"Dad rock" and "stadium rock" redirect here. For the radio format associated with the baby boomer demographic, see Classic rock. For the 1985 Alexander Gradsky rock opera, see Stadium (rock opera).
Arena rock
Other names
AOR
melodic rock
stadium rock
corporate rock
pomp rock
dad rock
Stylistic origins
Hard rock
pop rock
heavy metal
progressive rock
Cultural origins
1960s to mid-1970s
Other topics
Progressive rock
glam rock
power pop
glam metal
pop metal
Arena rock (also known as AOR, melodic rock, pomp rock, stadium rock, corporate rock or dad rock[1][nb 1]) is a style of rock music that became mainstream in the 1970s. It typically involves radio-friendly rock music that was designed to be played for large audiences.
As hard rock and pop rock became increasingly popular, groups began creating material inherently designed for performance to crowds and major concerts. Arena rock also developed from their use of more commercially oriented sounds that were intended for radio play. The highly produced music, including both upbeat, dramatic songs and slower power ballads, features strong emphasis on melody and frequently employs anthemic choruses.[3] Other major characteristics include prominent guitar effects and the use of keyboard instruments.[4][5][6] Typical themes of arena rock lyrics include love, heartbreak, angst, and sentimentality.[7]
Many of the above labels are used pejoratively,[4][8][6] and discussions over music criticism often delve into the question of whether musicians' focus on rock spectacle and mass appeal results in compromised artistic merit, particularly in terms of the difference between the interests of the "middlebrow" populace versus other listeners.[4][8] Interest in arena rock is stereotypically associated with working-class to middle-class men living in either Canada or the United States (including so-called "yuppies"),[4][5] which has been cited as the basis for condescending prejudice over social status in some criticisms.[4] However, the style of music has been highly successful worldwide, particularly in terms of touring.[3][4][5]
^Crystal 2014, p. 220, see definitions of pomp rock; "arena rock: 'also known as pomp rock, melodic rock, anthem rock, stadium rock, or AOR' ... [music critics] used negative expressions such as corporate rock in the 1970s and dad rock in the 1990s; Donaldson 2009, p. 248, "... it was something called 'arena rock' or sometimes 'anthem rock'"; Joyner 2008, p. 261, "hard rock and heavy metal evolved into a more appealing, high-production genre commonly labelled stadium rock or arena rock".
^"10 Essential Pomp Rock Albums". Classic Rock. 30 October 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
^ ab"Pop/Rock » Hard Rock » Arena Rock". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
^ abcdefMcDonald 2009, pp. 54–56, 62–65, 196–206.
^ abcDonaldson 2009, p. 248.
^ abCrystal 2014, p. 220.
^Meier, Leslie M. (September 2008). "In Excess? Body Genres, "Bad" Music, and the Judgment of Audiences". Journal of Popular Music Studies. 20 (3): 240–260. doi:10.1111/j.1533-1598.2008.00160.x. p. 251: Arena rock—a label initially used by the popular press to describe bombastic rock bands such as Journey and Chicago—includes rock bands that write excessively sentimental songs about love and angst. The fact that Mariah Carey covered Journey's song "Open Arms" illustrates the compatibility between these two melodramatic genres. More evidence to support this link is [Canadian cultural critic Carl] Wilson's observation that "Celine [Dion]'s main form, the power ballad, was the 1970s' arena-rock invention that did most to recover the schmaltz impulse after its 1960s exile" (2007: 66). More recent arena rock acts such as Nickelback have adopted a more contempt-laden, rather than romantic, look at love. Nevertheless, songs such as "This Is How You Remind Me" reveal a comparable preoccupation with heartbreak, are consistent with arena rock's anthemic tradition, and are similarly critiqued for poetic triteness.
^ abSmith 2006, pp. xviii, 54, 72–73, 82, 215.
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