Sophisti-pop is a
pop music
Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom.S. Frith, W. Straw, and J. Street, eds, ''iarchive:cambridgecompani00frit, The Cambridge Companion to Pop ...
subgenre that developed during the mid-1980s out of the British
new wave era.
It originated with acts who blended elements of
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
,
soul
The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
, 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 keyboard
An electronic keyboard, portable keyboard, or digital keyboard is an electronic musical instrument based on keyboard instruments. Electronic keyboards include synthesizers, digital pianos, stage pianos, electronic organs and digital audio work ...
s,
synthesizer
A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...
s, 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
''Stylus Magazine'' was an American online music and film magazine, launched in 2002 and co-founded by Todd L. Burns. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog.
Addi ...
'' suggested that acts had been influenced by the work of
Roxy Music
Roxy Music are an English rock music, rock band formed in 1970 by Bryan Ferry (lead vocals/keyboards/principal songwriter) and Graham Simpson (musician), Graham Simpson (bass). By the time the band recorded their Roxy Music (album), first albu ...
(such as 1982's ''
Avalon'', often cited as the first sophisti-pop album),
and
Bryan Ferry
Bryan Ferry (born 26 September 1945) is an English singer and songwriter. He became known as the frontman of the band Roxy Music and also launched a solo career. His voice has been described as an "elegant, seductive croon". He also established ...
'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
The Style Council were an English pop band formed in Woking in 1982 by Paul Weller, the former lead vocalist, principal songwriter and guitarist with the rock band the Jam, and keyboardist Mick Talbot, previously a member of Dexys Midnight Ru ...
,
Scritti Politti,
Everything but the Girl, and
Danny Wilson.
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
added
Simply Red,
Sade,
Basia, and
Swing Out Sister.
Writer Iain Munn added to the list
Level 42,
the Blow Monkeys
The Blow Monkeys are a British pop band formed in 1981. Their first single, "Live Today Love Tomorrow", was released in 1982. They subsequently enjoyed a successful career with several hit singles and albums throughout the 1980s before split ...
, and
Joe Jackson's 1984 album ''
Body and Soul''.
Its popularity declined in the 1990s along with other synth-pop sub-genres.
See also
*
List of sophisti-pop artists
*
Progressive soul
Progressive soul (often shortened to prog-soul; also called black prog, black rock, and progressive R&B) is a type of African-American music that uses a progressive music, progressive approach, particularly in the context of the soul music, soul ...
*
Plastic soul
*
Progressive pop
*
Quiet storm
References
Further reading
*
External links
Hue and Cry noting AllMusic's usage of the term
{{Soul music
Pop music genres
1980s in music
British styles of music
New wave music