Adult topics such as failing relationships are strengthened by characters and storylines that figure themselves into the lyrics. The smooth but dark aura that surrounds these songs can be traced to the lyrics. It’s hard to describe, but unless you’re a distinct singer like Stevie Nicks or Elton John, these voices are almost interchangeable. Intriguingly, artists of the genre often have very similar voices. You will not find flubbed notes, background noise, or raucous improvisation, as these songs are tight. Additionally, soft rock boasts a crisp, polished production. So, what belongs on this list and what doesn’t? Well, here are the parameters for what I consider to be soft rock.Īn essentially edgeless and distortion-free sound is hugely evident, and while remaining largely keyboard-centric, also features guitars, though rarely the main instrument. The genre turned into pomp rock and easy listening, with pomp rock ruled by bands like Journey and Styx, and easy listening being the realm of Lionel Richie and Celine Dion. The smooth sounds were being usurped by jagged synths and syrupy strings, and by the end of the decade, the genre was nearly unrecognizable. However, ‘80s soft rock just wasn’t as good (with a few exceptions) and for the most part, it just became pop, indistinguishable from everything else. Artists like Steely Dan, Fleetwood Mac, and Todd Rundgren were critically acclaimed practitioners of this genre, but equally popular performers included artists like Leo Sayer and Christopher Cross, who were hated by most critics and are mostly forgotten today.Īdding the signature bombast of the decade, the genre would evolve in the ‘80s, with artists like Hall and Oates achieving huge commercial success using this template. Instrumentally, they’re categorized by an incessant use of the electric piano (an electro-mechanical keyboard that produces a watery sound) and melodic bass, which gave the songs an added funk. These songs were mostly by middle-aged men who weren’t particularly good-looking, and they primarily featured lyrics about breakups or odd characters. Soft rock, or yacht rock as some like to call it, was a popular genre in the ‘70s and ‘80s that mixed the ballad songwriting style of Barry Manilow and Neil Diamond with traditional, albeit pared-down, rock and soul instrumentals. Let’s give it another look and list the 25 best songs in the genre. Soft Rock was one of the most dominant music genres in the 1970s, but by the ’80s, it wasn’t taken very seriously.

Soft rock video