Brian Eno - Ambient 1: Music For Airports (1978)

Groundbreaking. With this album, Eno invented the ambient genre. Heck, he even coined the term 'ambient music.' A good description of this album comes from Linda Kohanov:

"Four subtle, slowly evolving pieces grace Eno's first conscious effort at creating ambient music. The composer was in part striving to create music that approximated the effect of visual art. Like a fine painting, these evolving soundscapes don't require constant involvement on the part of the listener. They can hang in the background and add to the atmosphere of the room, yet the music also rewards close attention with a sonic richness absent in standard types of background or easy listening music"

It's like good soundtrack music. Written not to be noticed.

Press of the time:

• Trouser Press: "lovely nothingness"
• Record World: "series of lulls and drones"
• Rolling Stone: "there's a good deal of craftsmanship here, but to find it, you've got to thwart the music's intent by concentrating"
• Robert Christgau (B): "Although I'm no frequenter of airports, I've found that these four swatches of modestly 'ambient' minimalism have real charms as general-purpose calmatives."
• Musician: "brilliant, sensual music with nary a cliché in sight"

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks:

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I bought this CD at the suggestion of an education expert. She suggested that teachers play this ambient music in classrooms while students do their work as it relaxes them. I tried it once while teaching an 8th grade English class. About 2 minutes in, my students almost rioted. Turns out education experts don't know as much as they think they do; present company included.