Genres: Easy Listening

Jazz on the light and easy side, spanning the decades with plenty of mellow R&B flourishes.

Pioneered in the late '50s, exotica is easy-listening lounge music that draws upon world music, but doesn't aim for authentic replication. Instead, exotica's purpose is lightweight entertainment that conjures images of foreign paradises.

In the second half of the '80s, the success of Enya and the rest of a new generation of New Age artists led to the genre's second wind. Embracing everything from digital instruments to pop crossovers, New Age reached a whole new audience.

Like Vinyasa, this playlist is both flowing and dynamic; some songs function to clear the mind while others work to energize the body. The focus here is on soothing New Age songs and instrumentals.

Classical artists are increasingly crossing over to the pop scene, and vice versa. In either direction, soothing classics and beautiful melodies will always be popular.

An introduction to classical solo piano music, featuring the best recordings of the most important works.

In the '70s and '80s, pioneering artists from the worlds of jazz, classical, rock, and electronic music fashioned ethereal sonic landscapes ideal for a fostering a meditative state. Decompress with these essential cuts from ambient's early trailblazers.