Recorded after their new label Mushroom Records Australia demanded ballads, 'Last Night In The City' is a moment of a departure from the hard rock that Knightshade were known for. But the song proved to be their biggest hit, clawing its way to number nine on the New Zealand singles chart in December 1989. The video has the band playing in a moodily-lit recording studio and features a double neck guitar à la Jimmy Page, a mystery woman, and lead singer Wayne Elliott lamenting lost love. The song was produced by American recording veteran Jim Faraci (Ratt, Poison). 

Directed by dancer turned choreographer Shona McCullagh, this music video features sun-kissed close-ups of singer Don McGlashan, and evocative images of a lone dancer (Rachel Atkinson) floating above an empty road. The ballad marks a rare solo single for McGlashan that was composed by somebody else: Sean James Donnelly (aka SJD). The song featured on McGlashan's first solo album Warm Hand (2006). It was later included on the soundtracks of Kiwi feature films Out of the Blue and The Tattooist, and an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 remake 90210.

Probably Graham Brazier's best-known track as a solo artist, 'Billy Bold' didn’t garner much radio play when released in 1981, but would go on to become a staple of Hello Sailor live sets. First appearing on Graham Brazier’s debut solo album Inside Out, the ballad is based on the infamous 1981 riots in Toxteth, Liverpool. The song came to Brazier in a dream; he was drawn to the topic because his working class father came from Liverpool.

K'Lee was just 17 when this song took the New Zealand charts by storm, peaking at Number two. Her self-titled album produced another three hits for the Rotorua-born teenager. She was the first female NZ artist to achieve four top 20 singles off a debut album. The song is a cover of a 1980s ballad by UK band Mr Mister. The video, directed by Greg Riwai, features multiple K'Lees in the same scene, while singing in sync. Further sharply rendered visual effects work sees doves flying out of torn-up photographs.

“When I kiss your lips I don’t feel alone no more…”. Vince Harder’s tribute to that very special person marked the second single on the X Factor finalist's 2011 album The Space Between. The R&B ballad features Harder's Illegal Musik labelmate, rapper K. One. Prolific promo director Ivan Slavov (Katchafire, P Money, Deep Obsession) directs the romance (loving looks, fireside kissess). The object of Vince’s affection is played by Shushila Takao (Filthy Rich, Rarotongan-set BBC series Tatau).

Another black and white prototype music video from Ray Columbus and the Invaders. Ray and the band planned and directed this one themselves, at Peach Studios in Auckland. The song is a ballad, and it's a more restrained performance than the clip for She's a Mod, but the 1960s zoot suits and aloof rock star poses are still there. 'Till We Kissed' was a Top 10 hit, and won the first ever Loxene Golden Disc Award in 1965.  

This soulful ballad highlights Chong-Nee on the mic, backed by horns and strings. The song is taken from his debut album Just Getting By On Love (2006). Inspired by classic singers like Al Green, Chong-Nee set out to record a number of songs live, including this one. Befitting the song's old school stylings, director Martha Jeffries uses an extremely narrow colour palette. Jeffries also helmed the music videos for Chong-Nee singles 'Black Widow' and 'Scenarios'. 

Conservation pioneer Richard Henry tried to save the kākāpō from rats and stoats, via an island sanctuary in 1890s Fiordland. His doomed bird rescue efforts might seem an odd subject for a pop ballad. Singer/songwriter Andrew Fagan also included a paean to Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton on 1985 Mockers album Culprit and the King. Fagan argues that adventuring is "naturally something to aspire to. Writing pop songs about it never felt like an issue to me." This performance of the song, directed in a single shot by Brent Hansen, roams a gloomy Avalon studio.

For this lush, spacious ballad, then teenage director Paul Middleditch continues the striking visual style he had established a year earlier with his video for previous Tex Pistol hit, 'The Game of Love'. Tex (Ian Morris) wears the same outfit, while his brother Rikki is clad in the reverse — white shirt and black jeans. Backing vocalist Callie Blood appears again (although she didn't actually sing on this recording), a choir of children is added, and some behind-the-scenes shots of the crew — but the set is free of surface water or falling rain this time.