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Soft rock

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For other uses, seeSoft Rock.
Not to be confused withUnderground soft-rock mining.
"Easy rock" redirects here. For the music radio brand, seeEasy Rock.

Soft rock
Other names
  • Light rock
Stylistic origins
Cultural originsMid- to late 1960s, United Kingdom and Southern California
Derivative forms
Other topics

Soft rock(also known aslight rock) is a form ofrock musicthat originated in the late 1960s inSouthern Californiaand the United Kingdom which smoothed over the edges of singer-songwriter andpop rock,[1]relying on simple, melodic songs with big, lush productions. Soft rock was prevalent on the radio throughout the 1970s and eventually metamorphosed into a form of the synthesized music ofadult contemporaryin the 1980s.[1]

History[edit]

Mid- to late 1960s[edit]

Softer sounds in rock music could be heard in mid-1960s songs, such as "A Summer Song"byChad & Jeremy(1964) and "Here, There and Everywhere"[4]bythe Beatlesand "I Love My Dog"[5]byCat Stevens,both from 1966.

By 1968,hard rockhad been established as a mainstream genre. From the end of the 1960s, it became common to divide mainstream rock music into soft and hard rock,[6]with both emerging as major radio formats in the US.[7]Late 1960s soft rock artists include theBee Gees,[8]whose song "I Started a Joke"was anumber onesingle in several countries;Neil Diamondwith the 1969 hit "Sweet Caroline",the Hollieswith their US and UK top 10 hit "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother",andElton Johnwith his popular song "Skyline Pigeon".

Early 1970s[edit]

By the early 1970s, softer songs bythe Carpenters,Anne Murray,John Denver,Barry Manilow,and evenBarbra Streisandbegan to be played more often on "top 40" radio and others were added to the mix on manyadult contemporarystations.

Major artists of that time includedBread,[9][10]Carly Simon,Carole King,Cat Stevens,James Taylor,[11]LoboandGilbert O'Sullivanwho achieved number-one hit singles between 1970 and 1972 with "Nothing Rhymed","Alone Again (Naturally)"and"Clair".

TheHot 100andEasy Listeningcharts became more similar again toward the end of the 1960s and into the early and mid-1970s when the texture of much of the music played ontop 40radio once more began to soften. The adult contemporary format began evolving into the sound that later defined it, with rock-oriented acts asChicago,the EaglesandElton Johnbecoming associated with the format. The Carpenters' hit version of "(They Long to Be) Close to You"was released in the summer of 1970, followed byBread's "Make It with You",both early examples of a softer sound that was coming to dominate the charts.[12]

The soft rock albumTapestryby Carole King, released in February 1971, became one of the best-selling albums of all time. The leaddouble-sidedsingle from the album, "It's Too Late"/"I Feel the Earth Move",spent five weeks at number one on theBillboardHot 100 beginning in mid-June 1971.[13]

Los Angeles stationKNX-FM,under program director Steve Marshall, introduced a "mellow rock" format in 1971.[14]

Albert Hammondscored a major hit single with "It Never Rains in Southern California"in 1972, which went top 10 in at least six countries including Canada and the U.S. at numbers 2 and 5, respectively.

In the spring of 1972,Neil Youngscored his only number-one single with "Heart of Gold",from the albumHarvest.Topping the charts in both the U.S. and Canada, this soft rock ballad featured backing vocals fromLinda RonstadtandJames Taylor,heard near the end of the song.[15]

In 1973,Paul McCartney and Wingshad a U.S. number one with "My Love",which also reached No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary charts of both the U.S. and Canada.

Mid- to late 1970s[edit]

Soft rock reached its commercial peak in the mid-to-late 1970s with acts such asToto,England Dan & John Ford Coley,Air Supply,Seals and Crofts,Americaand the reformedFleetwood Mac,whoseRumours(1977) was the best-selling album of the decade.[16]

Denver stationKIMN-FMintroduced a "mellow rock" album format in 1975. Program director Scott Kenyon toldBillboardmagazine,Michael Murphey's"Wildfire"is a perfect example; it feels like Colorado, you can tell it came from this part of the country. There's a sound of the Rockies... the best description is mellow rock. Take that kind of music and make it into a Colorado sounding station."[17]

By 1977, some radio stations, notably New York'sWTFMandNBC-ownedWYNY,had switched to an all-soft rock format.[18]Chicago'sWBBM-FMadopted a soft rock/album rock hybrid format in 1977 and was known as "Soft Rock 96" presenting the "Mellow sound of Chicago". Five years later, they would flip to a "Hot Hits" top 40 format.[19]

In the mid- to late 1970s, prominent soft rock acts includedBilly Joel,Elton John,Jefferson Starship,Chicago,Toto,Boz Scaggs,theAlessi Brothers,Michael McDonald,Paul Davis,Eric Carmen,the Doobie Brothers,the Alan Parsons Project,Captain & Tennille,the Hollies,andDr. Hook.

By the 1980s, tastes had changed and radio formats reflected this change, including musical artists such asJourney.[20]

A prominent counterpart of soft rock in the late 1970s and early 1980s came to be known asyacht rock;[21]its name coined in 2005 by the makers of the online video seriesYacht Rock.Originating from California's session musicians, yacht rock only partially overlapped with soft rock; it could include soft to mid-level (but rarely ever purely hard) rock.[22]Much of the "West Coast sound" of yacht rock bore similarity to some of the East Coast soft rockers of the era such asRupert HolmesandHall & Oates,leading to the conflation.[23]

1980s[edit]

Chicagoband logo. Their 1984 single "You're the Inspiration"from their fourteenth studio albumChicago 17(1984) became synonymous with the soft rock radio format.

In the early 1980s, 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.[24]In Los Angeles,KOST103.5 FM, under program director Jhani Kaye, debuted its soft adult contemporary format in November 1982.[25]Soft rock songs still enjoyed success from artists such asSheena Easton,Ambrosia,Lionel Richie,Christopher Cross,Dan Hill,Gino Vannelli,Leo Sayer,Air Supply,Julio IglesiasandBertie Higgins.

Chris Norman,former lead singer of the bandSmokie,scored several solo hits between 1986 and 1988 in Europe, particularly in Germany, including "Some Hearts Are Diamonds","Broken Heroes"and"Midnight Lady",the latter reaching number one in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.

1990s[edit]

Soft rock persisted in the 1990s, with artists from previous decades continuing to release new music, such asGenesis,whose 1992 soft rock single "Hold on My Heart"[26]topped the Canadian singles chart andBillboardAdult Contemporary chart.[27][28]Extreme's 1991 single "More Than Words"[29]was internationally successful, topping the national singles charts in at least five countries, including Canada and the United States.[30][31][32]Mr. Big's 1992 single "To Be with You"was a number one hit in at least twelve countries.Eric Clapton's 1992 single "Tears in Heaven"[33]was also successful, topping the national singles charts in Canada,[34]Ireland,[35]New Zealand,[36]and six other countries.[37][38][39][40]

Richard Marx's 1994 single "Now and Forever"[41]topped the Canadian adult contemporary chart[42]and peaked in the top ten of the national singles charts in that country,[43]Norway,[44]and the United States.[45]New bands and artists emerged such as the Danish bandMichael Learns to Rock,who saw massive popularity in Asia, with many singles becoming commercially successful in the continent starting with their 1991 hit "The Actor",[46]and Australian bandSouthern Sons,who enjoyed success on theARIA Chartswith three top 10 singles.[47]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^abcAnon (n.d.)."Soft Rock".AllMusic.
  2. ^Stanley 2013,p. 179.
  3. ^Viglione, Joe."Breaking Up Is Hard to Do".AllMusic.Archived fromthe originalon October 24, 2016.
  4. ^"Alan W. Pollack's Notes on" Here, There, And Everywhere "".Icce.rug.nl.
  5. ^Samadder, Rhik (January 31, 2017)."Dogs-Reggae-Soft-Rock-10-Top-Dog-Tracks".The Guardian.
  6. ^R. B. Browne and P. Browne, eds,The Guide to United States Popular Culture(Popular Press, 2001),ISBN0-87972-821-3,p. 687.
  7. ^M. C. Keith,The Radio Station: Broadcast, Satellite and Internet(Focal Press, 8th edn., 2009),ISBN0-240-81186-0,p. 14.
  8. ^"Andy Gibb, In the Shadow of the Bee Gees".Legacy.March 5, 2011.
  9. ^Soft Rock."Soft Rock: Significant Albums, Artists and Songs, Most Viewed".AllMusic.RetrievedJanuary 9,2013.
  10. ^"Soft Rock – Profile of the Mellow, Romantic Soft Rock of the '70s and Early '80s".80music.about. April 12, 2012. Archived fromthe originalon January 16, 2013.RetrievedJanuary 9,2013.
  11. ^J. M. Curtis,Rock Eras: Interpretations of Music and Society, 1954–1984(Popular Press, 1987), p. 236.
  12. ^Simpson, 2011Early 70s Radio,chap. 2 "Pillow Talk: MOR, Soft Rock, and the 'Feminization' of Hit Radio".
  13. ^Bronson, Fred, (2003).The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits(5th ed.) New York: Billboard Books. p. 294.ISBN9780823076772
  14. ^"KNX FM 93.1".Socalradiohistory.RetrievedSeptember 5,2020.
  15. ^Fortenot, Robert."Sound Familiar? 10 Famous Cameos That May Surprise You".about.Archived fromthe originalon May 26, 2015.RetrievedMay 31,2020.#8 Neil Young's "Heart of Gold". "Musicians of the Los Angeles scene -- this time in the mellow '70s, when soft rock was king and El Lay was its epicenter."
  16. ^P. Buckley,The Rough Guide to Rock(Rough Guides, 3rd edn., 2003), p. 378.
  17. ^Pelton-Roby, Ruth (September 13, 1975).""Colorado's Diverse Radio Scene"".Americanradiohistory.Billboard. p. C-22.
  18. ^C. H. Sterling, M. C. Keith,Sounds of Change: a History of FM broadcasting in America(UNC Press, 2008), pp. 136–7.
  19. ^"B96 History Summarized - CLASSICB96 Wiki".Wiki.classicb96.Archived fromthe originalon April 1, 2022.RetrievedJanuary 14,2020.
  20. ^"Journey: The band who did not stop believing".Bbc.co.uk.November 12, 2010.RetrievedDecember 6,2010.
  21. ^Berlind, William (August 27, 2006)."Yacht Rock Docks in New York".The New York Observer.Archived fromthe originalon May 18, 2011.RetrievedJuly 29,2008.
  22. ^Matos, Michaelangelo (December 7, 2005)."Talk Talk: J.D. Ryznar".Seattle Weekly.Archived fromthe originalon April 14, 2006.RetrievedOctober 9,2006.
  23. ^Lecaro, Lina (November 19, 2016)."This Monthly Club Is a Non-Ironic Celebration of Rock's Softer Side".LA Weekly.
  24. ^C. H. Sterling, M. C. Keith,Sounds of Change: a History of FM Broadcasting in America(UNC Press, 2008), p. 187.
  25. ^Carney, Steve (November 14, 2007)."It's been a smooth ride for KOST radio".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedMay 26,2020.
  26. ^Wener, Ben (October 13, 2007)."Genesis Braves the Rain at the Bowl".The Orange County Register.Digital First Media.Archivedfrom the original on June 12, 2018.RetrievedAugust 7,2018.
  27. ^"RPM100: Hit Tracks & Where to Find Them ".RPM.June 20, 1992.Archivedfrom the original on November 24, 2015.RetrievedAugust 7,2018.
  28. ^"Genesis Chart History – Adult Contemporary".Billboard.Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group.RetrievedAugust 7,2018.
  29. ^"VH1's 40 Most Softsational Soft-Rock Songs".Stereogum.Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group. May 31, 2007.Archivedfrom the original on April 2, 2015.RetrievedAugust 8,2018.
  30. ^"Extreme – More Than Words".Utratop.Hung Medien.RetrievedAugust 8,2018.
  31. ^"RPM100: Hit Tracks & Where to Find Them ".RPM.June 8, 1991.Archivedfrom the original on April 2, 2018.RetrievedAugust 7,2018.
  32. ^"Extreme Chart History – Hot 100".Billboard.Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group. Archived fromthe originalon August 8, 2018.RetrievedAugust 8,2018.
  33. ^Smith, Chris (2006).The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Rock History: From Arenas to the Underground, 1974–1980.Greenwood Press. p. 102.ISBN0-313-32937-0.
  34. ^"RPM100: Hit Tracks & Where to Find Them ".RPM.April 11, 1992.Archivedfrom the original on September 1, 2018.RetrievedSeptember 1,2018.
  35. ^"Search the Charts [Search Result for 'Tears in Heaven']".The Irish Charts.Archivedfrom the original on March 4, 2016.RetrievedNovember 12,2015.
  36. ^"Eric Clapton – Tears in Heaven (Song)".charts.org.nz.Hung Medien.RetrievedNovember 12,2015.
  37. ^Gonçalves, Madalena (May 25, 1992). "Novas paradas de singles 25 de Maio de 1992" [New May 25, 1992 Single Charts].Folha de S.Paulo(in Portuguese).Luiz Frias.This week's sales topper is 'Tears in Heaven' by Eric Clapton. With Platinum sales in only one week, the single went up to the top slot, where it will probably stay for the next couple of weeks.
  38. ^"Vinsældalisti íslands"[Iceland's popularity list].DV(in Icelandic). Reykjavík, Iceland. March 27, 1992.Archivedfrom the original on August 17, 2016.RetrievedNovember 12,2015.
  39. ^"Tears in Heaven: Eric Clapton".Lista Przebojów Trójki(in Polish).Polskie Radio.Archivedfrom the original on October 24, 2014.RetrievedNovember 12,2015.
  40. ^"Eric Clapton: Tears in Heaven".Top40-Charts.Archivedfrom the original on June 26, 2013.RetrievedNovember 12,2015.
  41. ^Park, Jin-hai (June 26, 2016)."Richard Marx Mesmerizes Seoul with Velvety Romantic Songs".The Korea Times.Archived fromthe originalon August 8, 2018.RetrievedAugust 8,2018.
  42. ^"RPMAdult Contemporary Tracks ".RPM.March 7, 1994.Archivedfrom the original on August 8, 2018.RetrievedAugust 8,2018.
  43. ^"RPM100: Hit Tracks & Where to Find Them ".RPM.March 7, 1994.Archivedfrom the original on January 15, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 15,2016.
  44. ^"Richard Marx – Now and Forever".VG-Lista.Hung Medien.RetrievedAugust 8,2018.
  45. ^"Richard Marx Chart History – Hot 100".Billboard.Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group.RetrievedAugust 8,2018.
  46. ^David Tusing (April 9, 2013)."Michael Learns To Rock's epic Dubai return".Gulfnews.
  47. ^Leeson, Josh (December 22, 2017)."Golden return of Price".Newcastle Herald.

Bibliography

Further reading[edit]

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