The adult contemporary format began evolving into the sound that later defined it, with rock-oriented acts as Chicago, the Eagles and Elton John becoming associated with the format. The Hot 100 and Easy Listening charts became more similar again toward the end of the 1960s and into the early and mid-1970s when the texture of much of the music played on top 40 radio once more began to soften. Major artists of that time included Bread, Carly Simon, Carole King, Cat Stevens, James Taylor, Lobo and Gilbert O'Sullivan who achieved number-one hit singles between 19 with ' Nothing Rhymed', ' Alone Again (Naturally)' and ' Clair'. Late 1960s soft rock artists include the Bee Gees, whose song ' I Started a Joke' was a number one single in several countries Neil Diamond with the 1969 hit ' Sweet Caroline', the Hollies with their US and UK top 10 hit ' He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother', and Elton John with his popular song ' Skyline Pigeon'.īy the early 1970s, softer songs by the Carpenters, Anne Murray, John Denver, Barry Manilow, and even Barbra Streisand began to be played more often on 'top 40' radio and others were added to the mix on many adult contemporary stations. 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. Softer sounds in rock music could be heard in mid-1960s songs, such as ' A Summer Song' by Chad & Jeremy (1964) and ' Here, There and Everywhere' by the Beatles and ' I Love My Dog' by Cat Stevens, both from 1966.īy 1968, hard rock had been established as a mainstream genre.

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70s soft rock videos