While the term "soft rock" might seem applicable to any rock music that doesn't rely on volume to get its message across, in fact the designation refers to something much more specific.

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. Those who had been weaned on rock music in the 60's were entering their late twenties and early thirties, and many had become domesticated; they had grown up, gotten married, had kids of their own, and had begun careers.

So in one respect, soft rock was music for the uncounterculture; tuneful, hooky, commercial, hummable, inoffensive, non threatening, pleasant. It made the perfect accompaniment for such mundane activities as washing the dishes, making the bed, mopping the floor, folding the laundry, and other domestic chores. It also served as a workplace compromise; it was music that most people could tolerate, but it wasn't something that would dominate. It was music that could recede into the background.

 

At its heart, it encompassed most of the singer/songwriters of the day, including the likes of James Taylor, Paul Simon, and Al Stewart, among others. It also included melodic bands that used a basic rock lineup of guitar-bass-drums-keyboards but added immense amounts of production in the form of strings, horns, and airy, light backing vocals; including Chicago, Bread, and the Carpenters.

Some artists, like Billy Joel, Paul McCartney and Wings, and Elton John fell somewhere in between. 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.

 

Demographically, its listeners were typically older and more female than hard rock listeners, although some soft rock artists, including Joel, McCartney, and especially Elton John drew a sizable number of teen listeners as well, also more skewed towards female.

Soft rock as a genre designation is usually limited to music of the 1970's. By the 1980's, tastes had changed and radio formats reflected this change; the genre evolved into what became called "adult contemporary", a pop categorization that bore less overt rock influence than its forebear.