Muzak: Easy Listening Goodness

# Stuff You Should Know - Muzak Episode Summary

Josh and Chuck dive deep into the surprisingly fascinating history of Muzak, the ubiquitous instrumental background music that once filled elevators, offices, and shopping malls everywhere. From its inventor George Squire's ingenious multiplexing technology to how the company strategically used "stimulus progression" to boost worker productivity throughout the day, this episode reveals how background music became an inescapable part of 20th-century American life—and why it eventually fell out of favor when rock and roll and lyrics became culturally important. Along the way, they explore everything from why Brian Eno created ambient music as an antidote to Muzak, to how a scrappy Seattle competitor called Yesco ultimately transformed the entire industry and forced a major reinvention.