(music) A comparatively unaggressive, melodic rock music genre in which the arrangement and lyrics are emphasized more than the beat; a reaction against hard rock.
2010, Christopher Knowles, The Secret History of Rock 'n' Roll[1], Simon and Schuster, →ISBN:
CSN&Y didn't shy away from politics, but many artists who followed in their footsteps used the new soft rock synthesis to warble inoffensive pop to a nation tired of controversy. […] Subsequently, many artists rode the soft rock formula all the way to the bank—or at least their labels did.
