easy listening

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Easy listening music 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, laid-back 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, “lush strings”, or ukulele); and vocal forms featuring pop singers, such as Barbra Streisand, Perry Como, Andy Williams, Jack Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck, Eydie Gorme, Barry Manilow, Harry Connick, Jr., Frank Sinatra, Johnny Mathis, Bing Crosby, Tom Jones and Mel Tormé.

The easy listening radio format has been generally but not completely superseded by the “Lite AC” form of adult contemporary music radio. Beautiful music is a subset of easy listening music, since, as a radio format, it had rigid standards for instrumentation (e.g., few or no saxophones) and restrictions on how many vocal pieces could be played in an hour. It is sometimes called nostalgia music. Often, songs were re-arranged instrumental “cover” versions of popular songs of the 1960s and 1970s custom-produced for the radio format during its peak in popularity.

The term “easy listening” has sometimes been applied negatively in the years since it went out of fashion. It is similar to what is called “lounge” or “lounge core”, but lounge music is much 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.

Videos

Events

easy listening gigs in United States • view all

October 2008
Tomorrow (Tuesday 14 October 2008)
Céline Dion	ARCO Arena Sacramento, United States	1 person attending Add shout
Thursday 16 October 2008
Céline Dion	The Rose Garden Arena Portland, United States	Add shout
Saturday 18 October 2008
Céline Dion	Tacoma Dome Seattle, United States	1 person attending Add shout Buy Tickets
Friday 24 October 2008
John Tesh	Ford Community Performing Arts Center Dearborn, United States	Add shout Buy Tickets
Thursday 30 October 2008
Céline Dion	Target Center Minneapolis, United States	1 person attending Add shout
November 2008
Tuesday 4 November 2008
Céline Dion	United Center Chicago, United States	3 people attending Add shout

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rhutch5 wrote:
last month

I love to play easy listening music..........Jeffery Jiles

View Profile | Leave rhutch5 a shout
Tipheret wrote:
August 2008

indeed

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ndrie_24 wrote:
July 2008

i love pop...

View Profile | Leave ndrie_24 a shout

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