Final answer:
The soft rock phenomenon of the 1980s known as Easy listening music is characterized by soothing and gentle sounds that provide a background auditory experience, contrasting with earlier, more lyric-driven rock and roll and the Surf Rock of the 1960s.
Step-by-step explanation:
The soft rock phenomenon of the 1980s known as Easy listening music provides soothing, repetitious blocks of gentle, unassuming sounds produced by synthesizers or acoustic folk instruments. The genre is distinguished from others like New Wave, Synth-pop, and Yacht rock for its tranquil and melodious qualities that are ideal for casual listening. This style of music is often characterized by its ability to blend into the background, offering a pleasant and unobtrusive auditory experience that contrasts the heavier rhythm and simpler lyrics and melodies that defined the early rock and roll era.
During this period, a combination of electric instruments with the sounds of gospel, blues, country, jazz, and R&B gave birth to the new sound of rock and roll. Yet, it was Surf Rock, a sub-genre that emerged in the 1960s from the Pacific Northwest, that eventually made room for the quieter Easy listening genre to flourish once Surf Rock's popularity waned. Unlike the bands like Kingsmen or the Ventures, which focused less on lyrics due to the noisy dance halls of the time, Easy listening offered a respite with its soft and repetitive soundscapes.