Soft rock emerged in the late 1960s as a softer, more melodic alternative to hard rock. It uses elements of folk rock and focuses on themes of love and relationships. Major soft rock artists of the 1970s included Carole King, Cat Stevens, The Hollies, and James Taylor. Soft rock songs tended to feature acoustic guitars, pianos, and saxophones alongside faint electric guitars. The style grew in popularity through the 1970s before evolving into adult album alternative rock by the 1980s.

1. Soft rock is a style of music which uses the techniques of rock music (often combined with elements
from folk rock) to compose a softer, more toned-down sound.
Hard rock had been established as a mainstream genre by 1965. From the end of the 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, The Hollies, James Taylor and Bread. Soft rock
songs generally tend to focus on themes like love, everyday life and
relationships. The genre tends to make heavy use of acoustic guitars,
pianos, synthesizers and sometimes saxophones. The electric guitars in
soft rock are normally faint and high-pitched.
The Carpenters' hit version of "(They Long to Be) Close to You" was
released in the summer of 1970, followed by Bread's "Make It with You",
both early examples of a softer sound that was coming to dominate the
charts. This eventually reached its commercial peak in the mid-to-late
1970s with acts such as Billy Joel, Elton John, Chicago, Toto, Christopher Cross, Michael
McDonald, England Dan & John Ford Coley, Air Supply, Seals and Crofts, America and the
reformed Fleetwood Mac. 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
album alternative", a format that has less overt rock bias than its forebear radio categorization.

2.  Pop ballads tend to have a lush arrangement, where emphasis
on melody and harmonies is emphasized. They are usually melodic enough to get
the listener's attention, and may also work well as background music. Ballads tend
to be written in a basic format employing a verse–chorus structure. Ballads mostly
use acoustic instruments such as acoustic guitars, pianos, saxophones, and
sometimes an orchestral set. The electric guitars are normally faint and high-
pitched. However, recent ballads may usually feature synthesizers and other
electronics, such as drum machines.
 Some of the greatest rock ballad artists from the
past and the present, are consider to be John
Lennon, Beatles, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan,
Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Aerosmith,
Elton Jones, Bon Jovi, Alias, Eric Carmen 3 Doors Down, Whitesnakes and Sam
Smith.

3.  Jazz and traditional pop
Most pop standard and jazz ballads are built from a single, introductory verse, usually around
16 bars in length, and ending on the dominant, the chorus or refrain. Usually it is 16 or 32 bars long,
and in AABA form. In AABA forms, the B section is usually referred to as the bridge which often a
brief coda, sometimes based on material from the bridge, was added as in "Over the Rainbow".
Other key traditional pop and jazz ballads include: "Body and Soul" by Johnny Green; "Misty"
by Erroll Garner; "The Man I Love" by George Gershwin; "My Funny Valentine" by Rodgers and
Hart, "God Bless the Child" by Billie Holiday, "Every Time We Say Goodbye" by Cole Porter, the
instrumental ballad "Naima" by John Coltrane, "In a Sentimental Mood" by Duke Ellington and
"Always" by Irving Berlin.
 Pop and R&B ballads
The most common use of the term ballad in modern pop and R&B music is for an emotional love
song. Examples of pop ballads include, Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On", Kelly Clarkson's
"Because of You", Britney Spears's "Everytime", Toni Braxton's "Un-Break My Heart", Beyoncé's
"Listen", George Michael's "Careless Whisper", Mariah Carey's "Without You" and Sinead
O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U".

4.  Power ballads
Simon Frith, the British sociomusicologist and former rock critic, identifies the origins of the power
ballad in the emotional singing of soul artists, particularly Ray Charles, and the adaptation of this
style by performers such as Eric Burdon, Tom Jones, and Joe Cocker to produce slow-tempo songs
often building to a loud and emotive chorus backed by drums, electric guitars, and sometimes
choirs. According to Charles Aaron, power ballads came into existence in the early 1970s, when rock
stars attempted to convey profound messages to audiences.
Notable power ballad examples include Nazareth's version of "Love Hurts" (1975), Foreigner's "I
Want to Know What Love Is" (1984), Scorpions' "Still Loving You" (1984), Heart's "What About
Love" (1985), Whitesnake's "Is This Love" (1987), and Poison's "Every Rose Has Its Thorn"
 Rock Ballads
Sentimental ballads had their origins in the early "Tin Pan Alley" music industry of the later 19th
century. They were generally sentimental, narrative, strophic songs published separately or as part
of an opera, descendants perhaps of broadside ballads.
As new genres of music, such as ragtime, blues and jazz, began to emerge in the early 20th century
the popularity of this genre faded, but the association with sentimentality led to the term ballad
being used for a slow love song from the 1950s onwards. Today, sentimental ballads are primarily
known as pop ballads or rock ballads, and they often deal with romantic and sexual relationships.
By the Victorian era, ballad had come to mean any sentimental popular song, especially so-called
"royalty ballads". Some of Stephen Foster's songs exemplify this genre. By the 1920s, composers
of Tin Pan Alley and Broadway used ballad to signify a slow, sentimental tune or love song, often
written in a fairly standardized form. Jazz musicians sometimes broaden the term still further to
embrace all slow-tempo pieces.

5.  When it comes to style and image, concerning soft rock it’s very simple. Soft rock is
very smooth and signifies a slow, sentimental tune or love song, often written in a
fairly standardized form. Jazz musicians sometimes broaden the term still further
to embrace all slow-tempo pieces.
 Now based on the prototypes of people listening to soft rock, the majority is men
despite the fact that this type of rock is sentimental and in slow-tempo. This would
suggest that women would probable listen to that type of music, but the fact that is
links with rock prevents them from doing that.
 In most rock ballads, the artists tend to dress
up simple with just a ‘V’ T-shirt, ripped jeans
and normal shoes. Also their hairstyles are
really messy most of the times showing a wild
side of indifference. In addition they usually
carry their electronic guitar around them, even
when the don’t use it and always lean their heads when singing an emotional
refrain.