BBC Classical Music's ranking of the 25 best soft-rock and yacht-rock albums of all time

Bbc Classical music turns its attention to another universe of rock, the more polished and sophisticated one of so-called soft rock. It does so by compiling a 21-entry ranking that offers a snapshot – certainly partial and incomplete – of the phenomenon, but above all provides some interesting angles and curiosities for further listening. In the introduction, the British online magazine points out that "soft rock is often dismissed too casually, but at its peak, between 1970 and 1982, it represented one of the absolute high points of rock's melodic refinement and sonic craftsmanship. Born from the wreckage of psychedelia in the Sixties, soft rock abandoned fuzz and political anthems in favour of acoustic guitars, Fender Rhodes pianos and introspective, intimate lyrics. It was music made for FM radio: lush, obsessively well produced and capable of creating a powerful emotional resonance. The genre found its spiritual home in Southern California, where a community of virtuoso session players and sensitive singer-songwriters pushed multitrack recording to its limits. Whether it was the mellow, folk-derived sound of the early Seventies or the glossy yacht rock of the decade's end, soft rock offered a sophisticated soundtrack to a generation seeking comfort in quality songwriting and production."

We have dedicated two radio features on Rock in Onda to the genre, the first devoted to the West Coast sound ("West side stories"), the second to a survey of the best soft rock of all time.

Here, meanwhile, is Bbc Classical Music's ranking of the 21 greatest soft rock albums of all time (full feature here).

21. Bread – “Baby I’m-a Want You” (1972)

20. Dan Fogelberg – “The Innocent Age” (1981)

19. Christopher Cross – “Christopher Cross” (1979)

18. Gordon Lightfoot – “Sundown” (1974)

17. America – “America” (1971)

16. Nicolette Larson – “Nicolette” (1978)

15. Boz Scaggs – “Silk Degrees” (1976)

14. Seals and Crofts – “Summer Breeze” (1972)

13. Jackson Browne – “The Pretender” (1976)

12. Hall & Oates – “Abandoned Luncheonette” (1973)

11. Linda Ronstadt – “Heart Like a Wheel” (1974)

10. Michael McDonald – “If That’s What It Takes” (1982)

9. James Taylor – “Sweet Baby James” (1970)

8. The Doobie Brothers – “Minute by Minute” (1978)

7. Billy Joel – “The Stranger” (1977)

6. Steely Dan – “Aja” (1977)

5. Carole King – “Tapestry” (1971)

4. Carly Simon – “No Secrets” (1972)

3. Eagles – “Hotel California” (1976)

2. Fleetwood Mac – “Rumours” (1977)

1. Joni Mitchell – “Court and Spark” (1974)

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