Adult contemporary music

Adult contemporary music (AC) is a broad style of popular music ranging from lush 1950s and 1960s vocal music to predominantly ballad-heavy music with varying degrees of rock influence, as well as a radio format that plays such music. AC radio plays mainstream music excluding hip hop, heavy metal, youth-oriented Hard Rock, some teen pop music and rhythmic dance tracks (however, since the 2000s, some of these genres have begun to be included), which is intended for a more adult audience. Radio stations playing this format will often target the 18–54 age group, a demographic most valued by advertisers. Over the years, AC has spawned several sub-genres: "hot AC", "soft AC" (also known as "lite AC"), "modern AC", "urban AC", "rhythmic AC",...