5 of the Best Soft Rock Albums for a Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Soft rock is a little hard to define. In general, one could say it’s simply a form of rock music that focuses more on lyrical content and melody over the “harshness” of hard rock’s instrumentation. It’s certainly more relaxing to listen to on a Sunday afternoon. Let’s look at five of the very best soft rock albums to enjoy when you just need to chill out and relax.

1. ‘Jagged Little Pill’ by Alanis Morissette

The world of 1990s alternative rock wasn’t exactly “soft” for the most part. It was the heyday of grunge, after all. Jagged Little Pill was an elegant little island in a sea of otherwise male-dominated, screeching, aggro albums. We’re not hating, though. That era was an iconic one for grunge and alt-rock in general, and we commend its intensity. Still, Alanis Morissette’s 1995 album offered a reprieve from what everyone else was doing.

[See Alanis Morissette Live In Concert]

2. ‘Aja’ by Steely Dan

This record leans more towards yacht rock, but it’s nevertheless a leisurely soft rock gem. Aja boasts Steely Dan’s recognizable roughness when it comes to vocals, but that roughness doesn’t cut through the album in an unpleasant way. It’s overall a quite magical album that boasts elements of jazz and blues.

3. ‘Surprise’ by Paul Simon

Paul Simon produced some of the best soft rock albums of all time, with one notable addition being Surprise from 2006. It’s a bit too young to be considered “classic” soft rock, but it does have Simon’s folk-leaning energy to it. The addition of Brian Eno to the record lends it an almost ambient vibe.

4. ‘London Town’ by Paul McCartney and Wings

We couldn’t leave Paul McCartney and Wings out of this list of the best soft rock albums for a lazy Sunday afternoon. London Town is by far Wings’ softest album, and the acoustic tracks on this record are some of its best. It has simple arrangements for the most part, and the real treat is the melody that carries through the album as a whole.

5. ‘August And Everything After” by Counting Crows

Some might not label this 1993 record as “soft rock”. It definitely leans more towards alternative rock, specifically the kind you’d expect to come out in 1990s Los Angeles. Still, August And Everything After is quite a gentle album that soft rock diehards would likely enjoy. It does get intense and even dark at times, but it’s overall a very pleasant and emotional piece of work.

Photo by Wood/Evening Standard/Hulton Archive

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.