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Soft rock

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Not to be confused with underground mining (soft rock).

For the Lemon Jelly single, see Soft/Rock. For the Lifter Puller album, see Soft Rock (album).
Soft rock
Stylistic origins
Cultural originsLate 1960s in the United States and United Kingdom
Typical instruments
Other topics

Soft rock or light rock[1] is a style of music that uses the techniques of rock music (often combined with elements from folk rock) to compose a nicer, softer, more toned-down sound.

History

Hard rock had been established as a mainstream genre by 1968. From the end of the 1960s, it became common to divide mainstream rock music into soft and hard rock,[2] with both emerging as major radio formats in the US.[3] Soft rock was often derived from folk rock, using acoustic instruments and putting more emphasis on melody and vocal harmonies. Major artists included Carole King, Cat Stevens, The Hollies, James Taylor[4] and Bread.[5][6] Soft rock songs generally tend to focus on themes like love, everyday life and relationships. The genre tends to make heavy use of acoustic guitars, pianos, synthesizers and sometimes saxophones. The electric guitars in soft rock are normally faint and high-pitched, with the tone rolled back for a sound less bright.

The Carpenters' hit version of "(They Long to Be) Close to You" was released in the summer of 1970, followed by Bread's "Make It with You", both early examples of a softer sound that was coming to dominate the charts.[7] This eventually reached its commercial peak in the mid-to-late 1970s with acts such as Billy Joel, Elton John, Chicago, Toto, Christopher Cross, Michael McDonald, England Dan & John Ford Coley, Air Supply, Seals and Crofts, America and the reformed Fleetwood Mac, whose Rumours (1977) was the best-selling album of the decade.[8] By 1977, some radio stations, like New York's WTFM and WYNY, had switched to an all-soft rock format.[9] By the 1980s, tastes had changed and radio formats reflected this change, including musical artists such as Journey.[10][11]

The radio format evolved into what came to be known as "adult contemporary" or "adult album alternative", a format that has less overt rock bias than its forebear radio categorization.[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ Alan Stephenson, David Reese, Mary Beadle, 2013, Broadcast Announcing Worktext: A Media Performance Guide p. 198.
  2. ^ R. B. Browne and P. Browne, eds, The Guide to United States Popular Culture (Popular Press, 2001), ISBN 0-87972-821-3, p. 687.
  3. ^ M. C. Keith, The Radio Station: Broadcast, Satellite and Internet (Focal Press, 8th edn., 2009), ISBN 0-240-81186-0, p. 14.
  4. ^ J. M. Curtis, Rock Eras: Interpretations of Music and Society, 1954-1984 (Popular Press, 1987), p. 236.
  5. ^ Soft Rock. "Soft Rock : Significant Albums, Artists and Songs, Most Viewed". AllMusic. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
  6. ^ "Soft Rock - Profile of the Mellow, Romantic Soft Rock of the '70s and Early '80s". 80music.about.com. April 12, 2012. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
  7. ^ Simpson, 2011 Early 70s Radio, chap. 2 "Pillow Talk: MOR, Soft Rock, and the 'Feminization' of Hit Radio".
  8. ^ P. Buckley, The Rough Guide to Rock (Rough Guides, 3rd edn., 2003), p. 378.
  9. ^ C. H. Sterling, M. C. Keith, Sounds of Change: a History of FM broadcasting in America (UNC Press, 2008), pp. 136-7.
  10. ^ "Journey: The band who did not stop believing". BBC News. November 12, 2010. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
  11. ^ "10 Best Soft Rock Ballads". Made Man. Retrieved December 6, 2010. “Journey fans can easily list a dozen soft rock ballads from the band...”
  12. ^ C. H. Sterling, M. C. Keith, Sounds of Change: a History of FM Broadcasting in America (UNC Press, 2008), p. 187.
  • Kim Simpson, 2011, Early 70s Radio: The American Format Revolution ISBN 978-1-441-13678-7
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