Oxygène

I’m not a fan of this style of music. It’s well made and laid the groundwork for other musicians to come. Just not my thing.

Met mijn beperkte kennis van het genre zou ik dit omschrijven als een wat laffere Vangelis. Wel geinig dat hij zulke ruimtereismuziek in 1976 in z'n appartement heeft kunnen maken. En track 4 (Oxygene, Pt. 4) ken ik zowaar, maar tot grote ergernis van mezelf weet ik niet waarvan precies. Ik dacht van TelSell. Ik google TelSell, blijkt dat die echt gisteren ofzo failliet zijn gegaan. Toch nog iets wat deze rating memorabel maakt. Ik vind zo'n zweefalbum altijd best wel leuk. Ik weet alleen niet of hier hierbij zo hard zou moeten persen dat ik er meer dan 3 sterren uit kan halen. Ik denk het niet eigenlijk.

Kjedelig

First thought - hilarious to think of this coming out in the 70s. It's giving X-Files but this is way too early for that. I'm going to need to DNF this one. It's just not the vibe.

Songs were a little long, but this is relatively inoffensive background music. Top 1001 albums of all time? Idk about that. I feel like I'm Ryan Gosling in space, this was chillllllllll

Starts out exceptionally dull, but then at about the 90-second mark of Pt. 2, you start levitating out of the chair until you reach outer space and meet some Andromedan, who invite you onto their ship to show you the cosmos via a segment not too dissimilar to a DK Eyewitness Intro, then ends pretty dull.

1 out of 5 This is music you hear at a spa. Odd.

8/10

I guess somebody had to make music for coding on a monochrome CRT terminal

This would probably be a super interesting listen for a guy who knows about old hardware etc, but that’s not me. I wish it was! Extra star from a different version of myself who is like “Wow imagine how he did this!”

Smooth listening

What a delicious album! The songs are very atmospheric, but that doesn't make it any less interesting. Instead, it's a complex album that is mainly just one song with different sections. And they are all so hauntingly beautiful and so immersive. It's the kind of electronic music I love, one that evolves and evokes different things, but also being so beautiful and, at times, even progressive, without feeling repetitive at all. I'm impressed, this album is brilliant.

Helt ok, inte riktigt min smak men ändå fin att lyssna på. Kände igen en del men långt ifrån allt. Förstår att albumet var banbrytande för sin tid men nu känns det kanske lite meeeh....

This has 80s future technology TV show theme music vibes all over it! ... and then _Oxygène (Part IV)_ came one and I recognised that it had indeed been used on some 80s future technology TV show. Not _Tomorrow's World_ as I initially assumed, but one called _Where There’s Life_, which I don't remember anything of.... except the theme tune! I'm not a big fan of ambient music, it's generally not what I listen to music for so whilst this will happily sit in the background whilst I work, it's just not something I'm interested in or going to get excited about

Kind of interesting, probably very ahead of its time. Just not for me.

So my first impression of this album was that it was a mildly underwhelming electronic album that leans alittle to the ambient/vibe side of electronica. But then I noticed what year this album came out (1976!) and that totally blew me away. Like how is this album able to be SO far ahead of its time?! It’s really really impressive to say the least. Most, if not all, current electronic musical artists would be genuinely ecstatic if their work came out sounding like this. But unfortunately I can’t just review this album on whether or not it was ahead of its time (cause if I was this would legitimately get a 5/5) I also have to review the music for my own personal taste, and this was crazy dry. It had its moments, I saved a song (pt.4) and enjoyed myself. But I’d never come back to this album outside of owning it for solid background noise. But for a list of music you HAVE to hear before you die, I’d say this albums inclusion is debatable/controversial to say the least.

Because I listened to it a long time ago

Boring electronic

Pleasant background music. I thought it sounded like it could be a video game soundtrack and the artist made multiple soundtracks before this album. It is somewhat repetitive and kinda boring, but I am sure it was revolutionary at the time.

Sci-fi-esque ambience that I did not expect to like at all. Honestly, it was pretty good. 3.5/5

Interesting, but I think only part IV is any good I muttered and my bro knew instantly what album I was talking about. It is strange that as someone who hates instrumental albums I have listed to a few of them recently by Miles Davis and Ludovico Einaudi. This was equally interesting and reminded me of the theme tune to a kid’s science programme. Oh, and sod IV, III is pretty damn sharp itself!

We're literally in the future and it still doesnt sound as futuristic as this album from 1976

I like synth and I think Jean Mikchel Jarre is a talented guy, but after the 1st song I was bored. This is not my taste. It's background music.

It is 1976. I have sat and dwelled. Dwelled and sat. A decision has been made. I am a man. I, am a psychonaut. I ingest strange fruit. I circumvent the natural order of things. Or do I? Do I offend god, or do I entice the gods? Have I sealed my fate? My doom? Or have I, as is my desire, cracked this bored sky and set upon a path of infinite possibility. My couch dwelling self is shed like the skin of a tired snake. I emerge from a warm sea. Vibrating. Energized. Ready. The sun is unfamiliar. The shore is strange. I am new. I am Empty. I desire to be filled. Infinite paths lie before me. I contemplate. I step forward. I am fulfilled. I contain multitudes. Anyways, I had no idea what this was before today. Pretty fucking pumped for it though. More please.

aburrido

Give me lyrics

Refreshing, cool, surreal... I can't believe this was 1976. I can feel optimism for space voyage here. Might replay this album in the near future.

A very influential album in regards to electronic music. I find it funny that Wikipedia says this is his first album not intended for use as a soundtrack. It very much sounds like it could be used as a soundtrack lol. I enjoy early synthesizer music and this is a great album.

For 1976 this is a groundbreaking recording by the (latterly crowned) ‘Father of Techno’. One can’t help but identify the influences of some progressive rock acts in some of the more expansive tracks. Parts 1-2 became used in tv and film and part 4 was a hit single, learnt by many new owners of Casio keyboards in the 80s. The only thing that dates it is the relatively basic programmed percussion. A defining sound of my young life.

= The Beatles Continues to prove the French have the best electronic music, even when it's just elevator music

Ambient ahh

I did not listen all the way through on this. Maybe if I was stoned at a planetarium show this would have hit - but alas I wasn’t.

I couldn’t decide if I was in a horror film; a Halloween haunted house, a dance club or outer space and I don’t mean that positively.

Like I'm at an alien spa.

Kind of eye rolled after track one. Halfway through part 2 I started to get in the zone of it. Then it got old quick. It's cool music in the right environment. 2/5

Fine enough background music, but not sure why it makes this list.

Track 4 in particular is a pleasure to listen to

I saw “ambient” and immediately assumed boredom. Almost didn't listen past the first song but Im glad i did because it either really grew on me or it evolved into some sort of soundtrack and the melodies and instrumentation started to become interesting. Always listen, always give it a chance. 6.5/10

I don’t love this album, but I recognize that it’s extremely influential.

Cited by many as a real pioneer in electronic music. Think I've glanced over this before, but fun to put ones teeth into it! My initial thoughts after listening to this, is that it must have been quite revolutionary in '76, but has definitely lost some of its flair. If you for example compare it to Kraftwerk, this feels like it has aged much better. This album leans heavily on big reverbs and ambient soundscapes, something which is still very relevant in today's electronic music. In addition, this album feels more orchestral than relying on specific blip blop sounds. In the end this is a nice mellow album which puts you in a certain mood of mystery and suspense. With its 39 minute runtime you can either listen to it in the background or focused in a sitting. Personally I found the album as a whole a bit too relaxed and tame. I'm missing some excitement.

I don't know why I like this album so much. Maybe it's because of the awesome album cover, maybe it's because I used to listen to it with my dad. I don't know. I really dig it, though. It's the perfect length for an album— it never really gets boring, and there are plenty of small earworms and hooks throughout its quite airy compositions. The album still manages to feel fresh and different today. I guess it was something completely new when it was released in the ’70s. There’s something really cool about early electronic music, and while it’s experimental, it never falls for cheap tricks or loses its musicality. I also believe this really benefits from being listened to as a whole album to get the full effect. The soundscapes flow into one another in a really satisfying way when you listen from start to finish. 5 stars.

Meh.

You just know plants and trees love this album. Album cover is cool.

For this most part, this faded into the background when I worked. But when I did notice it, it was annoying.

Yeah this slaps. The 80s before the 80s.

It's 39 minutes of electronica soundscapes. Not bad to work to, and much pleasanter than some of the other electronica I've heard. And so while it's not bad, the ceiling for these things is a 3/5 when it's done well, which is what it gets.

Mais legal do que eu achei que seria

4.0 - Very Good

I don’t really get the addition of ambient music on this list, but this was somewhat enjoyable. Sonically it’s very beautiful but there aren’t really any situations in which I can see myself saying “Throw on that one Jean-Michael Jarre album. The ambient music one.” The only scenario I could see myself listening to this is when i’m reading and need background music. With other forms of ambient music, I can at least say I can see this for a yoga class or for mediation. Not with this one though.

Didn’t like it.

Funky space music. Reminds me of space mountain

Decent for an all synth album, but there’s a very low ceiling for this type of album.

airy. whimsical. etheral.

solid ambient electronica stuff

I won't insult this. It's very... of its era. And, for the mid-70s, this must've sounded incredible. But. Not a huge hit for me. I see how it probably influenced the hell out of Daft Punk. I appreciate it for being a stepping stone, but I can't see returning to this one. 4/10

Innovative but not entirely listenable on its own merits.

One of those albums I always saw everywhere and always wondered what it sounded like. It was a nice listen. Another warm sounding album from the ‘70s even with all electronic instruments. I wonder what it would sound like on psilocybin or LSD? Now I’m curious to hear his other albums.

Nowadays, some of this feels almost like pastiche. You could imagine it soundtracking a 'Look Around You' style public education film spoof. For all that though, it's still pretty cool. Impressive in that era of home-brewed analogue synths. You can spot in certain moments, production techniques that were still being plundered to great effect by house music producers a good 10 - 20 years later.

very atmospheric, me likie

helt ålreit. må høre nøyere gjennom en annen gang.

It’s fine ambient music j guess.

Think: Ross Geller’s college band keyboard music. *Some* listen-able moments toward the end of album. Could *maybe* be a 1.5

For no lyrics and just pure beats and synths.. pretty good!! The cohesiveness of the album, one song playing into the other with no real end was also very intriguing and interesting! While listening with headphones, the album did really ear-gasmic things to me, fading in from one ear to the other while somehow tickling my brain? Had to favorite the first two tracks, Pt.1 and Pt.2.. Added to my library!

Very atmospheric, very chill. Fully see why some fall into it and find it relaxing and a great album. Probably would have been better if had taken others advice and not listened first thing in the morning. As I found it a bit of a chore, a little boring, a bit like a prescribed mindfulness activity, and I don’t tend to enjoy those when made to participate, an occupational hazard. But I can appreciate this is a statement piece, an important electronic music album and obviously know part 4 and that it, the album should at least be heard. 3 Star

Inscrutable

Oxygene pt3 should be on 1001 singles to listen to, but the album can be missed. The second half of Oxygene pt5 is a banger though. Should have been split into 2 tracks

Hell yeah. What a great listen. I was so out on this album when I put on track 1 but by the end of the first song I was hooked. I wish it was longer

One Great tune doesn’t make a great record.

Que se yo, puedo entender por qué está acá pero no me dice mucho, el primer tema parece la intro de un spinoff de Doctor Who que no termina de arrancar, Oxygène pt 5 y 6 tan buenas. Se puede dejar de fondo tranca o para un rol espacial. Sape

Not for me. Sounds a bit like a B movie sci fi soundtrack from the 80s.

I only thought the 2nd half of track 5 was any good.

Pretty cool. Basically the Stranger Things soundtrack in 1976.

A mood album, not something I'd listen to much of, but found it interesting enough

All the songs have the same name,so I kind of knew that it was not going to be impressive. This is music that you hear at a spa or massage parlor

Um álbum que é simultaneamente a frente do tempo e representativo de sua era. Extremamente inspirador para qualquer músico que toca sintetizador.

I'm on a spaceship! I'm by the sea! I'm going to listen to this whilst studying sometimes 3-4

- Deezer has this album listed as coming out in 2011, which was very confusing at first. I was thinking "this is nothing special, why are there so many sci-fi blaster sound effects, what's going on" until I looked it up on wikipedia and saw it came out in the 70s, which was mind-blowing - I think of this album as more of a showcase of what this person was able to do with synthesizers rather than an album someone might listen to from start to finish. the songs (or movements, if you will) aren't very distinct from each other, and there's a bit of fatigue that comes from hearing what's essentially the first few minutes of Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond pt 1" for a solid 20-30 minutes before anything else happens - I recognize the innovation and how influential this must have been across the music sphere when it came out, but ultimately it's not very engaging to listen to on its own

I remember hearing this as a kid and it seemed so otherworldly to anything else I was listening to. It transported me to sunny isles and led me to a love of all 70' electronics. I still adore it, a must listen to anyone with a fascination of electronic music, it will send you down many a rabbit hole though !

Oxygène feels both futuristic and retro. It is incredibly innovative to both the electronic and ambient music scene, while also feeling of its time. Its not too dissimilar to watching an old sci-fi movie and seeing how the past generations would imagine the world we live in today. That's not meant to discredit Oxygène, I actually think that might be part of the album's charm. The tone is very relaxing and you could easily use this album as background music or you could give it your full focus and get lost in all the sonic textures. There's always something going on to stop any of the six chapters from getting stale. Most people will know 'Oxygène, Pt. 6', even if they couldn't name the artist or song, but the entire album is worth your time.

*In Announcer Voice* Welcome to the futuristic ride, Space Shift 4000. Make sure your lap belts are buckled. Sit back and enjoy the ride. 40 minutes, of stuff you could cut to 30 seconds for its best use. I need to listen to before I die? You've got to be bleeping kidding me. 1

Big fan of the artist. This is one of his better works. Quite coherent. I'm also partial to "Zoolook".

Great

The obsession with instrumental albums KILLS ME

some french guy had a vision and good for him for seeing it through but I just don't see where he's going with this

Interesting listen, way ahead of its time. Kind of boring by modern electronic standards but that's not a fair way to measure it. Brave rejection of song titles.

coder music

374/1089 - The French really love textures huh? This album made me want to hear what would happen if Ravel or Debussy had access to synthesizers. It was overall a cool and unique listening experience.

Oxygène part 2 was a banger

Album 30 Top 3 favorites off the album: Oxygène, Pt. 5; Oxygène, Pt. 6; Oxygène, Pt. 1 Okay, this one started and I immediately thought of the Nintendo DS homescreen music. Holy nostalgia, Batman! This album has a cool sound (temperature-wise). Part of pt. 1 has sounds like guinea pigs. I'm consistently surprised by how much I've enjoyed the electronic music on here. I'm not mad about it. Just not something I expected to occur. This was funny to me to review because it's in parts, so I get to rearrange the numbers how I want. It's not *funny* funny, it's really only funny to me. 5 is 1, 1 is 3, it's like a big electronic music salad. Yum.

Not really my bag - it builds and builds but never goes anywhere

Another album that is probably more important than enjoyable for me. Passed me by without much thought (other than remembering that joke about Zsa Zsa Gabor and Jean Michel Jarre marrying)

Too hygienic for me, like shopping in duty free. Tom.

This just makes me want to explore dungeons and shit.

cool ambient music that makes me feel like I am floating in space

Cool for its time. Not really worth mine.

I did not enjoy this album although I can hear how it would influence music I do enjoy.

star trek nonsense

Don’t like

I'd like to welcome the newest member of 1001 Albums That Are Good But It's Fine If You Never Hear Them list. It's a fine album but it feels like the soundtrack to an old sci-fi TV show or some lost Doctor Who episodes.

Cool sci-fi ambient

Relaxing

Hard to incorporate 10 minute lyricless synth music into my daily listening. Great album though. Made me think about how I have a very clear idea about how space sounds, music-wise, and wonder who first put that audio-landscape together. Like, space is silent, so it doesn't fundamentally have a "sound". It's only really through media that I've come to a conclusion about how space sounds. I wonder how their contemporaries composed for space. How might space have sounded in another universe?

I put this album on right as I was about to start building a bookshelf. I immediately realized it was actually a dresser, and not a bookshelf, which makes it useless. I respect the craft on display here, and the music is very pretty; it just also doesn't do a whole lot for me. Strictly instrumental ambient electronic music can be a mixed bag for me sometimes, and this album just sits in a bit of a difficult space for me personally: it sounds like if someone puts Animusic on .25 speed (this is not really a critique, Animusic is rad). I appreciate it as a bit of dramatic ambient music, and it certainly is a really compelling and ethereal vibe, but there are simply other albums in a similar realm to this one which I latch onto more than Oxygène. Certain bits of this album click for me really well, when more instrumentation kicks in and the songs progress a bit more, but certain parts just go on a bit longer than I would like. I'm sure I will like this more the familiar I get with it, but for now it's a pretty solid vibe. Highlights: Oxygène Pt. 2, Oxygène Pt. 4

My first impulse is to start a punk band called Jean-Michel Jarring. Or maybe a Pere Ubu cover band called Jean-Michel Jarry. This whole album sounds like the thing they play over the public address system right before the thing you came for happens. This album is the thing before the thing. Once you accept that, it becomes much more interesting. So instead of following your instinct to punch Monssiuer Jarre in the face, just imagine this is a brilliant exploration of anticipation. An extreme elongation of what is normally a matter of seconds, enabling a deep examination. Or fuck it. This is annoying.

It's hard to listen to this album 50 years after it was released and fully appreciate how different and polarizing it was, at least for a lot of music critics who rebelled against its clinical style, yet was warmly embraced by literally millions of fans within a few years of its international release. I can see why people called it the French version of Mike Oldfield's earlier "Tubular Bells" album, but it feels like a very different heritage, and certainly a much different legacy as an early and very successful synthesizer album. It doesn't do much for me, but I suspect that's as much a result of Jarre's imprint on a large swath of later movie soundtracks and electronica albums, so that this doesn't sound all that interesting or different, in a way. But either way, it's very impressive that he cobbled together all the instruments and machines with very limited funds, and even built his own studio in his kitchen. And given the success of this album (apparently over 18 million albums sold worldwide), I can see why Chris Blackwell (of Island Records) considered turning down Jarre's album for his label one of the two great mistakes of his career (apparently the other was turning down Elton John's debut album). I also love it that the percussion beats in various tracks of this album were achieved by using adhesive tape on a drum machine's preset keys to get two styles at once (e.g. Part VI uses "rhumba" and "bossa nova", to great (and cheesy) effect).

Kind of forgot about Jean-Michel Jarre, though the album I used to listen to was Equinoxe. Still, part IV was familiar to me, and it was fun to listen to him again, though it sounds a little dated in parts (gotta watch it with the mellotron).

Rolling my eyes at how pretentious the person who made this list apparently is

some cool stuff

Aside from the nostalgia track (shout out to Pure Moods) - nothing on here that stood out to me, just fine.

Good vibes. Nothing standout.

It was unusual when released but long and tuneless for the most part.

I first discovered the album in 1977 when I was a teenager. It was my first album in the electronic music genre. At the time, it was a revelation for me and set the bar by which other musicians in the genre had to be measured. However, the more I listened to the genre, the more reserved my opinion of this album became. Eventually, I stopped listening to it for a long time. That has now changed. The music is great. I think I'll listen to the album again and again. 5/5

Today was an uncharacteristically foggy day in my city, so listening to this while driving to work felt like transcending dimensions. Apart from that experience, which wasn’t bad, I feel like this album is only meant to be listened to in very specific situations, and for normal life it’s kind of boring and WAY too boom shoom wao wao fiu fiu.

This flows like a river, a river that will eventually hit a dam. 3/5

1 porque no le puedo dar menos

Turned out better than I expected. Listened to it while working, and made good focus music. Very sci-fi and spacy, but doesn't hammer you over the head with it. It just kinda exists in that space. It was good enough to listen to the whole album.

Atmosphere setting for sure, it's both haunting and slightly uplifting at times. I really wonder how an album like this turned out to be such a huge hit in the 70's, it's good music but not necessarily mass appeal. That said, it does sound more accessible than a Klaus Schulze or Tangerine Dream. The relative accessibility does hurt it a bit for me, it doesn't go all that crazy and it feels like the rest of the album is just the build up and comedown for the popular part IV.

Early electronic sounds like out of another world. The French knows how to make their electronic music.

How did this sell so much?

Good stoner music

Good background music

no...

Video game music, but not bad to listen to. Favorite track was pt. 5

It's hard to know what to do with album's like this. It's a famously pioneering record and it inspired a lot of amazing music, but a lot of it didn't click for me. Maybe that's the nature of proto albums like this when it's a genre you're not huge into. Still had some great moments on it and it's so clearly on the cutting edge forn it's time, so in conclusion: It was okay.

This was good background music while I worked. I feel like this is the 10th album in a row that I'm giving a 3, which feels weird but truly none of them have stood out to me.

Ambient, instrumental. Feels like I'm in space. Seems to come to life midway through track 2. Track 5 is fairly upbeat - Why does one of the melodies remind me of Donna Summer's 'I Feel Love'? Each track blends into one - kinda good to work to though once I've had a coffee

Good background music, very synthy 70's style. Could be movie soundtrack.

Love this record! When i listen to a foundational record in a particular style or genre, sometimes I'm just glad it existed for the sake of all the things that came later. Not the case with this one - it's pure joy on it's own terms. It has an amazing analogue, vintage warmth that probably sounded cold and futuristic at the time. So much later electronic genres are here in nascent form - techno, ambient, and various synth waves. This stands up alongside the best of Berlin School records. And the artwork is iconic. 5*

2 enjoyable tunes ..4 n 6. the rest nothing special.

dreaming, weightless floating in a night sky with shooting stars. there's a lil green man scooting across the horizon in his stellar pickup truck. contemplative, a lil cheesy, always compelling.

vibes

alien sounds, innovative aber nicht for me, hat zu lange gedauert, bis es vorbei war

Incredibly visionary shit for 1976, ambience with an emphasis on lush textures, unlike much of Eno's stuff from around this time, for example, which emphasized space and repetition. Because of that, I'd say that this feels way more ahead of its time when compared to its ambient-ish contemporaries (I know this isn't 100% an ambient album, but that's the parallel I choose to draw :)). Just the subtle progressions of the tracks, the ever-changing and dense environments, and the hypnotic filter slides and arpeggios that give many of the songs here a form of discernible melody. This album's more melodic tendencies kick in with Pt. 2, which is just so gorgeous in every way imaginable - evoking the feeling of walking through a demolished city that's been covered in overgrown plants. This album's balance between melody and ambiance gives it a video game OST vibe, way before the medium was ever even realized. 'Pt. 5' does the space ambience thing incredibly well; it reminds me of stuff Steve Roach went on to do later in the '80s. A chill listen and, again, just remarkably ahead of its time. You can always count on the French's electronic wizardry, I suppose.

Not really interesting

I get why it’s on the list but it was quite boring by today’s standards

Zanimivo, čisto nepoznano. Huda naslovnica. Elektronika, mogoč? (Jap.) So far zelo atmosferično. K soundtrack za kšn sci-fi film. Ok, kr naenkrat smo v drugem komadu in je blo seamless, najs. Btw, vsi komadi, tko k sam album, imajo naslov Oxygène in zraven samo Part 1 etc. V glavnem, fino.

I was ready to rip into this before I heard it, but I have to admit it won me over. Weird, cool, and invocative...it was perfect music to have on while doing repetitive work.

I know from my husband that this was important at the time, but for now I have to say that it sounds awfully tinkly toonkly.

I can’t take it.

I'd like to give Oxygène its flowers for its importance in the lineage of ambient music. Jean-Michel Jarre is a pioneer, etc, and influenced artists I blah blah blah. But this album did nothing for me.

Ok, but quite boring (in my mind)

Bad video game music

Didn’t do it for me.

Ballt att detta kom 76, men jag tröttnar ganska snabbt tyvärr.

Have been familiar with part IV for a while, nice to hear the whole thing.

180520 11:39 5

it was ok

Not for me. Wasn't bad music, just a little avent garde for my typical listening. Cool to hear old electronic music and learn more about it.

It feels so refreshing after a long day at work

eu não sou a maior fã de música eletrônica; eu pensei que ia ser só barulhos de fundo, em que você não presta muita atenção, mas com o tempo eu fui vendo o meu foco voltando para o álbum. acho que foi o primeiro desse gênero que eu gostei.

Heard about it somewhere before. Idk not really my style

Pretty crazy for the 70s, but overall it's just fine

pretty important album, shows a lot of what electronic music was

I've never listened to this album (81).

This really seems ahead of it's time - it could absolutely work as a video game soundtrack in something modern. Interesting throughout, but with a completely clear identity and uniqueness.

30/1089 2.3882* Never heard of this dude or the music but he's a pretty big deal in Europe, circa 1970s. This music is something from a post apocalyptic/dystopian film from the 70s. Maybe a perfect atmospheric soundtrack for Charlton Heston's finest performance as The Omega Man. Good representation of the synth rock to follow in the 80s and mellow but I didn't catch many hooks or very interesting melodies. Hits...Oxygene

Equal parts very annoying, quite stupid and very pointless. The famous one rescues it a little, and it's almost relaxing at times. But mostly it's pretty poor fare. I guess I just don't see its relevance in here.

This was nice to read to!

Positives: I used to like driving around in GTA IV listening to the station that had Oxygène 4 and Philip Glass on it. Negatives: It becomes repetitive very quickly and lacks the variety and sense of place that other early pioneers such as Kraftwerk provided.

I can see the influence this might have had on subsequent electronic music and for that I need to give it something, but it is a little bit shit, like a programme portraying the future that has aged poorly. It was likely very futuristic for its time but with hindsight, doesn’t have a great deal of the charm of some of its peers. I’m not averse to the synths per se but the percussion on it is washed out and isn’t as driving as something like kraftwerk. I’m glad to have listened to it, but not sure I’d want to revisit it.

I do not think electronic music is my thing sooo

Yay. More electronic music. That’s what I want for Christmas - no electronic music.

Se escuchó mucho en su época, pero ha quedado superado.

Pretty cool for it to be 1976 it must have been way ahead of its time. All said and done not my thing but its pretty good and almost like an evolution for classical music.

I understand the cultural/historic significance But unless I’m trying to have Lofi electronic music to work to or make a pretty boring sci-fi movie. I don’t understand why you would re-listen to this.

Couldn't get through the first song...

Not gonna lie, I was on a string of 10 or so straight average-to-below-average albums, so I was kind of pissed when I saw this pop up. I had no idea what it was. Then I started the first track and thought "Man, this sounds like that one radio station on Grand Theft Auto IV". Then I got to Oxygène Part IV, and thought "Man, this IS from that one radio station on Grand Theft Auto IV!" In the end, it was pretty badass. Made me want to hop on GTA IV and go to one of those internet cafes. Favorite song: Oxygène Part IV

El álbum clásico de Jarre. La 1 es un tanto lúgubre (como la 39 y etérea abre paso a ese jardín que es la 2 y sobre todo la 4. La 5 es tecno antes del tecno, claramente infuido por Tangerine Dream. La 6 hace de perfecto cierre de un álbum magnífico. Luego vendrían sus conciertos multitudinarios, espectaculares, algunos discos muy buenos (todos los que hizo en el siglo 20) y una recuperación en forma de homenaje con el siglo 21. Más allá de la broma (cierta) de haber usado Popcorn para su melodía más conocida, el disco es fundamental y además se sostiene con el paso del tiempo. La portada también.

It was a jam. 3.5/5

Definitely a night time gift wrapping album. I’ll revisit this so I think it’s good enough for a 5.

Needs no explanations.

There's elements of this I really like but needed far more variation. I really don't like this era of electronic music being all the same song but in different parts.

My only regret is listening to this while driving rather than in some sort of dedicated listening session. Phenomenal.

castlevania soundtrack music

I could listen to this kinda thing forever. Reminded me of Plantasia at first, which I adore.

2.5, I think I wish all of it was a little bit More

Yea, not for me. Tough to make it to the end.

3 I’m not normally much of a fan of ambient electronic music (or most ambient music for that matter), but there was something about this I kind of dug. I think it’s because it reminded me of the old PlayStation games I grew up on, with a splash of Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase mixed in for good measure (which in of itself was inspired by the same era of gaming). So, I guess you could say nostalgia is playing a factor in my rating, though this came out a good 25 years before any of those memories were formed - which, to this album’s credit, is very impressive. It definitely feels ahead of its time, so I can see why it would end up on a list like this. To put into perspective, this came out the same year that AC/DC, Boston, and The Ramones all released their debut albums. Granted, this isn’t really better than any of those per se, but I think the point still stands. It’s hard for me to comment on any one moment in particular given this whole album is really just one long song, but as far as 39-minute tracks go, this certainly could be a lot worse. There’s an immersive, sci-fi sort of aura to it that’s pleasant on the ears and changes up consistently enough to keep things interesting, so I can’t say that I have any complaints. It certainly didn’t wow me in any sort of way, and I can’t say I would go out of my way to listen again, but I certainly wouldn’t complain if I did. Keeping with the video game theme, I could see this being a vibe if I were playing a game like Mass Effect or Cyberpunk. Unfortunately for Jean-Michel, I’m still playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4, and I’m pissed off at the government (fuck ICE), so punk’s staying in the rotation for now.

Pretty cool experience. low 4/5

Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: Oxygene Part 4 SPACEEEEEEEEEEEE. I liked this. It felt fresh and exciting. It's electronica music way before it went mainstream. It is way more consumable than Tangerine Dream's Phaedra, clocking in at only 39 minutes vs. the 2h35m for the deluxe version of Phaedra. I am only comparing it because Phaedra is on the List. Anyways, I had heard Oxygene Part 4 before, but I couldn't put my finger on from where. I was for sure not alive when this came out, and my parents wouldn't be caught dead listening to something like this, and yet, I've heard it before... from where. Trying to put my finger on it.... I was pretty sure the context was a carnival or county fair. You know, some music that plays on one of the futuristic rides like the UFO shaped "Rotor". I hit up my sister to see if she had any distinct memories of hearing the song, but she didn't. So I finally googled it, but nothing substantial. Apparently Carl Sagan used it in Cosmos, but again, I was too young and my parents never showed me Cosmos (as disappointing as that is). Let's give the ole' AI (Gemini) a spin: I was listening to Oxygene part 4 by Jean-Michael Jarre, and I've definitely heard it before. I have memories of hearing it at the carnival or county fair, so on or near one of the rides. Is that possible? .... Arcade Grabber Machines: The track was frequently used in many arcade grabber (claw) machines, notably the Mega Crane, distributed by Elaut. A short clip of the main melodic part was often programmed to play at random intervals when the machine was idle but active. .... Spit-take. WOW. Okay. So I was pretty close after all said and done. I unmistakably heard this song playing (well, at least a tight loop of it) at an arcade I had visited multiple times during my childhood, but still over 15 years ago, committed the sound it to memory, and then activated that memory when I listened to the album today. Nice.

Not sure about this album.

Really cool album. I liked this much more than I expected to. Really pioneered this sound and I could see myself listening to this again. Love how cinematic it is.

Sounds great for 1976, but I'm in 2025

French electronica. Boof. Listen. I don't like this. This is not for me. But I feel I must give credit where credit is due. Could I make something like this? Not even just technically, but musically? No. In fact, I wouldn't even know where to start. And that's in today's world, with today's resources -- not in fucking 1976. So while I am tempted to flip the ole' bird to mister Jean-Michel Jarre, unfortunately it's just not that simple. Also, parts 4 and 5 did kind of bang. Still 2 stars.

Not as objectionable as some other electronic stuff. If you ask me, though, this is stinky poo poo!

I liked it quite a bit, the most impressive thing is that it was made in 1976. How? It sounds decades ahead of its time.

I wasn't expecting great things from an instrumental electronic album, but I actually really liked this! Especially toward the end, there's a lot of cool sounds going on here, even if it's not something that is going to have any like particularly memorable moments?

Wasn't my vibe today

1.5 stars There’s no reason I should be listening to this outside of watch a B-movie about aliens, being high out of my mind, or both. I’m sure it’s revolutionary but I’ll never listen to this front to back again.

Worth listening to on good-ass headphones with a good drink. Do not expect to mull over this one like I did. One of those cases where it hit on the right day at the right time and just felt good to listen to. Give me an evening with some snow in a comfortable chair with this all the time.

Oxygène is one of those albums that seems simple when it starts, almost fragile in how minimal it feels, but then it opens up into a whole world. It is electronic music at its most atmospheric and elemental, yet somehow it never feels cold. Jarre builds these long, flowing movements that seem to breathe on their own, and the synth sounds still feel strangely alive even after all these years. Every section drifts seamlessly into the next, and the whole album becomes this continuous experience that pulls you into its space without ever needing to raise its voice. What resonates most is how emotional it manages to be while using such a limited set of textures. There is wonder, stillness, tension, release, all being painted with synth tones that glide and ripple like light on water. “Oxygène IV” is the obvious standout because of how iconic it has become, but the quieter movements are just as powerful. They create a sense of drifting through something vast and unknowable, yet also peaceful. It is music that works whether you are lying in the dark with headphones or walking outside and letting the environment mix with it. There is very little to criticise, because this album achieves something so specific and does it with complete confidence. It does not rush. It does not clutter itself. It trusts the listener to settle into the atmosphere and stay there. For an album built entirely from synthesizers in the mid 70s, it feels timeless, and that is a rare thing. Oxygène is not just a landmark in electronic music, it is a genuinely beautiful piece of art, the kind you can return to endlessly and still find yourself sinking into its world all over again.

Me when the album sounds like every arcade game soundtrack ever but is actually the driving force behind the sound that I've known for my entire life: hey wait this sounds like every arcade game soundtrack ever

7/10 Favourite: Pt. 2 Least Favourite: Pt. 3

Someone else described this as: Doctor Who backing music made by some dude in his kitchen. No thanks. And to that I say, "Yes, please!!!" This taps into something deep in my psyche, giving me nostalgia for a 1970s retrofuturistic life I'll never experience. 4⭐️

It's like I'm in an old sci-fi film or KSP. As background music its fine but it isn't anything I'd revisit

Fine album but somehow I enjoy more Equinox

fills me with a meticulous amount of power

I don't think it's particulary incredible by any means, but given this was 1976, he was way ahead of the electronic boom. I can see how electronic music was inspired by this work. Chapeau

Sounds like a seaside arcade

Pretty cool. Sounds like ambient but not exactly ambient. It fills the same "music to study to" niche.

2.5

2.5

Enjoyed the old school keyboard stylings on this one. Jarre really brings the most out of what was still a fairly basic instrument at that time. It often reminded me of Angelo Badalamente and the soundtrack from Twin Peaks. He changes it up with each movement of the song cycle and varies the mood so it keeps the listener engaged and interested.

Listened to this while reading some sci fi and definitely enhanced the experience. I love really good ambient music, the spaciousness of it. This felt almost infinite, like it would just go on slowly morphing forever. Both meditative and pretty unsettling at times. Amazing the sonic universe that one guy with not much equipment can create

I listened. Sounds were made.

The air was stagnant and the theremin was wacky. 5/10

This electronic album drifts like a slow satellite arc—cool, luminous, and a little distant—gliding through space on glowing synth trails. Basically getting a glimpse is okay, listening trough the whole thing: boring.

This has legendary status and I really expected a lot from it. Not a clear 5 for me, I guess it was ground breaking at the time. Still, holds up pretty good.

Wow, this reminds me of the Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld but it came out 15 years earlier...

Kind of weird.

2.5

Too cold

Great as a background music. Perfect when you need to focus on something, not intense enough to distract, but pleasant enough to help.

I was shocked of how good that was. I'll give it another listen soon and write more about it later. Just beautiful in my opinion. I was expecting a pre-developed electronic shit from the 70's, and got more of what I can describe as a symphonic experience. The analog synths feel so alive. I. Is like a declaration. Take your time. It's going to be a ride. It's very touching and quit sad, actually. II. It's starts sad in a way as well. But drum machine comes and some sound effects- and it feels like a lonely travel in space. The magic of the sound keeps it futuristic to this day in late 2025. III. Feels like an encounter with something new. A prelude of some kind. Harmony becomes super dense towards the end. IV. Now we are in movement. It's a pretty simple musical idea. But it's so well executed. Well, a banger. The ode of the record. Lovely. V. This one is the longest of the bunch, to me it's the best though. Starts more as a collage of sounds, and when the rythem kicks in there's some stereo game, which I think is the element that withstood the least test of time in the record. The last two and a half minutes are pretty cool, though. The panning still hits here. VI. This one is super cool. The melody here fits a synths version of a james bond movie. A slick Latin groove from the drum machine. The seal sound effects add to this tune and makes a beach chase soundtrack of sort. A playful and classy way to finish this thing, which I can now comfortably say is a masterpiece. I couldn't get entirely behind track five, but it's still one of the best i heard from the generator. I high high high 4 Ne, it's a I have to, sorry for the statistics

Album 977 of 1089 Oxygène - Jean-Michel Jarre (1976) Rating : 1 / 5 I’ll give it credit where it’s due: if you’re in a meditative mood, this could probably set the atmosphere just fine. It’s calm, spacious, floaty… all the things ambient electronic fans look for. But as far as listening for pure pleasure? This one just isn’t for me. After a while it felt less like music and more like an album of sound effects stitched together. I can understand its importance in the electronic world, and I’m sure it hits the right buttons for those who gravitate toward this kind of thing - but my buttons remain unpressed. Not offensive, not difficult - just not something I’d ever reach for again.

This was a good listen for me. The very first, Pt 1, had me worried that there would be a lot of operatic singing on it (not a fan), but after that it was nice background music. Had to look up and listen to the album from the big show in Houston, 'cities in concert' that took over the whole downtown skyline with fireworks and lasers. IT WAS AWESOME!

It would have been cool to hear this when it came out.

trippy

Good background noise to accompany tedious work

Influential but also boring in parts.

I listened to this while on the treadmill and it helped me pace better. Also, when the faux coastal thiung happened the treadmill visual was on a beach so that was cool too. I've actually add Pt. 4 on my running playlist for a while, its a great trackm and I had to be careful not to feel like the album was a boring build up to it. Taken as a whole context I think this a great immersive sound experience, and the 70s quality of the synth programming adds a charm to it you couldn't get away with today.

Interesting synth music that reminded me of the background music for the 'Birth of the Universe' exhibit at the planetarium. Now we just need to see if Neil deGrass Tyson is available to do the voiceover.

This is a good one for background music. I can see why it is highly regarded. Feels like a movie film score. However, I would not put this at the top of my list for anything other than an option for classroom work music.

Despite everyone saying we should all know Oxygène 4 , ( which I somehow saved in Spotify too) I have never heard of him. I may revisit this at night but so far it was just okay.

I didn't know if I was floating in water or space but it was pretty. I listened to the second half on my way home in the snow and it helped keep me calm

Had Stranger Things taken place in the 70’s, this might be its soundtrack. This album is definitely a precursor to the synth drenched 80’s. As a whole listening experience, I enjoyed it. I like ambient a lot but it doesn’t hold the emotional power of more flushed out traditional song compositions. Hearing this as a forbearing of things to come, I love it. 3.5

I definitely had song #4 on a Pure Moods cd I owned in college lol. This was cool and ethereal and something I would’ve loved back then. And I still like these sounds, but this wouldn’t be a go-to for me now.

Flyter som luft! Har noll att anmärka på här egentligen. Men är ens IV bäst? V? VI? Perfekt i sin genre egentligen, förstår att det används i terapi.

I don't know why, but I've been feeling less motivated to write reviews. It's not that I'm getting bad albums. I mean, this album's actually really good. I just keep getting distracted by wanting to do other things before the review. I don't know what's happening. Let's review this album. As stated earlier, I think it's great. Oxygène is a pretty interesting album all things considered. For one, this thing has a considerable influence on electronic music. Jean-Michel Jarre was apparently one of the first mainstream French electronic artists, which is cool to see considering my general preference for French electronic music over that of other countries that I have mentioned a few times by now. So, I do think that this album belongs on this list. You wanna know why else it belongs here besides its significance in music history? The album's good. The production still sounds great to this day. It doesn't feel dated in the slightest. I also like how cohesive the whole thing is. It really makes the album feel like a complete experience. I would say something about how this is something that the French like doing more than the British, but I just got Boards of Canada 2 days ago, so I have no reason to complain about that. Despite each track being 1 part of the total Oxygène piece, the parts do have things that make them stand out while still feeling like part of one big piece. I like that. The general atmosphere is nice. It fits the album cover. While there are other albums I like more, Oxygène is still an album that I'm quite glad that I listened to. It's very good. 4/5.

Memories of college radio in the 1970s. Still a good listen!

3.0 It's an interesting concept, and I'm sure it was in 1976, but I think it's been done much better in various different guises since. Still, if it helped reinforce this style of synth music then fair play. 2 for actual music, 4 for it's legacy

Surprisingly good!

Someone likes the sound of his own keyboard. Pompous and drawn out.

An album that all the nerds at schools use to have wet dreams over. I was too busy with 2Tone and girls. Time to see if the nerds won the long game? tl;dr nerds never win. At the end of Oxygène 1 I was ready to bail. Wait. There's five more servings of this shit sandwich to come? It sounds more like the annoying soundtrack for an early 80's video game console. It's got a crap cover as well. UP YOURS, nerds.

Mycket mycket fräckt!

Made me want to fall asleep sitting up at my computer trying to work, every hard to get through such a short album. It was like elevated hold music, faded into the background easily. Would be great music for a video game, not for my personal enjoyment.

I wouldn’t miss it if there was no electronic music.

Very interesting to read about. It was a decent listen, better the second time. I don't know enough about electronic music to appreciate its place in it. Rating: 2.8

experimental type music, instrumental, pre industrial, pre electronica

How boring can an album get

Interesting zen type instrumental music.

Du classique. Excellent a l'époque

40 minutes of ambient sleep noises. Why?

Contemporary of kraftwerk, mostly ignored probably because he was French. Before EDM was a thing. Liked then, like it now.

I'm not exactly sure what I thought this was gonna be when I started it, but I was really surprised by this. I think I thought it was gonna be classical, so then when it was like electronic ambient I was really excited. And this is very effective instrumental music, I was really invested in this. Very strong album indeed. Favorites: Oxygene 2, Oxygene 5, Oxygene 6

otrolig värld att stiga in i! vackert

Inte många som vet att alla syntar på Oxygene spelas av en hudgås. Som att I ultrarapid uppleva big bang genom ljud

Very much ambient, very much background music.

Spoooky synths

Floatsome

Impossible not to see the influence this had on the much heavier synth stuff I listen to now. Also biased because I referenced JMJ in my school electronics project way back when.

Absolute pish

For what it is, this is fine.

Kraftwerk meets classical but pseudo!!

Awesome vibe, loved it

just completely my shit

This was pleasant and a little hypnotic.

FUUUTURE

joão miguel jarra . 4 estrelas . Pioneiro da música com synths . Pai das trilhas de audiovisual institucional: "Oxygene PT4" foi utilizada em trocentas producões. Em 76 isso era moderno pra car*alho

Probably great when it came out, sounds very dated now. And overplayed as tv backing music.

not my vibe and too long for a song

Ummm not a fan

Kinda chill ambient house music. Cool that it’s from the 70s. Good background music

Favorite Track: Oxygène, Pt. 4

Eigentlich ein Stern, aber ich kann die elektronische Pionierarbeit wertschätzen.

Das ist gar nichts.

Waren interessante Sounds dabei, aber ist glaube ich eher so ein Kopfhörer-Album für die Couch und dieses Setting war mir gestern leider nicht vergönnt. D Grundsätzlich würde ich aber sagen, dass der Song-konzentrierte Sound von Kraftwerk mir etwas besser taugt. Man merkt der Platte ihr Alter schon an.

Das Konzept geht mir auf. Es trifft nur nicht ganz meinen Kunstgeschmack. Lieber lautere Kunst - wobei ich dann eigentlich nur am Lautstärkeknopf drehen müsste…

Ich finde sowas wahnsinnig stark, vor Allem in Betrachtung des Erscheinungsjahres. Wie Kraftwerk ein Pionier der elektronischen Musik

War cool, aber auch seeeeehr special, mit wenig "Relistenability".

Wohl eher Oxygähn. Mag in elektronischer Musik zu seiner Zeit revolutionär gewesen sein, aber catcht mich wirklich überhaupt nicht

I enjoyed learning about this artist as a world I feel like I knew nothing about before. I can see how this would have made a huge impact when it first came out in the 70's. Feels very much like "music from the future". However now 55 years later, it still sort of feels like it's trying a little to hard to be cutting edge. I find this more interesting than if is enjoying. I feel like the compositions are a little too simple and there's just not quite enough there to feel all that emotionally intrigued by it. Enjoyed the history lesson and the lore, but the musical product not as much.

I appreciate that this is a pivotal piece of early electronic music that helped revolutionize the use of synthesizers in popular music and I can appreciate the ambient atmosphere of this album, but if I'm being honest, it just feels a bit dated and boring. It's not bad, it's just not something I can see myself returning to in the future.

Very boring. I didn't understand the value. I wanted music, not cosmic sound of nothingness.

Sounds like a striped tshirt rolled a croissant and smoked it.

Kind of boring, not my favourite

Nice

Lovely.

I'm sure the album is great but the genre isn't for me. Interesting background noise but not engaging for active listening.

Liking this one.

Len Houmous & Jean Michel Jarre actually launched a musical washing powder. It took away from the dull hum and the chuntering sounds of a washing machine. It was called Oxygene. But they fell out when Jarre wanted this boring constant hum but Len wanted something a little more ‘fruity’. Anyway, Len signed with Daz and we all know what happened to Jarre on his own! 1.4 4/6 Oxygene Pt 4

This was a really cool electronic album! It was good to work with and I see my self coming back to it.

Amazing to learn about this pioneering artists. Easy to hear the influence on modern electronic music.

Very believable that this guy worked on soundtracks before this. This just sounds like the background ambience to some low-poly 3D Indie video game.

Not my type of music but I'm sure it's pretty good in its own style

не напряг но слушать фоновую музыку сама всё ещё бы не стала

C'était génial, vraiment une grosse bouffée d'oxygène mdr... Non mais vraiment c'est génial

Ptit banger et le record du monde du plus grand nombre de personnes à un concert on dit bravo

В принципе понято. Есть знакомые нотки. На этом остановимся.

Iconic

Bit too space-y for my taste.

Really felt like oxygene, giving live but causing fires as well.

Spacey music that sounds like it is a soundtrack to some B sci-fi movie. It sounds very dated.

Good

I love JMJ and have seen him perform this album live. This is second only to Rendez Vous. It's like the Earth waking up. The last song or so isn't so great but it's just an ethereal listen.

This largely passed me by. It's not that the synths weren't nice, but they weren't especially ear catching or memorable... With the exception of oxygene part 4 which I knew from being the tomorrow's world theme and in my head I had attributed to kraftwerk. Part 4 aside it was largely forgettable, but I guess it wasn't unpleasant either.

Loistava elektro ambient levy, rekka muuttui avaruusalukseksi. Todella mailmoihin vievää ja upottavaa musiikkia, kun vaikka onkin ambienttia niin levy meni todella nopeasti. Pt. 4 oli tunnettu. Parhaat: Pt.4, Pt.5

The in sound from way out, the future is the past is the future is the beginning is the end is the beginning, and this was before Jarre was rocking out on a goddamn laser harp... *pew pew sounds*

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