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Album-oriented rock (sometimes referred to as adult-oriented rock), abbreviated AOR and originally called album-oriented radio, was originally an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the See also Frequency modulation, FM band FM broadcasting is a broadcast Technology invented by Edwin Howard Armstrong that This article is about Broadcast radio, for other uses see Radio (disambiguation. An album or record album is a collection of related audio or Music tracks distributed to the public Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African This format developed and popularized the repertoire of music currently associated with classic rock. Classic rock was originally conceived as a Radio station programming format which evolved from the Album oriented rock (AOR format in the early-1980s

Contents

History

Freeform and progressive

The roots of the Album Oriented Rock (AOR) radio format began with programming concepts rooted in 1960s idealism. Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The freeform or progressive formats developed the repertoire and set the tone that would dominate AOR playlists for much of its heyday. Freeform, or freeform radio, is a Radio station programming format in which the Disc jockey is given total control over Progressive rock is a Radio station programming format that prospered in the late 1960s and 1970s in which the Disc jockeys are given wide latitude In its most general form a playlist is simply a list of Songs The term has several specialized meanings in the realms of Radio Broadcasting and

In the mid to late 1960s, the FCC enacted a non-duplication rule prohibiting FM radio stations from merely running a Simulcast of the programming from their AM counterparts. Simulcast is a Portmanteau of " simul taneous broad' cast' " and refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one Owners of AM/FM combo stations fought these new regulations vigorously, delaying the new rules for eighteen months. When finally enacted, station owners were pressed to come up with alternate programming options quickly.

The freeform format in commercial radio was born out of this desperate need to program the FM airwaves, inexpensively. Freeform, or freeform radio, is a Radio station programming format in which the Disc jockey is given total control over Programmers like Tom Donahue at KMPX (FM), George Meier at WMMR-FM and Scott Muni first at WOR-FM, then WNEW-FM developed stations where DJs had freedom to play long sets of music, often covering a variety of genres. Tom "Big Daddy" Donahue ( May 21, 1928 – April 28, 1975) was a pioneering Rock and roll Radio Disc jockey KMPX (1069 FM) was a San Francisco FM Radio station which was best known in the late 1960s for its freeform progressive rock WMMR is a rock Radio station in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, broadcasting at 93 Scott Muni (May 10 1930 – September 28 2004 was an American Disc jockey, who worked at the heyday of the AM Top 40 format and WRKS (987 MHz better known as 987 Kiss FM, is an Urban Adult Contemporary radio station in New York City, owned by Emmis Communications WWFS (1027 FM) is a New York City Radio station owned and operated by CBS Radio. A disc jockey (also known as DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience Songs were not limited to hits or singles; indeed the DJs often played obscure or longer tracks by newer or more adventurous artists than heard on top 40 stations of the day. A disc jockey (also known as DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience The Top Forty or Top 40 is a music industry shorthand for the currently most-popular songs in a particular genre. This reflected the growth of albums as opposed to singles as rock's main artistic vehicle for expression in the 1960s and 1970s. An album or record album is a collection of related audio or Music tracks distributed to the public The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970.

With a few exceptions commercial freeform had a relatively brief life. Freeform, or freeform radio, is a Radio station programming format in which the Disc jockey is given total control over With more and more listeners acquiring FM radios, the stakes became higher for stations to attract market share so that they could sell more advertising at a higher rate. Market share, in Strategic management and Marketing, is the percentage or proportion of the total available Market or Market segment that is

By 1970 many of the stations were moving to institute programming rules with a "clock" and system of "rotation". Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In Radio Broadcasting, a spin is a single play of a Song. The term is also used as a unit to measure (or induce Popularity, typically With this shift, stations' formats in the early 1970s were now billed as progressive. This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. Progressive rock is a Radio station programming format that prospered in the late 1960s and 1970s in which the Disc jockeys are given wide latitude DJs still had much input over the music they played, and the selection was deep and eclectic, ranging from folk to hard rock with other styles such as jazz fusion occasionally thrown in. A disc jockey (also known as DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience

A broad cross-section of rock music that gained popularity during this time came to be called progressive rock, likely because the wide recognition and success of artists could be attributed to airplay on progressive stations; much the way the college rock label was given to bands that received air play on student-run college stations during the 1980s. Progressive rock (often shortened to " progressive " " prog " or " prog rock " is a form of Rock music that evolved Progressive rock is a Radio station programming format that prospered in the late 1960s and 1970s in which the Disc jockeys are given wide latitude College rock was a term used in the United States to describe 1980s Alternative rock before the term "alternative" came into common usage Campus radio (also known as college radio, university radio or student radio) is a type of Radio station that is run by the students of a college Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar)

Album oriented radio / album oriented rock

Later in the decade, as program directors began to put more controls over what songs were played on air, freeform and progressive stations evolved to the true AOR format; album oriented radio rather than single oriented radio (or top 40). In service industries such as Education, a program director researches plans develops and implements one or more of the firm's professional services Freeform, or freeform radio, is a Radio station programming format in which the Disc jockey is given total control over Progressive rock is a Radio station programming format that prospered in the late 1960s and 1970s in which the Disc jockeys are given wide latitude The Top Forty or Top 40 is a music industry shorthand for the currently most-popular songs in a particular genre. Stations still played longer songs and deep album tracks (rather than singles), but program directors and consultants took on a greater role in song selection, generally limiting airplay to just a few “focus tracks” from a particular album and concentrating on artists with a more slickly-produced, "commercial" sound than what had been featured a few years earlier. An album or record album is a collection of related audio or Music tracks distributed to the public

The "rock" in album-oriented rock came in the late 1970s when AOR music libraries and playlists discarded the wide range of genres embraced earlier on to primarily focus on a rock-centric sound. The occasional folk, jazz, and blues selections became more rare and most black artists were effectively eliminated from airplay. Folk music can have a number of different meanings including Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression Where earlier soul and R&B artists like Stevie Wonder, War, Sly Stone and others had been championed by the format, AOR was no longer representing these styles, and took a stance against disco. Soul music is a Music genre that combines Rhythm and blues and Gospel music, originating in the United States. Disco is a Genre of dance-oriented music whose origins are hard to define In 1979 Steve Dahl of WLUP in Chicago destroyed disco records on his radio show, culminating in a notorious Disco Demolition Night at Comiskey Park. Steve Dahl (born November 20 1954 in Pasadena, California) has been an American Radio personality for over thirty years WLUP ( 979 "The Loop") is a Mainstream rock Radio station serving the Chicago metropolitan area Chicago (ʃÉȘˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Disco Demolition Night was a Promotional event that took place on July 12 1979 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Comiskey Park (35th Street & Shields Avenue Chicago, Illinois) was the ballpark in which the Chicago White Sox played from 1910 to 1990 Steve Slaton of KISW in Seattle had a similar on-air bit which was included on the station’s Epic Rock record album. KISW (999 FM) is a Radio station in Seattle, Washington. Currently their format is Active rock, with the slogan "The

What links the freeform, progressive, AOR and ultimately the classic rock formats are the continuity of rock artists and songs carried through each phase. Freeform, or freeform radio, is a Radio station programming format in which the Disc jockey is given total control over Progressive rock is a Radio station programming format that prospered in the late 1960s and 1970s in which the Disc jockeys are given wide latitude Classic rock was originally conceived as a Radio station programming format which evolved from the Album oriented rock (AOR format in the early-1980s Programmers and DJs of the freeform and progressive phases continued to cultivate a repertoire of rock music and style of delivery that were foundations of AOR and now classic rock. Freeform, or freeform radio, is a Radio station programming format in which the Disc jockey is given total control over Progressive rock is a Radio station programming format that prospered in the late 1960s and 1970s in which the Disc jockeys are given wide latitude Classic rock was originally conceived as a Radio station programming format which evolved from the Album oriented rock (AOR format in the early-1980s Those AOR stations, which decided to stay "demographically-rooted", became classic rock stations by eschewing newer bands which their older listeners might tune out. Those that didn't fully evolve into classic rock generally attempt to hold onto their older listeners through careful dayparting -- playing large amounts of classic rock during the 9-5 workday with more adventurous, newer songs "baked into the mix" as the listener base skews younger at night.

Michael Jackson

In the early 1980s, many AOR radio stations were getting bad press for the lack of black artists included in their programming (with the one glaring exception being Jimi Hendrix). James Marshall Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix) (November 27 1942 – September 18 1970 was an American Guitarist, Singer and Songwriter Indeed, many AOR stations had embraced harder rock while also cultivating a bad boy image. In 1983, Michael Jackson released his landmark Thriller album, which included an Eddie Van Halen guitar solo on the song Beat It. Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29 1958 is an American musician entertainer and businessman Thriller is the sixth Studio album by American pop musician Michael Jackson. Edward Lodewijk "Eddie" Van Halen (born January 26 1955 is a Dutch Guitarist, Keyboardist, Songwriter and producer " Beat It " is a hit single from Michael Jackson 's album Thriller, released in 1983 (see 1983 in music) Facing claims of racism, AOR stations added Beat It to their playlists and the song rose to a respectable #14 on Billboard's Rock Tracks chart, which documented AOR airplay. " Beat It " is a hit single from Michael Jackson 's album Thriller, released in 1983 (see 1983 in music) See Billboard (Turkish magazine Billboard is a weekly American Magazine devoted to the Music industry Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks (originally called Mainstream Rock Tracks) is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on Mainstream rock Curiously, for such a strong showing, the song has not been widely played on AOR or classic rock stations since. Classic rock was originally conceived as a Radio station programming format which evolved from the Album oriented rock (AOR format in the early-1980s

The relative success of Michael Jackson's "Beat It" did not open the floodgates for other black artists on Album-oriented Rock stations. However, the door was cracked, and through the remainder of the 1980s Prince, Jon Butcher, Tracy Chapman, Living Colour and Lenny Kravitz did manage to receive AOR airplay of varying magnitude. Prince Rogers Nelson (born June 7 1958 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an American musician Jon Butcher is an American rock and Blues singer and Guitarist and Freelance Multimedia producer Tracy Chapman (born March 30, 1964) is an American Singer-songwriter, best known for her singles " Fast Car " " Living Colour is an American Funk metal band from New York City, formed in 1983 Leonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz (born May 26, 1964) is an American Singer-songwriter, Multi-instrumentalist, Record

Burkhart / Abrams

The radio consultants, Kent Burkhart and Lee Abrams had a huge impact on AOR. Lee Abrams is a radio producer and programmer Abrams has been called "the most influential radio guru of his generation" Beginning in the early 1970s they began contracting with what would become hundreds of stations by the 1980s. Lee Abrams had developed a “Super Stars” format, pioneering it at WQDR in Raleigh, North Carolina, and had been very successful in delivering large ratings. Lee Abrams is a radio producer and programmer Abrams has been called "the most influential radio guru of his generation" WQDR-FM is a Country music station located at 947 on the FM frequency and based in Raleigh North Carolina. Raleigh (pronounced rah-lee) is the Capital of the State of North Carolina and the county seat of Wake County, USA Basically, Abrams took top 40 principles and applied them to AOR. Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, Contemporary Hits, or Top 40) is a Radio format that is common in the United States and While his “Super Stars” format was not quite as tight as top 40 radio, it was considerably more restricted. Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, Contemporary Hits, or Top 40) is a Radio format that is common in the United States and This company controlled playlists for a substantial segment of AOR stations all over the US. This might be considered somewhat ironic, considering the format’s origins were based on a free-form approach without playlists. Lee Abrams was, until he joined the Tribune Company on April 1, 2008, Chief Programming Officer for XM Satellite Radio. Lee Abrams is a radio producer and programmer Abrams has been called "the most influential radio guru of his generation"

Spin-off formats

The phenomenal success of the album-oriented rock and the highly competitive battle for ratings likely contributed to the format splintering to reflect different stylistic perspectives. The 1980s saw some stations adding glam metal bands such as Mötley CrĂŒe, Warrant and Poison, while others embraced New-wave acts such as The Cars, The Fixx, INXS and Gary Myrick. Glam metal (also known as pop metal) is a sub-genre of Heavy metal music that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States. Mötley CrĂŒe ( IPA pronunciation: /'mɒtliː Poison is an American Hard rock band that achieved great success and popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s The Cars were an American rock band that emerged from the early New Wave music scene in the late 1970s The Fixx are an English new wave band They are one of the few bands to have enjoyed significant success outside their country of origin notably in the INXS (pronounced "in excess" are an Australian rock and New Wave group Gary Myrick is an American Singer, Songwriter and Guitarist. Career Born in Dallas Texas, Gary Myrick played Yet other stations added bands from both genres.

The rise of grunge, alternative and hip-hop accelerated the fadeout of the true album-oriented rock format. By the early 1990s most AOR radio stations switched exclusively to classic rock, or segued to other current formats with somewhat of an AOR approach:

Music played

Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles. A hit single is a recorded track or single that has become very popular The best example is Top 40, though other formats country, smooth jazz, and urban, all utilize the same basic principles, with the most popular songs repeating every 2 to 6 hours, depending on their rank in rotation. Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, Contemporary Hits, or Top 40) is a Radio format that is common in the United States and In Political geography and International politics, a country is a Political division of a geographical entity Smooth jazz, also sometimes referred to as new adult contemporary music is generally described as a genre of music that utilizes instruments (and at times improvisation Urban contemporary is a music Radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s In Radio Broadcasting, a spin is a single play of a Song. The term is also used as a unit to measure (or induce Popularity, typically Generally there is a strict order or list to be followed and the DJ does not make decisions about what selections are played.

AOR, while still based on the rotation concept, focused on the album as a whole (rather than singles). In Radio Broadcasting, a spin is a single play of a Song. The term is also used as a unit to measure (or induce Popularity, typically In the early 1970s many DJs had the freedom to chose what track(s) to play off a given album – as well as latitude to decide what order to play the records in. This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. A disc jockey (also known as DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience An album or record album is a collection of related audio or Music tracks distributed to the public

Later in the 1970s AOR formats became tighter and song selection shifted to the Program Director or Music Director, rather than the DJ. This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. In service industries such as Education, a program director researches plans develops and implements one or more of the firm's professional services Still, when an AOR station added an album to rotation they would often focus on numerous tracks at once, rather than playing the singles as they were individually released.

These short lists represent only a sampling of what became staples of American radio through a long history of airplay on album-oriented rock stations. As AOR stopped playing new music and died out in the late 1980s the core repertoire of AOR became that of the classic rock format. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Classic rock was originally conceived as a Radio station programming format which evolved from the Album oriented rock (AOR format in the early-1980s

Non-single / album tracks

With the success of the AOR format, some non-single, album tracks received extensive radio airplay across the US, becoming hugely popular; most notably Led Zeppelin’s "Stairway to Heaven. An album or record album is a collection of related audio or Music tracks distributed to the public Led Zeppelin were " Stairway to Heaven " is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. " There are many other examples of popular songs that have never been released as a single.

Core artists

This list represents a sampling of artists who achieved their greatest success through airplay on radio stations with the AOR format. Many of these artists may have "crossed over" with airplay at top 40 or other formats, but the bulk of their airplay was at AOR. Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, Contemporary Hits, or Top 40) is a Radio format that is common in the United States and

For example, Tom Petty had just 3 singles between 1977 and 1991 that reached the Top Ten of the pop singles chart, the basis for top 40. Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty (born October 20 1950 is an American singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, Contemporary Hits, or Top 40) is a Radio format that is common in the United States and Conversely, Petty logged 20 top ten songs between 1981 and 1991 on Billboard's Rock Tracks chart, which documented AOR airplay. See Billboard (Turkish magazine Billboard is a weekly American Magazine devoted to the Music industry Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks (originally called Mainstream Rock Tracks) is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on Mainstream rock


Further reading

References

External links

David Bowie (ˈboʊiː born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947 is an English Musician, actor producer, and arranger. James William "Jimmy" Buffett (born December 25 1946) is a Singer, Songwriter, Author, Businessman, and recently Boston is an American rock band from Boston Massachusetts that achieved its most notable successes during the 1970s and 1980s Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE (born 30 March 1945 is an English Blues-rock Guitarist, singer Songwriter and Composer Joe Cocker OBE (born 20 May 1944 is an English rock / Blues Singer who came to popularity in the 1960s and is most known for his gritty Crosby Stills & Nash ( CSN) is a Folk rock / rock supergroup made up of David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash Donnie Iris (born February 28, 1943) is an American rock musician known for his work with The Jaggerz and Wild Cherry during the The Doobie Brothers are an American rock group. They have sold over 22 million albums in the United States from the 1970s to the present Fleetwood Mac are a British / American John Cameron Fogerty (born May 28, 1945) is an American rock singer Songwriter, and Guitarist, best known for his Foreigner is a rock band formed in New York City in 1976 by veteran musicians Mick Jones and ex- King Crimson member Ian McDonald, Peter Kenneth Frampton (born 22 April 1950 in Beckenham, Kent) is an English Musician, best known today for his solo The J Geils Band was an American rock band who were formed in 1967 in Worcester Massachusetts, that had a successful R&B -influenced The Guess Who is a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg Manitoba, that was one of the first to establish a major successful following in their own country Heart is a rock band whose founding members came from the Seattle, Washington, scene but came together in Vancouver, British Columbia Donald Hugh " Don " Henley (born July 22, 1947, in Gilmer Texas, U The Hollies are an English Rock and roll band formed in the early 1960s. William Martin Joel (born May 9 1949 is an American Pianist and Singer-songwriter. Sir Elton Hercules John CBE (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947 is an English pop / rock Singer, Composer David Thomas Mason (born 10 May 1944) is an English Musician, singer songwriter, and Guitarist from Worcester The Moody Blues are an English psychedelic rock band originally from Erdington in the city of Birmingham. George Ivan Morrison OBE (generally known as Van Morrison) (born 31 August 1945 is a Grammy Award -winning Northern Irish Singer, Stephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks (born on May 26 1948 in Phoenix Arizona) is an American Singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Robert Allen Palmer ( 19 January 1949 – 26 September 2003) born in Batley, Yorkshire, was an English The Alan Parsons Project was a British Progressive rock band active between 1975 and 1990 founded by Eric Woolfson and Alan Parsons. Procol Harum are a British rock band formed in the 1960s which built an important foundation for what would become Progressive rock, or perhaps more Todd Harry Rundgren (born June 22, 1948 in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, United States) is an American Musician Robert Clark "Bob" Seger (born May 6, 1945) is an American Rock and roll Singer-songwriter and Musician. Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13 1941 is an American Songwriter, Musician, and member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. William Haislip "Billy" Squier (born on May 12, 1950 in Wellesley Massachusetts) is a rock Musician. Ringo Starr, MBE (born Richard Starkey on 7 July 1940 is an English Musician, Singer, Songwriter and Actor Steely Dan is a American rock band centered on core members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. Roderick "Rod" David Stewart, CBE (born 10 January 1945 is a Singer and Songwriter born and raised in London England and currently Toto was a Grammy Award winning American rock band founded in 1977 by some of the most popular and experienced Session musicians of Joseph Fidler "Joe" Walsh (born November 20, 1947) is an American Guitarist, songwriter and Rock musician He has been a War is an American Funk band from California, known for the hit songs " Low Rider " " Spill the Wine " and " Stephen Lawrence "Steve" or "Stevie" Winwood (born 12 May 1948 in Handsworth, Birmingham) is an English Singer-songwriter Warren William Zevon (January 24 1947 &ndash September 7 2003 was a Grammy Award -winning American rock Singer-songwriter and Musician For the Undead creature of Vodou lore see Zombie. For other meanings see Zombie (disambiguation. Dr Michael C Keith (born March 17, 1945 in Albany, New York) has served since 1993 as a member of the Boston College communications Richard Neer (born c 1949 in Syracuse New York) is an American Disc jockey and Sports radio personality who has been involved in and has chronicled Jim Ladd (born January 15 1948) an American Disc jockey, Radio producer and Writer, is one of the few notable remaining
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