In the early 1980s, a commercial sort of jazz fusion called pop fusion or "smooth jazz" achieved success and gathered important radio airplay. Smooth jazz saxophonists contain Grover Washington, Jr, Kenny G, Kirk Whalum, Boney James, David Sanborn, and Michael Brecker. Smooth jazz take frequent airplay with more straight-ahead jazz in "quiet hurricane" time slots at radio stations in urban markets across the U.S, helping to build or reinforce the careers of vocalists including Al Jarreau, Anita Baker, Chaka Khan, and Sade. In this same period of time Chaka Khan released Echoes of an age, which featured Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, and Lenny White. She also released the track "And the Tune Still Lingers On ( Night in Tunisia )" with Dizzy Gillespie reviving the solo break from "Night in Tunisia". Generally, smooth jazz is downtempo ( the most generally played tracks are in the 90105 BPM range ), layering a lead, melody-playing instrument ( saxophonesespecially soprano and tenorare the most well liked, with legato electric guitar playing a close 2nd ) over a background that sometimes is composed of programmed electronic drum rhythms, synth pads and samples. In his Newsweek article "the issue With Jazz Feedback " Stanley Crouch considers Miles Davis ' playing of fusion as a pivot point that led on to smooth jazz.

In Aaron J. West's intro to his research of smooth jazz, "Caught Between Jazz and Pop" he states, I challenge the prevalent marginalization and malignment of smooth jazz in the standard jazz story. Additionally , I query the presumption that smooth jazz is an unlucky and unwelcomed evolutionary result of the jazz-fusion time. Instead, I disagree that smooth jazz is a long-lived musical style that merits multi-disciplinary analyses of its origins, imperative dialogues, performance practice, and reception.