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Sophisti-pop

Subgenre of pop music

Summary

Subgenre of pop music

Field	Value
name	Sophisti-pop
stylistic_origins
cultural_origins	Mid-1980s, United Kingdom
instruments

Sophisti-pop is a pop music subgenre that developed during the mid-1980s out of the British new wave era. It originated with acts who blended elements of jazz, soul, and pop with lavish production. The term "sophisti-pop" was coined only after the genre's peak in the mid-late 1980s.

Characteristics

Sophisti-pop is characterized by its extensive use of electronic keyboards, synthesizers, and polished arrangements. Artists also utilized cutting-edge studio technology and perfectionist recording methods. The genre has been described as mellow, romantic, and atmospheric, with artists often adopting a sharp, well-dressed and well-groomed visual presentation.

History

Stylus Magazine suggested that acts had been influenced by the work of Roxy Music (such as 1982's Avalon, often cited as the first sophisti-pop album), and Bryan Ferry's Boys and Girls (1985) and Bête Noire (1987).

Sweetwater named major artists in the genre as including the Blue Nile, Prefab Sprout, the Style Council, Scritti Politti, Everything but the Girl, and Danny Wilson. AllMusic added Simply Red, Sade, Basia, and Swing Out Sister. Writer Iain Munn added to the list Level 42, the Blow Monkeys, and Joe Jackson's 1984 album Body and Soul.

Its popularity declined in the 1990s.

References

(24 April 2014). "10 Essential Sophisti-pop albums".
"Sophisti-Pop".
(7 September 2013). "9 different music genres in the internet age – 2/10 – Sophisti-Pop". [[The Economic Times]].
Kirkham, Neil. (February 2024). "Polluting young minds? Smash Hits and 'high Thatcherism'". Journal of European Popular Culture.
(30 July 2021). "Sophisti-pop: The '80s' Most Elegant Genre".
(22 February 2007). "The Bluffer's Guide – Sophisti-Pop". [[Stylus Magazine.
Munn, Iain. (2011). "Mr. Cool's Dream: The Complete History of The Style Council". Wholepoint.

Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

sophisti-pop pop-music-genres 1980s-in-music british-styles-of-music new-wave-music

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