ABSTRACT
Soft rock had the following identifying features:(1) the rock beat and other abrasive coloring (e.g., intense electric guitar lines, harsh vocalizing) were deemphasized, and (2) song lyrics tended to be upbeat and/or introspective rather than rebellious in nature. The factors guaranteeing its success included the personal music preferences of the power brokers within the music businesses, the efforts of both artists and record company executives to broaden rock’s appeal, and the aging of the first generation of rock fans.
