Actually this list itself ain’t bad, it’s just most of the songs that are shitty. But not all, of course — there’s plenty of yacht rock to love. And who better to rank these tunes than VH1? There must be some holdovers from before the celebreality pox. Tomorrow night, Video Hits 1 will air their televised countdown of the Top 40 soft rock tunes, but go ahead and take a gander now and see if they hit the Marx.
40. Bertie Higgins – “Key Largo”
39. David Soul – “Don’t Give Up On Us”
38. Peter Frampton – “Baby, I Love Your Way”
37. Leo Sayer – “When I Need You “
36. 10cc – “I’m Not in Love”
35. Extreme – “More Than Words”
34. Dan Hill – “Sometimes When We Touch”
33. Cat Stevens – “Peace Train”
32. Kenny Loggins – “This is It”
31. Richard Marx – “Hold On To The Nights”
30. Andrew Gold – “Lonely Boy”
29. Debby Boone – “You Light Up My Life”
28. America – “Horse With No Name”
27. Lionel Richie – “Hello”
26. Harry Chapin – “Cat’s In The Cradle”
25. Anne Murray – “You Needed Me”
24. Phil Collins – “One More Night”
23. REO Speedwagon – “I Can’t Fight This Feeling”
22. Roberta Flack & Peabo Bryson – “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love”
21. Orleans – “Still the One”
20. Captain & Tennille – “Do That To Me One More Time”
19. Michael Bolton – “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You”
18. Toto – “Rosanna”
17. Juice Newton – “Angel Of The Morning”
16. Bread – “Baby I’m – A Want You”
15. Journey – “Open Arms”
14. Seals & Crofts – “Summer Breeze”
13. Carpenters – “Superstar”
12. Starland Vocal Band – “Afternoon Delight”
11. Olivia Newton-John – “I Honestly Love You”
10. Chuck Mangione – “Feels So Good”
09. Hall and Oates – “One On One”
08. The Doobie Brothers – “What A Fool Believes”
07. Kansas – “Dust In The Wind”
06. Air Supply – “Making Love Out Of Nothing At All”
05. Chicago – “If You Leave Me Now”
04. Barry Manilow – “Mandy”
03. Rupert Holmes – “Escape (The Pina Colada Song)”
02. Styx – “Babe”
01. Christopher Cross – “Sailing”
Say what you will about this list, but we’re with #1 (love us some Chris Cross). Also, whatever happened to the Yacht Rock guys? Weren’t they developing something for VH1? Maybe they’ll talk about it when it airs tomorrow. Too bad we won’t be watching.
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What! No “Broken Wings” by Mr. Mister?
I think the VH1/Yacht Rock collab was Acceptable.tv…
And that sounds like a fantastic list.
Is it weird that I like almost every song on this list? However, I can’t abide putting Richard Marx’s “Hold on to the Nights” on the list over “Right Here Waiting.” That’s just wrong.
“Pina Colada” at number three…sweet.
i gotta admit, i love quite a few on this list.
Um, no England Dan and John Ford Coley? No Steely Dan? No “Time Passages”? No Gary Wright? Ambrosia? Gerry Rafferty? Firefall? Lobo?
This list sucks.
i agree with every artist you mentioned, nice job!
Boston’s “Amanda”
the end.
Reading that list made my ears bleed. Ewsh.
Bill P said it all. This list is seriously lacking. Also, “A Horse With No Name” for America? That song is no match for the smoothness of “Sister Golden Hair” or “Ventura Highway.”
No “I wanna know what love is”??
Scandalous.
Butters is right, Foreigner should’ve been at least Top 5, but personally, I would’ve put Billy Joel’s “Just The Way You Are” at #1. A great song, btw. At least “Piano Man” should be on there. I’m also surprised that Whitney Houston’s version of “I Will Always Love You” didn’t make it. I guess her 5 – or whatever – octave range isn’t considered “easy listening”.
I never even heard of “Superstar” by The Carpenters. Was that like a Burt Bacharach b-side, or something. What not “Close To You”?
How about Mike and The Mechanics, “The Living Years”?
I guess Yacht Rock bailed when they found out that Kenny Loggins or Loggins & Messina weren’t gonna be #1.
Does that Air Supply song have the chorus that goes, “I’m all out of love / I’m so lost without you / I know you were right . . . . . . ?
I wholeheartedly reject any list of soft rock songs that does not contain “Glory of Love.”
That’s not really a list of top soft rock.. more rubbish ballads.
I try not to plug my own stuff, but if more than three of these songs are guilty pleasures for you, you should probably check out my series, Adventures Through The Mines Of Mellow Gold.
http://jasonhare.com/category/mellow-gold/
Actually, the guys from Yacht Rock are on this special.
It is on right now, and I just saw Hollywood Steve.
Holy adult situations! This list is like floating on a cloud of titties.
Shouldn’t like at least 5 of the top ten be Hall and Oates songs? Or am I thinking of the greatest songs of all time list.
No “How Long” by Ace? Bully-bully-bullshit.
b.LOUD- “Superstar” is the one that goes “Don’t you remember you told me you love me bay-bay?” Also, you’re thinking of a different Air Supply song.
I would have swapped Orleans songs, “Dance With Me” is way smoother than “Still the One”.
Also, good call on Firefall, bill p. “You Are the Woman” got jobbed.
One word: “Brandy.” By Looking Glass. Ok, four words.
It is a good compilation. I love those songs.
I totally agree with Bill P. They didn’t even scratch the surface. I was just waiting for some Paul Davis
I like the majority of the songs, but what happened to I Can’t Tell You Why by The Eagles or Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now by Starship.
those songs make my work day go by so fucking slowly.
No Lionel Richie’s ‘Easy like Sunday Morning’;
No Earth, Wind and Fire’s ‘September’….
Are you f***ing with me?!
Does anyone know if this is available on CD??
scott, good idea, but it’ll never happen thanks to rights, etc. you could put it together on bittorrent in an afternoon. not that you should, but you could. or you could do a totally legal playlist on lala.com.
does anybody kno what song thATS CALLED WER THEY ARE PLAYING THE WHOLE SAXOPHONE I KNOW ITS A SONG DOES ANYBODY KNOW WHATS ITS CALLED
I think the song you asked obout over a year ago might be Gary Moore’s “I still got the blues for you”… anyway, I missed this one on the list…
I’m filing an official protest over this list on account of its lack of “Against All Odds” by Phil Collins. Way more softsational than “One More Night.”
lets not forget the most irritating song ever: “Feelings” or “Achy Breaky Heart”.
Of course anything by that assclown michael bolton makes me want to hurl
I also heard some really retarded song, where the chorus was something like “weeoh” over and over again. That should be added to the top 10 make me hurl list.
“does anybody kno what song thATS CALLED WER THEY ARE PLAYING THE WHOLE SAXOPHONE I KNOW ITS A SONG DOES ANYBODY KNOW WHATS ITS CALLED”
There is some really nauseating songs by KennyG, who plays soprano sax
Boots Randolph has some big his also on sax, probably the most famous is “Yakity Sax” which is featured on Benny Hill, but this song is pretty upbeat and fun, and does not fit the category of this list.
umm…Its good…my family loved it
No “Waiting For A Girl like You”, huh? The song that took a flying whip-knot to Foreigner’s testicles?
Okay. Whatever.
DwD
“I also heard some really retarded song, where the chorus was something like ‘weeoh’ over and over again. That should be added to the top 10 make me hurl list.”
That sounds like a Police song, the title of which I cannot recall right now. As a graphic designer, I like it.
ok, ok, what about walter egan’s magnet and steel? hello??? they should’ve called it “the 30 something most soft-sational songs from the 70s with a few from the early 80s and 1 from the 90s”….
what about walter egan’s magnet and steel? and the countdown should’ve been called “30 odd soft rock songs with a few from the 80s and 1 from the 90s”
How about “Reunited” by Peaches and Herb? C’mon, it doesn’t get more soft and sugary than that–like musical cotton candy.
I’m also partial to “I Love You” by Climax Blues Band. May be more in the ballad category, but still a great love song.
I think they should let The Donnas have a little more screen time on these specials.
And what about “At This Moment” by Billy Vera and the Beaters?
Must be just a 70′s, 80′s and 90′s list
Because you couldnt excuse LET IT BE
from this list, or justify not one Beatles tune!
No James Taylor!!! whats up with that?
All the Complaining about this list or thinking that these songs are not good, well FAGGOTS!!!!
a k a “all The Songs You Thought Were Really Romantic Until You Hit Puberty.”
I have very strong memories of being about 10 hearing “I Love You” by the CBB and thinking “That’s what it’s going to be like when I get engaged.” The song is about an alcoholic whose girl “saves” him.
Janis Ian “Seventeen” definately number 1.
Missing in action is … Double’s “Captain Of Her Heart.”
no minnie “loving you is easy cause youre beautiful” ripperton?
Song with weeoh sung a lot is probably “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic” by The Police. Definitely NOT soft rock.
The all sax song from this special is Chuck Mangione “Feels So Good”.
Some of the songs suggested by the commenters, IMHO, are love songs. Some of the ones on the list are also love songs, but some aren’t. I think you could do a whole list of the 100 cheesiest soft rock love songs too.
Though many commenters have great suggestions like “Loving You”, Firefall, James Taylor, “Easy” by the Commodores!
Thanks for posting the list!
where is randy crawford’s “One Hello”!
or sergio mendez’s “Rainbows End”
how’s that?
That ain’t so sax Chuck Mangione’s playing. That’s a flugelhorn, dammit.
Decent list with a lame Top 10. There is no question that “Seasons In the Sun” should have been No. 1. “Goodbye Michelle it’s hard to die when all the birds are signing in the sky…” Hello. Those are with question the sappiest lyrics EVER! Whoever came up with this list should be fired.
Steely Dan’s “Reelin In The Years” should be on there
and Eagles “Hotel California” should be there too.
That sax piece is from George Michael’s song, sorry. Sad but true.
George Michael – Careless Whisper
Sax song
Yeah! “Peace Train”. What an idealistic piece of bleeding heart shite. What is the “Peace Train?” Where do you buy tickets to ride it? How do you board it? That’s it! there’s the answer to war, poverty and racism! Just ride on the Peace Train! Why didn’t I think of that?
What in the world happened to “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper or “Faithfully” by Journey???
Maybe all the songs had to be #1 hits. How could they leave out BeeGees “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart”?
I sure wish Jonathan Coulton’s creeeeeeepy “Soft Rocked by Me” was on there.
NO Ameriac, or Ambrosia ?? COME ON !!
Has no one ever heard Beth by KISS !!!! I was sure it was in the top 5!!!
No Bob Seger…Night Moves! Sad
If you’re going to go with the Eagles, you gotta pick “Desperado.” That’s some cowboy softness (which is all the rage these days).
Only 1 Chicago song is a crime. Because of that band, I used to think that city had to be the softest and smoothest and mellowest place on earth.
Awesome. I have one thing to say about Softsational (and Yacht Rock, for that matter): more, more, more.
What about Dan Fogelberg? Longer! Leader of the Band! Same Old Lang Syne!
No Little River Band? Cool Change should be number one with a bullet.
I agree with Jim – No Fogelberg?!??
I think these woiuld be good candidates too:
Basia – Time And Tide
Billy Paul – Me And Mrs. Jones
Bruce Hornsby & The Range – Mandolin Rain
Commodores – Easy
Double – Captain Of Her Heart
Earth Wind And Fire – After The Love Has Gone
England Dan and John Ford Coley – I’d Really Love To See You Tonight
Genesis – In Too Deep
Herb Alpert – Rise
James Taylor – Shower The People
Jim Croce – Time In A Bottle
Joe Jackson – Steppin’ Out
Leo Sayer – When I Need You
Little River Band – Lady
Looking Glass – Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl)
Michael Murphy – Wildfire
Raydio – You Can’t Change That
Rick Astley – Hopelessly or Cry For Help
Rod Stewart – Tonight’s The Night
Starbuck – Moonlight Feels Right
Tracy Chapman – Fast Car
Excellent pick for #1, though. C-Cross rules!
dont stop believin? journey, definetly better than open arms
or here i go again? whitesnake
From what I understand, the term “Soft Rock” is specific to the era after ’60s “Pop” music developed several sub-genres, including “Soft Rock”, but before the development in the ’80s of the “Adult Contemporary” classification. To my mind, Soft Rock has elements of Folk, Blues, and Country. For this reason, I disagree with the inclusion of people like Richard Marx or Michael Bolton (Adult Contemporary), as well as rockers like Journey or Extreme (a power ballad or two does not make an artist “softsational”).
That being said, I agree with many of you who liked the choice of an artist, but not the song chosen. For example, Jason’s comment on the use of Phil Collins’ “One More Night” rather than “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)” was dead on.
It would have been nice to see this list based on viewer voting, with songs being restricted to those released between 1970 and, say, 1985. Just reading the suggestions here makes me think that a much more sensible list could be created.
By the way, put me down for “Please Come To Boston” by Dave Loggins
No Bryan Adams,
I thought for sure either “Heaven” or “Everything I do, I do it for you” would make the top 10.
Wasn’t very impressed with the list. They could have mentioned some foreigner or another great Journey song, Faithfully. I think Journey should have been an easy top 5 contender. BAD JOB VH1!!! BAD!!
…FLEETWOOD MAC…
So many great soft rock songs
Having My Baby by Paul Anka. That is my number one sap-sational, I mean soft-sational song. Along with anything by Ambrosia.
i am not complaining i loved the list i can come up with a ton of songs that aren’t on there as well however that doesn’t make me feel cooler O.K.? More air time for the Donnas I agree. I swore the song “Without You” was on the show but it’s not on this list!!! Who sang it?
The lack of Alan Parson Project’s “Eye in the Sky” is most troubling to Rickey Henderson. French people love the hell out of that song, and Rickey Henderson thinks that this tune is the damn-near smoothest, slickest song this side of “Smooth Operator”.
Here are some more most would have to agree with. How about Elton John (Someone Saved My Life Tonight), Stevie Wonder (Ribbon In The Sky, etc.), Geno Vanelli (I Just Wanta Stop For Your Love), and John Denver’s music. Those above definitely should have been in the top 20 IMHO.
there was a song in the intro to the special that has a sax in it. Its not “Feels So Good”. infact, it wasent even included in the list but i heard it in the begining. Anyone know this song, im in dying need of the name.
pag sure oyyyyyyyyy, weeeeeeee……..
I think “Into the night” by Benny Mardones should be on this list.
i want to know the same as _Imagine_. What is that sax song
More than words #35?! Bullshit…
I FINALLY FOUND IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! The soaring Saxaphone piece:
Gerry Rafferty – Baker Street
I FINALLY FOUND IT!!!!!!!!!! The soaring saxaphone pice:
Gerry Rafferty – Baker Street
HONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bobby Goldsboro, where is that one?????
What about “Beth,” by Kiss ???
SULTANS OF SWING by DIRE STRAITS….
whay no day after day badfinger???
Hello….Hello It’s Me – by Todd Rundgren ~ A real classic – missed it
Soft Rock song list + VH1=Beautiful music for lovemaking or whatever.
What no this no that. I keep reading those comments. THis was not VH1′s top 1000 songs. They cant put every single song that everyone says they left off and opinions are subjective. Some songs you would think everyone love and they say it is sickening or they hate them and then others not on the list the same thing. No one can ever be satisfied. A list is fruitless
here’s a good one…. Kiss from a Rose by Seal
Christopher Cross – “Sailing” – THE BEST # 1 song on my live
I had a lot of fun watchin’ to this program. Certainly there’s a hundred of other songs that could be there (Year of the Cat – Al Stewart; Rise – Herb Alpert; Me and Mrs Jones – Billy Paul, I like Chopin – Gazebo; More than I can – Matt Bianco and some more Hall & Oates). But I like it this way!
This list has missed several 80s and 90s songs. Still had Lite Rock/ Soft Rock radio stations in the 90s as well. Now they are more adult contemporary or adult alternative and have quit playing 60s, 70s stuff which the oldies station now plays.
Here would be my list of songs omitted( in no particular order):
I Don’t Wanna Cry, Mariah Carey
Release Me, Wilson Phillips
It Must Have Been Love, Roxette
Love Will Lead You Back, Taylor Dayne
Un-Break My Heart, Toni Braxton
Wild Night, John Mellencamp
Hard to Say I am Sorry, Chicago
Good Thing, Fine Young Cannibals
Nick of Time, Bonnie Raitt
Every Heartbeat, Amy Grant
More Than Words, Extreme
Shattered Dreams, Johnny Hates Jazz
All I Need Is a Miracle, Mike and the Mechanics
Got My Mind Set On You, George Harrison
Learning to Fly, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
You Can Call Me Al, Paul Simon
You Got It, Roy Orbison
The Way It is, Bruce Hornsby and The Range
Salt in My Tears, Martin Briley
Anything for Love, Meatloaf
Pink Cadillac, Bruce Springsteen
Rhythm Of My Heart, Rod Stewart
No More Lonely Nights, Paul McCartney
Heart of Rock n Roll, Huey Lewis and the News
Tears In Heaven, Eric Clapton
This Kiss, Faith Hill
Roll with it, Steve Winwood
And So It Goes, Billy Joel
Lady, Kenny Rogers
The One, Elton John
9 to 5, Dolly Parton
Because the Night, 10,000 Maniacs
Tough Enough, The Fabulous Thunderbirds
Manic Monday, The Bangles
Life Is a Highway, Tom Cochrane
Wishing Well, Terence Trent d’Arby
Right Here waiting for you, Richard Marx
Everytime You Go Away, Paul Young
The Sign, Ace Of Base
Blue, LeAnne Rimes
The Loco-Motion, Kylie Minogue
Hungry Like a Wolf, Duran, Duran
All I Wanna Do, Sheryl Crow
All for Love, Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting
The Time of My Life, Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes
Save The Best for Last, Vanessa Williams
The Lady In Red, Chris De Burgh
At This Moment, Billy Vera and The Beaters
Rush, Rush Paula Abdul
Winds of Changes, Scorpions
With or Without You, U2
Don’t Let Go (Love), En Vogue
Head to Toe, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
New Sensation, Inxs
Luka, Suzanne Vega
Little Lies, Fleetwood Mac
I Just Called To Say I Love You, Stevie Wonder
To Be With You, Mr. Big
Everything I Do, Bryan Adams
End of the Road, Boyz II Men
Cherish, Kool and The Gang
The Power of Love, Celine Dion
Stay (I Missed You) , Lisa Loeb
Said I Loved You…But I Lied, Michael Bolton
Just Another Day, Jon Secada
Here We Are, Gloria Estefan
Kiss Me, Sixpence None the Richer
All I Want, Toad the Wet Sprocket
Don’t Turn Around, Ace Of Base
Hero, Mariah Carey
Fields Of Gold, Sting
Good list.
STAY A WHILE should be included
The One You Love – Glenn Fry
Baker Street – Gerry Rafferty
List like These should never be less than 100. I could put a list of 200 together. But, I do this for a living.