What was the first popular song to feature a synthesiser?
Music would be entirely different if not for the invention of the synthesiser, an instrument which has defined popular music since the 1960s. Now, it is widely used and features in many of our favourite songs, but six decades ago, the instrument was only just making its way into the mainstream, all thanks to Robert Moog.
The synthesiser has a long and fascinating history, starting in 1895, when Alfred Graham experimented with the connection between sound and electricity, resulting in a device called the Electric Musical Tones. Then there was a machine called the Singing Arc, a progenitor of the synthesiser, which came shortly after.
Soon, new inventions like the theremin, designed by Leon Theremin, began to appear. The instrument, created in 1928 and now commonly used in horror and sci-fi scores due to its unnerving presence, was popularised by Clara Rockmore, who toured with it. She even aided its development by highlighting adjustments to Theremin, with author Tara Rodgers suggesting that Rockmore helped “electronic and experimental music” become recognisable “as a viable art form in the public imagination”.
That same year, Maurice Martenot invented the Ondes Martenot, an early analogue synthesiser which has been used in both orchestral and popular compositions. Other inventions followed, such as the Electronic Sackbut, aiding the development of the modern synthesiser. In 1957, the first programmable electronic synth, the RCA Mark II Sound Synthesiser, was installed at Columbia University. Despite being a considerable development in the synth world, it was massive, making it hard for widespread commercial use.
However, thanks to Moog, who invented a fairly portable, commercial instrument, the Moog synthesiser, in 1964, the device transformed popular music through its easy-to-use nature. It was made wildly popular by Wendy Carlos, who used it to create the album Switched-On Bach in 1968, scoring number ten on the US Billboard charts. The record won three Grammys, making Carlos the first transgender person to earn an award from the institution, although she didn’t openly come out until 1979.
Another album, albeit less popular, that predominantly featured a Moog synthesiser was The Zodiac: Cosmic Sounds from 1967. It included music written by synth legend Mort Garson, with the Moog played by Paul Beaver. Also that year, The Monkees used a Moog on their album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd, which was also played by Beaver. Their song ‘Star Collector’ is often credited as the earliest pop song to feature a synth. Additionally, Beaver’s Moog was played by Ray Manzarek on The Doors’ popular hit ‘Strange Days’ later that year.
With further popular uses included in songs by The Beatles and movie scores, such as Carlos’ work on A Clockwork Orange and The Shining, the Moog has since become one of music’s most coveted instruments.
