Who can forget the "easy-listening" FM radio stations of the past?
...the format existed since the beginning of radio itself all the way until the late 1980s---or even the early 1990s.
A lot of people made fun of this format, but actually it was quite a barometer of "credibility" in terms of pop music success.
The very existence of an orchestrated instrumental version of a song indicated that particular song "made the grade"---that it was "worthy enough of being legitimately recognized as a credible song classic"
...in other words, while a lot of singers, groups, and song-writers might of taken offense at hearing an orchestrated instrumental version of one of their songs---it could also be taken to be quite a compliment that one's song or "hit record" would be worthy enough to receive recognition by those of the "stuffy-shirt elitist" ilk, as while this pop-music sub-genre was still in it's heyday of popularity it was clearly the bastion of "the well-off and over-privileged"
...hence, tantamount to "being accepted by those considered to be 'important'".
I remember, back in the early '80s, hearing an instrumental version of the Queen song WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS and being amused at the idea that even "glam-rockers" like them could still have a song that would "make-the-grade" enough among the "stuffy-shirt" crowd that they would consider doing an orchestrated version of it.
You have to remember most "easy-listening" style instrumentals are versions of "old standards" from the '30s, 40s, 50s, 60s---etc.
...so it DOES "make-a-statement" any time something from the '70s, 80s, and 90s get "remade" in this style.
...the format existed since the beginning of radio itself all the way until the late 1980s---or even the early 1990s.
A lot of people made fun of this format, but actually it was quite a barometer of "credibility" in terms of pop music success.
The very existence of an orchestrated instrumental version of a song indicated that particular song "made the grade"---that it was "worthy enough of being legitimately recognized as a credible song classic"
...in other words, while a lot of singers, groups, and song-writers might of taken offense at hearing an orchestrated instrumental version of one of their songs---it could also be taken to be quite a compliment that one's song or "hit record" would be worthy enough to receive recognition by those of the "stuffy-shirt elitist" ilk, as while this pop-music sub-genre was still in it's heyday of popularity it was clearly the bastion of "the well-off and over-privileged"
...hence, tantamount to "being accepted by those considered to be 'important'".
I remember, back in the early '80s, hearing an instrumental version of the Queen song WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS and being amused at the idea that even "glam-rockers" like them could still have a song that would "make-the-grade" enough among the "stuffy-shirt" crowd that they would consider doing an orchestrated version of it.
You have to remember most "easy-listening" style instrumentals are versions of "old standards" from the '30s, 40s, 50s, 60s---etc.
...so it DOES "make-a-statement" any time something from the '70s, 80s, and 90s get "remade" in this style.
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