3 Rock Ballads That Turned Their Bands Into Pop Stars

Genre lines are hard to cross. Though those lines are getting muddier by the day, there were times throughout music history when listeners stuck very closely to what they knew. It’s not super common that a rock band would compete with a pop artist. However, it has happened. The three iconic rock songs below were so popular that they became tried-and-true pop hits. Revisit these timeless tracks.

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“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” (Aerosmith)

Aerosmith was already a mainstream band by the time “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” came out; however, their listenership was predominantly rock fans, save for a few of their bigger songs. This Diane Warren-penned track earned them a whole new group of fans, ones that typically wouldn’t stray too far from the Top 40.

“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” became a wedding staple, a karaoke mishap, and an undisputed pop hit. It’s not the path typically taken by rock legends, but Aerosmith proved that even decades into your career, there’s room for reinvention.

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“Every Rose Has Its Thorn” (Poison)

Glam metal isn’t for everyone. In the ’80s, it was more mainstream, but it still didn’t reach the stalwart pop listeners. Poison broke that trend with “Every Rose Has Its Thorn.” This track marked the band’s only No. 1 in the U.S.

This song is undoubtedly in the glam metal tradition. It’s melodramatic, but it doesn’t lose its edge. Despite not being a typical pop song, it was treated like one. Every rose has its thorn / Just like every night has its dawn, were lyrics almost everyone could sing along to back in the late ’80s.

“Iris” (Goo Goo Dolls)

“Iris” is one of the most famous rock songs of all time. It’s so popular, in fact, that it has fully transitioned into a pop number. Though this song features alt-rock instrumentation, it has the mass appeal of a pop radio mainstay.

This song’s reach is in part due to the fact that it was written for the film City of Angels. Soundtracks are an opportunity for artists to earn new ears. The Goo Goo Dolls got their fair share of new fans after this song debuted.

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