The thing about soft rock is that it was never an exclusive genre. Cross-pollinating among pop, rock, country rock and, especially, adult contemporary music of the day, the best soft rock records spread their roots widely across genre lines and years.
Soft-rock arrived at the dawn of the singer-songwriter movement in the early ’70s and pretty much took a prominent place on the charts throughout the decade. It eventually branched out into so-called yacht rock (a title that wasn’t used until the mid-’00s) and 1980s power ballads, but the source is similar.
As you will see in the below list of the Top 40 Soft-Rock Songs – which were chosen by the UCR staff – the best of these tracks were more than peaceful easy feelings of the era. They were launching points into new territory and an evolving music form that grew with the decade. Probably not surprisingly, the ’70s are most represented here, but the ’60s and ’80s (and even the ’90s) make appearances, too, proving the lasting influence of these soft rock gems.
40. Extreme, “More Than Words” (1990)
Soft-rock was nearing extinction by the end of the ’80s, replaced by power ballads and adult contemporary pop, but Boston’s Extreme conjured a soothing nostalgic mood with their 1990 hit “More Than Words.” A virtuoso hard rock band with leanings toward occasional glam and funk, Extreme’s acoustic No. 1 reveals a gentler side to their music, recalling the mid-’70s in its hushed declarations of love and lightly plucked guitar.
39. Bob Dylan, “Every Grain of Sand” (1981)
Bob Dylan was coming off his gospel stage on 1981’s Shot of Love, partly signaling his turn to the more processed sounds of the ’80s. The album’s centerpiece, the six-minute “Every Grain of Sand” winds its way through biblical imagery and sprawling wordplay for one of Dylan’s best songs of the period. Hymn-like in its delivery, with lyrical acuity borrowed from Romantic poets, “Sand” is the legend finding purpose in his voice again.
38. Bread, “Make It With You” (1970)
Has a sexual come-on ever been proposed with such sensitive grace? Written and sung by Bread leader David Gates, whose songwriting and session work in the ’60s included stints with Captain Beefheart, the Monkees and Elvis Presley, “Make It With You” takes a contemporary maxim and applies it to a dreamy melody for soft-rock gold. “If you’re wondering what this song is leading to, I want to make it with you,” Gates nudges.
37. Neil Diamond, “Cracklin’ Rosie” (1970)
Is Neil Diamond‘s “Cracklin’ Rosie” a love song to a bottle of wine or a song of devotion to a prostitute? Doesn’t matter. The singer-songwriter’s first No. 1 features backing by the famed Wrecking Crew and one of Diamond’s sturdiest hooks. Throughout the latter part of the ’60s, he was an in-demand songwriter, penning hit songs for the Monkees and Jay and the Americans; by early the next decade he was a solo star.
READ MORE: Top 35 Country Rock Songs
36. Carly Simon, “Nobody Does It Better” (1977)
The first James Bond theme since Dr. No to not be titled after the movie, “Nobody Does It Better” – from The Spy Who Loved Me – spent three weeks at No. 2 in 1977. The winking song – written by Marvin Hamlisch and Carol Bayer Sager – is one of the most successful and popular 007 tracks and Carly Simon‘s first Top 5 showing since 1975’s duet with husband James Taylor, “Mockingbird.” It was also her first Oscar nomination.
35. Sting, “Fields of Gold” (1993)
For 1993’s Ten Summoner’s Tales, Sting reflected on growing older and moving on after the death of his parents, which hung over its predecessor The Soul Cages with heavy introspection. The mood this time was more pastoral, with traditional instruments such as pipes and fiddles mixing with horns, strings and guitars. Highlight “Fields of Gold” is a lovely snapshot of aged serenity, coming at the tail end of the soft-rock era.
34. The Beatles, “Something” (1969)
Along with many other prescient moments during their brief career, the Beatles presaged 1970s soft-rock in the ’60s. George Harrison‘s first A-side single, and a U.S. No. 1, “Something” is filled with the gentle vocals and delicate instrumentation that would define the music within the next few years. Included on the Beatles’ final recorded album Abbey Road, “Something” is both the beginning and end of eras.
33. America, “Sister Golden Hair” (1975)
Produced by George Martin, “Sister Golden Hair” was the second song by America to reach No. 1 (debut single “A Horse With No Name” was the first). Writer Gerry Beckley has noted that the song comes the closest to the Los Angeles singer-songwriter movement the British-American trio had ever gotten. The folk-like acoustic-strumming verses give way to radiant soft-rock in the buoyant choruses, a pop highlight in 1975.
32. John Denver, “Annie’s Song” (1974)
John Denver was at the height of his career in 1974, successfully expanding beyond a country and folk audience to a broader pop appeal. While still tethered to those genres, and a huge hit on the adult contemporary chart, “Annie’s Song” toes the line of soft rock, too, a three-minute love song with a light touch – from Denver’s romance-soaked vocals to the spare backing music. It became his second consecutive No. 1.
31. Ace, “How Long” (1974)
The debut single by Ace has more history than their short lifespan lets on. A hit in their native U.K. and the U.S., “How Long” has been covered by dozens of artists and launched the career of writer and singer Paul Carrack, who later joined Squeeze, Mike + the Mechanics and Ringo Starr‘s band. Despite its chorus – “How long has this been going on?” – the song is about the bassist’s moonlighting gigs, not a cheating partner.
30. Bonnie Raitt, “Angel From Montgomery” (1974)
John Prine introduced “Angel From Montgomery” on his 1971 eponymous debut, but Bonnie Raitt‘s version – released on her 1974 LP Streetlights – remains the definitive take. A favorite among countless singers over the decades, the song deals with shattered hopes, crushed dreams and the lingering melancholy of middle age. Raitt was 24 when she recorded “Angel,” but her weary voice gives it world-battered weight.
29. Carole King, “So Far Away” (1971)
Carole King helped launch the singer-songwriter movement of the ’70s with her massively popular album Tapestry; soft-rock soon expanded from it. A successful songwriter with husband Gerry Goffin in the ’60s, King was divorced and solo by the end of the decade when she pieced together the songs that sparked a generation. Mournful and longing, “So Far Away” includes one of her most beautiful melodies.
28. Eagles, “Take It to the Limit” (1975)
Eagles were leaders of two not-dissimilar music movements in the mid-’70s, country rock and soft rock. “Take It to the Limit” – from their fourth LP, One of These Nights, on which they further swerved into heavier rock music – became one of their signature tunes, sung and cowritten by bassist Randy Meisner, who quickly became disinterested in performing it every night. The song eventually led to his exit from the band.
27. REO Speedwagon, “Keep on Loving You” (1980)
REO Speedwagon was already eight albums and more than a dozen years into a career when 1980’s Hi Infidelity shot to No. 1 and made them early-’80s arena favorites. The soft-rock lead single “Keep on Loving You,” written and sung by Kevin Cronin, who rejoined the Illinois band in 1976 after a few years away, had much to do with their success. Three more Top 25 singles were pulled from the hit LP over the next year.
26. Eric Clapton, “Tears in Heaven” (1991)
Eric Clapton wrote “Tears in Heaven” as part of a healing process after the death of his four-year-old son in 1991. The song was initially tucked away on the soundtrack to the little-seen crime movie Rush the same year and released as a single in January 1992. It wasn’t until Clapton performed the song for an MTV Unplugged appearance that it started to become widely known. The touching tribute still carries its grief.
25. Kansas, “Dust in the Wind” (1977)
Kansas‘ Midwestern prog rock had collected a devoted but small audience when their fourth album, 1976’s Leftoverture, contained a surprise No. 11 hit in “Carry On Wayward Sun” and introduced them to a larger base. For the following year’s Point of Know Return, they softened the progressive textures a bit and were rewarded with their only Top 10, the gentle and acoustic life-is-fleeting soft-rock favorite “Dust in the Wind.”
24. Fleetwood Mac, “You Make Loving Fun” (1977)
By the time Fleetwood Mac released Rumours in 1977, the onetime British blues-rock band was at the center of the soft-rock genre, thanks to the overwhelming success of their 10th, self-titled album in 1975. Christine McVie‘s “You Making Loving Fun,” Rumours‘ fourth single, cuts to the relationship turmoil at the heart of the LP: She wrote it about her affair with the band’s lighting director while married to bassist John McVie.
READ MORE: Ranking Every Classic Era Fleetwood Mac Song
23. Rod Stewart, “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)” (1976)
Rod Stewart had combined raucous rock ‘n’ roll numbers and heart-pulling ballads from the start of his solo career, and by 1976 he was skilled at balancing these opposite ends without sacrificing his large fan base. “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright),” from his seventh LP, A Night on the Town, was produced by Tom Dowd at the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, merging impassioned soul with not-so-subtle sexed-up soft rock.
22. Gary Wright, “Dream Weaver” (1975)
Gary Wright‘s biggest hit (No. 2 in 1975) was inspired by two Beatles: The words “dream weaver” appear in John Lennon‘s “God,” and George Harrison gave the singer and keyboardist – who played on All Things Must Pass – a copy of Autobiography of a Yogi, which references “weaving dreams.” The dreamlike song includes only keyboards and vocals plus drums by Jim Keltner, a Harrison and Lennon session veteran.
21. Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band, “Night Moves” (1976)
Bob Seger‘s fittingly mellow nostalgic glance back at his teenage years finally gave the Detroit-bred rocker a Top 10 single and album after a decade of records released under his name. Inspired by “Me and Bobby McGee” and American Graffiti, Seger spent six months writing the wistful, autobiographical song about a “black-haired beauty with big dark eyes.” She broke his heart, but he got a hit song and a career in return.
20. Looking Glass, “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” (1972)
Soft-rock hits in the ’70s were overrun with one-hit wonders, but few have had the impact of New Jersey’s Looking Glass and their 1972 No. 1 “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl).” The story of a harbor-town barmaid who longs for a sailor who went to sea years ago, the song is equally driven by a catchy chorus and the honeyed voice of the group’s guitarist Elliot Lurie, who wrote “Brandy.” Time has not dampened its pop-gold appeal.
19. Christopher Cross, “Sailing” (1979)
Texas singer-songwriter Christopher Cross seemed to appear out of nowhere in late 1979 with his self-titled debut, which included assistance from Don Henley, Michael McDonald and some of the West Coast’s most in-demand session players. The LP’s second single, the gently gleaming “Sailing,” went to No. 1, setting in motion a period of increased success for Cross, who won the top four Grammy Awards the next year.
18. Foreigner, “I Want to Know What Love Is” (1984)
The fine line between soft-rock and power ballads began to blur and intersect during the early part of the ’80s as hard-rock bands that shunned the former label found ways around the scorned descriptor. So, “I Want to Know What Love Is” became Foreigner‘s biggest hit, thanks to help from the New Jersey Mass Choir, Dreamgirls star Jennifer Holliday and Thompson Twins keyboardist Tom Bailey, and a stigma-busting triumph.
17. Daryl Hall & John Oates, “Sara Smile” (1975)
Before they became an unstoppable pop hit machine in the ’80s, Daryl Hall & John Oates were known primarily as blue-eyed soul singers, mostly because of songs like “Sara Smile,” their first Top 10 hit. Cowritten by the pair, and inspired by Hall’s longtime girlfriend, the song bears earmarks of the era’s best soft-rock songs, including smooth but emotional singing, rich electric piano and backing by some of L.A.’s finest.
16. Jackson Browne, “The Pretender” (1976)
Jackson Browne‘s fourth LP The Pretender was written in the wake of the suicide of Browne’s wife. While the album doesn’t always address the loss head-on, several songs reassess a life scattered among the pieces. The title track skims the surface of autobiography, as Browne surveys disappearing dreams from the wasteland of ’70s materialism. Slow-building at six minutes, “The Pretender” is a masterwork of style.
15. Eagles, “Best of My Love” (1974)
1974’s On the Border marked a turning point for Eagles, whose new guitarist, Don Felder, brought a tougher edge to the country rock group. The album’s big hit, and the band’s first No. 1, however, was a throwback to their earlier incarnation. A soft-rock love song sung by Don Henley, “Best of My Love” latches onto the era’s penchant for gently strumming guitars and close harmonies. Eagles would never lose their roots.
14. Harry Chapin, “Cat’s in the Cradle” (1974)
Harry Chapin‘s tearjerker about a busy father too hurried to make time for his son only to (spoiler alert) see the kid use the same excuses on him when he grows up started as a poem written by Chapin’s wife. But it’s the late singer-songwriter’s reserved delivery and nursery rhyme melody that refines the poignancy of “Cat’s in the Cradle.” Chapin, who died in a 1981 car accident, was nominated for a Grammy for his No. 1 hit.
13. 10cc, “I’m Not in Love” (1975)
The soft, whispered hush that ushers in “I’m Not in Love” doesn’t begin to describe the sounds and styles 10cc employ on their third album, The Original Soundtrack. By midsong, the group’s progressive and art-pop leanings start to show, opening multiple layers by its end just after the six-minute mark. It’s one of the ’70s’ most distinctive and oddest singles; even more impressive, the slow-boiling track made it to No. 2 in the U.S.
12. Gordon Lightfoot, “Sundown” (1974)
A songwriter’s songwriter covered by Bob Dylan and whose career goes back to singles he released in 1962, Canadian Gordon Lightfoot hit his stride in the ’70s when his easy-rolling mix of folk and soft-rock fit in with the currents of pop music. “If You Could Read My Mind” reached No. 5 in 1970; four years later he had his only U.S. No. 1, the deceivingly relaxed “Sundown,” which also topped the adult contemporary chart.
11. Gerry Rafferty, “Baker Street” (1978)
Built around a lyrical saxophone riff (played by Raphael Ravenscroft), “Baker Street” led former Stealers Wheel frontman Gerry Rafferty to a No. 2 single and a No. 1 album in 1978. But there’s more to the song than just that famous horn. Unspooling over six laid-back minutes, and graced with lightly rolling percussion and the warm tone of Rafferty’s voice, “Baker Street” is soft-rock mana, an eternally calming force of nature.
READ MORE: Top 50 American Rock Albums
10. Elton John, “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” (1974)
There weren’t too many pop stars bigger than Elton John in 1974. Since 1972 he had six Top 10 singles and three consecutive No. 1 albums. Caribou, his eighth LP, didn’t break the streak, and its lead single, “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” shot to No. 2. An unconventional five-and-a-half-minute pop song – with backing vocals by two Beach Boys – it slowly builds to a grand exit, awash in harmonies, horns and bells.
9. Carly Simon, “You’re So Vain” (1972)
Overtaken by speculation in the decades since its release, “You’re So Vain”‘s central mystery – Who exactly is Carly Simon singing about? – has unfairly pushed the song’s supple melody and Simon’s assured performance to the sideline. With vocal support from Mick Jagger and Los Angeles studio greats backing, “You’re So Vain” is a perfect pairing of period, artist and, yes, intrigue. Simon’s best moment and a 1970s classic.
8. Carole King, “It’s Too Late” (1971)
Carole King was one of the main architects of the singer-songwriter template in the early part of the 1970s. Her second solo album, Tapestry, set chart records and inspired generations of artists after its release in February 1971 (pals and fellow genre-setters Joni Mitchell and James Taylor are on it). A shared A-side with the more upbeat “I Feel the Earth Move,” the No. 1 “It’s Too Late” reaches a pinnacle of the music’s influence.
7. Al Stewart, “Year of the Cat” (1976)
Scottish singer-songwriter Al Stewart had released six albums, none of which got higher than No. 30, when the title track of 1976’s Year of the Cat became his breakthrough. The song and album made the Top 10, raising Stewart to the crest of soft-rock royalty. Running almost seven minutes in LP form, “Year of the Cat” is an unlikely candidate for success: a wordy narrative with a long instrumental break that name-drops Peter Lorre.
6. England Dan & John Ford Coley, “I’d Really Love to See You Tonight” (1976)
Unsung soft-rock heroes who tallied six Top 40 singles from 1976-79, England Dan & John Ford Coley scored their biggest hit early on. “I’d Really Love to See You Tonight,” a No. 2 hit, was written by Nashville singer-songwriter Parker McGee, but sculpted to pop perfection by Texas natives Danny Seals (younger brother of Seals & Crofts’ Jim Seals) and John Coley. The transcendent chorus ranks among the era’s best.
5. James Taylor, “Fire and Rain” (1970)
Originally signed to the Beatles’ Apple Records, James Taylor didn’t find success until a move to Warner Bros. in 1970. His first album for the label, Sweet Baby James, channeled years of struggles, doubt and addiction. Breakthrough single “Fire and Rain” outlines, specifically, his problems with heroin and the suicide of a childhood friend. Working through his depression, Taylor comes out the other side, scarred but stronger.
4. Peter Frampton, “Baby, I Love Your Way” (1976)
The original version of “Baby, I Love Your Way” was released on Peter Frampton‘s 1975 Frampton album, but it’s the live version found on the blockbuster Frampton Comes Alive! the following year that carried the song just outside of the Top 10. Unlike other popular tracks from the concert LP that use a distinctive talk box device, “Baby, I Love Your Way” is mostly gimmick-free: a stripped-down soft-rock classic from his peak year.
3. Seals and Crofts, “Summer Breeze” (1972)
Jim Seals and Dash Crofts had released three albums before their fourth, Summer Breeze, went to No. 7 and its title track gave them the first of three Top 10 singles. (Both artists had spent time with “Tequila” hitmakers the Champs at one point.) A summertime perennial and soft-rock classic, “Summer Breeze” was covered in 1974 by the Isley Brothers, who uncovered a simmering sensuality within the song’s timeless melody.
2. Bee Gees, “How Deep Is Your Love” (1977)
In the middle of a life upswing after years of audience indifference, breakups and style changes, Bee Gees helped popularize disco in the mid-’70s. But it’s their music for the era-defining Saturday Night Fever that took them, and the music, to more sweeping levels. “How Deep Is Your Love,” the lead single from the album and a soft-rock gem, showcases the Gibb brothers’ timeless melodies and sweet harmonies.
1. Fleetwood Mac, “Dreams” (1977)
No band epitomized ’70s soft rock like Fleetwood Mac. And no album held the center like their tentpole record and decade bestseller Rumours. Famously hatched amid splintering relationships – Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks were broken up, Christine and John McVie were headed to divorce, and a mess of band hookups threatened to derail the breakout success of 1975 predecessor Fleetwood Mac – the album’s 11 songs held it all together, especially Nicks’ “Dreams,” a retort to Buckingham’s biting “Go Your Own Way.” It helped make Nicks the group’s breakaway star, becoming Fleetwood Mac’s only No. 1 single, and connect their legacy. It has endured ever since.
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They started out at Beatles copies, transitioned to disco pioneers and never calmed their restless spirits.
Gallery Credit: Michael Gallucci
