Sunshine pop

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Sunshine pop, also known as sunshine rock, is a musical movement that incorporated much of the lighter rock music from the United States, and particularly California in the mid to late 1960s and early into the 1970s. While there is no formal definition of the sound, the most common elements would appear to be harmony vocals, often with complex jazz chords, a full-production sound with studio musicians, and a generally optimistic attitude. Related styles include Baroque pop, folk-rock, bubblegum pop, and psychedelia.

Contents

[edit] History

While no single influence can be credited with starting the sunshine pop sound, early evidence from the mid-1960s includes Beach Boys records such as The Beach Boys Today!. The mid-1960s saw a number of big hits from bands that are normally associated with the genre, such as "Cherish" by The Association, "Up, Up and Away" by The Fifth Dimension and "California Dreamin'" by The Mamas and the Papas. In the later 1960s, as harder-edged rock styles and the singer/songwriter genre came to the fore, many of the bands associated with sunshine pop struggled for commercial success. This included the Beach Boys, who were commercially unsuccessful in the USA after 1967, until the mid-1970s. However, records that are associated with the genre continued to be released until the early 1970s, by which time many of the bands associated with the genre had split up, faded into obscurity, or (as with the Beach Boys with the more soulful sound on records such as Carl and the Passions) moved to different styles of music.

[edit] Artists

The best known artists in the genre (those who had significant hits) include

Other artists who are generally regarded as part of the genre include

[edit] Songwriters and producers

While some very well-known bands are associated with the style, songwriters and producers played an important role in shaping the sunshine pop sound as well. Apart from the production influence of Phil Spector and Brian Wilson, other producers generally regarded as influential for the genre include Gary Usher, Curt Boettcher, Bones Howe, and Gary Zekley. Songwriters included Jimmy Webb and Paul Williams.

[edit] Revival

There has been some revival of interest in the genre, in particular with groups like The Free Design being re-appraised in the late 1990s, as well as Brian Wilson's touring and release of Smile. The sound is to some extent associated with the musicians in Brian Wilson's band such as the Wondermints and The Now People. Other current artists associated with the revival of the genre are Belle & Sebastian, Stereolab, Afternoon Naps, Pizzicato Five, The Heavy Blinkers, The High Llamas, The Pacific Coast Band, and The Ladybug Transistor.

[edit] References

Allmusic on Sunshine Pop

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