Space age pop

Common card · No. 412068

Space age pop or bachelor pad music is a subgenre of easy listening or lounge music associated with American and Mexican composers, songwriters, and bandleaders in the Space Age of the 1950s and 1960s. It drew on contemporary fascination with technology, outer space, and "exotic" locations, exploiting new audio technology such as stereophonic sound, multitrack recording, and early electronic instruments. Music journalist Irwin Chusid identifies the heyday of the genre as "roughly 1954 to 1963—from the dawn of high-fidelity (hi-fi) to the arrival of the Beatles." Major artists in the genre include Juan García Esquivel, Les Baxter, Enoch Light, Henry Mancini, The Tornados, Dick Hyman, and Jean-Jacques Perrey. Amongst the major record producers at the time, Joe Meek was seen as a leading figure in the genre. As manager for the Tornados, he led them to a number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Telstar", making them the first British band to top the charts in the United States. Among the...

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