Another big impetus for the evolution of the AC radio format was the popularity of easy listening or "<answer>beautiful music</answer>" stations, stations with music specifically designed to be purely ambient. Whereas most easy listening music was instrumental, created by relatively unknown artists, and rarely purchased, AC was an attempt to create a similar "lite" format by choosing certain tracks (both hit singles and album cuts) of popular artists.
What was another term for easy listening stations?
beautiful music