In the '50s and '60s when Rock ‘n’ Roll and then Rock was becoming the dominant popular music in the U.S., there was briefly another type of easy-listening music that enjoyed popularity. Usually disparagingly called “elevator music”, it included arrangements by Mantovani, The Melanchrino Stings, The 101 Strings, Stanley Black, and other bands whose names escape me now. Is there a value-neutral name to refer to this genre?
Semi-classical.
Easy-Listening?
Instrumental diarrhea?
Seriously, it is sometimes called Muzak, which was the name of a popular wired-music service common in office buildings and elevators. Muzak hired musicians to record sell-known tunes in a style without vocals, and since these were works for hire, Muzak could use them perpetually without paying royalties as they would have to do with the original hit songs.
Light Music or Easy Listening
Easy listening.
Elevator music is an acceptable term.
Godawful mind-dissolving garbage works for me too.
Dentist Office Music and you forgot the Longines Symphonette.
I’ll add an echo to “Easy Listening” unless you’re implying some other things that went a little beyond the Muzak and “elevator music” types of things.
Check out Space age pop - Wikipedia or even visit http://www.spaceagepop.com/
muzack?
Rio… for 20 minutes… 1920s style… in quadraphonic high fidelity.
I call it “the stuff my parents listened to when I was growing up”. 