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Adult contemporary (AC) is a category of popular music catered to adult demographics, including record charts and radio formats that are focused on such music.

The exact assemblage of adult contemporary music is influenced primarily by the popular music trends of a given era, and which trends and genres appeal more heavily to youth and young adults. It was originally established as a continuation of the easy listening and soft rock sounds from the 1960s and 1970s, acting as a counterbalance for the hard rock of the era, and later heavy metal and hip-hop: it initially focused on songs with varying degrees of influence from easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet storm, and rock. In the 1990s, adult contemporary began to accommodate a hotter sound more inclusive of contemporary pop, and developed sub-categories devoted towards specific genres.

In radio broadcasting, adult contemporary formats typically target the demographic of adults 25–44, as they are favored among advertisers. They are differentiated primarily by their playlists, with "hot AC" stations usually focusing on uptempo mainstream music (including dance-pop, contemporary R&B, as well as pop, alternative, indie, and soft rock, while excluding more specialized types of hip-hop, hard rock, teen pop, and electronic dance music that do not appeal as strongly to older audiences), "mainstream AC" having a balance between current music and established hits from past decades, and "soft AC" having a more conservative sound. AC stations may also feature pop hits from previous decades that are considered nostalgic by the target audience.

Other sub-categories of AC have also emerged, including rhythmic adult contemporary (which focuses particularly on dance music), urban adult contemporary (which focuses on R&B and soul music), and Christian adult contemporary.

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