Wall Of Sound

The Wall of Sound emerged in the early 1960s, courtesy of a certain genius producer who thought that layering instruments until your ears felt like they were under a literal avalanche was a brilliant idea. Characterised by lush orchestration and booming, echoing vocals, it sounds like a symphony getting vigorously elbowed by a rock band; think of it as a musical hug that tries to smother you with love. The genre famously proved that too much of a good thing is actually just enough, leaving us all wondering why our speakers aren’t louder and more packed with strings.