Ambient music—a term popularized by the English composer Brian Eno—is a genre often referred to as “environmental music,” though its definition is quite ambiguous.
Put simply, rather than music that reaches out directly to the listener, it’s said to be music that gently envelops them; yet due to that ambiguity, its styles vary widely.
This time, I’ve selected some classic tracks of ambient music.
Please take your time and enjoy until the end.
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Masterpieces of ambient music. Recommended popular tracks (1–10)
An EndingBrian Eno
You can’t talk about ambient music without mentioning this track.
“An Ending” is a masterpiece by Brian Eno, known as a pioneer of ambient music, and it’s beloved by many ambient music fans.
The melody is quintessentially ambient, with a dreamy quality that evokes images of outer space or the deep sea.
If you’re looking to relax, be sure to give it a listen.
Chill OutThe KLF
The classic track “Chill Out” by Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty.
They’re known as a truly great group, and over their career they created the genres of ambient house and chill-out.
Ambient house is a minor genre, but the fact that they established the major genre of chill-out is a remarkable achievement.
As the title suggests, “Chill Out” is a definitive work of the chill-out sound they pioneered.
Since it’s a genre that evolved from ambient music, be sure to check it out.
In CTerry Riley
Composer Terry Riley is known as a leading figure in the avant‑garde genre of minimal music, which keeps musical movement to a minimum.
Despite being in his late eighties, he remains active, and he is also highly regarded as a composer of ambient music.
His celebrated piece In C is a work that blends minimal music with ambient music, resulting in a distinctive musical style.
Melancholia IIWilliam Basinski
William Basinski is an American artist who also performs as a saxophonist and clarinetist.
He is known for his avant-garde musical style that defies established genres and music theory, often categorized as experimental music.
In his case, that experimental approach is uniquely channeled into ambient music through his distinctive compositional style.
“Melancholia II” is one of his celebrated tracks, crafted with a dreamlike melody.
If you enjoy classic ambient music in the vein of Brian Eno, be sure to give it a listen.
Little Fluffy CloudsThe Orb
The Orb, a techno group formed in 1988 and a leading act from the UK.
They are well-versed across genres, excelling in ambient house, electronica, dub, trip-hop, and intelligent dance music.
Among these, ambient house is especially popular, and their track “Little Fluffy Clouds” is one of their most celebrated classics in the genre, boasting top-tier popularity.
Highly recommended for those who enjoy deeply immersive music.
Popgas
GAS is a music project by Wolfgang Voigt.
It’s extremely popular within the minimal techno genre and has received high acclaim worldwide.
Among GAS’s works, the track I especially recommend is Pop.
It’s one of the project’s signature releases and is particularly popular within ambient music.
Its popularity is easy to understand—the melody is so catchy—so be sure to check it out.
The RacesGrouper
Grouper is the solo project of composer Liz Harris.
While she’s known for psychedelic folk and dream pop, the project is especially acclaimed for its ambient music.
Grouper’s ambient work is distinctive and is categorized as ambient slowcore.
Within ambient music, this genre is particularly ethereal, and The Races is packed with the allure of ambient slowcore.