Soft rock is a softer, less intense version of rock-and-roll, favoring musicality and melody over the unrestrained and aggressive beats associated with hard rock.

In the mid-1960s, rock music began to fragment into separate categories of “soft” and “harsh” sounds, and by the end of the 1970s, soft rock had established itself as a distinct subgenre of rock-and-roll. The increasing popularity of radio music in the 1980s led to the formation of soft rock’s derivative forms: “adult alternative” and “adult contemporary” styles of rock music. Despite this, soft rock has persisted through the ‘90s and into the 21st century as a worldwide mainstream success.

Artists:

• The Bee Gees
• Elton John
• Billy Joel