Category: Melodic Rock | AOR
Album-oriented rock (abbreviated AOR) is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists. AOR evolved from progressive rock radio in the mid-1970s, using research and formal programming to create an album rock format with greater commercial appeal.
Red Siren – All Is Forgiven – 1989, FLAC+MP3
Genre: AOR, Arena Rock
Country of disc (release): USA
Year of publication: 1989
Publisher (label): Mercury
Catalog number: 836 776-2
Country of artist (group): USA
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Mike Eric Blues Band – Cupcakes – 2025
Genre: Blues/Rock
Country: Switzerland
Year of release: 2025
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BIG TALK (ex- RIO) – Big Talk [Late ’80s demos / Unreleased]
orming all instruments, with Jon providing the lead vocals.The project evolved to be named RIO with the duo securing a record deal and releasing a single. The company liked their mix of radio-friendly melodies and stylized AOR feel, and a full length was recorded and released 1985. (more…)
LORI CHACKO – Chacko [2024 remaster +3 bonus], MP3+FLAC
Born in England but developing her career in the U.S., female rock singer LORI CHACKO made her first important recording as front-woman for the UK band Amazon, releasing a single in 1981. With her own band and established in New York, she rocked venues such as The Ritz, China Club, etc.
Joey Balin (producer of metal band Warlock) attended at one of these gigs and saw in Lori enormous potential, arranging a contact with Polygram Records. For CHACKO debut album, the company recruited a cast of talented session musicians including guitarist Jeff Golub (Joe Lynn Turner, John Waite), bass player Leigh Foxx (Frankie & The Knockouts, Benny Mardones), keyboardist Alan St. Jon (Billy Squier, Ted Nugent), drummer Thommy Price (Price/Sulton, Joan Jett, Scandal), among others, with Balin producing and performing guitar.
Released 1986, “Chacko” is plenty of catchy mid-Eighties melodic rockers, radio-friendly tunes, with AOR splashes. Production is glossy, polished, very, very ’80s. Single “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” got radio airplay both in American and Europe, also with a video on MTV rotation. Not surprisingly, many of the songs from this album were featured in movie soundtracks for films like Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988), Monster High (1989), Dr. Caligari (1989) and more.
“Chacko” was never officially released / reissued on CD, except for an unofficial CDr ripped from vinyl LP made by bootleg label Time Warp Records in 2007.
But here’s the good news; Lori just reissued her own remastered version of “Chacko” this time under her own name LORI CHACKO, featured here in exclusive at . Still active and now residing in Australia, Lori has also released at the same time three new 2024 songs.
Alongside the anthemic “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” other notable songs include the super catchy “Pushing and Pulling” and keyboard wave stabbers ‘Exception’ and ‘Life On The Planet’. The two album ballads (‘Out Of Time’ and ‘At A Time Like This’) are no slouch either.
If you love that classic ’80s female melodic rock / AOR sound you can’t go wrong with “Chacko”!
01 – Once Bitten, Twice Shy
02 – Life on the Planet
03 – What’s New
04 – Out of Time
05 – I Know
06 – Viva La Difference
07 – Exception
08 – Somewhere In Between
09 – Pushing and Pulling
10 – At a Time Like This
BONUS:
11 – Peace Is the Word (2024 song)
12 – Once Bitten, Twice Shy (Halloween Mix) (2024 song)
13 – We All Need to Be Loved (2024 song)
Vocals – Lori Chacko
Guitar – Joey Balin
Keyboards – Alan St. Jon
Bass – Leigh Foxx
Drums – Thommy Price
Percussion – Sue Evans
Guitar solo on 1 – John McCurry
Guitar solo on 2 – G.E. Smith
Guitar solo on 7, 8 – Jeff Golub
Magic Garden – Another Way [Blue Triangle Records – BTR 01] – 1992, FLAC+MP3
Genre: AOR, Rock, Jazz, Funk, Pop
Country of disc (release): Germany
Year of publication: 1992
Publisher (label): Blue Triangle Records
Catalog number: BTR 01
Country of artist (group): Germany
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Ghost Of The Machine – Empires Must Fall 2025 Digi WEB
Country: UK
Genre: Neo Prog
Release year: 2025
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MissLead – Gentle Persuasion 2024 Remastered Rock Of Norway, MP3+FLAC
Label:Rock Of Norway – RONCD004
Country:Norway
Released:Dec 20, 2024
Style:Hard Rock, AOR
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Degreed – Hard To Be Human 2025 EP
Swedish Melodic Hard Rock band from Stockholm, founded beginning 2005. Degreed started in Kopparberg, Sweden, with the outhouse at home of the Ericsson family as a repository.
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JOHN SYKES – Please Don’t Leave Me [Original Japanese CD pressing non remastered] (1992), MP3+APE
To complete the great JOHN SYKES releases solo or with his band SYKES, here’s ”Please Don’t Leave Me”, a Japan-only compilation including the 1982 single of the same title recorded with Phil Lynott and his Thin Lizzy bandmates – 3 versions of the songs – plus music from Tygers Of Pan Tang featurig John Sykes.
This album has been remastered some years ago, but it was requested in its original 1992 Japanese CD pressing non remastered, as sometimes these analog recordings are better preserved without touching ’em.
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