I believe these are the best 13 ballads ever. I have tried to rank them but gave up. It's arguable whether some of them are ballads, but I thought it was the most appropriate category for each of these records:

Frank Sinatra - A very good year (1965)


Nina Simone - Put a spell on you (1965) COVER


Jimi Hendrix – Little Wing (1967)


Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights (1978)


Kate Bush - Babooshka (1979)


Heart - These dreams (1985)


Brian Ferry - Slave to Love (1985)


Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms (1985)


Chris Isaak – Blue Hotel (1986)


Chris Isaak - Wicked Game (1989)


Sade - No ordinary love (1992)


Sugababes - Caught in a moment (2003)


Stereophonics - Graffiti on the train (2013)