It's Easy Listening week!
 

Another week down, another theme for all of you to go crazy about. Apologies for this being a little late, I know you were all eagerly awaiting it. This week is Easy listening week here at MB.

Trusty Wikipedia has this to say about the genre.

"Easy listening is a style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the mid-20th century, evolving out of swing and big band music, and related to Beautiful music and Light music. Easy listening music features simple, catchy melodies, soft, relaxing songs and occasionally rhythms suitable for couples dancing. The genre includes both instrumental forms (often played on light of tone instruments such as the Hammond Organ, violin or ukulele); and vocal forms featuring pop singers and some exotica artists. Easy listening is similar to what is called lounge music, but lounge is more jazz-oriented and dependent on musical improvisation than easy listening. Easy listening music is usually orchestrated by an arranger rather than improvised by a small ensemble.

Easy listening music is also sometimes called mood music or elevator music (lift music in the UK), the latter due to its frequent use in elevators or elevator lobbies of large buildings. The term easy listening is often incorrectly applied to other genres such as soft rock, smooth jazz, ambient music or new age music. This is because the definition is relatively broad."

Reading materials
Wiki
RYM
Easy Listening Radio

I feel like I might know some examples, but I'm not so sure. I'm interested to see what other people post.

Barry Manilow...the king of Easy Listening.

Skip to 1:25:


Or listen to the entire (excruciating) thing here:

I know nothing of Easy Listening. Well, maybe I do? I dunno. Like that excerpt from Wiki says, the term is quite broad.









This is what I think of when I hear Easy Listening. But I also imagine it being that horrible soft rock stuff with oboe and saxophone.

This has to be easy listening:

Screw easy listening, I want some really hard listening!

:laughing:

I thought about posting that (great song). But then I read the genre description and it didn't seem to fit:

It made me realize I don't know what easy listening is. And I don't think this thread is helping much, with the wide variety of styles. :laughing:

Not that I was yearning to get into easy listening.

Oh damn, that Chicago song...brings back memories. Must download and add to my nostalgia playlist! :D