Top '80s Soft Rock Artists Not Too Proud to Fit Adult Contemporary Label

In its earlier, more well-known '70s stage, soft rock had a tendency to showcase acoustic music with at least a touch of rootsy folk and rock influences. However, the early-'80s shift toward synthesizers and progressively busier orchestration began to transform this sound, and by the mid-'80s that once highly marketable style had essentially merged with the staid, more pop-based adult contemporary genre, which made its greatest impact of the era during the second half of the decade. Perhaps for that reason, many of the biggest stars of the '80s fit into these categories for much of their peak periods, in some cases splitting the era between accessible forms of both styles. Whether or not you want to call it commercial savvy or artistic versatility remains firmly a matter of perspective, but it's impossible to ignore the distinct contributions of the artists that make my list of the Top 10 Soft Rock/Adult Contemporary Artists of the '80s. Bow your head in shame if you must, but I doubt you'll be able to keep your list of favorite songs by these artists as brief as you'd expect.

• Top 10 Soft Rock Songs of the '80s
• Soft Rock Genre Profile

Album Cover Image Courtesy of Atlantic