Space Age Pop

AKA: Space Age Bachelor Pad MusicSABPM Space Age pop is a style of Easy Listening that was inspired by the optimism of the Space Age during the 1950s and 1960s and the associated excitement about mankind's space exploration. Space Age pop developed alongside, and is especially related to Lounge music, mainly due to its instrumental palette and relaxed atmosphere. Historically, Space Age pop artists are known for having recorded multiple versions of the same set of songs, similar to Standards in the Jazz tradition, but many composers write original pieces as well. The genre has also been noted as having influenced Space Ambient. Space Age pop varies in style, rhythm, and arrangement, but certain musical characteristics remain consistent between artists. Similarly to lounge, the genre’s instrumentation and arrangement heavily borrows from jazz, however Space Age pop artists typically gravitate towards a more futuristic sound, combining the relaxed atmosphere of lounge with contemporary electronic instruments and novel audio technology. Composers often use a string orchestra (or simulated strings) to apply warmth and color to the sound. Keyboard instruments (both traditional and electronic), as well as percussion inspired by Hispanic American Music, are frequently used as well. The theremin is also a popular choice among composers, due to its eerie, otherworldly sound. Song arrangements tend to convey a playful or humorous attitude, placing the genre in close relation to later futurist or space-themed Novelty music - a closeness furthered by album artwork in the genre which commonly displays space or modernist themes. During the early 1990s, Space Age pop (having largely been abandoned after 1965) saw a moderate resurgence in popularity due to influencing Cocktail Nation and its related artists.