3 Rock Ballads From the 2010s That Make Us Wish We Had a Time Machine

These three rock ballads from the 2010s capture their era perfectly. If you’re a fan of this type of rock music, you’ll want to revisit the stunners below. These hits will make you long for a time gone by that can now only be revisited through the music it fostered. Take a trip back to the 2010s with the hits below.

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“Runaways” — The Killers

This power ballad from 2012 is everything great about melodramatic rock music. We can’t help but be moved by Brandon Flowers’ powerhouse vocals and deep emotionality. It’s got the heart of a traditional ballad but the energy of an arena-filling rock anthem. The best of both worlds, to say the least.

“She said she might just runaway somewhere else / Someplace good / We can’t wait till tomorrow,” the lyrics to this song read. Flowers does his best Springsteen in this song about escapism. It makes us want to travel back to the early 2010s and be among the first to hear this enduring track.

“Holocene” — Bon Iver

Justin Vernon has always had an affinity for the softer sides of rock music and displays that stunningly in “Holocene”. This song makes use of Bon Iver’s titular falsetto sound with no shortage of atmosphere. This song bottles up everything singular and fascinating about this particular era of rock music.

“And at once, I knew I was not magnificent / Strayed above the highway aisle / Jagged vacance, thick with ice / But I could see for miles, miles, miles,” the introspective lyrics read. You can either listen to these lyrics closely or sail away on the meditative melody. Either way, you’re in for a rich listening experience.

“Bloodbuzz Ohio” — The National

“I still owe money to the money to the money I owe / I never thought about love when I thought about home / I still owe money to the money to the money I owe / The floors are fallin’ down from everybody I know,” the lyrics to The National’s “Bloodbuzz Ohio” read. After revisiting this song, you’ll want to take a deep dive into 2010s rock music. It reminds us of why this particular era of rock was so digestible and interesting.

This is a song for anyone who has a complicated relationship with their hometown. You’ll feel heard and seen for the emotions you wear whenever you face the prospect of going home.

(Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for Bonnaroo Arts And Music Festival)