Arena Rock: Difference between revisions

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Although rock groups had been filling some of the largest venues in the world since The Beatles played at Shea Stadium in the 1960s, this subgenre of rock music began to develop in the late seventies. Also known as pomp rock, melodic rock, anthem rock, stadium rock or AOR, the main exponents of the style were pop-rock bands that wrote songs specifically to appeal to large crowds, to be performed in big stadiums in front of big audiences.

Since bands of any genre can fill an arena if they're popular enough, arena rock has several characteristics that differentiate it from other rock subgenres. "Guitar pyrotechnics" and massed vocal harmonies performed by the whole band were very common, as were Audience Participation Songs with big, anthemic choruses. Most singers had cleaner-sounding vocals than a lot of the other Hard Rock or Heavy Metal groups of the time and often performed with an operatic flair. Lyrically, most arena rock songs were pretty simple, with many a straightforward Power Ballad for audiences to sing along with.

AOR was the dominant style of rock music for about ten years, starting in 1976 when Boston released their first album and Peter Frampton released Frampton Comes Alive! (the best-selling record of the year), and more or less ending in 1986 when Journey released their last album for ten years and Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet album put Hair Metal on top of the mainstream rock pile.

Although the spectacle and accessibility of arena rock has pretty much always been popular enough with the public, it isn't always treated as kindly by music critics, many of whom seem to see it as Hair Metal without any make-up on. The epithet "Corporate Rock" was originally applied to this type of music.

It's worth noting that the sort of stadium rock played by U2, INXS or Simple Minds doesn't necessarily come under this heading; their sound was typically more influenced by post-punk and "modern rock" (such as it was in the 1980s).

Common Tropes

Artists commonly associated with the genre include

Bryan Adams
April Wine
Asia
Pat Benatar
Boston
Chicago (mid- to late-eighties output)
Def Leppard
Dire Straits (eighties era)
Fleetwood Mac (Buckingham/Nicks era)
Foreigner
Peter Frampton
Heart (mid- to late-eighties output)
The Hooters
Jefferson Starship/Starship
Journey
John Mellencamp (eighties era)
Loverboy
Night Ranger
The Outfield
Queen
REO Speedwagon
Bruce Springsteen (post-1982)
Styx
Survivor
Toto
Yes (post-90125)
ZZ Top (post-Eliminator)

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-{{trope}}
+{{trope}}{{page should be category}}
-Although rock groups had been filling some of the largest venues in the world since [[The Beatles (Music)|The Beatles]] played at Shea Stadium in the 1960s, this subgenre of rock music began to develop in the late seventies. Also known as pomp rock, melodic rock, anthem rock, stadium rock or AOR, the main exponents of the style were pop-rock bands that wrote songs specifically to appeal to large crowds, to be performed in big stadiums in front of big audiences.
+Although rock groups had been filling some of the largest venues in the world since [[The Beatles (band)|The Beatles]] played at Shea Stadium in the 1960s, this subgenre of rock music began to develop in the late seventies. Also known as pomp rock, melodic rock, anthem rock, stadium rock or AOR, the main exponents of the style were pop-rock bands that wrote songs specifically to appeal to large crowds, to be performed in big stadiums in front of big audiences.
-Since bands of any genre can fill an arena if they're popular enough, arena rock has several characteristics that differentiate it from other rock subgenres. "Guitar pyrotechnics" and massed vocal harmonies performed by the whole band were very common, as were [[Audience Participation Song|Audience Participation Songs]] with big, anthemic choruses. Most singers had cleaner-sounding vocals than a lot of the other [[Hard Rock]] or [[Heavy Metal (Music)|Heavy Metal]] groups of the time and often performed with an operatic flair. Lyrically, most arena rock songs were pretty simple, with many a straightforward [[Power Ballad]] for audiences to sing along with.
+Since bands of any genre can fill an arena if they're popular enough, arena rock has several characteristics that differentiate it from other rock subgenres. "Guitar pyrotechnics" and massed vocal harmonies performed by the whole band were very common, as were [[Audience Participation Song]]s with big, anthemic choruses. Most singers had cleaner-sounding vocals than a lot of the other [[Hard Rock]] or [[Heavy Metal]] groups of the time and often performed with an operatic flair. Lyrically, most arena rock songs were pretty simple, with many a straightforward [[Power Ballad]] for audiences to sing along with.
-AOR was the dominant style of rock music for about ten years, starting in 1976 when Boston released their first album and Peter Frampton released ''Frampton Comes Alive!'' (the best-selling record of the year), and more or less ending in 1986 when Journey released their last album for ten years and [[Bon Jovi (Music)|Bon Jovi]]'s ''Slippery When Wet'' album put [[Hair Metal]] on top of the mainstream rock pile.
+AOR was the dominant style of rock music for about ten years, starting in 1976 when Boston released their first album and [[Peter Frampton]] released ''Frampton Comes Alive!'' (the best-selling record of the year), and more or less ending in 1986 when Journey released their last album for ten years and [[Bon Jovi]]'s ''Slippery When Wet'' album put [[Hair Metal]] on top of the mainstream rock pile.
-Although the spectacle and accessability of arena rock has pretty much always been [[Critic Proof|popular enough with the public]], it isn't always [[Dead Horse Genre|treated as kindly by music critics]], many of whom seem to see it as [[Hair Metal]] without any make-up on. The epithet "Corporate Rock" was originally applied to this type of music.
+Although the spectacle and accessibility of arena rock has pretty much always been [[Critic Proof|popular enough with the public]], it isn't always [[Dead Horse Music Genre|treated as kindly by music critics]], many of whom seem to see it as [[Hair Metal]] without any make-up on. The epithet "Corporate Rock" was originally applied to this type of music.
-It's worth noting that the sort of stadium rock played by [[U 2 (Music)|U 2]], INXS or [[Simple Minds (Music)|Simple Minds]] doesn't necessarily come under this heading; their sound was typically more influenced by post-punk and "modern rock" (such as it was in the 1980s).
+It's worth noting that the sort of stadium rock played by [[U2]], [[INXS]] or [[Simple Minds]] doesn't necessarily come under this heading; their sound was typically more influenced by post-punk and "modern rock" (such as it was in the 1980s).
+== Common Tropes ==
+* [[Audience Participation Song]]
+* [[Epic Song]]
+* [[Power Ballad]]
-=== Artists commonly associated with the genre include: ===
+{{examples|Artists commonly associated with the genre include}}
-* [[Bryan Adams (Music)|Bryan Adams]]
+* [[Bryan Adams]]
 * [[Music/April Wine|April Wine]]
 * [[Music/Asia|Asia]]
-* [[Pat Benatar (Music)|Pat Benatar]]
+* [[Pat Benatar]]
-* [[Boston (Music)|Boston]]
+* [[Boston (band)|Boston]]
-* [[Chicago (Music)|Chicago]] (mid- to late-eighties output)
+* [[Chicago (band)|Chicago]] (mid- to late-eighties output)
-* [[Def Leppard (Music)|Def Leppard]]
+* [[Def Leppard]]
-* [[Dire Straits (Music)|Dire Straits]] (eighties era)
+* [[Dire Straits]] (eighties era)
-* [[Fleetwood Mac (Music)|Fleetwood Mac]] (Buckingham/Nicks era)
+* [[Fleetwood Mac]] (Buckingham/Nicks era)
-* [[Foreigner (Music)|Foreigner]]
+* [[Foreigner (band)|Foreigner]]
-* [[Peter Frampton (Music)|Peter Frampton]]
+* [[Peter Frampton]]
-* [[Heart (Music)|Heart]] (mid- to late-eighties output)
+* [[Heart]] (mid- to late-eighties output)
 * The Hooters
-* [[Jefferson Starship (Music)|Jefferson Starship]]/[[Starship (Music)|Starship]]
+* [[Jefferson Airplane|Jefferson Starship]]/[[Jefferson Airplane|Starship]]
-* [[Journey (Music)|Journey]]
+* [[Journey (band)|Journey]]
 * [[Music/John Mellencamp|John Mellencamp]] (eighties era)
-* [[Loverboy (Music)|Loverboy]]
+* [[Loverboy]]
-* [[Night Ranger (Music)|Night Ranger]]
+* [[Night Ranger]]
 * The Outfield
-* [[Queen (Music)|Queen]]
+* [[Queen]]
-* [[REO Speedwagon (Music)|REO Speedwagon]]
+* [[REO Speedwagon]]
-* [[Bruce Springsteen (Music)|Bruce Springsteen]] (post-1982)
+* [[Bruce Springsteen]] (post-1982)
-* [[Styx (Music)|Styx]]
+* [[Styx]]
-* [[Survivor (Music)|Survivor]]
+* [[Survivor (band)|Survivor]]
-* [[Toto (Music)|Toto]]
+* [[Toto]]
-* [[Yes (Music)|Yes]] (post-''90125'')
+* [[Yes]] (post-''90125'')
-* [[ZZ Top (Music)|ZZ Top]] (post-''[[New Sound Album|Eliminator]]'')
+* [[ZZ Top]] (post-''[[New Sound Album|Eliminator]]'')
-=== Common Tropes ===
-* [[Audience Participation Song]]
-* [[Epic Song]]
-* [[Power Ballad]]
 {{reflist}}
 [[Category:Music Tropes]]
-[[Category:Arena Rock]]
+[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
-[[Category:Trope]]