Ambient 1: Music For Airports  by Brian Eno

Ambient 1: Music For Airports by Brian Eno is one of the most influential albums in the history of electronic music. It is the work that essentially "baptized" and defined the genre of Ambient, transforming it from a nebulous idea into a distinct musical movement. It was released in February 1979. Although there were earlier examples (such as Erik Satie's "musique d'ameublement"), Eno was the first to use the term "Ambient" and approached composition as a form of "sound sculpture."

The composition was based on magnetic tape loops of different lengths that repeated at different rhythms. This created random, evolving interactions between the sounds, without a fixed melody or rhythm. The sound is dominated by soft piano (with Robert Wyatt's participation on the track "1/1"), layers of vocals, and synthesizers that create a sense of weightlessness.

Initially, the album did not achieve commercial success and failed to chart. However, over the decades, it has sold over 200,000 copies, making it one of Eno's most commercially successful solo albums. Ambient 1: Music For Airports was indeed used as a sound installation at New York's LaGuardia Airport (!)