Most influential AOR albums of all time...

[Jimbo]

I've seen this question asked about a lot of other genres, most notably heavy metal, but never about AOR. So...what do you think the top five most influential AOR albums of all time are?

[TIM (2)]

Thinking about those that are most influential, rather than those I like the most....

 

JOURNEY - Escape (tough call between this & "Raised on Radio")

ITEN - Taking A Cold Look

TOTO - IV

ICON - Night of the Crime

EUROPE - The Final Countdown (inspired a whole wave of Scandie AOR)

[Jimbo]

Thinking about those that are most influential, rather than those I like the most....

 

JOURNEY - Escape (tough call between this & "Raised on Radio")

ITEN - Taking A Cold Look

TOTO - IV

ICON - Night of the Crime

EUROPE - The Final Countdown (inspired a whole wave of Scandie AOR)

 

Good call on Europe. I think you're right.

[Nick C]

I think I'd go with Tim there but I'd add

 

Boston - s/t

[Swazi]

I am not quite sure if you would call this one AOR, but I believe they influenced a lot as well:

 

Electric Light Orchestra - Out of the Blue

 

 

Another early one that comes to my mind is:

 

Head East - A different Kind of Crazy

[eaglesfan3000]

Thinking about those that are most influential, rather than those I like the most....

 

JOURNEY - Escape (tough call between this & "Raised on Radio")

ITEN - Taking A Cold Look

TOTO - IV

ICON - Night of the Crime

EUROPE - The Final Countdown (inspired a whole wave of Scandie AOR)

 

I can't believe you would put ICON on the list even though Night Of The Crime kind of does fall into the AOR catagory.

 

My list...

 

TOTO - IV

AVIATOR - S/T

SURVIVOR - Eye Of The Tiger

JOURNEY - Frontiers

ASIA - S/T

NIGHT RANGER - Dawn Patrol

[Jez]

Journey - Escape

Boston - S/T

Foreigner - S/T

Toto - IV

Touch - S/T

[Kim_Hp]

Not to forget R.E.O. Speedwagon - Hi Infidelity even though I'm not overly fond of it...

[aMetalhead1966]

I'm not a huge aor fan..and some of these probably aren't aor

but here's my list..

 

Asia-S/T

Night Ranger-Dawn Patrol

Billy Squier-Don't Say No

Loverboy-Get Lucky

Styx-Grand Illusion

[Geoff]

Haha... I don't really know but a few choices from Tim and Bob had me puzzled. Just out of curiosity, what lead you chaps to choose Icon and even more so, Aviator? Both stunning albums (by FAR the best 2 mentioned so far in this thread), but who did they influence?

[Faron]

I'm not a huge aor fan..and some of these probably aren't aor

but here's my list..

 

Night Ranger-Dawn Patrol

Loverboy-Get Lucky

Styx-Grand Illusion

 

3 of my favourite albums, great selection Eric

[Faron]

Journey - Escape

Boston - S/T

Foreigner - S/T

Toto - IV

 

All classics matey

[Faron]

Thinking about those that are most influential, rather than those I like the most....

 

JOURNEY - Escape (tough call between this & "Raised on Radio")

ITEN - Taking A Cold Look

TOTO - IV

ICON - Night of the Crime

EUROPE - The Final Countdown (inspired a whole wave of Scandie AOR)

 

I can't believe you would put ICON on the list even though Night Of The Crime kind of does fall into the AOR catagory.

 

My list...

 

TOTO - IV

SURVIVOR - Eye Of The Tiger

JOURNEY - Frontiers

NIGHT RANGER - Dawn Patrol

 

Excellent mate

[cdjunky41]

New England-New England

Boston-Boston

Angel-Sinful

Bon Jovi-Bon Jovi

Arcangel-Arcangel

Jouney-Escape

Foreigner-Foreigner

Survivor-Eye Of The Tiger

[Geoff]

Bon Jovi-Bon Jovi

Yeah, for the brand of AOR I like that may just be a good call. That's about the first "AOR" disc I can think of that I really love.

[cdjunky41]

Bon Jovi-Bon Jovi

Yeah, for the brand of AOR I like that may just be a good call. That's about the first "AOR" disc I can think of that I really love.

I still think it's his best work

[Jez]

We are talking Influential AOR discs here and not necessarily the best ones . The Bon Jovi debut was and still is excellent and the best thing they have ever done IMO, but he was helped out quite alot on that disc with various other people especially Aldo Nova, who's mark is all over that disc.

[dokken]

dare-out of the silence

tony carey-blue highway

signal-loud & clear

survivor-when seconds count

harem scarem-s/t

 

 

is what i can think of right now

[TIM (2)]

Haha... I don't really know but a few choices from Tim and Bob had me puzzled. Just out of curiosity, what lead you chaps to choose Icon and even more so, Aviator? Both stunning albums (by FAR the best 2 mentioned so far in this thread), but who did they influence?

 

Well that ICON album is definitely AOR, the only album of theirs that was. But they were one of the first of the 'Hair Metal' bands to make an AOR album, which led to some of those bands making more commercial records.

 

And if that argument fails to convince you then Harry Hess once said in an interview that it influenced his direction with the debut H.S album. So it influenced at least one person!

 

In hindsight I'd probably swap it out for BOSTON S/T....

[sharatan]

for me it's diamond(US)....it made me search for more stuff like this....

[bangerdave]

Too Hot To Sleep-Survivor

[Glen]

Not sure about 5, but of the 2 sides of AOR I would go as follows -

 

AOR : Journey - Escape

Westcoast : Toto - IV

 

They are the pinnacles, and what has influenced virtually every AOR/West Coast album since. & whats more neither of them has ever been topped. Like it or not, its the truth..

 

[TIM (2)]

Too Hot To Sleep-Survivor

 

WTF?

 

Putting aside the fact I think there are only really 2 good songs on it ("Didnt Know it was Love" & "Desperate Dreams"), I don't get how it could be considered as influential? AOR was starting to fade-out in terms of popularity by this point, & the album sold poorly resulting in the band splitting after the album was released. If you'd listed "Vital Signs" then I would've backed you, but this album & the horrible "Reach" were big failures (commercially & musically) in their catalogue IMO.

[Glen]

Too Hot To Sleep-Survivor

 

WTF?

 

Putting aside the fact I think there are only really 2 good songs on it ("Didnt Know it was Love" & "Desperate Dreams"), I don't get how it could be considered as influential? AOR was starting to fade-out in terms of popularity by this point, & the album sold poorly resulting in the band splitting after the album was released. If you'd listed "Vital Signs" then I would've backed you, but this album & the horrible "Reach" were big failures (commercially & musically) in their catalogue IMO.

 

Well, totally backed in it NOT being influencial, but I still love that album.

 

Only one or two fillers...the rest rock big time. Also, is it AOR?? Id say more melodic hard rock....completely different sound to say 'Vital Signs'.

 

[Geoff]

Too Hot To Sleep-Survivor

 

WTF?

 

Putting aside the fact I think there are only really 2 good songs on it ("Didnt Know it was Love" & "Desperate Dreams"), I don't get how it could be considered as influential? AOR was starting to fade-out in terms of popularity by this point, & the album sold poorly resulting in the band splitting after the album was released. If you'd listed "Vital Signs" then I would've backed you, but this album & the horrible "Reach" were big failures (commercially & musically) in their catalogue IMO.

 

Well, totally backed in it NOT being influencial, but I still love that album.

 

Only one or two fillers...the rest rock big time. Also, is it AOR?? Id say more melodic hard rock....completely different sound to say 'Vital Signs'.

 

Easily their best CD... by far.