History
From the late 1960s it became common to divide mainstream rock music into soft and hard rock, with both emerging as major radio formats in the US. Soft rock was often derived from folk rock, using acoustic instruments and putting more emphasis on melody and harmonies. Major artists included Carole King, Cat Stevens and James Taylor.
It reached its commercial peak in the mid-to-late 1970s with acts like Billy Joel, Elton John, Chicago, America and the reformed Fleetwood Mac, whose Rumours (1977) was the best-selling album of the decade. By 1977, some radio stations, like New York's WTFM and WYNY, had switched to an all-soft-rock format. By the 1980s, tastes had changed and radio formats reflected this change, including musical artists such as Journey.
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 categorisation.
Read more about this topic: Soft Rock
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