none traced their career over a 30-year span from 1974's In Trance through 2004's Unbreakable. But all that changed with the arrival of 2006's three-disc overview, Platinum Collection. What you get is quite a lot of the expected fare – some of arena rock's most foundation-shaking anthems ("Rock You Like a Hurricane," "Big City Nights"), as well as Bic-hoisting power ballads ("Still Loving You," the aforementioned "Wind of Change").

Enrique Iglesias made a big splash with his first album, released in late 1995. The son of Latin superstar Julio Iglesias, Enrique's debut is devoted to polished, romantic pop tunes and power ballads, all with a contemporary pop/rock feel that shies away from many common clichés of Latin pop. The album was a major commercial success in Latin America and earned a gold record in the United States; it also won the 1996 Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album.

Spellbound represented an amazing evolution for the Tygers of Pan Tang, especially considering that it was released a mere six months after their very rough and unpolished debut. Simply put, the addition of versatile new vocalist Jon Deverill and brilliant guitarist John Sykes (yes – that John Sykes) helped improve the Tygers' musicianship and songwriting abilities to no end, allowing producer Chris Tsangarides to exact an infinitely superior (if not as innocently charming) performance of the band from a technical perspective. With a muscular brand of metal lying somewhere between Def Leppard and Saxon, the revitalized group had all of their bases covered and only MCA (frequently referred to as the "Musical Cemetery of America" in those days) could possibly squander the potential of memorable numbers like "Gangland," "Take It," and the especially hook-laden "The Story So Far." Other highlights include "Mirror," one of the band's best power ballads, and "Don't Stop By," where Sykes takes the first great solo of his career, showcasing both the stunning technical mastery and fluid musicality which would become his trademarks.

The Electric Light Orchestra's ambitious yet irresistible fusion of Beatlesque pop, classical arrangements, and futuristic iconography rocketed the group to massive commercial success throughout the 1970s…