Space Rock - History - Episode 1 - Space-themed music (2020)

„Space-themed music is any music, from any genre or style, with lyrics or titles relating to outer space or space travel.

Songs or other musical forms influenced by the concept of outer space have appeared in music throughout history, both in instrumental and vocal pieces with lyrics. As early as Ancient Greece, Pythagoras believed in something called the "harmony of the spheres". He believed that since planets and the stars all moved in the universe according to mathematical equations that these mathematical equations could be translated into musical notes and thus produce a symphony. This idea was explored further throughout Western history under the theories of Musica universalis. Some more recent and widely different examples are The Planets by Gustav Holst, and the song "Space Oddity" by David Bowie. Outer space also appears as a theme in "space age" retro pop music, such as Stereolab's Space-Age Bachelor Pad Music. Music about outer space attracts enthusiastic listeners from all walks of life. Some have created web pages to share their interests. NASA, JPL, and the US Governmental Centennial of Flight Commission even have a webpages showcasing and discussing music about outer space. One useful example of such a web-based list is by astronomer Andrew Fraknoi; see under External Links, below, "A Catalog of Music Inspired by Serious Astronomy." Music about outer space.


In 1958, Karl-Birger Blomdahl composed an opera Aniara to a libretto by Erik Lindegren based on the poem Aniara by Harry Martinson, a tragedy set aboard a space ship. In 1958, Russ Garcia recorded an exotica album called Fantastica on Capitol Records that was about space travel. In 1969, The Beatles released single Across the Universe. In 1972, Elton John released single Rocket Man. The same year, Tangerine Dream released their double album Zeit, featuring space-related track titles such as Birth of Liquid Plejades and Nebulous Dawn, as well as cover art depicting a solar eclipse. It is considered one of the first (possibly the first) Dark ambient albums.

Eduard Artemyev has made space-themed music, for example for a space film Solaris (1972), although his best known and successfully covered space-themed sounding piece might be the theme song for non-space film Siberiade (1979). The Japanese musician Isao Tomita has produced many albums with space-based themes, such as The Planets (1976), his version of Holst's suite; Kosmos (1978); Bermuda Triangle (1979); Dawn Chorus (Canon of the Three Stars) (1984); Space Walk – Impressions Of An Astronaut (compilation, 1984); Mind of the Universe – Live at Linz (1985); Back to the Earth – Live in New York (1988); and Nasca Fantasy (supporting Kodo, 1994). The Vangelis album Albedo 0.39 (1976) is entirely devoted to space, while a segment of Heaven and Hell (1975) was used as the theme to the PBS television series Cosmos by Carl Sagan. His work Mythodea: Music for NASA's Mars Odyssey Mission is reflective of his interest in space exploration. Mike Oldfield's 1994 album The Songs of Distant Earth was based on Arthur C. Clarke's SF novel Songs of Distant Earth. Pop songs also mention outer space, such as Chris de Burgh's "A Spaceman Came Travelling", the Bonzo Dog Band's "I'm the Urban Spaceman", David Bowie's "Space Oddity", Elton John's "Rocket Man", Major Tom by Peter Schilling, and Deep Purple's "Space Truckin'". To Our Children's Children's Children by The Moody Blues was a 1969 album inspired by spaceflight. Several albums have featured music inspired by the Apollo space program. In 1983, Brian Eno with his brother Roger Eno and producer/recording artist Daniel Lanois, composed the score for the film For All Mankind, a documentary of NASA's Apollo program; an album of the music, Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks, was later released. On The Orb's 1991 two-disc debut album, Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld, disc one of features an ambient musical simulation of the Apollo 11 moon journey, including excerpts of NASA recordings of the radio conversations between Mission Control and the astronauts in space. To commemorate the 50th anniversay of the moon landing, Julianne Regan and Tim Bricheno of All About Eve, released a video and song called Pale Blue Earth...“

Background music: Gustav Holst - The Planets Op.32, Jupiter

Source of Information: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space...