Is there a revival of AOR going on?

[Silverkin]

There seem to be loads of quality new AOR bands emerging and groups coming out with new albums after a long break.

I was wondering whether that has always been going on and I just wasn't aware of it cos I wasn't looking or is it that social media is helping mobilise the fans which is creating a real ground swell that's encouraging bands to create new high standard material?

 

Alphamale had posted something re Junkyard's new album and I was checking out their earlier stuff online as had never heard of them. It was reading through the comments by listeners that got me wondering - they were all saying things like :

"god dam I miss good rock." "Where did all the great music disappear to?" "DAMN......I miss the ''80s and real music." "You and everyone else. True rock!" etc

 

And then someone said how record companies had turned their backs on good rock bands when grunge became the "new thing" so the rock artists had turned to recording their own material at home instead.

 

The response to that was:

"If maybe one day a new movement of good bands strikes there will be nothing in the way"

 

I'm wondering if that's what we're seeing happen now and there's gonna be a new era of strong rock material hitting the mainstream again

[Geoff]

I honestly don't think this stuff will ever hit the mainstream again, but this genre has been in pretty decent shape from about 2000 onwards, gradually and seemingly getting better by the year.

 

It'll never be mainstream again, imo, but that's not to say there are not very good modern rock acts signed to good labels that are excellent themselves. Just not really the standard HH material.

[Invisible_man]

seems revival is more centered in Europe with European labels releasing this stuff...a bit ironic I think

[Jez]

i've been listening to all the AOR stuff for the past 35+ years and whilst it was at it's peak in the early mid 80's, it is still around and has never really gone away, albeit being much more of a nich market for the last 20 odd years (if it wasn't before). .

Personally, I think a lot stuff that was coming out back then was of a much better standard and paved way for the bands that pretty much 'borrow' what was done before Not saying the stuff nowadays isn;t any good, as some of it is, but in general I would say the heydays back in the 80's won't be repeated ever. The days of record companies putting big bucks behind bands and doing the big production thing are well over and a thing of the past, leaving bands to mostly go it alone nowadays. Sign of the times is suppose, but at least we have the memories and some mighty fine albums.

[Silverkin]

The days of record companies putting big bucks behind bands and doing the big production thing are well over and a thing of the past, leaving bands to mostly go it alone nowadays. Sign of the times is suppose, but at least we have the memories and some mighty fine albums.

 

I agree re record companies, they don't seem to back bands and make them household names in the same way any more but I wondered whether social media was helping change things?

Personally I like niche markets and the internet has been super brilliant for that side of things as I can be pro active and seek out exactly what I'm looking for rather than being dictated to by the charts as I seemed to be in my younger days

[mrbandwidth]

When a Golden Age happens in some form of art always comes a Silver Age some generations after, when the young people who were just spectators in the Golden Age grow up and have the money, the power or both to be able to bring back the golden years.

 

Teens at 80's now are 40's, so they've got the power, the money and the will to revive the style music they loved.

[Silverkin]

When a Golden Age happens in some form of art always comes a Silver Age some generations after, when the young people who were just spectators in the Golden Age grow up and have the money, the power or both to be able to bring back the golden years.

 

Teens at 80's now are 40's, so they've got the power, the money and the will to revive the style music they loved.

 

So do you think it will/is happening?

I can't see why not. Even the current fashion with the ripped jeans is a throwback to the 80s AOR scene to my mind

[mrbandwidth]

 

When a Golden Age happens in some form of art always comes a Silver Age some generations after, when the young people who were just spectators in the Golden Age grow up and have the money, the power or both to be able to bring back the golden years.

 

Teens at 80's now are 40's, so they've got the power, the money and the will to revive the style music they loved.

 

So do you think it will/is happening?

I can't see why not. Even the current fashion with the ripped jeans is a throwback to the 80s AOR scene to my mind

 

 

Yes, at a certain point; as Geoff said this is not the 'mainstream' anymore (being 'mainstream' what huge companies support and put their big bucks in, which is basically music for nowadays teens), but I can see other smaller-sized companies and bands re-uniting and trying to do this kind of music again. Time will tell if can be considered a truly Silver Age or just a limited revival.