About Easy listening
Easy listening is a music genre that emerged in United States in the 1940s. It is usually classed as a form of popular music.
Artists closely associated with the genre include The Carpenters, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Adriano Celentano, Dean Martin and Dianna Agron.
Easy listening has given rise to 3 subgenres on this site, such as Lounge music, Exotica and Space age pop.
From Wikipedia
Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to the 1970s. It is related to middle of the road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, non-rock vocals and instrumental covers of selected popular rock songs. It mostly concentrates on music that pre-dates the rock and roll era, characteristically on music from the 1940s and 1950s. It was differentiated from the mostly instrumental beautiful music format by its variety of styles, including a percentage of vocals, arrangements and tempos to fit various parts of the broadcast day.
Easy listening music is often confused with lounge music, but while it was popular in some of the same venues it was meant to be listened to for enjoyment rather than as background sound.
Genre family tree
Parent genres (↑) and subgenres (↓) of Easy listening.
Key artists
- The Carpenters
- Frank Sinatra
- Bing Crosby
- Adriano Celentano
- Dean Martin
- Dianna Agron
- Carole King
- Henry Mancini
- Michel Legrand
- Richard Clayderman
Related genres
Frequently asked questions
What is Easy listening?
Easy listening is a music genre that emerged in United States in the 1940s. It is usually classed as a form of popular music.
Where and when did Easy listening originate?
Easy listening originated in United States in the 1940s.
Who are famous Easy listening artists?
The Carpenters, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Adriano Celentano, Dean Martin and Dianna Agron.