Long before the phrase "power ballad" became cliché, REO Speedwagon etched it into the hearts of millions with “Can’t Fight This Feeling.” This wasn’t just another love song—this was a declaration, a catharsis, a raw emotional reckoning set to music. In the mid-1980s, when rock bands were either chasing glam or digging deep into synth territory, REO Speedwagon dared to strip down their sound to something intimate and vulnerable. “Can’t Fight This Feeling” stood out not just because of its soaring melodies and heartfelt lyrics, but because it tapped into something primal—fear, longing, and the aching weight of love unspoken for too long.
Kevin Cronin, the band’s frontman, didn’t write the song quickly. In fact, it took him a decade. He had written the verses back in the early ’70s but couldn’t quite crack the chorus. Like the emotions behind the lyrics, it was a struggle to bring everything to the surface. And yet, once the pieces aligned, it poured out of him. The final version, which would become one of REO Speedwagon’s signature songs, captured the feeling of being held hostage by your own heart, finally too exhausted to fight anymore.
