Soft rock

Soft rock, also referred to as light rock, is a style of music which uses the techniques of rock and roll to compose a softer, supposedly more ear-pleasin

Soft rock, also referred to as light 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 and relationships. The genre tends to make heavy use of pianos, synthesizers and sometimes saxophones. 'Soft rock' is an ambiguous term used for popular music as well.

Soft rock as a genre distinction has come to refer specifically to a style of rock that emerged in the early 70's, 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 70's. What set 70's soft rock apart from its 60's counterpart, which for lack of a better word is usually just called "pop", is that in the 60's pop existed for those who simply didn't like rock; the 60's 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.