Decoder Ring: That Seattle Muzak Sound
b'If you love the show and want to support us, consider joining Slate Plus. With Slate Plus you can binge the whole season of Decoder Ring right now, plus ad free podcasts, bonus episodes, and much more.\\nOn this episode, we explore the misunderstood history of Muzak, formerly the world\\u2019s foremost producers of elevator music. Out of the technological innovations of World War I, Muzak emerged as one of the most significant musical institutions of the 20th century, only to become a punching bag as the 1960\\u2019s began to turn public perceptions of popular music on its head. By the 80\\u2019s and 90\\u2019s, Muzak was still the butt of jokes, and was trying to figure out a new direction as they happened to employ many players in Seattles burgeoning grunge scene. This is the story of how different ideas about pop music butted heads throughout the 20th century, including inside Muzak\\u2019s offices.\\xa0\\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices'