A dreamy, moony-eyed middle ground between the strident earnestness of ’60s folk and the lusty funk and soul grooves that dominated the latter part of the ’70s, soft rock offered listeners stories of love lost, found and longed for, set to lush arrangements. Characterized by incandescent vocals (wistful falsettos from Boston, Peter Frampton, and Bread; golden purrs from Carole King and Stevie Nicks), rich harmonies (Hall & Oates; the Eagles), warm, pure guitar tones, and laidback synth chords, these tunes offered a mellow, melodic haven in a world undergoing tremendous social and political change.