The roots of my childhood belong to the long hazy days of summer, cooling berry slushies, splashing around in the pool, and of course listening to Soft Rock music. Those are my first remembrances and ties to music – to this day if I hear Survivor, Toto, Air Supply, or any other great of soft rock, I find myself humming along to the music. But is it only good times and great memories that defines the genre of soft rock for many of us? Or can it be that soft rock transcends time and appeals to everyone?

Well, the truth of it is that soft rock is one of those music genres that appeals to the lighter side of most people. For one thing it yields up great mood music, it’s easy to slow dance to, and well frankly, the music is good and it speaks right to your heart. Most soft rock songs focus on relationships, love, and day to day life, with a catchy/ dreamy tune that just calls out for you to sing along with it. And this is the reason why most soft rock songs last forever (or they seem to at any rate).

From the King himself, Elvis Presley, who made early Rock n’ Roll so popular, down through the Bee Gees who helped to usher in the era of Soft Rock, through to The Eagles, Sting, (and The Police), Chicago, REO Speedwagon and many others too numerous to mention here, it cannot be denied that soft rock has spawned some of the greatest songs ever to be heard.

And in fact, it is still spawning some of the best writers and singers out there today, in the form of Lifehouse, the Counting Crows, and Maroon 5 to name a few.

Detractors of this style of music will say that the music is not meaningful enough and that there is simply no substance to it, no character, no soul. Well, this is simply not true. There is soul and character to soft rock music, you just need to take a seat somewhere and listen for it. And if you can’t hear it, why not try taking a leisurely drive with some drive time music playing in the background? You’ll be sure to find the heart and soul of soft rock then.

Here’s Chicago with “Hard to Say I’m Sorry”

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yh9cNYlmXEY&feature=related