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Battle of the 80's AOR 'prog' albums
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Poll Question: Which do you prefer?
Poll Choice Votes Poll Statistics
12 [30.00%]
22 [55.00%]
1 [2.50%]
3 [7.50%]
1 [2.50%]
1 [2.50%]
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richardh View Drop Down
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    Posted: May 12 2024 at 18:09
It was used to mean American Orientated Rock as well. Generally it was as much a put down as the term Prog rock. AOR is safe. Boston, Journey and Toto absolutely represent it.
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Points: 178 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Gnik Nosmirc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 11 2024 at 03:54
Originally posted by jude111 jude111 wrote:

How is AOR being defined? I always understood it to be "album-oriented rock" - meaning, albums that didn't have any singles or short songs for that matter. Think Led Zeppelin IV and Dark Side of the Moon. If that's the case, then how are those albums by Yes and Asia considered AOR, when they enjoyed considerable pop success and had very big hits on their singles on the Billboard charts?


I always thought of AOR as adult-oriented rock. The "soft" AOR refers to yacht-rock from the late 70's and early 80's like The Doobie Brothers or Hall & Oates. The "hard" AOR would be stuff like Toto, Journey, Boston, etc.

Generally, I think of AOR as very clean, 80's-sounding and melodic rock (whether soft or hard).
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jude111 View Drop Down
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Points: 1754 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jude111 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 10 2024 at 21:55
How is AOR being defined? I always understood it to be "album-oriented rock" - meaning, albums that didn't have any singles or short songs for that matter. Think Led Zeppelin IV and Dark Side of the Moon. If that's the case, then how are those albums by Yes and Asia considered AOR, when they enjoyed considerable pop success and had very big hits on their singles on the Billboard charts?
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Atavachron View Drop Down
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Points: 64482 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Atavachron Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 10 2024 at 20:16
Was gonna vote GTR just to be a dick, but frankly 90125 is, along with Discipline and a small handful of others, a superb pop/prog record.
"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought."   -- John F. Kennedy
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^I think they must have been talking about Miles Davis.
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Points: 41475 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Cristi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 10 2024 at 06:54
Originally posted by mellotronwave mellotronwave wrote:

So What ?

Just saying it deserves more love IMO. Smile
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So What ?
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Points: 41475 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Cristi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 10 2024 at 02:49
The Steve Morse era of Kansas is underrated/underappreciated. 
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Atavachron View Drop Down
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Points: 64482 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Atavachron Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 09 2024 at 18:18
^ How dare you.
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Points: 6396 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Progosopher Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 09 2024 at 18:02
I find Asia's debut to be fresh and energetic.
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Lewian View Drop Down
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Points: 14131 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lewian Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 02 2024 at 18:25
If Saga's Silent Knight counts, I prefer it to all these. 90125 is best of those listed but I really only like about half of its material - some of this is very very good though. (Similarly Chance.)
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Logan View Drop Down
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Points: 32844 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Logan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 02 2024 at 14:16
Originally posted by octopus-4 octopus-4 wrote:


90125, the best pop album of the 80s.


Better than Kate Bush's Hounds of Love and The Dreaming, for instance? Of course it's subjective, but perhaps seeing such high praise I should give it a fresh listen.  Last and only time I heard it in full was in the 80s.  I got very drunk, skunked and sick that night.  I don't know any of these albums well enough to vote.

EDIT: I listened to a couple The Smiths albums today which I also would call great, highly-regarded 80s pop.  Will give a listen to 90125 very soon. "Greatest and favourite 80s pop albums" would be a topic I would be into (well, the fave part, not really the greatest). I like and remember Owner of a Lonely Heart but sampling the rest, it doesn't fare better in the 2020s for me as it did when I was a teenager.  Best in this case is but an individual construct and fancy.


Edited by Logan - May 03 2024 at 17:14
Various music I am very into: a youtube playlist with two tracks per act
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Steve Wyzard View Drop Down
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Points: 2083 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Steve Wyzard Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 02 2024 at 12:51
Yes > Asia > GTR > Three > Kansas.

I freely admit to owning (and enjoying) all these albums!
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verslibre View Drop Down
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Points: 15103 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote verslibre Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 02 2024 at 12:14
Power
eBay
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Points: 7578 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mellotronwave Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 02 2024 at 11:41
Asia by default , not my favorite sub genre of rock music
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Points: 66007 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rushfan4 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 02 2024 at 11:23
Asia's S/T.  I enjoy all of them, though I am least familiar with the Kansas album.  I've heard Power a handful of times, but I can't say that I am familiar with any of the songs by the song titles.
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Points: 13414 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote octopus-4 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 02 2024 at 10:47

90125, the best pop album of the 80s.
Curiosity killed a cat, Schroedinger only half.
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Jared View Drop Down
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Points: 17601 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jared Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 02 2024 at 08:37
As I mentioned in another thread, my fave would be Freedom at Point Zero, although I know that was 1979.

Otherwise, could I have Toto: Turn Back?
Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson
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Points: 48873 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote progaardvark Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 02 2024 at 08:04
90125. I've been usurped by a mayonnaise noun again.
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suitkees View Drop Down
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Points: 8773 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote suitkees Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 02 2024 at 07:14
Me too, though I like all these albums (maybe the Kansas one a bit less...), including Chance by MMEB as suggested by Gnik...

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