From AOR to Today: What Rock Radio Must Remember About Its Roots

Radio once had a format, AOR, that spun huge libraries. It featured seven-minute songs, deep tracks, and multiple songs from the same album in the same hour. Imagine that today.

Everyone knows the Would You Rather Game. Let’s play. Would you rather have reach or passion?

You get 100% format cume and average TSL or 75% potential cume and market leading TSL.

I know, even though it’s hypothetical, it depends.

AOR isn’t likely to make a mass resurgence as a format, at least not in today’s Ratings environment. However, a case for its DNA still stands. Hell, most Spotify playlists look like they were lifted straight from an AOR playbook.

Time changes all things. From salad on the McDonald’s menu to streaming, inflation, and of course Radio, even Sydney Sweeney somehow made new jeans feel vintage.

And like a mayoral candidate choosing the middle for votes, Rock formats have been forced to be less tribal and move towards the cume-friendly center of the universe.

• Rock (or Active Rock) is less aggressive and attitudinal than it once was.
• Alternative is no longer the rebel that broke bands first and Hot AC textures have crept in at some brands.
• Triple-A, once an oasis for music you wouldn’t hear anywhere else, has centered up.
• Classic Rock has shifted the least, but even those libraries have tightened, become more “mass” in appeal — and the “it’s always Fright night” vibe has softened.

It’s just business.

I love the Rock formats. Today’s programmers are making the best decisions they can against moving targets, growing revenue demands, and an audience swimming in options.

But it’s worth remembering:

• Rock hashistorically been more about artist and depth than charts or chart hits.
• Fewer artists are releasing albums. It’s singles and EPs. Attention spans are short, new legacies are scarce, and it’s much more likely here today, gone tomorrow.
• And PPM “best practices” warn against long songs. Imagine if “Stairway to Heaven” were released today — would it even make the music meeting?

But history proves:

Rock was never built to win Cume.

It was born to reflect an attitude and lifestyle, a vibe, and to win hearts, hours, and beer sales. Pearl Jam and Muse aren’t attracting more cume than Drake or Sabrina Carpenter on the radio. And that’s fine. If cume was everything, ASU would be the #1 College football team.

Rock relies on loyalty and passion and strong TSL/ATE to overcome competitors with a bigger guest list. The horns up crew may be smaller, but they usually listen longer and show up more often.

And the bond between artists and fans is deeper than most genres. Go see a big Rock act live. Half the setlist has never been played on the radio, but the audience knows every word.

With music being ubiquitous, standing out is harder than ever. So where does Rock radio fit today? The better question is:

Where does Rock Radio want to fit?

That’s why the AOR consideration comes into play.

Would you rather have 100% format cume and average TSL or 75% potential cume and market leading TSL?

The answer depends on ownership, cluster alignment, signal, competition, and what math or research show as potential. But it’s not a crazy question.

Both would play “Man in the Box” and “Somebody Told Me.” The difference is what’s in between and if there’s room to stretch wider or deeper.

This isn’t about forcing Weezer’s “Pink Triangle’ onto a playlist. It’s about business strategy. If Point A is programming and B is revenue based on ratings, how can we start at A and get to C?

For many, chasing max cume is the right call. There’s nothing wrong with being known for just Hits, even if they’ve been on repeat since before the Clinton administration. But if your market is crowded or leans Rock, your signal is wonky, or your brand needs clear differentiation, a dash of AOR DNA might be a winning ticket.

Radio doesn’t need and the audience doesn’t want another paint by numbers jukebox. That won’t stand out or drive true brand passion. If ratings weren’t a part of the equation what would your station sound like?

Reach matters. So does passion. Choose too much of one over the other and a brand will always be fighting for air. But if finding and defining a new center-middle, where reach and passion love each other, AOR might be a goldmine.

Keith Cunningham

Keith Cunningham is a music industry and Rock/Alternative columnist for Barrett Media and the founder of Black Box Group, a modern-modeled creative & strategic consultancy built for brands that need strategies with teeth. He’s the former Master of Mayhem at 95.5 KLOS-FM in Los Angeles for over a decade, a nationwide consultant, and has been repeatedly voted one of America’s top Program Directors and strategic thinkers. Keith has built his career by taking multi-million-dollar brands from worst to first and leading Marconi & Gracie award winners along the way. A data nerd with a rock-and-roll heart, he is an advisory council member for St. Jude fundraising, a fantasy football champion, and lover of his daughters & dogs. Reach him at keithblackboxgroup@gmail.com or on LinkedIn or X.