Top Favorite AOR / Melodic Hard Rock Albums ... rank them

[introclaus]

I've chosen not to include what I consider "classic rock" or "prog rock" (so no Mellencamp, no Springsteen, no Kansas, no Yes, no Uriah Heep, etc.) - this is melodic hard rock / adult orientated rock, but hey, if you think they should be here, go ahead. I kind of think that this will show a big difference between where and when we all grew up, because in reality AOR is music aimed for radio, and what was on the radio in Denmark was vastly different from what was on radio here in the US at the same time. The melodic hard rock bands I've added are all those who were greatly inspired by the AOR genre, so I personally see those as a continuation of the style. Either way, there's no right or wrong - just personal preferences;

Same rules as always:
1) album album per band
2) rank them 1-15, no floaters or "honorary mentions"

1. Balance – In for the Count
2. Boston – Third Stage
3. Bryan Adams - Reckless
4. Journey - Frontiers
5. Toto – Kingdom of Heaven
6. Heart – Bad Animals
7. Richard Marx – Repeat Offender
8. Skagarack – Hungry for a Game
9. Asia - Arena
10. Foreigner - 4
11. Ten – The Robe
12. Alannah Myles - Rockinghorse
13. Bad English – Bad English
14. Magnum – On a Storyteller’s Night
15. Gary Hughes – Once and Future King

[gazinwales]

1. Brother Firetribe - Breakout Japan version (w/ Mighty Wings)
2. Michael Bolton - Michael Bolton
3. Boston - Boston
4. Asia - Asia
5. Steve Lukather - Lukather
6. Treat - Organised Crime
7. Toto - VI
8. Foreigner - 4
9. Journey - Frontiers (w/Ask The Lonely and Only The Young)
10. Damn Yankees - Damn Yankees
11. Magnum - Wings Of Heaven
12. Ten - Spellbound

[introclaus]

1. Brother Firetribe - Breakout Japan version (w/ Mighty Wings)
2. Michael Bolton - Michael Bolton
3. Boston - Boston
4. Asia - Asia
5. Steve Lukather - Lukather
6. Treat - Organised Crime
7. Toto - VI
8. Foreigner - 4
9. Journey - Frontiers (w/Ask The Lonely and Only The Young)
10. Damn Yankees - Damn Yankees
11. Magnum - Wings Of Heaven
12. Ten - Spellbound

I love this list - all of it awesome stuff!!!!

[GaetanL]

1. Journey "Frontiers"
2. Heart "Heart"
3. Survivor "Vital Signs"
4. Foreigner "Agent Provocateur"
5. 21 Guns "Salute"
6. Aviator "Aviator"
7. Bad English "Bad English"
8. Asia "Asia"
9. Boston "Boston"
10. Corbeau "Illégal"
11. Alannah Myles "Alannah Myles"
12. Alias "Alias"
13. Aldo Nova "Aldo Nova"
14. Toronto "Get It On Credit"
15. Ten "Babylon"

[John Frank]

I have a compilation of around 300 songs from the 80s that I play when I am in the car with my wife. On my own, I always listen to some form of metal. The albums below have 2-3 songs that are on my compilation.

1. Journey - Frontiers
2. ZZ Top - Eliminator
3. Survivor - Vital Signs
4. Asia - s/t
5. Billy Squier - Don't Say No
6. .38 Special - Tour de Force
7. Pat Benatar - Seven the Hard Way
8. Heart - s/t

[introclaus]

1. Journey "Frontiers"
2. Heart "Heart"
3. Survivor "Vital Signs"
4. Foreigner "Agent Provocateur"
5. 21 Guns "Salute"
6. Aviator "Aviator"
7. Bad English "Bad English"
8. Asia "Asia"
9. Boston "Boston"
10. Corbeau "Illégal"
11. Alannah Myles "Alannah Myles"
12. Alias "Alias"
13. Aldo Nova "Aldo Nova"
14. Toronto "Get It On Credit"
15. Ten "Babylon"

I'm impressed - "only" 6 of these are Canadian hahahaha
My theory holds true - you guys live in a country more closed from outside influence than ... well ... any other country in the world.

[introclaus]

I have a compilation of around 300 songs from the 80s that I play when I am in the car with my wife. On my own, I always listen to some form of metal. The albums below have 2-3 songs that are on my compilation.

1. Journey - Frontiers
2. ZZ Top - Eliminator
3. Survivor - Vital Signs
4. Asia - s/t
5. Billy Squier - Don't Say No
6. .38 Special - Tour de Force
7. Pat Benatar - Seven the Hard Way
8. Heart - s/t

Yeah, I didn't expect you to have much input on this ... now what about the death metal one? No comments?

[GaetanL]

1. Journey "Frontiers"
2. Heart "Heart"
3. Survivor "Vital Signs"
4. Foreigner "Agent Provocateur"
5. 21 Guns "Salute"
6. Aviator "Aviator"
7. Bad English "Bad English"
8. Asia "Asia"
9. Boston "Boston"
10. Corbeau "Illégal"
11. Alannah Myles "Alannah Myles"
12. Alias "Alias"
13. Aldo Nova "Aldo Nova"
14. Toronto "Get It On Credit"
15. Ten "Babylon"

I'm impressed - "only" 6 of these are Canadian hahahaha
My theory holds true - you guys live in a country more closed from outside influence than ... well ... any other country in the world.

10. Corbeau "Illégal"
11. Alannah Myles "Alannah Myles"
12. Alias "Alias"
13. Aldo Nova "Aldo Nova"
14. Toronto "Get It On Credit"

That makes 5!
It's normal and ok that I've been more exposed to music from Canada. But the main reason is because I don't know very much this music style category up until now.

[introclaus]

1. Journey "Frontiers"
2. Heart "Heart"
3. Survivor "Vital Signs"
4. Foreigner "Agent Provocateur"
5. 21 Guns "Salute"
6. Aviator "Aviator"
7. Bad English "Bad English"
8. Asia "Asia"
9. Boston "Boston"
10. Corbeau "Illégal"
11. Alannah Myles "Alannah Myles"
12. Alias "Alias"
13. Aldo Nova "Aldo Nova"
14. Toronto "Get It On Credit"
15. Ten "Babylon"

I'm impressed - "only" 6 of these are Canadian hahahaha
My theory holds true - you guys live in a country more closed from outside influence than ... well ... any other country in the world.

10. Corbeau "Illégal"
11. Alannah Myles "Alannah Myles"
12. Alias "Alias"
13. Aldo Nova "Aldo Nova"
14. Toronto "Get It On Credit"

That makes 5!
It's normal and ok that I've been more exposed to music from Canada. But the main reason is because I don't know very much this music style category up until now.

Damn - I always thought Heart was Canadian … oh well …

[GaetanL]

1. Balance – In for the Count

So beautiful! Would have make my top 15 for sure!

[GaetanL]

1. Balance – In for the Count

So beautiful! Would have made my top 15 for sure!

[introclaus]

1. Balance – In for the Count

So beautiful! Would have make my top 15 for sure!

Yes, that album is something special. I remember I was 11 or 12 when my uncle played it for me the first time, and I immediately loved it. Funny thing is that my 13 year old son really likes it as well, so I truly believe this is an album that have stood the test of time.

[Random Axe]

Of course my list is way off the rails. I was not super into most of the commercial stuff.

Joe Lynn Turner - Rescue You
White Sister - s/t
Bronz - Taken by Storm
Whitesnake - 1987
Richard Marx debut
Toto - Isolation
Desmond Child - Discipline
Stryper - THWD
Lillian Axe - Poetic Justice

[Sir Exar Kun]

Joe Lynn Turner - Rescue You
White Sister - s/t
Bronz - Taken by Storm
Whitesnake - 1987
Richard Marx debut
Toto - Isolation
Desmond Child - Discipline
Stryper - THWD
Lillian Axe - Poetic Justice

I actually said not long ago as a hot take that the first side of "Poetic Justice" might be the best HALF album of hair metal ever put out. Overreaction? Probably. But I have not come up with anything that can beat it.

[introclaus]

Joe Lynn Turner - Rescue You
Richard Marx debut
Desmond Child - Discipline

Those are all albums I really like and I think are very underrated .