"Adult contemporary" as a genre was mostly defined by its presence on the radio during the 80's and 90's. It has overlap with "soft rock" but is a bit more diverse, with more of an emphasis on pop singer-songwriters with more lush instrumentation. Examples would include Sting, Billy Joel, Elton John, Phil Collins, Paul Simon, Celine Dion, etc.
This music was usually featured on "soft rock" stations or "variety" stations, and as the name suggests it was marketed towards middle-aged adults (i.e. boomers and maybe late Gen X) that were perhaps a bit checked-out from youth-driven mainstream pop, and more appreciative of musical craftsmanship, thoughtful lyricism, just the right amount of corn and cheese.
I think it was also an avenue for aging pop, rock and R&B artists to maintain an audience for their music after they had already peaked. Think of Sting spinning off from the Police; both Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel spinning off from Genesis; Billy Joel and Paul Simon's 80's output; etc.
With radio becoming increasingly irrelevant, the "adult contemporary" label has pretty much died. This got me thinking: is there anything analogous to adult contemporary music today?
Specifically, I think we would be looking for: mainstream artists that have major name recognition but are past their prime, making music that appeals to aging Millennials that have fallen out of touch with youth-oriented mainstream pop music.
I have some thoughts on some artists that might qualify, but I'd love to here what y'all think first.