Should this be a genre name?
What I am trying to describe is a style of music that has a lot in common with AOR (polished and kind of "clever" production, song oriented, often experienced musicians), but without the "rock" elements.
Also, it isn't MOR because 1. as opposed to MOR, it may be rather musically sophisticated and 2. MOR often has quite a lot of teenybopper audiences (particularly girls) in addition to the middle aged housewives it is more often associated with, while AOP does mainly appeal to people (and not mainly middle aged housewives at that) over 20.
Examples of AOP:
70s: Steely Dan, 10cc, Supertramp, ELO, Klaatu
80s: Prefab Sprout, Aztec Camera, David + David, Deacon Blue, Danny Wilson
90s: Crowded House, Jellyfish, Lightning Seeds
00s: Phoenix, Coldplay, Keane
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 9 June 2005 09:37 (twenty years ago)
I was thinking Girls Aloud, Sugababes and Britney qualified for AOP because I think they have a fair-sized adult fan base, as demonstrated here and in the blogosphere, but I think their main audience is still in children.
― Nick H (Nick H), Thursday, 9 June 2005 09:40 (twenty years ago)
I think the creative control element is an important thing here too, which does leave most of those out of question anyway.
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 9 June 2005 09:41 (twenty years ago)
GA, Sugababes and Britney seem PRIMARILY youth-orientated I think.
I'd put Annie down as AOP though.
― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Thursday, 9 June 2005 09:44 (twenty years ago)
Hmm. If ABC and Scritti Politti are AOP, then Annie may be classified as AOP too.
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 9 June 2005 09:46 (twenty years ago)
What about Air? They at least have elements of this sound. I don't know if they've ever outed themselves as 10cc fans, but they do sound like 10cc fans.
― Deluxe (Damian), Thursday, 9 June 2005 09:51 (twenty years ago)
I am not sure whether Air are really song oriented enough. But they
may qualify (I think those who have lumped them with Electronica aren't entirely correct)
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 9 June 2005 09:54 (twenty years ago)
Damn, I thought this was going to be a thread about Archers of Poaf.
― BlastsOfStatic (BlastsofStatic), Thursday, 9 June 2005 12:16 (twenty years ago)