Joseph Lanza

Muzak – the carefully-curated elevator music maligned for its mild and universally inoffensive sound – is ditching its name. Mood Media, the parent company of Muzak, has decided to rebrand their music services under the name “Mood” in an attempt to distance themselves from a label that has become a regular source of ridicule. Brooke talks with Joseph Lanza about his book Elevator Music: A Surreal History of Muzak, Easy-Listening, and Other Moodsong. 

Many people know Muzak as a catch-all for plain background music, but it's actually the name of a brand and a company. And this week, the company that owns Muzak - Mood Media - had de...