History Main / SophistiPop

+ NewWaveMusic, ElectronicMusic, {{Jazz}}, SynthPop, PostPunk, {{Pop}}, GlamRock, BaroquePop, SoftRock, yacht rock

* Music/{{ABC}} (from 1985 on)

'''Sophisti-Pop''' is a subgenre of AlternativeRock and an umbrella term that describes the numerous bands whose sound was very lavish and "sophisticated". The genre can best be described as NewWaveMusic with a heavy jazz-rock influence, particularly from Music/SteelyDan and latter-day Music/RoxyMusic, whose final album ''Music/{{Avalon}}'' is widely considered the TropeMaker for the genre.

** 1982 - ''Music/{{Avalon}}''

+ NewWaveMusic, ElectronicMusic, {{Jazz}}, SynthPop, PostPunk, {{Pop}}, GlamRock, BaroquePop

One thing that helped jumpstart sophisti-pop's popularity and encourage its growth was the UsefulNotes/CompactDisc, an audiophile-oriented format which made its international debut (following an early Japanese launch) just one month before ''A Walk Across the Rooftops''. The CD's clarity and lack of surface noise complimented sophisti-pop's lavish production values, making albums in the genre popular demonstration titles for CD players and other high-end audio equipment among dealers.

* Music/TheHumanLeague (on ''Crash'' and ''Romantic?'')

** ''Music/{{Avalon}}'' (1982)

** ''Music/TheDreamOfTheBlueTurtles'' (1985)

The craze started in 1983 when Music/TheBlueNile released ''A Walk Across The Rooftops'' which displayed some of the most technically advanced production of its day. This type of music consisted of soulful singing, jazzy chords, touchy lyrics about love and heartache, and (probably most importantly) the highest production of synthesizers a band could afford. Sophisti-pop was also primarily a British genre, with most of the major players hailing from either Scotland or the north of England (Music/{{Sade}}, formed in London and fronted by a Nigerian singer, are the major exception).

The debut of the UsefulNotes/CompactDisc in the West around the same time encouraged the growth of the genre with its clarity and lack of surface noise. Dealers were eager to use sophisti-pop albums to demonstrate CD players and other high-end audio equipment to prospective buyers.

The genre died out in the early 1990s, and was one of many genres that were prominent on early AlternativeRock radio that were completely eradicated from playlists once {{Grunge}} took hold of the airwaves. Many bands remained active well into the 2000s: Simply Red continued to tour and write albums until their breakup in 2010, Prefab Sprout is active from time to time as a solo project of its lead singer, Sade continues to seduce people with their sexy music, and The Blue Nile continues to take up to 8 years to record an album.

The genre helped pave way for many IndiePop bands in the future, creating the idea of high production values and the use of synths in the music. While not exactly an AlternativeRock genre, some bands like The Beautiful South later branched out into adding alternative elements to their songs. Sophisti-pop has had something of a revival in the late 2010s, with indie pop artists like Music/The1975 and Music/CarlyRaeJepsen adding elements of the style to their music, and it can be argued that sophistipop elements are found in many modern pop songs, especially amongst British artists such as Music/CleanBandit and Music/EllieGoulding.

The debut of the UsefulNotes/CompactDisc in the West around the same time encouraged the growth of the genre with its clarity and lack of surface noise. Dealers were eager to use sophisti-pop albums to demonstrate CD players to prospective buyers.

'''Sophisti-Pop''' is a subgenre of Alternativerock and an umbrella term that describes the numerous bands whose sound was very lavish and "sophisticated". The genre can best be described as NewWaveMusic with a heavy jazz-rock influence, particularly from Music/SteelyDan and latter-day Music/RoxyMusic, whose final album ''Music/{{Avalon}}'' is widely considered the TropeMaker for the genre.

'''Sophisti-Pop''' is an umbrella term that describes the numerous bands whose sound was very lavish and "sophisticated". The genre can best be described as NewWaveMusic with a heavy jazz-rock influence, particularly from Music/SteelyDan and latter-day Music/RoxyMusic, whose final album ''Music/{{Avalon}}'' is widely considered the TropeMaker for the genre.

The debut of the UsefulNotes/CompactDisc in the West around the same encouraged the growth of the genre with its clarity and lack of surface noise. Dealers were eager to use sophisti-pop albums to demonstrate CD players to prospective buyers.

+ NewWaveMusic, ElectronicMusic, {{Jazz}}, SynthPop, PostPunk, {{Pop}}, GlamRock