Ten Favorite Sophisti-Pop Albums
(A frequently maligned genre whose peaks are quite wonderful—not guilty pleasures; just pleasures. Here’s a definition from AllMusic: “A smooth, jazzy style of mainstream pop/rock that appeared during the mid-'80s. In addition to jazz, many sophisti-pop artists incorporated sweet pop-soul into their sound, but the synthesizers that usually polished the arrangements marked sophisti-pop as a product of the '80s. With its slick production and mellow, urbane feel, sophisti-pop fit both adult contemporary and quiet storm radio formats.” My ten favorites, in order of preference, follow.)
Secrets of the Beehive by David Sylvian
Avalon by Roxy Music
Hats by The Blue Nile
God’s Home Movie by Horse
Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 by George Michael
The Lover Speaks by The Lover Speaks
Steve McQueen by Prefab Sprout
The Lexicon of Love by ABC
Everybody Knows by Sharon Robinson
Forced Witness by Alex Cameron (a spoof of the genre)
— August 16, 2021