Off topic general radio question

[Frank Weil]

>         I'm doing a speech in my communications class about the differences
> in radio between the '70s and '90s and how those differences were reflected
> in the bands of the time.  Since I've only been alive since 1975, I was
> wondering if some of the elder statemen on the list could provide me with
> a definition of an Album Oriented Rock (AOR) station.  Did they actually
> have the gall to play an occasional album all the way through ;)  Maybe
> it meant that they played an assortment of songs from albums instead of
> just the typical million-seller single?

Now don't construe this as an admission of being "elder" in any sense,
but I think that the term AOR is really meant to be taken in contrast
to "Top 40".  That is, instead of only putting the released *singles*
into heavy rotation, AOR stations will actually play other cuts from
the whole *album*.  For example, instead of only hearing _Stairway to
Heaven_ umpteen trillion times, one might also get to actually hear
_Battle of Evermore_ (which, even farther off-topic, has some
absolutely brilliant singing by Sandy Denny, IMHO).

Actually some of the AOR stations did (and do) play albums all the way
through, but there was usually a special time set aside for that.
Some of the stations here is Chicago used to play one or two new
albums each week on Saturday or Sunday night.  I don't remember ever
hearing an entire album as part of the normal play list, though.

Frank

--
 ==============================================================================
Frank Weil | frankw at comm.mot.com | phone: (708) 576-3110 | fax: (708) 576-3240

Real programmers don't bring paper bag lunches.  If the vending
machine sells it, they eat it.  If the vending machine doesn't sell
it, they don't eat it.  Vending machines don't sell quiche.