Soft rock

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Soft rock, also referred to as light rock or easy rock, is a style of music which uses the techniques of rock and roll to compose a softer, supposedly more ear-pleasing sound for listening, often at work or when driving. Soft rock is usually sung with higher-pitched vocals, and the lyrics tend to be non-confrontational, focusing in very general language on themes like love, everyday life and relationships. The genre tends to make heavy use of pianos, synthesizers and sometimes saxophones.

US comedian George Carlin said: "Soft rock music isn't rock, and it ain't music. It's just soft."

1 History
2 Artists and songs
3 Soft Rock Radio
4 See also

[edit] History

Soft rock as a genre distinction has come to refer specifically to a style of rock that emerged in the early 70s, both as a reaction against the increasingly heavy music that dominated rock at the time, and also as a reflection of the changing priorities of the Baby Boom in the early 70s. What set 70s soft rock apart from its 60s' counterpart, which for lack of a better word is usually just called "pop", is that in the 60s pop existed for those who simply didn't like rock; the 60s' pop artists usually were vocalists who were stylistic throwbacks to the pre-rock era. Soft rock developed organically to suit the needs of those who did have rock listening experience; as such, it can be considered a bona fide rock genre.

Soft rock became hugely popular later in that decade. By 1977, some radio stations, like New York's WTFM and WYNY, had switched to an all-soft-rock format. [1] Around that same time, Chicago, which had previously been a jazz-rock band, switched to soft rock and reached their biggest commercial successes. Even Led Zeppelin, considered by some to be standard bearers of hard rock, flirted with the genre at the time in songs like 1979's "All My Love". By the 1980s, tastes had changed and radio formats reflected this change; the genre evolved into what became called "adult contemporary", a pop categorization that bore less overt rock influence than its forebear.

[edit] Artists and songs

ABBA - "Fernando", "The Winner Takes It All"
Ace - "How Long"
Bryan Adams "Lonely Nights", "Heaven", "Every Thing I Do (I Do It For You)"
Air Supply - "Here I Am", "All Out of Love", "Lost In Love","Even The Nights Are Better"
Herb Alpert - "Rise"
Ambrosia - "How Much I Feel", "Biggest Part Of Me"
America (band) - "A Horse With No Name", "Ventura Highway", "You Can Do Magic"
Paul Anka - "You're Having My Baby", "Times Of Your Life"
Atlanta Rhythm Section - "So Into You", "Imaginary Lover"
Marty Balin - "Hearts"
Barry Manilow - "Mandy", "I Write The Songs", "Looks Like We Made It", "The Old Songs"
Bee Gees - "Alone.", "How Deep Is Your Love?"
Bellamy Brothers - "Let Your Love Flow"
George Benson - "Breezin'", "On Broadway"
Stephen Bishop - "On And On", "It Might Be You"
Billy Vera and The Beaters - "At This Moment"
Bread - "If", "Baby I'm-A Want You",
Captain and Tennille - "Love Will Keep Us Together", "The Way I Want To Touch You", "Do That To Me One More Time"
Eric Carmen - "All By Myself"
Kim Carnes - "More Love", "Bette Davis Eyes"
The Carpenters - "We've Only Just Begun", "(They Long to Be) Close to You", "Top of the World", "Only Yesterday"
Peter Cetera - "Glory Of Love", "The Next Time I Fall"
Champaign - "How 'Bout Us", "Try Again"
Harry Chapin - "Cat's In The Cradle"
Charlene - "I've Never Been To Me"
Chicago - "Colour My World", "If You Leave Me Now", "Baby What A Big Surprise", "Hard To Say I'm Sorry"
Chilliwack - "I Believe"
Phil Collins - "Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now)", "One More Night"
The Commodores - "Three Times A Lady"
Rita Coolidge - "We're All Alone", "All Time High"
Jim Croce - "Time In A Bottle", "I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song"
Crosby, Stills & Nash - "Just A Song Before I Go"
Christopher Cross - "Ride Like The Wind", "Sailing", "Think Of Laura"
F.R. David - "Words"
Paul Davis - "I Go Crazy", "Cool Night", "'65 Love Affair"
DeBarge - "Who's Holding Donna Now"
John Denver - "Rocky Mountain High", "Sunshine On My Shoulders", "Calypso"
Neil Diamond - "Song Sung Blue", "Love On the Rocks"
Dr. Hook - "Only Sixteen", "Sexy Eyes"
Robbie Dupree - "Steal Away"
The Eagles - "Best of My Love", "Take It to the Limit", "I Can't Tell You Why"
Earth, Wind & Fire - "That's The Way Of The World", "After The Love Has Gone"
Sheena Easton - "For Your Eyes Only", "We've Got Tonight"
Walter Egan - "Magnet And Steel"
Electric Light Orchestra - "Telephone Line"
England Dan & John Ford Coley - "I'd Really Like To See You Tonight"
Exile - "Kiss You All Over"
Donald Fagen - "I.G.Y.", "New Frontier"
Glenn Frey - "I Found Somebody", "The One You Love"
Firefall - "You Are The Woman", "Just Remember I Love You"
Fleetwood Mac - "Sara", "Hold Me", "Gypsy", "Everywhere"
Foreigner - "I Want To Know What Love Is","Waiting For A Girl Like You"
Godley & Creme - "Cry"
Hall & Oates - "She's Gone", "Sara Smile", "Wait For Me", Kiss On My List", "One On One"
Corey Hart - "Never Surrender", "I Am By Your Side", "Can't Help Falling In Love"
Bertie Higgins - "Key Largo","Just Another Day In Paradise"
Rupert Holmes - "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)", "Him"
Bruce Hornsby - "The Way It Is", "Every Little Kiss"
Al Jarreau - "We're In This Love Together", "Mornin'"
Billy Joel - "Just The Way You Are", "She's Always A Woman", "She's Got A Way"
Elton John - "Daniel", "Your Song", "Tiny Dancer"
Robert John - "Sad Eyes"
Michael Johnson - "Bluer Than Blue"
Ricky Lee Jones - "Chuck E.'s In Love"
KC & the Sunshine Band -"Please Don't Go"
Carole King - "It's Too Late"
Kool & The Gang - "Too Hot", "Cherish"
Klymaxx - "I Miss You"
Nicolette Larson - "Lotta Love"
Little River Band - "Happy Anniversary", "Reminiscing", "Lady", "Cool Change"
Lobo - "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo"
Kenny Loggins - "Whenever I Call You Friend", "This Is It", "Heart To Heart", "Forever"
Benny Mardones - "Into The Night"
Randy Meisner - "Never Been In Love"
Mike & the Mechanics - "Taken In", "Living Years"
Joni Mitchell - "Help Me"
Moving Pictures - "What About Me"
Michael Martin Murphy - "Wildfire"
Juice Newton - "Queen Of Hearts", "The Swetest Thing (I've Ever Known)", "Angel Of The Morning", "Break It To Me Gently", "A Little Love"
Maxine Nightingale - "Lead Me On"
Nirvana (UK band) - "Rainbow Chaser" "Pentecost Hotel" "Tiny Goddess"
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - "Mr. Bojangles"
Kenny Nolan - "I Like Dreamin'"
Ocean - "Put Your Hand In The Hand"
Olivia Newton-John - "Let Me Be There", "I Honestly Love You", "Have You Ever Been Mellow", "Please Mr. Please"
Orleans - "Still The One", "Dance With Me"
Jeffrey Osborne - "On The Wings Of Love"
Gilbert O'Sullivan - "Alone Again (Naturally)"
Pablo Cruise - "Whatcha Gonna Do", "Love Will Find A Way"
Alan Parsons Project - "Eye In The Sky", "Time"
Paul Simon - "Kodachrome", "Slip Slidin' Away", "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover", "You Can Call Me Al"
Peaches & Herb - "Reunited"
Steve Perry - Foolish Heart"
Pilot - "Magic"
Player - "Baby Come Back"
Mike Post - "Theme From Hill Street Blues", "Theme From Magnum P.I."
Gerry Rafferty - "Baker Street", "Right Down The Line"
Lou Rawls - "Lady Love", "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine"
Cliff Richard - "We Don't Talk Anymore"
Lee Ritenour - "Is It You"
Linda Ronstadt - "You're No Good", "Blue Bayou"
Todd Rundgren - "Hello It's Me"
Savage Garden - "Truly Madly Deeply"
Boz Scaggs - "Lowdown", "Lido Shuffle", "JoJo"
Joey Scarbury - "Theme From Greatest American Hero"
Seals and Crofts - "Summer Breeze", "Diamond Girl"
John Sebastian - "Welcome Back"
Sheriff - "When I'm With You"
Simon and Garfunkel - "The Sound of Silence"
Carly Simon - "You're So Vain", "Nobody Does It Better"
Skylark - "Wildflower"
Spyro Gyra - "Morning Dance"
Starbuck - "Moonlight Feels Right"
Starland Vocal Band - "Afternoon Delight"
Stealers Wheel - "Stuck In The Middle With You"
Steely Dan - "Rikki Don't Lose That Number", "Peg", "FM", "Hey Nineteen"
Cat Stevens - "Wild World"
Rod Stewart - "Tonights' The Night", "You're In My Heart", "Passion", "Young Turks", "Tonight I'm Yours"
A Taste of Honey - "Sukiyaki"
10cc - "I'm Not In Love", "The Things We Do For Love"
Toto - "99", "Rosanna", "Africa", "I'll Be Over You"
Bonnie Tyler - "It's A Heartache", "Total Eclipse Of The Heart"
Gino Vannelli - "I Just Wanna Stop", "Living Inside Myself"
Randy VanWarmer - "Just When I Needed You Most"
Jack Wagner - "All I Need"
Jennifer Warnes - "Right Time Of The Night"
Dionne Warwick - "I'll Never Love This Way Again", "Deja Vu", "Heartbreaker", "That's What Friends Are For"
Weather Report - "Birdland"
Bob Welch - "Sentmental Lady"
Roger Whittaker - "The Last Farewell"
Matthew Wilder - "Break My Stride"
Denise Williams - "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late"
Jesse Winchester - "Say What"
Wings - "With A Little Luck", "Silly Love Songs", "My Love"
Gary Wright - "Dream Weaver", "Love Is Alive"
John Paul Young - "Love Is In The Air"