Music Banter - Anyone explain the differences between AOR and Melodic Metal to me?

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- - Anyone explain the differences between AOR and Melodic Metal to me? (https://www.musicbanter.com/rock-metal/64569-anyone-explain-differences-between-aor-melodic-metal-me.html)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart (Post 1224061)

Weird, as I would never really have put Free or Bad Company in as AOR. SHows what I know...

Wondered if you ever got this magazine? It's a great read and you get to learn about some fine bands in it (well, I do: you probably know them already), plus you get a free CD (although at about 11 Euro for the mag it's not really free, but heigh ho...)
http://www.trollheart.com/aormag2.jpg

Bad Company are not classified as AOR, that's just me bending the genre boxes a bit, but I think they're the perfect example of where hard rock does meet AOR. Bad Company are classified as hard rock and Foreigner as AOR, I think both bands were very similiar but they have a different classification.

No I don't have that mag, but I'd sure as hell love to have it, how old is it? They have Toto on the front, as far as I'm concerned AOR's finest ever band.

Last May. Well, May 2011. Back issues available here
Music Magazine Subscriptions | My Favourite Magazines

Edit: looks like it only goes back to issue 3, and that Toto one is issue 2 (Issue one was Journey). If you can't get it and really want it I can scan it for you. Might take a while but, let me know.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart (Post 1223778)

I've reviewed several albums that could qualify as either, and at the moment I'm listening to Jaded Heart, who seem too heavy to be AOR yet not quite heavy enough to be out and out metal, so are they melodic metal? And if so, what differentiates one from the other? I'd like to know, as I would certainly not describe Journey or Toto as melodic metal, but JH don't seem to be what I'd call AOR either? :confused:

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Originally Posted by almauro (Post 1223785)

There's metal that's melodic, but is there a Melodic Metal sub-genre? There's glam metal, grunge, melodic death metal, melodic metalcore, power metal, just to same a few, but I've never heard of "melodic metal" :(?

It's funny how Grunge, when it started out, was the antithesis of Glam Metal and now they're kissing cousins on Dunn's family tree of Heavy Metal. :confused:

Quote:

Originally Posted by almauro (Post 1223785)

AOR is an interesting genre for me because I don't know that much about it. I'd choose the "Adult" over "Album" in the acronym, it's slightly older, prog. influenced musicians that wanted to play a more mature and popular style of rock music, instead of NWOBHM, Thrash or Hair Metal which was more youth oriented. Melodic aspects can be heard in all of these.

It been long establish that AOR stands for "Album Oriented Rock." :rolleyes:
It dates back to the 70s as a radio format for FM stations that played Rock music. It was called album-orietned because the format of the radio stations to play album tracks, instead of singles that Top 40 stations played. It had nothing to do with the age of the listener the music was aimed at, that would be Adult Contemporary music.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart (Post 1224165)

Cheers will look into it.

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Originally Posted by Neapolitan (Post 1224217)

I don't know about Melodic Metal but found a list provided by spirit-of-metal.com. Jaded Heart is considered Hard Rock by by the site, and the band is from Germany - which is the hub of Melodic Metal, right? Or is Germany the hub Melodic Heavy Metal? I check out Paid My Dues by JH. The song started with Styx-esque harmonies. It sounds closer to Hard Rock of the 70s, I guess Melodic Metal would have more Metal influence to it.

It been long establish that AOR stands for "Album Oriented Rock." :rolleyes:
It dates back to the 70s as a radio format for FM stations that played Rock music. It was called album-orietned because the format of the radio stations to play album tracks, instead of singles that Top 40 stations played. It had nothing to do with the age of the listener the music was aimed at, that would be Adult Contemporary music.

Germany is very much the hub of European power metal which by nature is very melodic. Outside of the UK, Germany is the country with the most tradition of metal in Europe, since the 1990s that position has been challenged by Sweden.

Album Orientated Rock is the most correct label, as most AOR bands (the good ones) usually had album tracks just as good as the singles and at times even better, they would often get played on the radio, far more in the USA though than here in the UK.

Heh heh! I used to think in my naivete that AOR stood for, wait for it,

Airplay On Radio! :eek: (we need a d'oh or slaphead smilie...)