What Is Really Considered Classic Soft Rock

[RushFanForever]

Today I saw four of these compilations albums (noted here) on what's considered 'classic soft rock'.

 

As I'm browsing the track selection on each of them, the majority of songs don't fit into the above mentioned category.

 

How is 'Heat of the Moment' by Asia, 'More Than A Feeling' by Boston, and 'The Doctor' by The Doobie Brothers considered 'classic soft rock'?

 

This made me think of Entre_Perpetuo's poll threads on what songs are really considered 'power ballads'.

Edited September 15, 2021 by RushFanForever

[J2112YYZ]

Billy Joel immediately comes to mind.

[laughedatbytime]

Hold Your Fire, Christopher Cross, and Air Supply

[laughedatbytime]

Hold Your Fire, Christopher Cross, and Air Supply

JR's entire album collection.

[invisible airwave]

80s S--tcago

 

23:00 mark

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw5k_Y8FgCY&t=1389s

 

"Peter Cetera, GO F YOURSELF!"

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

Hold Your Fire, Christopher Cross, and Air Supply

 

And to think, HYF even has Easy Listening covered with Second Nature and Tai Shan.

[JohnRogers]

Today I saw four of these compilations albums (noted here) on what's considered 'classic soft rock'.

 

As I'm browsing the track selection on each of them, the majority of songs don't fit into the above mentioned category.

 

How is 'Heat of the Moment' by Asia, 'More Than A Feeling' by Boston, and 'The Doctor' by The Doobie Brothers considered 'classic soft rock'?

Yeah, I don’t know how to answer that. Maybe stuff like The Doobie Brothers. I too busy banging my head to crunchy stuff like Queensrÿche and Dokken.

[Entre_Perpetuo]

Soft rock seems to me like it has to be softer than your typical AOR band. Journey ballads aren't really going to cut it, mostly because Neal Schon's guitar playing is too cutting. Stuff like Cristopher Cross, Air Supply, Kokomo by The Beach Boys, that's soft rock as far as I'm concerned. I suppose Toto approach this category in places as well, though they usually balance out the Africas with Hold The Lines. It's definitely not More Than A Feeling or Heat Of The Moment. Those guitars are far too crunchy and the drums far too aggressive to be "soft."

[RushFanForever]

I should add that The Doobie Brothers had a blues-rock phase and then a R&B soul-pop phase.

 

The soul-pop phase is what the 'soft rock' is based on.

 

'The Doctor' was the band's late 80's comeback song where the band has returned to the blues-rock phase but with more clean production.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kx62FxXe-Rg

[zepphead]

Richard Marx, Billy Joel, Eric Carmen, Chicago (not the early stuff), Bread, Al Stewart, Toto, Chris de Burgh

[IbanezJem]

Subject - love found /love lost. Lots of keys, a high-pitched vocalist, clunky riffs that would be the first ones you learn as a kid, no frills except a screechy guitar solo,. Fade out.

[JohnRogers]

Soft rock seems to me like it has to be softer than your typical AOR band. Journey ballads aren't really going to cut it, mostly because Neal Schon's guitar playing is too cutting. Stuff like Cristopher Cross, Air Supply, Kokomo by The Beach Boys, that's soft rock as far as I'm concerned. I suppose Toto approach this category in places as well, though they usually balance out the Africas with Hold The Lines. It's definitely not More Than A Feeling or Heat Of The Moment. Those guitars are far too crunchy and the drums far too aggressive to be "soft."

A lot of Yacht Rock, the kind of stuff I'm unfamiliar with would probably be soft rock.

[custom55]

[zepphead]

Soft rock seems to me like it has to be softer than your typical AOR band. Journey ballads aren't really going to cut it, mostly because Neal Schon's guitar playing is too cutting. Stuff like Cristopher Cross, Air Supply, Kokomo by The Beach Boys, that's soft rock as far as I'm concerned. I suppose Toto approach this category in places as well, though they usually balance out the Africas with Hold The Lines. It's definitely not More Than A Feeling or Heat Of The Moment. Those guitars are far too crunchy and the drums far too aggressive to be "soft."

A lot of Yacht Rock, the kind of stuff I'm unfamiliar with would probably be soft rock.

Is Come Sail Away by Styx Yacht Rock?....... :joker: Edited September 15, 2021 by zepphead

[Rick N. Backer]

Go into the "What Are You Listening To Right Now?" thread. Now look for Jackie's posts. You have about a 90-95% chance of finding a "classic soft rock" song listed there. If you find a song he posts that YOU might listen to yourself, voluntarily, so not when you're waiting for an appointment with your dentist, you can probably disregard it.

[goose]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCUyjLiUBYw

[custom55]

I'll bet there are a lot of one-hit wonder bands that fall into this category.

[JohnRogers]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCUyjLiUBYw

Great song. I like to crank this in the car giving my vocal pipes some work.

[Derek19]

Rush's "Hold Your Fire", and "Presto" c.ds, and albums aren't soft rock. Here are some artists, and bands, and groups, who are considered, and classified as soft rock. They are: "the Carpenters", "the Beach Boys", "Bee Gees", "Olivia Newton-John", "Linda Ronstadt", "Kim Carnes", "Carole King", "Carly Simon", "Captain & Tennille", "Donny & Marie", "Seals and Crofts", "ABBA", "Air Supply", "Hall & Oates", "the Doobie Brothers", "Chicago (Their '80's, and more current, and recent music)", "Peter Cetera", "Phil Collins", "Peter Gabriel", "Don Henley", "Billy Joel", "Elton John", "Rod Stewart", "Richard Marx", "Michael Bolton", "Lionel Richie", "Kenny Loggins", "Eric Carmen", "Chris De Burgh", "Neil Diamond", "Barry Manilow", "Jim Croce", "James Taylor", "Christopher Cross", "Dan Fogelberg", and "Steely Dan". Edited September 16, 2021 by Derek19

[bluefox4000]

when i think sofft rock. i think Bread, Ambrosia, America, Christopher Cross, Michael Mcdonald Doobie's, Alan Parsons Project towards the end, Carole King, Air Supply. ABBA.....solo Eric Clapton, Carpenters. lots of Rumours Era Fleetwood Mac

 

in that vein.

 

Mick

Edited September 15, 2021 by bluefox4000

[JohnRogers]

I'm listening to the Yacht Rock station on Amazon music, smooth and mellow like my black Italian roast coffee.

[blueschica]

Richard Marx, Billy Joel, Eric Carmen, Chicago (not the early stuff), Bread, Al Stewart, Toto, Chris de Burgh

when i think sofft rock. i think Bread, Ambrosia, America, Christopher Cross, Michael Mcdonald Doobie's, Alan Parsons Project towards the end, Carole King, Air Supply. ABBA.....solo Eric Clapton, Carpenters. lots of Rumours Era Fleetwood Mac

 

in that vein.

 

Mick

 

Yes, Bread popped into my mind immediately! :lol: :lol:

[JohnRogers]

Richard Marx, Billy Joel, Eric Carmen, Chicago (not the early stuff), Bread, Al Stewart, Toto, Chris de Burgh

when i think sofft rock. i think Bread, Ambrosia, America, Christopher Cross, Michael Mcdonald Doobie's, Alan Parsons Project towards the end, Carole King, Air Supply. ABBA.....solo Eric Clapton, Carpenters. lots of Rumours Era Fleetwood Mac

 

in that vein.

 

Mick

 

Yes, Bread popped into my mind immediately! :lol: :lol:

How could Bread be anything but soft rock? Toasted Everything Bagel, now that shit is like metal.

[taurus]

when i think sofft rock. i think Bread, Ambrosia, America, Christopher Cross, Michael Mcdonald Doobie's, Alan Parsons Project towards the end, Carole King, Air Supply. ABBA.....solo Eric Clapton, Carpenters. lots of Rumours Era Fleetwood Mac

 

in that vein.

 

Mick

 

Lobo

Elvin Bishop

Seals and Crofts

Dave Mason

Jimmy Buffet

James Taylor

Dan Fogelberg

Jim Croce

England Dan and John Ford Coley

 

I could probably make 1 80min cd compilation album of songs that I like from these soft rock artists and play that disc once a year when I'm in that sort of mood

[spaceaudity11]

Gerry Rafferty?