I know the adult contemporary genre is fairly new, but which artists or bands from the 80s would you list under this genre?

When I was growing up in the 80s, my mom use to listen to the band Air Supply. She had the cassette that she played over and over again. Years later I remember feeling confused as to which genre of music they were. They weren't exactly Pop, or New Wave. It was hard to tell since they were oriented to older music fans. (Like my mom). So I concluded that they are Adult Contemporary.

Other artists from the 80s I would list under this genre:
Kenny Loggins
Billy Ocean
Hall & Oates
Olivia Newton-John
Peter Gabriel
Phil Collins

Hard to gauge. Adult contemporary is more the style of a song and it's appeal to adult listeners. Wiki lists songs more than actual artists. Air Supply definitely fit the genre, but others you listed like Phil Collins and Kenny Loggins, did have a lot of urban pop songs in their catalogue of hits.  For example Phil Collins - Sussudio, Easy Lover.

I'm a big fan of Kenny Loggins too. His music to me is more yacht rock and pop soul. But yes, some of his hits made the AC charts.

Chicago were definitely adult contemporary.

Some of my favorite music! Tons of artists. James Ingram and Michael Mcdonald were good ones.

Some of my favorite music! Tons of artists. James Ingram and Michael Mcdonald were good ones.


Oh yeah Michael McDonald is one of my favourite male vocalists. He was great in the mid 80s.

Anita Baker

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Oh yeah Michael McDonald is one of my favourite male vocalists. He was great in the mid 80s.

His 1986 hit "Sweet Freedom" is a personal favourite of mine. O0

Some of my favorite music! Tons of artists. James Ingram and Michael Mcdonald were good ones.


"Yah Mo Be There".

Oh yeah Michael McDonald is one of my favourite male vocalists. He was great in the mid 80s.


"I Keep Forgetting" is a good hit.  :)

Anita Baker

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I also like "Caught Up In The Rapture".

"Yah Mo Be There".

A great duet with the late James Ingram.

I also think it was during the 1980s when Peter Cetera embarked on a solo career (after serving as lead vocalist of the band Chicago); he seemed to have some mellow hits during the latter part of the decade, and possibly a few in the 1990s. (His 1986 duet with Amy Grant, "The Next Time I Fall", readily comes to mind.) Even during his latter years with Chicago, the band seemed to have several mellow hits that hit big on the AC chart. (I many actually have some vague memories of hearing them when I was little.)

The first name that comes to mind for me is British singer Roger Whittaker, but this wouldn't emulate outside of Canada.  While he had just 1 chart single in the UK during the 1980s, he had no charting singles in the US, but here in Canada, he was quite possibly the most popular adult contemporary singer with a total of 12 Top 40 hits. 

The first name that comes to mind for me is British singer Roger Whittaker, but this wouldn't emulate outside of Canada.  While he had just 1 chart single in the UK during the 1980s, he had no charting singles in the US, but here in Canada, he was quite possibly the most popular adult contemporary singer with a total of 12 Top 40 hits.


Back in the 80s, maybe it was ever the 70s, they tried to make Roger Whittaker famous here in the US by running these endless TV commercials for a greatest hits collection. The commercial made it sound like he was the biggest thing ever and people used to look at each other quizzically when these commercials came on  because nobody had ever heard of this guy.

One good woman by peter cetera was my favorite from the 80s. But I loved all his songs.

Can we try by Dan hill and Vonda Sheppard was a great song.

Baby come to me by James Ingram and patti Austin was one of my favorites.

My buddy showed me an early 80s tape of roger Whittaker a little while ago. I remember those commercials and was like meh. Then he played it and I was turned on by the vintage synths including synth bass.

I don’t know if Amy Grant counts as she was technically a Christian artist at the time but she had some awesome sounding stuff in the early to mid 80s.

Piano in the dark by Brenda Russell was one of my favorites as well.

I don’t know if Amy Grant counts as she was technically a Christian artist at the time but she had some awesome sounding stuff in the early to mid 80s.



Well, she did have the duet with Peter Cetera in 1986 called "The Next Time I Fall", as I mentioned in my previous post. It wasn't until the 90s when she began to have solo hits (that is, under her name only) on the pop charts. I'm sure that some of her early Christian stuff is pretty good.

Gino Vannelli

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That song was 70s but the whole late 70s early 80s lite music I have a special place for. Gino is one. Boz Skaggs is another.

I always associated stepping out by joe Jackson as being an adult contemporary song.

Robbie Dupree
Sade

Sorry about the poor use of caps. I’m laying in the hospital on my phone but I love this music.

That song was 70s but the whole late 70s early 80s lite music I have a special place for. Gino is one. Boz Skaggs is another.

I always associated stepping out by joe Jackson as being an adult contemporary song.

Robbie Dupree
Sade

Sorry about the poor use of caps. I’m laying in the hospital on my phone but I love this music.


Feel better please!

I meant to post Gino Vannelli "Living inside myself". It's from 1983.

Gino Vannelli



"I Just Wanna Stop" is from 1978; however, he did have another big hit with "Living Inside Myself" in 1981. :)

As far as the genre, I long since struggled with it as well. In 2003 we had a local station dedicated to it and they called it smooth jazz. A term I heard I heard later is yacht rock.

IGY by Donald fagen is another great example.

As far as the genre, I long since struggled with it as well. In 2003 we had a local station dedicated to it and they called it smooth jazz. A term I heard I heard later is yacht rock.

IGY by Donald fagen is another great example.

Oh yes... "yacht rock". That is the name of a SiriusXM channel that plays various mellow-rock songs that were popular in the 1970s and 1980s. (Similar to The Bridge, except that channel plays several acoustic songs from that era, from artists like James Taylor, Carly Simon, and Gordon Lightfoot... who all had plenty of hits in the 1970s.)

"I Just Wanna Stop" is from 1978; however, he did have another big hit with "Living Inside Myself" in 1981. :)


I looked it up and the 7 inch record says "1983". Strange. Maybe he released it later on.

I looked it up and the 7 inch record says "1983". Strange. Maybe he released it later on.

Could've been a re-release. Or a release on that particular medium.

As far as the genre, I long since struggled with it as well. In 2003 we had a local station dedicated to it and they called it smooth jazz. A term I heard I heard later is yacht rock.

IGY by Donald fagen is another great example.


Why do they call it "yacht rock"?  ???

Why do they call it "yacht rock"?  ???


"In the musical sense, yacht rock refers to the highly polished brand of soft rock that emanated from Southern California between 1976 and 1984. The term is meant to suggest the kind of smooth, mellow music that early yuppies likely enjoyed while sipping champagne and snorting cocaine on their yachts.May 30, 2006
https://www.ign.com › 2006/05/30
Top 10 Yacht Rock Songs Of All Time - IGN

Coincidentally (or maybe not) many of the songs referenced boating or beaches.
Sailing by Christopher cross
Key largo by Bertie Higgins
Captain of her heart by double
On the beach by Chris Rea (a little later 80s but a long time favorite of mine)

I loved this music from when I was 3 years old and up. It always made me feel like what it might be like to be a rich person since we didn’t have much. I’d see people with big fancy cars and stuff and think of this music.

Some other favorites
Is it you by lee ritenour
Sleepwalk by Larry Carlton
Through the fire by Chaka khan

Kenny g and Peabo Bryson had good lite 80s hits too.

Why do they call it "yacht rock"?  ???


So called "yacht rock" is a fake, made up term. Some marketers no doubt invented it to even more tightly program radio stations. What an idiotic term. There is no artist or producer who said "let's go into the studio and make a yacht rock record". In fact, when I first heard the term it was in a negative and disparaging sense.

I always associated stepping out by joe Jackson as being an adult contemporary song.


Well, it actually did fairly well on the American A.C. chart, peaking at #4. His follow up single, "Breaking Us In Two", also hit the top ten on the A.C. chart.

So called "yacht rock" is a fake, made up term. Some marketers no doubt invented it to even more tightly program radio stations. What an idiotic term. There is no artist or producer who said "let's go into the studio and make a yacht rock record". In fact, when I first heard the term it was in a negative and disparaging sense.



Would you say the same thing for "soft and hard rock"?

So called "yacht rock" is a fake, made up term. Some marketers no doubt invented it to even more tightly program radio stations. What an idiotic term. There is no artist or producer who said "let's go into the studio and make a yacht rock record". In fact, when I first heard the term it was in a negative and disparaging sense.


I don’t care what they call it. I just like that it has a classification so I can find radio stations dedicated to it. For a long time I could never do that except for the short lived radio station we had.

Back then they didn’t call it yacht rock l, but I bet many musicians went into the studio and tried to cash in on what was popular at the time.  Just like always.

Another one of my favorite 80s AC artists was Basia.

The term "Yacht Rock" came about after this video series kinda went "viral" in 2011. The series was called Yacht Rock and the terminology  caught on.


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The term "Yacht Rock" came about after this video series kinda went "viral" in 2011. The series was called Yacht Rock and the terminology  caught on.


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Did they used to play it on a yacht?  ???

Did they used to play it on a yacht?  ???


Hahaha  ;D ;D

Did they used to play it on a yacht?  ???

Hahaha  ;D ;D
When heard the term 'yacht music' my first thought was "Rio" by Duran Duran from the 80s, which the pop promo features a yacht.

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When heard the term 'yacht music' my first thought was "Rio" by Duran Duran from the 80s, which the pop promo features a yacht.

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Then it would be 'Yacht Pop'...or something.  ;D

Then it would be 'Yacht Pop'...or something.  ;D
;D ;D ;D

Then it would be 'Yacht Pop'...or something.  ;D

;D ;D ;D

I wonder how well that term might catch on.... :D

Much of Gino Vannelli's 70s work up to 1982 was
considered soft rock and fell into the adult contemporary, but I grew up listening to Gino the n his new wave period in the mid-80's.  He had this song called Black Cars in 1985 that is to this date one of the greatest songs of the 80s

The 80s was also a great time for country artists who crossed over into the AC zone. Good examples are Dan Seals and Marie Osmond. Both Individually, and their hit Meet me in Montana was one of my favorites.

The 80s was also a great time for country artists who crossed over into the AC zone. Good examples are Dan Seals and Marie Osmond. Both Individually, and their hit Meet me in Montana was one of my favorites.
Include Kenny Rogers on to that list?

Include Kenny Rogers on to that list?


Yes for sure!

Some other good ones for the original list, from my albums.

Dionne Warwick
Jeffrey Osborne
Al Jarreau
Freddie Jackson
Grover Washington Jr (Just The Two Of Us)

Another one I've been getting into a lot lately is Steven Bishop.  While most of his hits were 70s, a great one from the 80s is "It Might Be You". 

Dan Fogelberg (RIP way too soon), a lot of hits sounded 70s but most were actually in the 80s, and he had some great 80s sounding hits as well.

BTW I'm back at work now.  Feeling better again for now.

How about including Michael Jackson? ???

How about including Michael Jackson? ???

Sure, why not! He had a number of mellow hits during the decade, including "Human Nature" (a 1983 single from his album Thriller which was released a year earlier) and "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" (a 1987 single from his album Bad).

Sergio Mendez “Never Gonna Let You Go”

Brenda Russell - Piano in the Dark

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Jennifer Warnes had some great soft duets in the 80s.

Jennifer Warnes had some great soft duets in the 80s.

"Up Where We Belong" (w/ Joe Cocker, 1982) and "I've Had the Time of My Life" (w/ Bill Medley, 1987) readily come to mind. :)

Two other Adult Contemporary artists...I like this song.

Patti Austin & James Ingram - Baby come to me

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Hmm. Taylor Dayne? I think she started out as being a young Pop oriented singer, and then transformed into an Adult Contemporary artist in the late 80s/early 90s.

Hmm. Taylor Dayne? I think she started out as being a young Pop oriented singer, and then transformed into an Adult Contemporary artist in the late 80s/early 90s.


Yes. And Whitney Houston. As the late 80s and early 90s arrived, a ton of music really mellowed out and the list seems endless. My favorite time in music actually.

As for songwriters, I think the queen of adult contemporary of the era goes to Diane warren.

Listening to ambrosia now. More good early 80s lite stuff.

Listening to ambrosia now. More good early 80s lite stuff.

One hit of theirs that stands out to me is "You're the Only Woman (You And I)" from '80. O0

One hit of theirs that stands out to me is "You're the Only Woman (You And I)" from '80. O0


Also, "You're The Biggest Part Of Me".

Also, "You're The Biggest Part Of Me".

Oh yes, that one is also from '80. Same album too, I think.

Oh yes, that one is also from '80. Same album too, I think.


Good ones listed. The one I was listening to was How Much I Feel.

Good ones listed. The one I was listening to was How Much I Feel.


That song is beautiful! Isn't it from 1978? I didn't even exist, but wow that song. So beautiful.

That song is beautiful! Isn't it from 1978? I didn't even exist, but wow that song. So beautiful.

Yes, "How Much I Feel" is from that year.

Never heard of Ambrosia I don't think, but yeah their music is easy breezy listening. Love it!

Yes. And Whitney Houston. As the late 80s and early 90s arrived, a ton of music really mellowed out and the list seems endless. My favorite time in music actually.

As for songwriters, I think the queen of adult contemporary of the era goes to Diane warren.


And the king goes to David Foster.

The only part of the 1980s that didn't seem to have to much adult contemporary was around 1984 it seems, but even then you had stuff like Peabo Bryson's "If You're Ever In My Arms Again", "Against All Odds", and of course the biggest selling single of the year, "I Just Called To Say I Loved You". The AC charts that year even had more uptempo songs crossover than usual like Huey Lewis and the News "If This Is It", "Let's Hear It For The Boy", the Ghostbusters theme, "Jump For My Love" (which is more of a dance hit), "Karma Chameleon", and even Madonna's "Borderline". And speaking of Whitney Houston and 1984, her first top ten hit of any kind was not on the pop chart but the adult contemporary chart with "Hold Me" with her duet with Teddy Pendergrass. The music didn't really mellow out until around 1992-93 on the pop charts as a lot of hair metal, old school rap, new jack swing, and house/freestyle music charted well in the late '80s/very early '90s.

How about Adult Contemporary groups of the 80's?

How about Adult Contemporary groups of the 80's?


AC has always been a solo-oriented genre, with the background vocalists/bands virtually unknown and normally separate from studio recordings and live performances. Also, what's considered adult contemporary in the 1980s may be viewed differently today. For instance, it's not uncommon for AC-branded stations to play the more melodic songs that are more uptempo, even if they're really just soft rock, synthphop, or even AOR, like Whitesnake's Here I Go Again, Poison's Every Rose Has Its Thorn, the Police's Every Breath You Take, the Euythmics Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This), Survivor's Eye of the Tiger, Journey's Don't Stop Believin', Bon Jovi's Livin' On a Prayer, and even Prince and the Revolution's Kiss. Indeed, it was rare that you'd see groups placed together with true adult contemporary artists back in the 1980s in the record store, when veterans like Barbra Streisand, Andy Williams, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, and Perry Como were still making records. Most stations that brand themself as "AC" today are really just a combo of classic hits (oldies) playing songs that appealed to teens/young adults back when they were current hits along with some of the softer hit songs in more recent years. Yes, you can even hear Rick Astley on occasion!

There is also the Urban AC genre, which tends to be oriented towards more black artists along with a little "blue-eyed soul", and is a relatively recent radio term, although when it plays songs from the '80s, it would tend to be stuff like Hall & Oates, George Michael, Stephanie Mills, Sade, Anita Baker, Grover Washington Jr.'s "Just The Two of Us", Chaka Khan's "Through The Fire", Lionel Richie, Tina Turner, Marvin Gaye's Sexual Healing, most Whitney Houston songs, and even softer songs by the various Jacksons. A lot of crossover with classic hits (pop) and regular AC.

Even the youngest-targeted AC format, Hot AC, still plays '80s songs on occasion, like Stevie Nicks "Edge of Seventeen", Naked Eyes "Always Something There To Remind Me", John Cougar's "Jack & Diane", Bryan Adams Summer of '69 (OK, Boomer!), Heart's "These Dreams", Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl", Belinda Carlisle's "Heaven Is A Place On Earth", Modern English's "I Melt For You", and a-ha's "Take On Me". But its predominantly Millenial-era pop that gets played on those stations. But its only around once an hour to once every other hour, compared to several an hour on a more typical AC station.

AC has always been a solo-oriented genre, with the background vocalists/bands virtually unknown and normally separate from studio recordings and live performances. Also, what's considered adult contemporary in the 1980s may be viewed differently today. For instance, it's not uncommon for AC-branded stations to play the more melodic songs that are more uptempo, even if they're really just soft rock, synthphop, or even AOR, like Whitesnake's Here I Go Again, Poison's Every Rose Has Its Thorn, the Police's Every Breath You Take, the Euythmics Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This), Survivor's Eye of the Tiger, Journey's Don't Stop Believin', Bon Jovi's Livin' On a Prayer, and even Prince and the Revolution's Kiss. Indeed, it was rare that you'd see groups placed together with true adult contemporary artists back in the 1980s in the record store, when veterans like Barbra Streisand, Andy Williams, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, and Perry Como were still making records. Most stations that brand themself as "AC" today are really just a combo of classic hits (oldies) playing songs that appealed to teens/young adults back when they were current hits along with some of the softer hit songs in more recent years. Yes, you can even hear Rick Astley on occasion!

There is also the Urban AC genre, which tends to be oriented towards more black artists along with a little "blue-eyed soul", and is a relatively recent radio term, although when it plays songs from the '80s, it would tend to be stuff like Hall & Oates, George Michael, Stephanie Mills, Sade, Anita Baker, Grover Washington Jr.'s "Just The Two of Us", Chaka Khan's "Through The Fire", Lionel Richie, Tina Turner, Marvin Gaye's Sexual Healing, most Whitney Houston songs, and even softer songs by the various Jacksons. A lot of crossover with classic hits (pop) and regular AC.

Even the youngest-targeted AC format, Hot AC, still plays '80s songs on occasion, like Stevie Nicks "Edge of Seventeen", Naked Eyes "Always Something There To Remind Me", John Cougar's "Jack & Diane", Bryan Adams Summer of '69 (OK, Boomer!), Heart's "These Dreams", Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl", Belinda Carlisle's "Heaven Is A Place On Earth", Modern English's "I Melt For You", and a-ha's "Take On Me". But its predominantly Millenial-era pop that gets played on those stations. But its only around once an hour to once every other hour, compared to several an hour on a more typical AC station.


Yes this describes the local station “Lite 96” perfectly. I always laugh when they expressively say LITE then play living on a prayer or something else that was considered hard rock at the time.

We had the one station 92.9 The Breeze that played the true AC from the late 70s thru the 90s and the called it smooth jazz but it only lasted a few years. Never had anything like it before that or since then and I miss it.

How about Adult Contemporary groups of the 80's?

Atlantic Starr comes to mind.

"Always" (1987) and "Secret Lovers" (1985) readily come to mind. Both of those songs were #1 on the US Adult Contemporary chart.

James Taylor had a lot of good stuff. Was just playing along with his songs yesterday. Mostly 70s but a couple of good 80s ones were Everyday and Her Town Too.

Another one that comes to mind is Glenn medeiros. Nothings gonna change my love for you.. was played a lot in grocery stores etc.  I like it more now I don’t hear it as much.

Eric Carmen might fit the bill too. Songs like hungry eyes and lose control.

Another one that comes to mind is Glenn medeiros. Nothings gonna change my love for you.. was played a lot in grocery stores etc.  I like it more now I don’t hear it as much.


Haha, yeah this one was pretty cheesey.

I've since grown to love the original version by George Benson.

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Haha, yeah this one was pretty cheesey.

I've since grown to love the original version by George Benson.

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George benson definitely. Lots of good songs in the early 80s.

James Taylor had a lot of good stuff. Was just playing along with his songs yesterday. Mostly 70s but a couple of good 80s ones were Everyday and Her Town Too.

O0

I loved his arrangement of "Everyday"; IMO it's way better than Buddy Holly's original. Also on the same album, That's Why I'm Here, he had a song called "Only One" which did well in the Adult Contemporary chart but struggled on the main pop charts.



Eric Carmen might fit the bill too. Songs like hungry eyes and Make me lose control.

He does. Both were great hits in '88. O0

Even the youngest-targeted AC format, Hot AC, still plays '80s songs on occasion, like Stevie Nicks "Edge of Seventeen", Naked Eyes "Always Something There To Remind Me", John Mellencamp's "Jack & Diane", Bryan Adams Summer of '69 (OK, Boomer!), Heart's "These Dreams", Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl", Belinda Carlisle's "Heaven Is A Place On Earth", Modern English's "I Melt With You", and a-ha's "Take On Me". But its predominantly Millenial-era pop that gets played on those stations. But its only around once an hour to once every other hour, compared to several an hour on a more typical AC station.

A number of those also get played on "classic hits" radio stations today.

Speaking of Billy Joel, he had other AC hits during the 1980s such as "Tell Her About It", "The Longest Time", and "Leave A Tender Moment Alone", all of which were from his album An Innocent Man (as well as the title track). As well as "A Matter Of Trust" and "This Is The Time" from his 1986 album The Bridge.

Gino Vannelli is a great Adult Contemporary artist, but as music started to change in the 80s, he re-branded his sound and his 1985 new wave single Black Cars became his signature song in Canada.  Since though, he has put out songs that still fit within the A/C world.

I know this one came out in 1990, but I feel it deserves a mention anyway.  It is called The Time of Day and was a Top 10 hit in Canada.  It is based upon the infamous classical piece Pachelbel's Canon in D and does it wonderful justice! 

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Two great 80s Adult Contemporary artists, Dan Hill and Vonda Shepard.

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Two great 80s Adult Contemporary artists, Dan Hill and Vonda Shepard.

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I only know Dan Hill for one hit "Sometimes When We Touch" from the previous decade.

I only know Dan Hill for one hit "Sometimes When We Touch" from the previous decade.


1977. Never heard another thing by him. Sometimes that "adult contemporary" thing slides by me. It seems like it's for eternally middle aged people.

1977. Never heard another thing by him. Sometimes that "adult contemporary" thing slides by me. It seems like it's for eternally middle aged people.


It IS for eternally middle aged people, lol!

Two great 80s Adult Contemporary artists, Dan Hill and Vonda Shepard.

That was a great duet of theirs in 1987. O0

It IS for eternally middle aged people, lol!

People over the age of 40.

1977. Never heard another thing by him. Sometimes that "adult contemporary" thing slides by me. It seems like it's for eternally middle aged people.


He struggled to find a major audience outside of Canada after that song, despite a brief comeback in 1987.