4. Bread: Everything I Own

Bread's memory has faded considerably in the three decades since their breakup, but during their 1970-1973 peak they were a big as any other hitmakers, placing eleven singles in the top-40 during that time. The band was led by singer/guitarist David Gates and singer/guitarist James Griffin and specialized in a rock sound that was heavier than the Carpenters, but softer than Elton John. Most of their hits were instantly hummable, featuring Gates' sweetly callow vocals and strings-heavy production. Griffin's contributions were somewhat closer to hard rock on the whole, but all of Bread's best remembered songs were Gates'. "Everything I Own" wasn't their biggest hit, reaching #5 in 1972, but it is their best; it has since been covered by many artists including Ken Boothe and Boy George. The band had an acrimonious break-up in 1974; they reconvened for one more album in 1977, and broke up for good.

5. Barry Manilow: Mandy

Along with the Carpenters, Barry Manilow (Barry Alan Pincus) perhaps best epitomizes the softest edges of soft rock; nobody would mistake him for a rock 'n' roll artist. In the 1970's, he was huge; he had seven top-10 albums and fourteen top-10 hits. Even at that time, he was regularly lambasted by the critics for his big romantic ballads with some justification; surely a dictionary exists somewhere with Manilow's mug under the word "schmaltz". Still, his achievement is worthy of respect; an awful lot of people bought his records, which kept Arista records in business. His first noteworthy work was as a writer of advertising jingles in the early 70's; his big break came when Bette Midler hired him as her pianist and musical director in 1971. They toured the gay bath houses of New York City together before they hit big, and remain favorites among the gay audience today. "Mandy" was a re-write of a song called "Brandy" which was a hit in England for its co-writer Scott English. Manilow's version was his first radio hit in 1974, and ultimately reached #1 in 1975.

6. Air Supply: Lost In Love

Air Supply were one of the last traditional soft rock bands before soft rock evolved into adult contemporary. Their peak ran from 1980-1983, during which they placed eight songs in the top-10; "Lost In Love" was their second, reaching #3 in 1980, and is arguably their best. Less of a band than a vehicle for the duo of Russell Hitchcock and Graham Russell, from Sydney, Australia, the pair met at an Australian production of Jesus Christ, Superstar in 1976. They gained international attention when Rod Stewart used them as an opening act during a 1979 tour; their 1980 debut album, Lost In Love, yielded three major hit singles. Their music relied on lush romantic ballads with airy vocals, and like most of the others on this list, they received little critical praise. After running dry in the mid-80's, the duo broke up, but they have reunited periodically ever since.