AOR 1990s Albums

Regeneration is centered on unreleased material and offers another chance to hear Shy’s soaring choruses, lyrical vocal melodies and polished guitar work.

Mindfields uses Toto’s considerable musicianship in service of atmosphere rather than display.

Adult Orientation combines smooth keyboards, polished guitar and bright, opening choruses in Bad Habit’s AOR/melodic-rock world.

Seven brings Night Ranger’s soaring vocals, interlocking guitars and wide-open choruses back to the foreground.

Neverland carefully rebuilds Night Ranger’s strengths: open melody, twin-guitar color and expansive chorus.

Arena keeps Asia’s keyboard-led drama while widening the palette with acoustic guitar and percussion.

Trial by Fire reunites Steve Perry, Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain around the large-scale melody associated with Journey, now delivered with a more mature temperature.

Revolution uses clear keyboards, layered choruses and smooth guitar to deliver Bad Habit’s Nordic melodic-rock strengths with directness.

Dead Man’s Shoes places FM’s smooth harmonies and Steve Overland’s warm vocal at the center of restrained, blues-tinged hard rock.

Feeding off the Mojo retains Night Ranger’s large choruses and guitar-led momentum while moving toward a drier, more mid-1990s sound.

Tambu keeps Toto’s precise ensemble work but shifts its center of gravity toward lower, heavier rhythms and muted color.

Aria finds ASIA in a phase that rebuilds Asia's dramatic scale around John Payne's voice and Geoff Downes's keyboards in a clearly 1990s sound frame.

Walk On is a useful way to hear BOSTON from a different angle within the 1994 catalogue.

Mr. Moonlight finds FOREIGNER in a phase that reunites Foreigner around Lou Gramm's powerful voice and Mick Jones's guitar, once again drawing large melodic shapes.

Welcome to the Madhouse finds SHY in a phase that brings Shy's established melodic-hard-rock instincts into a tougher sound with more distinctly 1990s shade.

Aqua by ASIA: track list, Spotify player, music videos and English liner notes on METAL BOOST.

Aphrodisiac centers on Steve Overland’s smooth, powerful vocal and gathers FM’s refined AOR and melodic-hard-rock feel.

Time to Burn pairs Dann Huff’s expressive guitar and vocal with the firm playing of the rest of Giant, balancing weight and polish.

Kingdom of Desire retains Toto’s polish while bringing guitar weight and a more immediate band feel to the front.

Takin’ It to the Streets centers on Steve Overland’s smooth vocal and adds soft soul and pop color to FM’s melodic-hard-rock frame.

Unusual Heat introduces a new front voice and places Mick Jones’s guitar at the center of a harder, more early-1990s sound.