This piece from American Songwriter revisits three soft rock tracks that helped shape the sound of summer 1979 in the United States, part of an ongoing "list" series celebrating songs from decades past. It is a nostalgic retrospective rather than a hard news story, aimed at readers who grew up with 1970s radio hits and want reminders of the era's melodic, breezy sound.

The three songs featured are Orleans' "Love Takes Time," released in March 1979 and reaching No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100; Raydio's funk-inflected "You Can't Change That," which climbed to No. 9 on the Hot 100 and performed well abroad; and Roxy Music's "Dance Away," which was only a modest US hit but topped the charts in Ireland and reached No. 2 in the UK. Each entry includes a lyric excerpt and brief chart history, framing the tracks as enduring, if sometimes underappreciated, examples of the yacht rock and soft rock genres.

– Article lists three defining soft rock hits from summer 1979.
– Orleans' "Love Takes Time" peaked at No. 11 on the Hot 100.
– Roxy Music's "Dance Away" topped Irish charts, reached No. 2 in the UK.