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Album-oriented rock (abbreviated AOR) is a American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 FM radio
FM broadcasting

FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology invented by Edwin Howard Armstrong that uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio....
 format
Radio format

A radio format or programming format describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. Radio formats are frequently employed as a marketing tool, and constantly evolve....
 focusing on album
Album

An album or record album is a collection of related Sound recording and reproduction or music tracks distributed to the public. The most common way is through commercial distribution, although smaller artists will often distribute directly to the public by selling their albums at live concerts or on their websites....
 tracks by rock
Rock music

Rock music is a loosely defined genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the mid 1950's. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rhythm and blues, country music and other influences....
 artists.
roots of the Album Oriented Rock (AOR) radio format began with programming concepts rooted in 1960s idealism. The Freeform
Freeform (radio format)

Freeform, or freeform radio, is a radio station Radio programming Radio format in which the disc jockey is given total control over what music to play, regardless of music genre or commercial interests....
 or Progressive
Progressive rock (radio format)

Progressive rock is a radio station Radio programming Radio format that prospered in the late 1960s and 1970s, in which the disc jockeys are given wide latitude in what they may play, similar to the freeform but with the proviso that some kind of rock music is almost always what is played....
 formats developed the repertoire and set the tone that would dominate AOR playlist
Playlist

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 personal computers....
s for much of its heyday.

In the mid to late 1960s, the FCC enacted a non-duplication rule prohibiting FM radio stations from merely running a Simulcast
Simulcast

Simulcast is a portmanteau of "simultaneous broadcast", and refers to programs or events Broadcasting across more than one Mass media, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time....
 of the programming from their AM counterparts.






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Encyclopedia


Album-oriented rock (abbreviated AOR) is a American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 FM radio
FM broadcasting

FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology invented by Edwin Howard Armstrong that uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio....
 format
Radio format

A radio format or programming format describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. Radio formats are frequently employed as a marketing tool, and constantly evolve....
 focusing on album
Album

An album or record album is a collection of related Sound recording and reproduction or music tracks distributed to the public. The most common way is through commercial distribution, although smaller artists will often distribute directly to the public by selling their albums at live concerts or on their websites....
 tracks by rock
Rock music

Rock music is a loosely defined genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the mid 1950's. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rhythm and blues, country music and other influences....
 artists.

History


Freeform and Progressive

The roots of the Album Oriented Rock (AOR) radio format began with programming concepts rooted in 1960s idealism. The Freeform
Freeform (radio format)

Freeform, or freeform radio, is a radio station Radio programming Radio format in which the disc jockey is given total control over what music to play, regardless of music genre or commercial interests....
 or Progressive
Progressive rock (radio format)

Progressive rock is a radio station Radio programming Radio format that prospered in the late 1960s and 1970s, in which the disc jockeys are given wide latitude in what they may play, similar to the freeform but with the proviso that some kind of rock music is almost always what is played....
 formats developed the repertoire and set the tone that would dominate AOR playlist
Playlist

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 personal computers....
s for much of its heyday.

In the mid to late 1960s, the FCC enacted a non-duplication rule prohibiting FM radio stations from merely running a Simulcast
Simulcast

Simulcast is a portmanteau of "simultaneous broadcast", and refers to programs or events Broadcasting across more than one Mass media, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time....
 of the programming from their AM counterparts. 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
Freeform (radio format)

Freeform, or freeform radio, is a radio station Radio programming Radio format in which the disc jockey is given total control over what music to play, regardless of music genre or commercial interests....
 format in commercial radio was born out of this desperate need to program the FM airwaves, inexpensively. Programmers like Tom Donahue
Tom Donahue

Tom "Big Daddy" Donahue , was a pioneering rock and roll radio disc jockey.Donahue's career started 1949 on the east coast of the U.S. at Independent Public Radio in South Carolina and continuing at WIBG in Philadelphia and WINX-FM in Maryland, before moving to San Francisco in 1961 after the payola scandal involving Alan Freed and Dick Cla...
 at KMPX
KMPX

KMPX is a television station in Decatur, Texas, serving the Dallas, Texas/Fort Worth, Texas Media market as a Spanish-language independent station on channel 29....
 developed stations where DJs had freedom to play long sets of music, often covering a variety of genres. Songs were not limited to hits or singles
Single (music)

In the record industry, a single is a song usually used from a current or upcoming album to promote the album. Singles are distributed through a number of ways; originally, they were packaged as "single" records with one or two other songs and sold before the release of the album....
; indeed the DJs often played obscure or longer tracks by newer or more adventurous artists than heard on Top 40 stations of the day. This reflected the growth of albums as opposed to singles
Single (music)

In the record industry, a single is a song usually used from a current or upcoming album to promote the album. Singles are distributed through a number of ways; originally, they were packaged as "single" records with one or two other songs and sold before the release of the album....
 as rock's main artistic vehicle for expression in the 1960s and 1970s.

With a few exceptions commercial Freeform
Freeform (radio format)

Freeform, or freeform radio, is a radio station Radio programming Radio format in which the disc jockey is given total control over what music to play, regardless of music genre or commercial interests....
 had a relatively brief life. With more and more listeners acquiring FM radios, the stakes became higher for stations to attract market share
Market share

Market share, in strategic management and marketing, is the percentage or proportion of the total available market or market segment that is being serviced by a company....
 so that they could sell more advertising at a higher rate.

By 1970 many of the stations were moving to institute programming rules with a "clock" and system of "rotation
Spin (radio)

In radio broadcasting, a spin is a single play of a song. The term is also used as a measurement to measure popularity, typically in spins per week....
". With this shift, Stations formats in the early 1970s were now billed as Progressive
Progressive rock (radio format)

Progressive rock is a radio station Radio programming Radio format that prospered in the late 1960s and 1970s, in which the disc jockeys are given wide latitude in what they may play, similar to the freeform but with the proviso that some kind of rock music is almost always what is played....
. 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 broad cross section of rock music that gained popularity during this time came to be called Progressive rock
Progressive rock

Progressive rock is a form of rock music that evolved in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." The term "art rock" is often used interchangeably with "progressive rock", but while there are crossovers between the two genres, they are not identical....
, likely because the wide recognition and success of artists could be attributed to airplay on Progressive
Progressive rock (radio format)

Progressive rock is a radio station Radio programming Radio format that prospered in the late 1960s and 1970s, in which the disc jockeys are given wide latitude in what they may play, similar to the freeform but with the proviso that some kind of rock music is almost always what is played....
 stations; much the way the College rock
College rock

College rock was a term used in the United States to describe 1980s alternative rock before the term "alternative" came into common usage. So named because it was primarily played on campus radio stations, these bands combined the experimentation of post-punk and New Wave music with a more melodic pop style and an underground music sensibilit...
 label was given to bands that received air play on student-run college stations
Campus radio

Campus radio is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively by students, or may include programmers from the wider community in which the station is based....
 during the 1980s.

Album-oriented rock

In the mid-1970s, as program director
Program director

In service industries such as education, a program director researches, plans, develops and implements one or more of the firm's professional services....
s began to put more controls over what songs were played on air, Freeform
Freeform (radio format)

Freeform, or freeform radio, is a radio station Radio programming Radio format in which the disc jockey is given total control over what music to play, regardless of music genre or commercial interests....
 and Progressive
Progressive rock (radio format)

Progressive rock is a radio station Radio programming Radio format that prospered in the late 1960s and 1970s, in which the disc jockeys are given wide latitude in what they may play, similar to the freeform but with the proviso that some kind of rock music is almost always what is played....
 stations evolved into the album-oriented rock format. Stations still played longer songs and deep album
Album

An album or record album is a collection of related Sound recording and reproduction or music tracks distributed to the public. The most common way is through commercial distribution, although smaller artists will often distribute directly to the public by selling their albums at live concerts or on their websites....
 tracks (rather than just singles
Single (music)

In the record industry, a single is a song usually used from a current or upcoming album to promote the album. Singles are distributed through a number of ways; originally, they were packaged as "single" records with one or two other songs and sold before the release of the album....
), 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. Noted DJ "Kid Leo" Travagliante of influential station WMMS
WMMS

WMMS is a radio station in Cleveland, Ohio, with a rich history of broadcasting both locally and nationally. From April 1974 until September 2007, its longtime promotional mascot was "The Buzzard." At the station's peak of popularity in the 1970s and 1980s, it had a stable of personalities that was fundamentally unchanged for many years, and...
 in Cleveland observed the changes in a 1975 interview: "I think the '60s are ending about now. Now we are really starting the '70s. The emphasis is shifting back to entertainment instead of being 'relevant'...In fact, I wouldn't call our station progressive radio. That's outdated. I call it radio. But I heard a good word in the trades, AOR. That's Album-Oriented Rock. That's a name for the '70s".

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
Folk music

Folk music can have a number of different meanings, including:* Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous with the term "Traditional music", also often including World Music and Roots music; the term "Traditional music" was given its more specific meaning to distinguish it from the other definition...
, jazz
Jazz

Jazz is a primarily American musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
, and blues
Blues

Blues is a music genre based on the use of the blues chord progressions and the blue notes. Though several blues musical form s exist, the 12-bar blues chord progressions are the most frequently encountered....
 selections became rarer and most black artists were effectively eliminated from airplay. Where earlier soul
Soul music

Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the African American culture through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of funky, Secularity testifying." The genre occasion...
 and R&B
Rhythm and blues

Rhythm and blues is the name given to a wide-ranging genre of popular music first created by African Americans in the late 1940s and early 1950s....
 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
Disco

Disco is a genre of dance music that originated in and was initially popular among African American, gay and Hispanic and Latino Americans communities in the United States in the late 1960s....
. In 1979, Steve Dahl
Steve Dahl

Stephen Robert Dahl has been an American radio personality for over thirty years. He was most recently Talk radio at WJMK , in Chicago, Illinois....
 of WLUP
WLUP

WLUP is an album-oriented rock FM radio radio station serving the Chicago metropolitan area. It is owned by Emmis Communications. WLUP transmits its signal from an antenna located the top of the Sears Tower in downtown Chicago at a height of 1,390 feet with an effective radiated power of 4,000 watts....
 in Chicago
Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois and the Midwestern United States, as well as the List of United States cities by population city in the United States with more than 2.8 million residents....
 destroyed disco records on his radio show, culminating in the notorious Disco Demolition Night
Disco Demolition Night

Disco Demolition Night was a promotional event that took place on Thursday, July 12, 1979, at Comiskey Park in Chicago. It was held between games of a Doubleheader_#Twi-night between the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers....
 at Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park

Comiskey Park was the stadium in which the Chicago White Sox played from 1910 to 1990. It was built by Charles Comiskey after a design by Zachary Taylor Davis, and was the site of four World Series and more than 6,000 Major League Baseball games....
. Steve Slaton of KISW in Seattle had a similar on-air bit which was included on the station’s Epic Rock record album.

What links the Freeform
Freeform (radio format)

Freeform, or freeform radio, is a radio station Radio programming Radio format in which the disc jockey is given total control over what music to play, regardless of music genre or commercial interests....
, Progressive
Progressive rock (radio format)

Progressive rock is a radio station Radio programming Radio format that prospered in the late 1960s and 1970s, in which the disc jockeys are given wide latitude in what they may play, similar to the freeform but with the proviso that some kind of rock music is almost always what is played....
, AOR and ultimately the Classic rock
Classic rock

Classic rock was originally conceived as a radio station radio format which evolved from the album oriented rock format in the early-1980s. In the United States, this rock music format now features a large playlist of songs ranging from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, with some stations including a limited number of current releases....
 formats are the continuity of rock artists and songs carried through each phase. Programmers and DJs of the Freeform
Freeform (radio format)

Freeform, or freeform radio, is a radio station Radio programming Radio format in which the disc jockey is given total control over what music to play, regardless of music genre or commercial interests....
 and Progressive
Progressive rock (radio format)

Progressive rock is a radio station Radio programming Radio format that prospered in the late 1960s and 1970s, in which the disc jockeys are given wide latitude in what they may play, similar to the freeform but with the proviso that some kind of rock music is almost always what is played....
 phases continued to cultivate a repertoire of rock music and style of delivery that were foundations of AOR and now Classic rock
Classic rock

Classic rock was originally conceived as a radio station radio format which evolved from the album oriented rock format in the early-1980s. In the United States, this rock music format now features a large playlist of songs ranging from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, with some stations including a limited number of current releases....
. 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.

Burkhart/Abrams

The radio consultants, Kent Burkhart and Lee Abrams
Lee Abrams

Lee Abrams currently is the chief innovation officer for the Tribune Company, a post he has held since March 11, 2008. Previously, he was chief programming officer for XM Satellite Radio and a longtime radio producer, programmer and music producer....
 had a huge impact on AOR. Beginning in the early 70s they began contracting with what would become hundreds of stations by the 1980s. Lee Abrams
Lee Abrams

Lee Abrams currently is the chief innovation officer for the Tribune Company, a post he has held since March 11, 2008. Previously, he was chief programming officer for XM Satellite Radio and a longtime radio producer, programmer and music producer....
 had developed a “Super Stars” format, pioneering it at WQDR in Raleigh NC, and had been very successful in delivering large ratings. Basically, Abrams took Top 40 principles and applied them to AOR. While his “Super Stars” format was not quite as tight as Top 40 radio, it was considerably more restricted. This company controlled playlists for a substantial segment 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
Lee Abrams

Lee Abrams currently is the chief innovation officer for the Tribune Company, a post he has held since March 11, 2008. Previously, he was chief programming officer for XM Satellite Radio and a longtime radio producer, programmer and music producer....
 is now Chief Programming Officer for XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio

XM Satellite Radio is one of two satellite radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Radio. It provides pay-for-service radio, analogous to cable television....
.

Criticism

In the early 1980s, AOR radio was criticised for the lack of black artists included in their programming. Indeed, many AOR stations had embraced harder rock while also cultivating a bad boy image. In 1983, the undeniable success of Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson

Michael Joseph Jackson is an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene at the age of 11 as a member of The Jackson 5 and began a solo career in 1971 while still a member of the group....
's album Thriller
Thriller (album)

Thriller is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. The album was released on November 30, 1982 by Epic Records as the follow-up to Jackson's critically and commercially successful 1979 album Off the Wall ....
 led some AOR stations to soften their stance by adding Jackson's "Beat It
Beat It

"Beat It" is a hit Single from Michael Jackson's album Thriller , released in 1983 . It was the third single from the album, following "The Girl Is Mine" and "Billie Jean"....
", which featured Eddie Van Halen
Eddie Van Halen

Edward Lodewijk "Eddie" Van Halen , is a Dutch-American guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter and music producer, most famous as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen....
, to their playlists. At the same time other black artists also made inroads into AOR radio—Prince
Prince (musician)

Prince Rogers Nelson is an United States musician. He performs under the Mononymous person name of Prince, but has also been known by various other names, among them an Love Symbol ...
's "Little Red Corvette
Little Red Corvette

"Little Red Corvette" is one of Prince 's best-known songs, and a defining point in his rise to superstar status. The song was his biggest hit at the time, and his first to reach top-10 status in the United States, peaking at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart....
", Eddy Grant
Eddy Grant

Edmond Montague "Eddy" Grant is a United Kingdom reggae musician....
's "Electric Avenue
Electric Avenue (song)

"Electric Avenue" is Eddy Grant's cross-Atlantic hit from 1983 and from the album Killer on the Rampage. It is often sampled in commercials and other media, such as the opening sequence of Pineapple Express and a montage on Sex, Pies and Idiot Scrapes ....
" and "Beat It" all debuted on Billboard's Top Tracks chart the same week in April 1983.

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 Jon Butcher
Jon Butcher

Jon Butcher is an United States Rock music and blues singer and guitarist and freelance multimedia producer....
, Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman

Tracy Chapman is an United States singer-songwriter, best known for her singles "Fast Car", "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution", "Baby Can I Hold You", "Give Me One Reason", "New Beginning " and "Telling Stories"....
, Living Colour
Living Colour

Living Colour is an American funk metal band from New York City, formed in 1983. A prominent all-African American band of that movement, which also included Jane's Addiction, Faith No More, Primus , and 24-7 Spyz in the late 1980s, Living Colour rose to fame with their debut album Vivid in 1988....
 and Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz

Leonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz is a popular United States singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and arrangement whose "retro" style incorporates elements of rock music, soul music, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic rock, traditional music and ballad ....
 did manage to receive AOR airplay of varying magnitude.

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
Glam metal

Glam metal is a term used to describe the visual style of certain heavy metal music bands that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States....
 bands such as Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe

M?tley Cr?e are a Grammy Award-nominated American hard rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, California in 1981.The band was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drum kit Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead vocalist Vince Neil....
, Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi is an United States hard rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Fronted by lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi, the group originally achieved large-scale success in the 1980s....
 and Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses

Guns N' Roses is an American Rock music band, formed in Los Angeles, California, California in 1985. The band, led by frontman and co-founder Axl Rose, has gone through numerous line-up changes and controversies since their formation....
, while others embraced modern rock
Modern rock

Modern rock is a term commonly used to describe a rock music Radio format found on United States commercial radio. Generally beginning with late 1970s punk rock but referring especially to rock music since the 1980s, the phrase "modern rock" is used to differentiate the music from "classic rock", which focuses on music recorded in the 1960s t...
 acts such as The Fixx
The Fixx

The Fixx are an England New Wave music band. They are one of the few bands to have enjoyed significant success outside their country of origin, notably in the United States and Canada, yet remain almost unknown in their home land....
, INXS
INXS

INXS is an Australian Rock music and New Wave music band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney. Mainstays are Garry Gary Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Farriss on Keyboard instrument, Jon Farriss on Drum kit, Tim Farriss on lead guitar and Kirk Pengilly on guitar/saxophone....
 and U2
U2

U2 are a rock music band from Dublin, Republic of Ireland. The band consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr. .The band formed in 1976 when the members were teenagers with limited musical proficiency....
. But by the end of the decade, AOR stations were playing fewer and fewer new artists and the rise of Grunge, Alternative and Hip-hop accelerated the fadeout of the album-oriented rock format. By the early 1990s many AOR radio stations switched exclusively to the classic rock
Classic rock

Classic rock was originally conceived as a radio station radio format which evolved from the album oriented rock format in the early-1980s. In the United States, this rock music format now features a large playlist of songs ranging from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, with some stations including a limited number of current releases....
 format or segued to other current formats with somewhat of an AOR approach:

  • Adult Album Alternative
    Adult album alternative

    Adult album alternative is a radio format broadcast mostly on FM. A spinoff from the album-oriented rock format, its roots may have been established sometime during the 1960s from what was called freeform and later Progressive rock ....
     (known as Triple A) echoed a softer AOR without the hard rock or heavy metal. For a time Seattle's KMTT even promoted Freeform Fridays, and the Grey Pony Tail Special to highlight the halcyon days of FM radio.
  • Modern Rock
    Modern rock

    Modern rock is a term commonly used to describe a rock music Radio format found on United States commercial radio. Generally beginning with late 1970s punk rock but referring especially to rock music since the 1980s, the phrase "modern rock" is used to differentiate the music from "classic rock", which focuses on music recorded in the 1960s t...
    /Alternative
    Alternative rock

    Alternative rock is a genre of rock music that emerged in the 1980s and became widely popular in the 1990s. Alternative rock consists of various subgenres that have emerged from the independent music scene since the 1980s, such as Grunge music, Britpop, gothic rock, and indie pop....
     A pioneer in this format was KROQ in LA, taking the AOR programming approach to music with New Wave
    New Wave music

    New Wave is a genre of rock music which originated from the late 1970s. It emerged from punk rock as a reaction against the popular music of the 1970s....
    , Punk
    Punk rock

    Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed the perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock....
    , College rock
    College rock

    College rock was a term used in the United States to describe 1980s alternative rock before the term "alternative" came into common usage. So named because it was primarily played on campus radio stations, these bands combined the experimentation of post-punk and New Wave music with a more melodic pop style and an underground music sensibilit...
     and Grunge/Alternative leanings.
  • Active Rock
    Active rock

    Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across Canada and the United States. Active rock plays current rock artists with a mix of classic rock songs....
     Today’s mainstream album rock, playing acts such as Stone Temple Pilots
    Stone Temple Pilots

    Stone Temple Pilots is a Grammy Award-winning American Rock music band consisting of Scott Weiland , brothers Robert DeLeo and Dean DeLeo , and Eric Kretz ....
    , Foo Fighters
    Foo Fighters

    Foo Fighters is an American Rock music band formed by singer/guitarist/drummer Dave Grohl in 1995. Grohl formed the group as a one-man project after the dissolution of his previous band Nirvana in 1994....
    , and Linkin Park
    Linkin Park

    Linkin Park is an American Rock music band from Agoura Hills, California, California. Since its formation in 1996, the band has sold more than 50 million albums and won two Grammy Awards....
    . The active rock format was pioneered by the formerly broadcast (now internet only) KNAC-FM out of Long Beach, California in 1986, and expanded upon by WXTB-FM out of Tampa, Florida in January 1990.


AOR Radio Stations

The radio stations in the following list were successful with the AOR format. In the 1970s some were considered progressive
Progressive rock (radio format)

Progressive rock is a radio station Radio programming Radio format that prospered in the late 1960s and 1970s, in which the disc jockeys are given wide latitude in what they may play, similar to the freeform but with the proviso that some kind of rock music is almost always what is played....
, with programing that evolved to what became known as AOR. Many of these stations have switched from AOR to another format—in some cases Classic rock
Classic rock

Classic rock was originally conceived as a radio station radio format which evolved from the album oriented rock format in the early-1980s. In the United States, this rock music format now features a large playlist of songs ranging from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, with some stations including a limited number of current releases....
 or one of the other AOR spin-offs mentioned above.

Call LettersMarketFrequencyAOR YearsCurrent Format
KZRR
KZRR

KZRR is a commercial radio station located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, broadcasting to the Albuquerque, New Mexico-Santa Fe, New Mexico, area. KZRR airs a Mainstream Rock music format....
Albuquerque, NM94.1 FM1980-presentActive Rock
Active rock

Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across Canada and the United States. Active rock plays current rock artists with a mix of classic rock songs....
WZZO
WZZO

WZZO, also commonly known as Z-95, is a popular hard rock radio station located in Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania, outside of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States....
Allentown, PA95.1 FM1975-presentAOR
WKLSAtlanta, GA96.1 FM1974-2003Active Rock
Active rock

Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across Canada and the United States. Active rock plays current rock artists with a mix of classic rock songs....
WAAF
WAAF (FM)

WAAF is a Boston, Massachusetts, area commercial Album Oriented Rock/Active rock radio station that mixes music that is popular in the modern rock, heavy metal music and classic rock genres....
Boston, MA107.3 FM1969-1989Active Rock
Active rock

Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across Canada and the United States. Active rock plays current rock artists with a mix of classic rock songs....
WBCN
WBCN

WBCN 104.1 FM, is a commercial radio station based in Boston, Massachusetts. WBCN is a modern rock/active rock station that mixes music that is popular in the modern rock, alternative rock and Classic rock genres....
Boston, MA104.1 FM1968-1995Active Rock
Active rock

Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across Canada and the United States. Active rock plays current rock artists with a mix of classic rock songs....
WDAI
WZZN

| name = WLS-FM| image = | city = Chicago, Illinois| area = Chicago metropolitan area| branding = 94.7 WLS-FM...
Chicago, IL94.7 FM1972-1978Oldies
Oldies

Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on a period 15 to 55 years before the present day.In the 1980s and 1990s, "oldies" meant the 15 years from the birth of rock n roll to the beginning of the singer-songwriter era of the early 1970s, or about 1955 to 1971....
 as WZZN
WZZN

| name = WLS-FM| image = | city = Chicago, Illinois| area = Chicago metropolitan area| branding = 94.7 WLS-FM...
WLUP
WLUP

WLUP is an album-oriented rock FM radio radio station serving the Chicago metropolitan area. It is owned by Emmis Communications. WLUP transmits its signal from an antenna located the top of the Sears Tower in downtown Chicago at a height of 1,390 feet with an effective radiated power of 4,000 watts....
Chicago, IL97.9 FM1977-presentAOR
AOR

AOR may refer to:* Address of Record used in SIP Addressing URI* Album-oriented rock or Adult-oriented rock* Area of responsibility, a United States military acronym referring to the geographic region assigned to a strategic military command...
WMET
WMET

WMET is a radio station broadcasting on 1160 kHz in the mediumwave AM broadcasting band. The station moved from the 1150 kHz frequency in 2003. Its transmitter is located in Gaithersburg, Maryland and it serves the Washington, D.C....
Chicago, IL95 1/2 FM1976-1986Smooth Jazz
Smooth jazz

Smooth jazz is a sub-genre of jazz which is influenced stylistically by Rhythm and blues, funk and pop music.Beginning in the early 1970s, it was an evolution into jazz with a modern, electronic sensibility....
 as WNUA
WNUA

WNUA is a smooth jazz radio station located in Chicago, Illinois, owned and operated by Clear Channel Communications. It is among the format's top-rated radio stations....
WEBN
WEBN

WEBN is an United States radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The station plays a rock music format, and pioneered the concept of "album-oriented rock" or AOR....
Cincinnati, OH102.7 FM1967-presentAOR
WMMS
WMMS

WMMS is a radio station in Cleveland, Ohio, with a rich history of broadcasting both locally and nationally. From April 1974 until September 2007, its longtime promotional mascot was "The Buzzard." At the station's peak of popularity in the 1970s and 1980s, it had a stable of personalities that was fundamentally unchanged for many years, and...
Cleveland, OH100.7 FM1968–1994Active Rock
Active rock

Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across Canada and the United States. Active rock plays current rock artists with a mix of classic rock songs....
WMMMCleveland, OH105.7 FM1975–1982Classic Hits
Classic hits

Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes rock music and pop music music from the late 1960s to the early 1980s. The term is sometimes erroneously used as a synonym for the adult hits format, but is more accurately characterized as a contemporary hybrid of the oldies and classic rock formats....
 as WMJI
WMJI

WMJI is an United Statesn commercial Frequency modulation radio station in Cleveland, Ohio, Ohio broadcasting at 105.7 Megahertz. Calling itself "Majic 105.7", the station was best known for playing songs from the 50's, 60's, and 70's....
WLVQ
WLVQ

WLVQ is an frequency modulation radio station in Columbus, Ohio, United States, broadcasting on 96.3 MHz. Its brand identifier is Ohio's Best Rock, QFM 96....
Columbus, OH96.3 FM1977-presentAOR
WTUE
WTUE

WTUE is a classic rock formatted radio station with studios in Dayton, Ohio. WTUE is also currently an affiliate of The Bob and Tom Show. Its transmitter is located in Moraine, Ohio....
Dayton, OH104.7 FM1975-presentAOR
WLLZ
WVMV

WVMV is a radio station serving the Metropolitan Detroit area in Southeastern Michigan. WVMV broadcasts at 98.7 MHz. The stations transmitter is located near Livernois and West Davison in the City of Detroit....
Detroit, MI98.7 FM1980-1995Smooth Jazz
Smooth jazz

Smooth jazz is a sub-genre of jazz which is influenced stylistically by Rhythm and blues, funk and pop music.Beginning in the early 1970s, it was an evolution into jazz with a modern, electronic sensibility....
 as WVMV
WVMV

WVMV is a radio station serving the Metropolitan Detroit area in Southeastern Michigan. WVMV broadcasts at 98.7 MHz. The stations transmitter is located near Livernois and West Davison in the City of Detroit....
WRIF
WRIF

WRIF is a radio station broadcasting a Active Rock format. Licensed to Detroit, Michigan, USA, the station serves the Detroit area. The station is currently owned by Greater Media The signal can also be heard as far as Flint, MI, Port Huron, MI, Jackson, MI, Chatham-Kent and Lambton County, Ontario, Northern Toledo, OH and sometimes as far...
Detroit, MI101.1 FM1971-c.1994Active Rock
Active rock

Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across Canada and the United States. Active rock plays current rock artists with a mix of classic rock songs....
WNIKIndianapolis, INOnline1960-presentRock
Rock music

Rock music is a loosely defined genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the mid 1950's. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rhythm and blues, country music and other influences....
KYYS
KYYS

KKSN is a radio station broadcasting an Hot AC Contemporary hit radio format. It is licensed to and serves the Kansas City, Missouri metropolitan area....
Kansas City, MO
Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson County, Missouri, Clay County, Missouri, Cass County, Missouri, and Platte County, Missouri counties....
102.1 FM/99.7 FM1974-1997, 1997-Classic rock
Classic rock

Classic rock was originally conceived as a radio station radio format which evolved from the album oriented rock format in the early-1980s. In the United States, this rock music format now features a large playlist of songs ranging from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, with some stations including a limited number of current releases....
KOMP
KOMP

KOMP may refer to:* KOMP , a radio station licensed to Las Vegas, Nevada, United States* KOMP 104.9 Radio Compa, an album by Akwid* Betty Komp, American politician and member of the Oregon House of Representatives...
Las Vegas, NV92.3 FM1981-presentActive Rock
Active rock

Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across Canada and the United States. Active rock plays current rock artists with a mix of classic rock songs....
WKQQ
WKQQ

WKQQ is a radio station licensed to the commnuity of Winchester, Kentucky, and serves the greater Lexington, Kentucky, area. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications and licensed to Citicasters Licenses, L.P....
Lexington, KY98.1 FM1974-1998Active Rock
Active rock

Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across Canada and the United States. Active rock plays current rock artists with a mix of classic rock songs....
 on 100.1 FM
KLOS
KLOS

KLOS is an FM broadcasting classic rock radio station based in Los Angeles, California that debuted in 1969. KLOS is one of many The Walt Disney Company/ABC Radio stations that has now merged with Citadel Broadcasting....
Los Angeles, CA95.5 FM1969-1995Classic rock
Classic rock

Classic rock was originally conceived as a radio station radio format which evolved from the album oriented rock format in the early-1980s. In the United States, this rock music format now features a large playlist of songs ranging from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, with some stations including a limited number of current releases....
KMETLos Angeles, CA94.7 FM1968-1987Smooth Jazz
Smooth jazz

Smooth jazz is a sub-genre of jazz which is influenced stylistically by Rhythm and blues, funk and pop music.Beginning in the early 1970s, it was an evolution into jazz with a modern, electronic sensibility....
 as KTWV
KTWV

KTWV is a commercial radio station located in Los Angeles, California, broadcasting to the Los Angeles, California, Orange County, California, and Riverside, California-San Bernardino, California area on 94.7 FM Broadcasting....
WMC-FM
WMC-FM

WMC-FM is a "Hot AC" radio station serving the market of Memphis, Tennessee. The station is notable for being an FM "superpower," with a transmitter that greatly exceeds current Federal Communications Commission restrictions....
Memphis, TN
Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis is a city in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County, Tennessee. Memphis rises above the Mississippi River on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff just south of the mouth of the Wolf River ....
99.7 FMcirca 1969-circa 1981Hot Adult Contemporary
WRNO-FM
WRNO-FM

WRNO-FM is an Talk radio radio station serving New Orleans, Louisiana. The Clear Channel Communications station broadcasts at 99.5 MHz with an Effective radiated power of 100 Kilowatt....
Metairie, LA (New Orleans)99.5 FM1968-1997talk radio
Talk radio

Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests....
KQRS-FMMinneapolis, MN92.5 FM1968-presentAOR
KZOQMissoula, MT101.1 FMnot sureClassic rock
Classic rock

Classic rock was originally conceived as a radio station radio format which evolved from the album oriented rock format in the early-1980s. In the United States, this rock music format now features a large playlist of songs ranging from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, with some stations including a limited number of current releases....
WDHA
WDHA

WDHA-FM 105.5 FM is a rock music station licensed to Dover, New Jersey and Morristown, New Jersey, New Jersey. WDHA is owned and operated by Greater Media and serves the northern New Jersey region....
Morristown, NJ105.5 FM1979-presentAOR
WKDF
WKDF

WKDF is a radio station broadcasting on a frequency of 103.3 mHz from Nashville, Tennessee. WKDF is owned by Citadel Broadcasting Corporation....
Nashville, TN
Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville is the Capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County, Tennessee. It is the second most populous city in the state after Memphis, Tennessee....
103.3 FM1970-1999Country
Country music

Country music is a blend of popular American music forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. It has roots in Traditional music, Celtic music, gospel music, and old-time music and evolved rapidly in the 1920s....
WNEWNew York, NY102.7 FM1967-1995Adult Contemporary as WWFS
WPLJ
WPLJ

WPLJ is a radio station in New York City. WPLJ is the flagship FM station of Citadel Broadcasting Corporation. WPLJ shares studio facilities with sister station WABC and former sister stations WEPN and WQEW in midtown Manhattan, and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building....
New York, NY95.5 FM1971-1983Hot Adult Contemporary
Adult contemporary music

Adult contemporary music refers to a broad style of popular music that ranges from lush 1960s, vocal music-based music to predominantly ballad-heavy music with varying degrees of rock music influence"....
WVOK
WVOK-FM

WVOK-FM is a radio station broadcasting a Hot Adult Contemporary music format. Licensed to Oxford, Alabama, it serves the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Area....
Oxford, AL (Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama

Birmingham is the largest city in the United States state of Alabama and is the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama. It also includes part of Shelby County, Alabama....
)		99.5 FM1977-1983Classic rock
Classic rock

Classic rock was originally conceived as a radio station radio format which evolved from the album oriented rock format in the early-1980s. In the United States, this rock music format now features a large playlist of songs ranging from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, with some stations including a limited number of current releases....
 as WZRR
WZRR

WZRR is a classic rock FM broadcasting radio station licensed to Birmingham, Alabama in the U.S. state of Alabama. Its on-air name is Rock 99.5....
WMMR
WMMR

WMMR is a Rock music radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, broadcasting at 93.3 MHz FM band. The station is owned by Greater Media.Philadelphia's Media of Philadelphia#FM radio stations is ranked the seventh largest in the United States by Arbitron's ranking system, and WMMR was the leading rock format station in the market, with a...
Philadelphia, PA93.3 FM1968-presentActive Rock
Active rock

Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across Canada and the United States. Active rock plays current rock artists with a mix of classic rock songs....
WQDR
WQDR-FM

WQDR is a country music station located at 94.7 on the FM frequency and based in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is owned and operated by Curtis Media Group, which is also based in the same city....
Raleigh, NC
Raleigh, North Carolina

Raleigh is the Capital of the state of North Carolina and the List of North Carolina county seats of Wake County, North Carolina. Raleigh is known as the ?City of Oaks? for its many oaks....
94.7 FM1973-1984Country
Country music

Country music is a blend of popular American music forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. It has roots in Traditional music, Celtic music, gospel music, and old-time music and evolved rapidly in the 1920s....
WQBK
WQBK-FM

WQBK-FM is an Album-Oriented Rock music formatted radio station licensed to Rensselaer, New York, and serving New York's Capital District. The station is owned by Regent Communications, and broadcasts at 6 kilowatts Effective radiated power from a tower in Bethlehem, New York....
Rensselaer, NY
Rensselaer, New York

Rensselaer is a city in Rensselaer County, New York, United States, located on the Hudson River, directly opposite Albany, New York. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 7,761; in 1920, it was 10,832....
103.9 FM1972-presentAOR
KISWSeattle, WA99.9 FM1971-1996Active Rock
Active rock

Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across Canada and the United States. Active rock plays current rock artists with a mix of classic rock songs....
/Talk
Talk radio

Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests....
KXRX
KXRX

KXRX is the call sign of the radio station 97 Rock based in Walla Walla, Washington. The frequency is 97.1 MHz, and it is a GapWest Broadcasting radio station....
Seattle, WA96.5 FM1987-1994Jack FM
Jack FM

Jack-FM is the moniker and on-air brand of 60 radio stations in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia. Jack stations play a mix of 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s in music hits with some 2000s in music hot adult contemporary single ....
KZOKSeattle, WA102.5 FM1974-1986Classic rock
Classic rock

Classic rock was originally conceived as a radio station radio format which evolved from the album oriented rock format in the early-1980s. In the United States, this rock music format now features a large playlist of songs ranging from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, with some stations including a limited number of current releases....
KOLSeattle, WA94.1 FM1968-1973Country
Country music

Country music is a blend of popular American music forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. It has roots in Traditional music, Celtic music, gospel music, and old-time music and evolved rapidly in the 1920s....
 as KMPS
KMPS

KMPS-FM is a country music station based in Seattle, Washington. The CBS Radio outlet broadcasts at 94.1 MHz with its main transmitter operating at 69 kW effective radiated power and its three auxiliary transmitters operating at 57 kW, 55 kW and 53 kW ERP....
KEZE
KEZE

KEZE, also known as "Coyote Country", is a Country radio station licensed to Spokane, Washington. The Morgan Murphy Media station broadcasts at 96.9 MHz on the FM dial with an ERP of 8.2 kw....
Spokane, WA105.7 FM1973-1996Active Rock
Active rock

Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across Canada and the United States. Active rock plays current rock artists with a mix of classic rock songs....
 as KZBD
KZBD

KZBD, also known as 105.7 The Peak, is an alternative rock outlet serving the Spokane, Washington area. The Mapleton Communications station broadcasts at 105.7 MHz with an effective radiated power of 100 kW....
KWK
KWK

KWK may refer to:*KWK-AM, former call sign of the radio station KSLG *KWK-FM, former call sign of the radio station WARH*KWK-TV, former call sign of the television station KMOV...
St. Louis, MO106.5 FM1979-1984Adult Hits
Adult hits

Adult hits is a radio format, popular in the early 2000s, that does not adhere to a specific music genre, but instead draws from a wider playlist....
 as WARH
WARH

WARH is a radio station in Granite City, Illinois. WARH serves the St. Louis, Missouri, metropolitan area.WARH plays an Adult Hits as "106.5 The Arch - 70s, 80s, & Whatever We Want"....
KSHE
KSHE

KSHE is a rock & roll radio station licensed to Crestwood, Missouri which serves the St. Louis, Missouri area. KSHE is located at 94.7 MHz and currently uses the slogan "KSHE 95, Real Rock Radio"....
St. Louis, MO94.7 FM1967-presentAOR
KWFM
KWFM

KWFM is a commercial radio station located in Tucson, Arizona, broadcasting on 1450 amplitude modulation. KWFM airs an oldies music format and for a long time was aired through the 92.9 FM dial ....
Tucson, AZ
Tucson, Arizona

Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, Arizona, United States, located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix, Arizona and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border....
92.9 FM1970-1983Adult Album Alternative
Adult album alternative

Adult album alternative is a radio format broadcast mostly on FM. A spinoff from the album-oriented rock format, its roots may have been established sometime during the 1960s from what was called freeform and later Progressive rock ....
 as KWMT
KWMT-FM

KWMT-FM is an Adult Album Alternative radio station that serves Tucson, Arizona. KWMT-FM broadcasts on the frequency of 92.9 MHz, and is licensed to Tucson....


Music played

Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit single
Hit single

A hit single is a Sound recording track or Single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official Record chart through repeated airplay and/or significant commercial sales....
s. The best example is Top 40, though other formats Country
Country

Country may refer to the territory of a state, or to a smaller, or former, political division of a geographical region. In another meaning of the word, the country is also a term used to refer to rural areas....
, Smooth Jazz
Smooth jazz

Smooth jazz is a sub-genre of jazz which is influenced stylistically by Rhythm and blues, funk and pop music.Beginning in the early 1970s, it was an evolution into jazz with a modern, electronic sensibility....
, and Urban
Urban contemporary

Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop music, contemporary R&B, and, on occasion, Caribbean music such as reggae and reggaeton....
, all utilize the same basic principles, with the most popular songs repeating every 2 to 6 hours, depending on their rank in rotation
Spin (radio)

In radio broadcasting, a spin is a single play of a song. The term is also used as a measurement to measure popularity, typically in spins per week....
. 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
Spin (radio)

In radio broadcasting, a spin is a single play of a song. The term is also used as a measurement to measure popularity, typically in spins per week....
 concept, focused on the album as a whole (rather than singles). In the early 1970s many DJs had the freedom to chose what track(s) to play off a given album
Album

An album or record album is a collection of related Sound recording and reproduction or music tracks distributed to the public. The most common way is through commercial distribution, although smaller artists will often distribute directly to the public by selling their albums at live concerts or on their websites....
 – as well as latitude to decide what order to play the records in.

Later in the 1970s AOR formats became tighter and song selection shifted to the Program Director
Program director

In service industries such as education, a program director researches, plans, develops and implements one or more of the firm's professional services....
 or Music Director, rather than the DJ. 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.