AOR? AOK! XXV

 

MERRY XMAS

DEECON - PEARLS

TAMI SHOW - ALL FOR YOU

STEVE STONE - STANDING ON THE EDGE

ANDY BAUM & THE TRIX - JUST ONE STEP

SAINTS BELIEVE US - OCEAN OF DREAMS

VANCOUVER - HEART OF THE CITY

SWANEE - SURRENDER

RED DAWN - NEVER SAY SURRENDER

TOPPER - NEVER SAY GOODBYE

CHAIN REACTION - YOU’VE GOT THE CURE

WINTERS REIGN - WITHOUT TELLING YOU

MADAM I’M ADAM - WHITE DREAMS

AMY WOLTER - THE PROMISE

GREG X. VOLZ - I COME OUT FIGHTING

EDGE - HUNGRY NIGHTS

JUKEBOX HEROES - WE ARE NOT ALONE

WIDOWS - LOVE NEVER RUSTS

DC DRIVE - ALL I WANT

IMAGINARY FEW - CRIMES IN THE NIGHT

USED RECORDS - FLY LIKE THE WIND

THIN LIZZY'S "FIGHTING" TURNS 50

September 12, 2025 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the release of Thin Lizzy's classic and foundational precursor to Jailbreak.

 

RANKING CLASSIC ROCK

 

BJ ranks the top 40 most played songs on classic radio this year, from favorite to least favorite, and counts them down in reverse order.

SOURCE

EXTENDED PLAY: SHAKE vs. SIGHTS

VOTE HERE

DIVA DEATHMATCH: POP vs. REED

The streetwalkin' cheetah takes a walk on the wild side.  Which icon will be crowned victorious? Jon Lamoreaux joins BJ for some meaningless fun.

METAL ON METAL: MOTORHEAD vs. SAXON

 

Two lengthy discographies battle it out as, album by album, BJ and Fistful of Dave determine which classic metal band reigns supreme: Motorhead or Saxon.

THOUSAND DOLLAR RECORDS

BJ spins songs from some of the rarest, most valuable records from the seventies.

EXTENDED PLAY: BERLIN AIRLIFT vs. THE YOUNG RATIONALS

 

VOTE HERE

51 ESSENTIALLY OVERLOOKED ALBUMS OF THE 90s: ALBUMS 41-51

Inspired by the book 501 Essential Albums of the 90s, BJ made a list of 51 albums from the nineties which he considers essential, but are not listed in that book. This episode covers albums 41-51, plus an interview with Dredge and James Meat from Lee Harvey Oswald Band about the album A Taste of Prison.

51 ESSENTIALLY OVERLOOKED ALBUMS OF THE 90s: ALBUMS 31-40

Inspired by the book 501 Essential Albums of the 90s, BJ made a list of 51 albums from the nineties which he considers essential, but are not listed in that book. This episode covers albums 31-40, plus an interview with Dangerous Toys frontman Jason McMaster about the album Pissed.

51 ESSENTIALLY OVERLOOKED ALBUMS OF THE 90s: ALBUMS 21-30

Inspired by the book 501 Essential Albums of the 90s, BJ made a list of 51 albums from the nineties which he considers essential, but are not listed in that book. This episode covers albums 21-30, plus an interview with Spiral Fetish frontman Blair Johnson about the album What Ever Happened To Fun?!?!

51 ESSENTIALLY OVERLOOKED ALBUMS OF THE 90s: ALBUMS 11-20

Inspired by the book 501 Essential Albums of the 90s, BJ made a list of 51 albums from the nineties which he considers essential, but are not listed in that book. This episode covers albums 11-20, plus an interview with Trash Brats guitarist Ricky Rat about the album Out of the Closet.

51 ESSENTIALLY OVERLOOKED ALBUMS OF THE 90s: ALBUMS 1-10

Inspired by the book 501 Essential Albums of the 90s, BJ made a list of 51 albums from the nineties which he considers essential, but are not listed in that book. This episode covers albums 1-10, plus an interview with Honeycrack frontman Willie Dowling about the album Prozaic.
 

AOR? AOK! XXIV

Finally! Another episode chock full of melodic hard rock from the eighties and nineties, for your listening enjoyment.

BRINKER - CAN'T STOP IT
DUBIEL - SHOW ME THE WAY
JESSE BRADY - HOPE I'VE TRIED
3 SPEED - WIND ME UP
SUBWAY - CHILLY SNIFFIN' WILD CHILD
FLIGHT 19 - NOTHING BUT A LOSER
LYIN RAMPANT - WAY OF DESTINY
BRIAN BART - LIVIN ON THE EDGE
STREETWISE - CHILDREN OF THE FUTURE
OXIDO - BAD NEWS
RADIO MOSCOW - MESSAGE FOR YOU
AMAZONE - SOUND OF MY HEARTBEAT
YALE BATE - (WHY DON'T YOU) COME ALONG
GRY - ARE YOU READY TO ROCK
LODGIC - BRINGING ME BACK
MUNICH - YOU NEVER KNOW
A=440 - DON'T TELL NOBODY
DRAMA - THE PERFECT CRIME
PAULINE GILLAN BAND - FIRE IN MY LIFE
SYLVIE VARTAN - SHOOTING STAR

METAL ON METAL: SCORPIONS vs. JUDAS PRIEST

Two lengthy discographies battle it out as, album by album, BJ and Fistful of Dave determine which classic metal band reigns supreme: Scorpions or Judas Priest.

LONESOME CROW vs. ROCKA ROLLA

FLY TO THE RAINBOW vs. SAD WINGS OF DESTINY

IN TRANCE vs. SIN AFTER SIN

VIRGIN KILLER vs. STAINED CLASS

TAKEN BY FORCE vs. HELL BENT FOR LEATHER

LOVEDRIVE vs. BRITISH STEEL

ANIMAL MAGNETISM vs. POINT OF ENTRY

BLACKOUT vs. SCREAMING FOR VENGEANCE

LOVE AT FIRST STING vs. DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH

SAVAGE AMUSEMENT vs. TURBO

CRAZY WORLD vs. RAM IT DOWN

FACE THE HEAT vs. PAINKILLER

YACHT ROCK CHALLENGE

 

BJ takes the yacht rock challenge: can he find a song he likes by the yacht rock artists he hates?

THE DOOBIE BROTHERS - WITHOUT YOU

DAN FOGELBERG - LOVE GONE BY

POCO - AND SETTLIN DOWN

ENGLAND DAN AND JOHN FORD COLEY - HOLLYWOOD HECKLE AND JIVE

ORLEANS - FRESH WIND

RUPERT HOLMES - AW SHUCKS 

PLAYER - FOREVER

FIREFALL - I DON’T WANT TO HEAR IT

PABLO CRUISE - JENNY

EXILE - BABY IT’S ME

AL STEWART - CONSTANTINOPLE

LEO SAYER - DON’T LOOK AWAY

STEPHEN BISHOP - LET HER GO

ROBBIE DUPREE - STREET CORNER HEROES

MARC JORDAN - HOLD ON

RANDY VANWARMER - SHADOWS OF THE NIGHT

GINO VANNELLI - JUST A MOTION AWAY

JIMMY BUFFETT - IT’S MIDNIGHT AND I’M NOT FAMOUS YET

JAMES TAYLOR - JOHNNIE COMES BACK

STEELY DAN - BARRYTOWN

DIVA DEATHMATCH: MELLENCAMP vs. ADAMS

Which diva shall reign supreme? BJ welcomes guest co-host Jon Lamoreaux for this epic smackdown: Mellencamp vs. Adams.

PHYSICAL GRAFFITI: FIFTY YEARS GONE

Led Zeppelin's landmark 1975 double album Physical Graffiti turned 50 years old this week. BJ tells the story of that period for the band, including the launch of their own record label and release of a feature film, then discusses the recording of the album and breaks it down track by track.

WINTER DANCE PARTY: February 3, 1959

Moorhead Armory. Moorhead, Minnesota.

WINTER DANCE PARTY: February 2, 1959

 

Surf Ballroom. Clear Lake, Iowa.

WINTER DANCE PARTY: February 1, 1959

 

Riverside Ballroom. Green Bay, Wisconsin.

WINTER DANCE PARTY: January 31, 1959

Duluth Armory, Duluth, Minnesota.

WINTER DANCE PARTY: January 30, 1959

Laramar Ballroom, Fort Dodge, Iowa.

WINTER DANCE PARTY: January 29, 1959

 

Capitol Theater, Davenport, Iowa.

WINTER DANCE PARTY: January 28, 1959

Promenade Ballroom. St. Paul, Minnesota.

WINTER DANCE PARTY: January 26, 1959

Fournier's Ballroom, Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

WINTER DANCE PARTY: January 25, 1959

 

Kato Ballroom, Mankato, Minnesota.

Dion at the Kato

WINTER DANCE PARTY: January 27, 1959

 

Fiesta Ballroom. Montevideo, Minnesota.