Dad rock

British

noun

derogatory a type of classic rock music that tends to appeal to adults, often played by middle-aged musicians

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

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It includes a few songs written with his friend, Pittsburgh rocker Joe Grushecky, like “I’m Not Sleeping,” the most Dad rock song he’s ever written, with the chorus, “I’m not sleeping/I’m just resting my eyes.”

From Salon • Jul. 8, 2025

Glowing like a Laurel Canyon sunset, “Fear of Death” is Dad rock for the end of the world or, at least, your youth.

From Washington Post • Sep. 23, 2020

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023