Easy listening - Definition and Overview

Easy listening is a term used to describe a certain style of popular music which emerged in the mid 20th century. The term has usually been applied negatively in the years since this style went out of fashion. More neutral terms used by adherents of this style today includes Lounge and Lounge core, connecting it to the cocktail lounge culture of the 1960s and 1970s. Easy listening emphasises simple, catchy melodies, cool, laid-back harmonics and rhythms suitable for dancing. While easy listening is primaily an instrumental style of music, Burt Bacharach in particular became famous for his songs.

Since this style of music is rather unknown to the younger generations, the term easy listening is often incorrectly applied to soft pop or new age music. However, it can be applied to the Beautiful music FM radio format of the 1960s through the 1980s.

Artists and music

• 1960s easy listening
  • Burt Bacharach
  • Herb Alpert
  • Ray Conniff
  • Antonio Carlos Jobim
  • Quincy Jones
  • Bert Kaempfert
  • James Last
  • Guy Lombardo
  • Henry Mancini
  • Mantovani
  • Lawrence Welk