Just about anything a record store can't classify goes into the NEW AGE bins. I guess Ambient would get thrown in there. Ambient was pretty big in late 70's. The big artists were Brian Eno and Klaus Schulze. It seemed to me it was mostly synthesizers in a repetetive action sending you into deep trancelike state. It was a good match with mind altering substances. Lots of new ambient music is on NPR's ECHOES
Best Ambient Music
Who's your favorite "Ambient" musicians. Patrick O'hearn is a favorite