In my spare time I make playlists. It’s something that relaxes me and I usually end up burning them onto discs because I make a lot of mixed CDs. Yes, I still do that sort of thing. For this list, I compiled a bunch of my favorite ballads. Here they are.

1. "Closer To You" – Adelitas Way

One of the great things about a ballad from Adelitas Way is that they maintain their rock tone while supplementing it with thoughtful lyrics. This is definitely one that relaxes me every time I listen to it.

2. "Superman" – Joe Brooks

Joe Brooks has such a great tone to his voice and the combination of the acoustic guitar, drums and lyrics makes it such a soothing track.

3. "Without Me" – Sum 41

Sum 41 is known for their heavy punk-sounding tracks, so it was great to see them release this song while maintaining their punk sound during the chorus.

4. "Do You Remember" - The Summer Obsession

The Summer Obsession was a band who had one album their entire career. However, what can I say is that I love this song.

5. "Earth Angel" – The Temptations

I love this song so much it’s not even funny. The specific version from The Temptations is my favorite version because it plays during the Enchantment Under the Sea dance in the movie "Back to the Future" – it’s just perfect.

6. "Bubble Wrap" – McFly

"Bubble Wrap" is one of the most distinct-sounding ballads in recent memory for me. It has a lullaby melody accompanied by a piano, but the lyrics kind of contradict the whole “positive lullaby” association. However, McFly never fails to create a great, incredible song that you can’t help but listen to until the very end.

7. "I’d Rather Be With You" – Joshua Radin

I am a huge fan of singer-songwriters, and I must say that Joshua Radin is one of my favorites. He makes some of the most relaxing music and this song has been my favorite of his ever since I heard it a few years ago.

8. "All About You" – McFly

Nobody knows this song, but they should, because it’s my favorite ballad of all time. The orchestra just sells it for me and Tom Fletcher is one of my favorite songwriters. It’s one of the sweetest songs I’ve ever heard, and McFly being one of my favorite bands makes it that much better.

9. "When We Die" – Bowling For Soup

This is a different kind of ballad, and I love it because it’s essentially a boy speaking to his father and trying to make amends with him. It’s a great track from Bowling for Soup and I couldn’t stop listening to it once I first heard it.

10. "Don’t Let Me Go" – The Click Five

Ever since The Click Five got a new singer, the sound of their music became more mature. This song really reminds me of something The Beatles could have written, but maybe that’s just me. Simply put, it’s a beautiful song and the use of the minor notes really adds to it.

11. "Stolen" – Dashboard Confessional

I heard this one when I was pretty young, and I’ve loved it ever since. The way it gets louder and intensifies as the song progresses makes it a great one to listen to at night when you are driving in the car.

12. "Hear You Me" – Jimmy Eat World

I can’t really describe this song beyond saying that it sounds magical from the very first guitar chords. That’s it – it’s just great.

13. "Dear Bobbie" – Yellowcard

This song is one of the coolest and most heartfelt songs ever written. It features the voice of an old man reading letters he wrote to his wife in the 1940s. You then have Ryan Key’s always stunning lyrics to accompany it, so you pretty much can’t get any more heartfelt than this song.

14. "Something New" – Tom Fletcher

This song isn’t even released – it was just recorded solo by Tom Fletcher and it’s about the birth of his son Buzz. However, it can be listened to and taken to mean something about a lot of things, which is why it’s awesome.