View source for Sunshine pop

{{Short description|Subgenre of pop music}}
{{Infobox music genre
| name              = Sunshine pop
| etymology = {{circa|1990s}}
| other_names       = * Soft pop
* [[soft rock]]
| stylistic_origins =
*[[Pop music|Pop]]
*[[easy listening]]
*[[folk rock]]
*[[jingle]]s
*[[psychedelic music|psychedelia]]
*[[California sound]]
*[[progressive music|progressive]]
| cultural_origins  = Mid 1960s, [[California]], U.S.
| derivatives       =
* ''[[Shibuya-kei]]''
| subgenrelist      =
| subgenres         =
| fusiongenres      =
| regional_scenes   =
| other_topics      = 
* [[Baroque pop]]
* [[counterculture of the 1960s]]
* [[bubblegum music|bubblegum]]
* [[folk-pop]]
* [[recording studio as an instrument]]
}}

'''Sunshine pop''' (originally called '''soft pop''' and '''soft rock'''{{sfn|Stanley|2013|p=179}}) is a loosely defined form of [[pop music]] that was first associated with early [[soft rock]] producers and songwriters based in [[Los Angeles]], California, during the mid- to late 1960s. Its [[recording studio as an instrument|studio-centric]] sound was primarily rooted in [[folk rock]] and [[easy listening]], typically featuring rich harmony vocals and [[progressive music|progressive]] elements, while lyrics combined idyllic imagery with a subtle awareness of societal change, melancholic undertones, and [[counterculture of the 1960s|countercultural]] themes. It was among the dominating music styles heard in television, film, and commercials of the era.

Branching from the nascent [[California sound]], the movement initially straddled multiple styles among many groups who existed briefly while adapting to evolving music trends, resulting in much crossover with [[bubblegum music|bubblegum]], [[folk-pop]], [[garage rock]], [[baroque pop]], and [[psychedelic music|psychedelia]]. Most groups were less successful [[sound-alike]]s of acts such as [[the Mamas & the Papas]], led by [[John Phillips (musician)|John Phillips]], and [[the 5th Dimension]], whose songs were initially helmed by [[Jimmy Webb]]. [[Curt Boettcher]] produced numerous key records for [[the Association]], [[Eternity's Children]], his band [[the Millennium (band)|the Millennium]], and with collaborator [[Gary Usher]] ([[Sagittarius (band)|Sagittarius]]). Though [[the Beach Boys]] rarely approached the style, [[Brian Wilson]]'s production of their 1966 album ''[[Pet Sounds]]'' was a foundational influence on this milieu, as were the arrangements of [[Burt Bacharach]].

By the late 1960s, the sound had regional variants ranging from [[the Free Design]] in New York to [[Pic-Nic]] in Spain, although most acts largely struggled to sustain commercial success amid shifting popular music trends. In the 1970s, new waves of soft rock were heralded by acts such as [[the Carpenters]] and [[Fleetwood Mac]], whose successes eclipsed that of many earlier groups. Renewed interest in sunshine pop, initially led by Japanese fans, developed in the 1990s among record collectors and musicians, especially those associated with Tokyo's ''[[Shibuya-kei]]'' scene, where the work of [[Roger Nichols (songwriter)|Roger Nichols]] was a central influence. Many sunshine pop records were subsequently anthologized and reissued by labels including [[Rhino Records|Rhino]] (''[[Come to the Sunshine: Soft Pop Nuggets from the WEA Vaults|Come to the Sunshine]]''), Collector's Choice, and [[Sundazed Records|Sundazed]], in addition to [[indie rock]] music circles reviving the genre's prominence.

==Origins and definition==

{{Further|California sound}}
{{listen
|pos=
|filename=California Dreamin.ogg
|title=The Mamas & the Papas – "California Dreamin'" (December 1965)
|description=[[The Mamas & the Papas]] defined sunshine pop and early soft rock with songs such as "[[California Dreamin']]", described by author and musician [[Bob Stanley (musician)|Bob Stanley]] as encapsulating a "pure sunshine" sound with "more than a hint of sadness".{{sfn|Stanley|2013|p=179}}
}}
Sunshine pop originated from California-based [[pop music|pop]] songwriters and producers.{{sfn|Abbott|2008|p=172}} The West Coast music scene of the mid- to late 1960s had provided a fertile environment for [[recording studio as an instrument|studio-oriented]] pop musicians experimenting with [[rock music|rock]], [[folk music|folk]], and [[psychedelic music|psychedelic]] influences. Artists such as [[Brian Wilson]], leader of [[the Beach Boys]], and [[John Phillips (musician)|John Phillips]], leader of [[the Mamas & the Papas]], played pivotal roles in shaping the era's pop sensibilities, blending idealistic themes with undercurrents of melancholy.<ref name="avclub" /> These innovators, along with lesser-known acts that achieved fleeting commercial success, contributed to the development of sunshine pop.<ref name="avclub" /> ''[[A.V. Club]]'' contributor Noel Murray argued in 2011 that records by Phillips and Wilson had attained a cultural stature so large "that it's hard [today] to hear them as part of any kind of trend", in direct contrast to the less successful contemporaneous work of producer-songwriter-performer [[Curt Boettcher]].<ref name="avclub" /> 

[[File:THE YELLOW BALLOON.png|thumb|left|"Sunshine pop" was coined in the 1990s for a strain of 1960s pop acts, many with names referencing fruits, colors, or "cosmic" concepts, such as [[the Yellow Balloon (band)|the Yellow Balloon]] (pictured) and [[the 5th Dimension]] ]]

Sunshine pop music—originally categorized as [[soft rock]]{{sfn|Stanley|2013|p=179}} and soft pop{{sfn|Howard|2004|p=69}}—mainly encompasses [[sound-alike]]s of the Beach Boys, the Mamas & the Papas, and [[the 5th Dimension]].{{sfn|Reynolds|2011|p=152}} The term was coined retrospectively—akin to other genre labels such as [[freakbeat]], [[northern soul]], and [[garage punk]]{{sfn|Reynolds|2011|p=152}}—in reference to the regularly sundrenched [[climate of California]]{{sfn|Howard|2004|p=49}} and gained traction among music historians and collectors long after the 1960s.{{sfn|Unterberger|2003|pp=xxiii, 64}} Author Kingsley Abbott credited ''[[Record Collector]]'' editor [[Peter Doggett]] with originating the term in a September 1997 article feature,{{sfn|Abbott|2008|p=172}} though the phrase "LA-style sunshine pop" had previously appeared in Vernon Joynson's 1993 book ''Fuzz, Acid and Flowers''.<ref>{{cite book|editor-last=Joynson|editor-first=Vernon|title=Fuzz, Acid and Flowers: A Comprehensive Guide to American Garage, Psychedelic and Hippie Rock (1964–1975)|edition=4th ed., illustrated|publisher=Borderline|year=1993|isbn=0951287559|page=369|url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Fuzz_Acid_and_Flowers/UEbaAAAAMAAJ}}</ref>

The genre's boundaries remain loosely defined partly due to the absence of contemporary self-identification by artists as "sunshine pop" practitioners. Many of the groups straddled multiple styles, including [[folk rock]], [[bubblegum pop]], garage rock, and psychedelia. In addition to receiving limited critical attention during their initial activity, many acts had existed briefly while adapting to evolving musical trends. Other rock and pop bands not normally associated with the genre occasionally produced singles or albums that integrated its sound.<ref name="avclub" /> Among interpretations of the genre's criteria, [[AllMusic]]'s entry for sunshine pop describes it as a "mainstream pop style" characterized by "rich harmony vocals", "lush orchestrations", and an optimistic ethos.<ref name="allmusicsunpop">{{cite web|title=Sunshine Pop|url=http://www.allmusic.com/subgenre/sunshine-pop-ma0000012028|publisher=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref> Music critic [[Richie Unterberger]] defined the genre as "the most ridiculously optimistic, commercial outgrowth of folk-rock that could be imagined", adding that the style "was not so much folk-influenced rock as folk-rock-influenced pop, sometimes very much in an easy listening, Mamas-&-the-Papas mold, such as [[Spanky & Our Gang]]".{{sfn|Unterberger|2003|p=64}} Author David Howard characterizes "soft pop" as a "harmonic, slightly psychedelic vocal music genre" that modernized "traditional pop vocals [via] hip lyrics, breezy harmonies, and an effervescent production style".{{sfn|Howard|2004|p=69}}

Associated acts usually drew elements from [[easy-listening]], commercial [[jingle]]s, and [[counterculture of the 1960s|countercultural]] themes, often juxtaposing idyllic imagery with a subtle awareness of societal change, and bore names referencing fruits, colors, or "cosmic concepts".<ref name="avclub" /> While occasionally incorporating elements of psychedelia, they generally avoided overt drug-related imagery, instead drawing from what AllMusic termed the "whimsical" and "warm" aspects of [[psychedelic pop]]. Stylistically, sunshine pop also intersected with [[baroque pop]], [[folk-pop]], and [[Brill Building pop]].<ref name="allmusicsunpop"/> Author and musician [[Bob Stanley (musician)|Bob Stanley]], who identifies sunshine pop as an early soft rock variant, frames the genre as developing upon the [[progressive music|progressive]] "instrumentation", "musical complexity", and subversion of rock traditions exemplified by the Beach Boys' ''[[Pet Sounds]]'' (1966) and [[the Beatles]]' ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]'' (1967).{{sfn|Stanley|2013|p=178}}{{refn|group=nb|These were elements that a September 1967 ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' report had linked to "sophisticated" and "serious" pop music trends, predating the coining of "[[progressive rock]]".{{sfn|Stanley|2013|p=178}}}} Stanley additionally traces the genre's preoccupation with exotic arrangements and unorthodox combinations of instruments to the work of [[Burt Bacharach]] and [[Hal David]].{{sfn|Stanley|2013|p=181}}

[[File:Carl Brian Al.jpg|thumb|[[The Beach Boys]] recording ''[[Pet Sounds]]'' in early 1966. While [[Brian Wilson]]'s production techniques were a pivotal influence on sunshine pop producers, the group's sound largely contrasted the genre.]]

According to AllMusic, the "star" sunshine pop acts included the Beach Boys circa ''Pet Sounds'', [[the Association]], and the Mamas & the Papas, among others, with later reappraisals bringing renewed attention to lesser-known groups like [[Sagittarius (band)|Sagittarius]], [[the Yellow Balloon (band)|the Yellow Balloon]], and [[The Millennium (band)|the Millennium]].<ref name="allmusicsunpop"/> While Wilson's production techniques substantially influenced subsequent sunshine pop developments,<ref name="allmusicsunpop"/> the Beach Boys' output largely diverged from the genre's core characteristics.<ref name="avclub" /> Murray states that Phillips, to a clearer extent than Wilson, "practically created the blueprint for sunshine pop, with little of Wilson's uncommercial weirdness."<ref name="avclub" />{{refn|group=nb|Wilson commented in 1968, "[the Mamas & the Papas] have as much vocal as we do [backing] track […] whereas, I think, we emphasize a little more track than vocal".<ref>{{cite book|last=Highwater|first=Jamake|author-link=Jamake Highwater|title=Rock and Other Four Letter Words: Music of the Electric Generation.|year=1968|publisher=Bantam Books|isbn=0-552-04334-6}}</ref> Goldenburg opines that "the vocals of sunshine pop songs are a little more anonymous and not as lushly featured as that of The Beach Boys", with the genre's "light touch" resembling that of "soft [[samba music|samba]]". He concluded that their album ''Friends'' had represented "the closest [they] came to the genre".<ref name="GoldenburgSunPop">{{cite news|last1=Goldenburg|first1=Joel|title=Joel Goldenberg: Sunshine pop offered some respite from '60s strife|url=http://www.thesuburban.com/arts_and_entertainment/joel-goldenberg-sunshine-pop-offered-some-respite-from-s-strife/article_d56d2712-5198-5220-9f20-c7bbcaf6eb0f.html|work=[[The Suburban]]|date=February 27, 2016|access-date=29 September 2017}}</ref>}} Howard traces the genre to Boettcher and his collaborations with [[Gary Usher]]—especially Boettcher's reconfigurations of the "California sunshine sound" originally formulated by Wilson and [[Terry Melcher]].{{sfn|Howard|2004|pp=49-50}}

Compilation albums and retrospectives have since anthologized works from the genre, though some recordings appear interchangeably across "bubblegum pop" collections. Murray felt that while sharing superficial similarities with bubblegum, the latter's repetitive structures and superficial themes contrast with the "emotional richness" of the "best" examples of sunshine pop.<ref name="avclub" /> In ''Bubblegum Music Is the Naked Truth'' (2001), contributor Chris Davidson writes that the "most blinding [sunshine pop] matches bubblegum's oomph", although "where bubblegum says, '[[Yummy Yummy Yummy|I got love in my tummy]],' s-pop exclaims: '[[The Rain, the Park & Other Things|I love the flower girl]].'"{{sfn|Cooper|Smay|2001|p=190}}

==Formative acts and commercial breakthrough==
[[File:The Mamas and the Papas Ed Sullivan Show 1968.JPG|thumb|left|[[The Mamas and the Papas]] (pictured at a 1968 television performance) were formative influences on early soft rock and a template for easy listening-aligned sunshine pop styles]]

The Mamas and the Papas emerged from New York's [[Greenwich Village]] in early 1966 with "[[California Dreamin']]" (December 1965).{{sfn|Stanley|2013|p=179}} The group achieved three transatlantic hits that year: "California Dreamin{{'}}" (number 4), "[[Monday, Monday]]" (number 1), and "[[I Saw Her Again]]" (number 5).{{sfn|Stanley|2013|p=179}} Their debut album ''[[If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears]]'', produced by [[Lou Adler]], blended collegiate choral traditions with contemporary countercultural sensibilities.<ref name="avclub" /> Stanley identified the group as "torchbearers for soft rock" with a "hugely influential" music style later reconfigured by sunshine pop acts such as the 5th Dimension ("who added a touch more [[soul music|soul]]"), the Millennium ("a touch more rock"), and [[the Free Design]] ("a touch more [[jazz]]").{{sfn|Stanley|2013|p=179}}

[[File:The Association 1966(4).png|thumb|[[The Association]] (pictured in a 1966 promotional shot) were one of several sunshine pop acts produced by [[Curt Boettcher]]. Their sound combined folk and [[progressive jazz]] influences.]]

Curt Boettcher, originally from Minnesota, relocated to Los Angeles in the mid-1960s with a background in traditional folk music.{{sfn|Howard|2004|p=50}} According to Howard, he was a "crucial figure in the further maturation of the California Sound" from which sunshine pop originated.{{sfn|Howard|2004|p=50}} Boettcher became a sought-after producer for acts including the Association, for whom he produced the 1966 singles "[[Along Comes Mary]]" (March) and "[[Cherish (The Association song)|Cherish]]" (August),<ref name="avclub" /> the latter topping the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] for three weeks in September.{{sfn|Howard|2004|p=69}}{{refn|group=nb|Boettcher's involvement with the Association extended only to their July 1966 debut album ''[[And Then... Along Comes the Association]]'', which furthered his exploration of studio technique.{{sfn|Howard|2004|p=69}}}} Author [[Domenic Priore]] cites "Along Comes Mary" and "Cherish" as "the defining influence on sunshine pop" through the group's blending of [[Stan Kenton]]'s [[progressive jazz]], [[the Byrds]]' reconfiguration of traditional folk, and the Beach Boys' jazz-influenced vocal arrangements.{{sfn|Priore|2007|pp=183-184}} According to Howard, the success of these singles cemented the Association "as one of the main purveyors of [what was] dubbed 'soft pop'", a sound that "quickly became a staple of [[AM radio]] and a decided antidote to the hard and heavy direction rock was taking on [[FM radio|FM]]."{{sfn|Howard|2004|p=69}} Howard additionally credits Boettcher with redirecting the development of the California sound into a "sunshine pop direction".{{sfn|Howard|2004|p=69}}

Stanley highlights Boettcher, alongside [[Randy Newman]] and [[Van Dyke Parks]], as further examples of formative soft rock writers who "had a strong sense of the [[Great American Songbook]] and, quite often, sharp humor".{{sfn|Stanley|2013|pp=178-179}} Parks’ debut single "[[Come to the Sunshine]]", recorded in early 1966 and released that September, preceded the trend of sunlit-themed records like [[Donovan]]'s "[[Sunshine Superman (song)|Sunshine Superman]]" (July) and the Beatles’ "[[Good Day Sunshine]]" (August).<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Vosse|first=Michael|authorlink=Michael Vosse|title=Our Exagmination Round His Factification For Incamination of Work In Progress|magazine=Fusion|date=April 14, 1969|volume=8}}</ref> Many preeminent Los Angeles-based producers had emulated the Beach Boys' orchestrations following their May 1966 release ''Pet Sounds'', though the group's continued association with sunshine pop through singles such as "[[Good Vibrations]]" (October 1966) and "[[Heroes and Villains]]" (July 1967) were limited to "the spirit of the sound", according to Murray.<ref name="avclub" />{{refn|group=nb|Jimmy Webb later described ''Pet Sounds'' as a critical touchstone for his peers,{{sfn|Granata|2003|pp=115–116, 238}} while Warner Bros. Records staff producer [[Lenny Waronker]], whose subsequent work included collaborations with acts such as Harpers Bizarre alongside Newman and Parks, also acknowledged the album's widespread influence on California-based producers and songwriters: "Brian affected us all".<ref name="HereToday96">{{cite magazine |last1=Morris |first1=Chris |author-link1=Chris Morris (music writer) |title=Here Today|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_zQkEAAAAMBAJ/page/n45/ |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=October 12, 1996 |url-access=registration}}</ref>}} 

==Proliferation and expansion==
[[File:The Sunshine Company.jpg|thumb|left|[[The Sunshine Company]] (pictured in a 1967 ad), initially a folk-rock band, were among numerous Los Angeles groups who performed sunshine pop material written by external songwriters]]

Following the breakthrough of the Mamas & the Papas and the Association in 1966, numerous soft pop acts emerged, including [[the Cyrkle]], Harpers Bizarre, Spanky & Our Gang, and the 5th Dimension.{{sfn|Howard|2004|p=69}} According to Unterberger, a vacuum "filled by [a] brigade of sunshine pop acts, mostly from Southern California" followed the dissolution of many of "the foremost good-time folk-pop-rock bands".{{sfn|Unterberger|2003|p=63}}

Sunshine pop permeated pop culture of the late 1960s, with Priore offering examples including [[the Turtles]]' 1967 [[Pepsi]] advertising jingle, an Association soundalike group featured in a scene from the 1969 film ''[[The Love God?]]'', and theme songs for the television programs ''[[To Tell the Truth]]'' and ''[[Nanny and the Professor]]''.{{sfn|Priore|2007|pp=186-187}} The Yellow Balloon and [[the Parade (band)|the Parade]] are further cited by Priore as "[t]wo of the most dedicated sunshine pop acts".{{sfn|Priore|2007|p=188}} The former emerged from songwriter-producer [[Gary Zekley]]'s re-recording of "[[Yellow Balloon]]" (1967), a song initially attempted by [[Dean Torrence]] of [[Jan & Dean]], while the Parade, formed by producer and Zekley collaborator [[Jerry Riopelle]], achieved a 1967 hit with "Sunshine Girl".{{sfn|Priore|2007|p=188}}{{sfn|Abbott|2008|pp=172-173}}

{{listen
|pos=
|filename=Up, Up and Away sample.ogg
|title=The 5th Dimension – "Up, Up and Away" (May 1967)
|description=The 5th Dimension's "[[Up, Up and Away (song)|Up, Up and Away]]", written by [[Jimmy Webb]]. Setting a template for numerous [[sound-alike]]s, the group was one of the few sunshine pop acts that achieved numerous [[top 40]] hits.<ref name="avclub">{{cite web |last1=Murray |first1=Noel |date=April 7, 2011 |title=Gateways to Geekery: Sunshine Pop |url=http://www.avclub.com/article/sunshine-pop-54224 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106213429/https://music.avclub.com/sunshine-pop-1798225095 |archive-date=November 6, 2018 |access-date=November 27, 2015 |work=[[The A.V. Club]] |publisher=Onion Inc.}}</ref>
|filetype=[[Ogg]]
}}

Most sunshine pop acts struggled to achieve sustained commercial success. An exception was the 5th Dimension, who performed material penned by Jimmy Webb and [[Laura Nyro]].<ref name="avclub" /> Identified by Stanley as a "soft rock innovator", Webb's "[[Up, Up and Away (song)|Up, Up and Away]]" (May 1967) was his first hit for the 5th Dimension, reaching number 7 in the U.S.{{sfn|Stanley|2013|pp=184-185}} Folk-rock groups also experienced chart success by integrating material written by external songwriters into their repertoire of covers and originals, including [[the Sunshine Company]], who enjoyed a top 40 hit with [[Steve Gillette]]'s "Back on the Street Again" (1967).{{sfn|Unterberger|2003|p=63}} Murray cites them, alongside the Yellow Balloon, as exemplifying numerous Los Angeles groups that emerged from collaborations between professional songwriters and local "scenesters" seeking commercial opportunities.<ref name="avclub" /> [[Peter, Paul and Mary]]’s 1967 single "[[I Dig Rock and Roll Music]]" parodied Donovan and the Mamas & the Papas, achieving chart success during the same period.{{sfn|Unterberger|2003|p=63}}

While Los Angeles musicians with extensive resources developed ambitious pop records, groups in other regions attempted to replicate the style with more limited means, such as the Free Design in New York.<ref name="avclub" /> In Spain, the style emerged in 1968 through groups such as [[Pic-Nic]], Granada Los Ángeles, and Los Iberos. From 1969 through the 1970s, Spanish artists like Los Yetis, Solera, Módulos, Nuevos Horizontes, and Vainica Doble contributed to a proliferation of locally produced soft pop music.<ref>{{cite AV media notes|language=es|chapter=Soft-pop en España: la recuperación de un tesoro perdido|title=Papagayo! (The Spanish Sunshine Pop & Popsike Collection)|type=liner notes|id=TT5000|others=Various artists|last=Félix|first=Mundo|last2=Mr. Toytown|publisher=Toytown Recordings|year=2007|location=Spain}}</ref>

==Decline and succeeding soft rock styles==
{{Main|Soft rock}}

After his success with the Association, Boettcher maintained an active career through collaborative projects and studio work, forming the band the Ballroom and recording an unreleased album for [[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.]] before joining [[Columbia Records]] through Gary Usher,<ref name="avclub" /> a producer and songwriter who had been central to the development of the California sound.{{sfn|Howard|2004|p=69}} Their partnership included work on Usher's [[experimental pop]] studio project Sagittarius, while Boettcher simultaneously organized a collective of Los Angeles session musicians and songwriters for his own group, the Millennium.<ref name="avclub" /> Released in mid-1967, Sagittarius' debut record "[[My World Fell Down]]", featuring [[Bruce Johnston]], Terry Melcher and [[Glen Campbell]] sharing lead vocals, charted in the upper-reaches of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, though it reached the top 5 on regional charts in San Francisco and Chicago.{{sfn|Howard|2004|pp=74-75}} Between recording sessions for the two projects,{{sfn|Howard|2004|p=77}} Boettcher also co-produced the 1968 debut album by Mississippi folk group [[Eternity's Children]] with [[Keith Olsen]], whose single "Mrs. Bluebird" achieved modest chart success.<ref name="avclub" />

In 1968, many musicians and songwriters shifted toward heavier, [[extended form|extended]] rock compositions, while others, such as [[the Left Banke]] and [[the Zombies]], embraced softer approaches distinct from prevailing trends. In Stanley's description: "Seriousness – an element of pop which had periodically surfaced [...] was now seen to trump everything else."{{sfn|Stanley|2013|p=186}} By then, the Beach Boys had faced an abrupt commercial decline that sustained after aligning their style closer to the more contemporaneously successful sunshine pop acts they had influenced, showcased on ''[[Friends (The Beach Boys album)|Friends]]'' (June 1968).<ref name="GoldenburgSunPop"/> In July, Columbia issued Sagittarius’ ''[[Present Tense (Sagittarius album)|Present Tense]]'' and the Millennium's ''[[Begin (The Millennium album)|Begin]]'', costly productions which failed to achieve mainstream success amid growing preferences for harder rock, reducing Boettcher and Usher's industry prominence. Although Boettcher's late-1960s efforts saw limited commercial success, they ultimately became some of the most popular records in collectors' markets.<ref name="avclub" />{{refn|group=nb|[[Sandy Salisbury]], who collaborated with both producers’ primary projects, recorded ''[[Sandy (Sandy Salisbury album)|Sandy]]'' in 1968—a "more aggressive" iteration of sunshine pop, according to Murray, that remained unreleased until 2000.<ref name="avclub" />}}

Soft rock persisted into the 1970s but became increasingly detached from rock's evolving [[album era|album-oriented]] direction and progressive musical developments. The approaches signaled by ''Pet Sounds'', ''Sgt. Pepper'', and Webb's extended pop song "[[MacArthur's Park]]" (1968) were largely abandoned as self-contained authorship and avoidance of orchestral arrangements became artistic expectations among a wide contingent of young listeners.{{sfn|Stanley|2013|p=187}} Stanley describes what he terms "the new school of soft rock", epitomized by singer-songwriter [[Harry Nilsson]], as "scholarly, engaging, super-melodic, [and] as fond of Broadway and booze as [...] the Beach Boys and the Beatles".{{sfn|Stanley|2013|p=186}} Webb enjoyed further success with hits penned for [[Richard Harris (actor)|Richard Harris]] ("MacArthur Park") and Glen Campbell through 1969 before transitioning into a more subdued singer-songwriter approach in his career.{{sfn|Stanley|2013|p=185}}{{refn|group=nb|Campbell also found greater success as a solo artist after distancing his sound from "My World Fell Down".{{sfn|Howard|2004|p=75}}}}

[[The Carpenters]] emerged as a defining soft rock act of the early 1970s, achieving a string of hits written by songwriters such as [[Paul Williams (songwriter)|Paul Williams]], Bacharach, and [[Leon Russell]].{{sfn|Stanley|2013|p=189}} [[Fleetwood Mac]]'s 1977 album ''[[Rumours (album)|Rumours]]'' attained ubiquitous airplay on American radio, cementing a new form of soft rock that was further distanced from "the ''ba-ba-bas'' of its sixties forebear", according to Stanley.{{sfn|Stanley|2013|p=301}}

==1990s revival, ''Shibuya-kei'', ''Soft Rock A to Z'' anthologies, and reissues==
{{Main|Shibuya-kei}}
[[File:Saintetienne1.jpg|thumb|left|[[Saint Etienne (band)|Saint Etienne]] (pictured), [[the High Llamas]], [[Wondermints]], [[Pizzicato Five]], and [[Flipper's Guitar]] were among a circle of musicians who revived interest in sunshine pop after the 1990s.]]

Major rock critics of the 1960s had largely overlooked many artists later associated with sunshine pop, contributing to its initial obscurity. Murray observes that while critics occasionally embraced the Beach Boys, they often dismissed contemporaries such as the Mamas & the Papas and the Association, "even though those bands and many of their sunshine-pop peers were as innovative and sublime in their way as Brian Wilson."<ref name="avclub" /> During the 1990s, renewed interest in soft pop emerged through bands such as [[Saint Etienne (band)|Saint Etienne]] (co-founded by Stanley), [[the High Llamas]], and the [[Wondermints]], alongside record collectors and critics who reassessed the style now termed sunshine pop.{{sfn|Howard|2004|p=85}}

Sunshine pop record collecting culture was initially centered in Japan during the early 1990s.{{sfn|Abbott|2008|p=172}} Concurrently, a short-lived musical movement in Tokyo's district sought to revive aspects of the genre.<ref name="Cross15"/> Soft Rock Fanzine [[VANDA]],[[Soft Rock A to Z]],Acts such as [[Pizzicato Five]] and [[Flipper's Guitar]] became leading proponents of {{Nihongo|''[[Shibuya-kei]]''|渋谷系}},<ref name="Cross15"/> with the sunshine pop group [[Roger Nichols (songwriter)|Roger Nichols & the Small Circle of Friends]] serving as a central influence.{{sfn|Reynolds|2011|p=168}} While incorporating contemporary [[electronic music|electronic]] elements, the movement retained the upbeat characteristics of 1960s Californian pop. Parallel developments occurred internationally, with groups like [[Stereolab]] and [[Broadcast (band)|Broadcast]] exploring analogous stylistic fusions.<ref name="Cross15">{{cite web|last=Cross|first=Reuben|title=Shibuya-kei: Japan's attempt at bringing back sunshine pop|url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/shibuya-kei-japans-attempt-at-bringing-back-sunshine-pop/|website=Far Out Magazine|date=January 5, 2025|access-date=May 7, 2025}}</ref>{{refn|group=nb|''Shibuya-kei'' also drew prominently from 1960s [[French pop music]], Italian film scores, and [[bossa nova]].{{sfn|Reynolds|2011|p=168}}}} Abbott suggests that Japan's receptiveness to sunshine pop stemmed partly from compatibility between its softer vocal styles and Japanese linguistic cadences, as well as the country's longstanding embrace of American vocal harmony traditions since the early 1960s.{{sfn|Abbott|2008|p=172}}

Following a growing appreciation for sunshine pop among [[indie rock]] music circles, record labels such as Collector's Choice and [[Sundazed Records|Sundazed]] played significant roles in reissuing obscure sunshine pop recordings during this period.<ref name="avclub" /> In 2004, [[Rhino Records]] released the multi-artist anthology ''[[Come to the Sunshine: Soft Pop Nuggets from the WEA Vaults]]'', cited by Murray as "a good place [for listeners] to start".<ref name="avclub" /> By 2008, further compilations included ''Sunshine Days'' ([[Varese Sarabande]]) in the U.S., spanning five volumes; ''Ripples'' ([[Sanctuary Records|Sequel/Sanctuary]]) in Britain, comprising eight volumes; ''The Melody Goes On'' (M&M) in Japan, released in two volumes; and ''The Get Easy Sunshine Pop Collection'' ([[Universal Music Group|Universal]]/Boutique) in Germany.{{sfn|Abbott|2008|p=172}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Pop music|1960s}}
* [[List of sunshine pop artists]]
* [[Art pop]]
* [[Progressive pop]]
* [[Orange sunshine]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=nb}}
==References==
{{Reflist|20em}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book |last1=Abbott |first1=Kingsley |title=500 Lost Gems of the Sixties |date=2008 |publisher=Ovolo |isbn=978-1-905959-06-8 |url=https://archive.org/details/500lostgemsofsix0000abbo/|url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book|editor-last1=Cooper|editor-first1=Kim|editor-last2=Smay|editor-first2=David|title=Bubblegum Music is the Naked Truth|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/bubblegummusicis0000unse|year=2001|publisher=[[Feral House]]|isbn=978-0-922915-69-9}}
* {{cite book |last=Granata |first=Charles L. |title=Wouldn't it Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds |date=2003 |url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=eduXp1caQ4YC}}|publisher=Chicago Review Press|isbn=978-1-55652-507-0}}
* {{cite book|last=Howard|first=David N.|title=Sonic Alchemy: Visionary Music Producers and Their Maverick Recordings|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y4Sk0FNXkjcC|year=2004|publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation|isbn=978-0-634-05560-7}}
* {{cite book |last1=Priore |first1=Domenic |author1-link=Domenic Priore |title=Riot on Sunset Strip: Rock 'n' Roll's Last Stand in Hollywood |date=2007 |publisher=Jawbone Press |location=London |isbn=978-1-906002-04-6 |url=https://archive.org/details/riotonsunsetstri0000prio/ |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book|last=Reynolds|first=Simon|author-link=Simon Reynolds|title=Retromania: Pop Culture's Addiction to Its Own Past|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8FI3dVT9t34C|year=2011|publisher=Faber & Faber|isbn=978-1-4299-6858-4}}
*{{cite book|last=Stanley|first=Bob|author-link=Bob Stanley (musician)|title=Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=9emZAAAAQBAJ|date=2013|publisher=Faber & Faber|isbn=978-0-571-28198-5}}
* {{cite book|last=Unterberger|first=Richie|author-link=Richie Unterberger|title=Eight Miles High: Folk-rock's Flight from Haight-Ashbury to Woodstock|url=https://archive.org/details/eightmileshighfo00sanf|url-access=registration|year=2003|publisher=Backbeat Books|isbn=978-0-87930-743-1}}

==External links==
* {{cite web|ref=none|last1=Thomas|first1=Bryan|title=Twinn Connexion|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/twinn-connexion-mw0000868432|website=[[AllMusic]]}}

{{Pop music}}
{{Easy listening}}
{{Progressive music}}

[[Category:Sunshine pop| ]]
[[Category:Pop music genres]]
[[Category:1960s in American music]]
[[Category:1960s in California]]
[[Category:20th-century music genres]]
[[Category:American styles of music]]
[[Category:California Sound]]
[[Category:History of Southern California]]
[[Category:Music of California]]
[[Category:Youth culture in the United States]]