Adult oriented rock (AOR) is a music genre that is characterized by a rich, layered sound, slick production and a heavy reliance on pop/rock hooks (rateyourmusic.com). This genre had its heyday in the early 1980s, but luckily it never really left since.
The genre most defining bands are Journey, Foreigner, Toto and Survivor.
Journey‘s 7th studio album Escape (1981) is essential.
Foreigner‘s 4th one, fittingly called 4, that came out in the same year as Journey‘s Escape is another essential AOR album, as is its successor Agent Provocator.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qS82LDXPqnM&index=4&list=PLlna-50p3WXtojzyekRcTMEx9lkIgSwQt
Toto‘s 4th album Toto IV (1982), not only proofs that at least some AOR bands at a certain point in time were not awfully inventive in the naming of their albums, but is also a true classic in the genre, that’s a perfect link between the sheer perfection and melodic quality of West Coast music and the power of Rock (courtesy of Steve Lukather).… Read the rest