No way in hell I'd consider November Rain to be a power ballad...no way.
Well, it does have a lot of the qualities of a power ballad.? Soft, intricate music...lyrics about lost romance...all building up to a screaming guitar solo.
The power ballads that I really hate are mainly the ones by the bottom-tier 80s hair bands.? "Honestly" by Harem Scarem, "Love of a Lifetime" by Firehouse, "Carrie" by Europe, and something by Stryper that I can't remember the name of...these are the worst kinds of power ballads.? They're sloppy, formulaic, predictable, and not even all that catchy or emotional.? They're so corporate and putrid that I can't stand them.
On the next level up, you have the power ballads that are just as formulaic as the worse ones, but are catchier and have a bit more emotion.? For these I include "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" by Poison, "I Remember You" by Skid Row, "Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake, and "Heaven" by Warrant.? Yeah, you know the drill, but for some reason these songs stay with me a little more.
Further on up, we have the power ballads that are interesting and catchy, and actually merit some level of respect among the modern casual music fan as guilty pleasures.? These included Motley Crue's "Home Sweet Home", Def Leppard's "Bringin' On The Heartbreak", and most Bon Jovi or Aerosmith power ballads.
And finally, we have the giants, the songs that are by all accounts and purposes power ballads but are still hugely popular classics.? These are tunes like "Dream On" by Aerosmith, "Love Hurts" by Nazareth, "Don't Cry" by Guns N' Roses, "Mama I'm Coming Home" by Ozzy Osbourne, and "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica.
Define power ballad then.
Bringin on the heartbreak was waaaay before "hair metal" for starters (as the other songs listed). So I think you are getting way beyond your years with what you are saying. No offense, seriously.
But the term "Power Ballad" to me symoblizes what also destroyed hair bands (besides grunge) was their copycat style. That is what a power ballad was, ie: a formula. They said "hey, the girls like these types of songs and they sell records..." Then everybody had that one song.
November rain was obviously much more than "baby come back and I'll treat you right this time" type of format.