Album-oriented rock

Album-oriented rock is a radio format and listening culture that emphasizes complete rock albums, deep cuts, and longer tracks rather than focusing mainly on hit singles.

FM broadcasting: Radio transmission that encodes sound by varying a carrier wave's frequency. Higher fidelity and longer programming helped stations present rock albums beyond the limits of AM radio.
FM rock radio: FM stations specializing in rock music, often with broader playlists than contemporary-hit stations. These stations provided the broadcast setting in which album-oriented rock developed.
Radio airplay: The broadcast exposure a musical recording receives on radio stations. AOR airplay could make album tracks commercially visible without a conventional single release.
Contemporary hit radio: A radio format focused on current popular songs, with frequent rotation of a limited set of hits. Its emphasis on current singles differs from AOR's broader album-based selection.
Album rock: A rock radio format centered on album tracks and a broad range of rock artists. This closely related format carried AOR's album-focused programming into later decades.
Top 40 radio: A radio format built around repeated broadcasts of the most popular current singles. AOR favored album tracks and longer songs over Top 40's tightly rotated singles.
Album-oriented programming: Radio scheduling that presents multiple tracks from albums rather than concentrating on singles. This programming practice is the format's central operational expression.
Singles chart: A ranking of musical recordings according to measures such as sales, airplay, or streaming. AOR could elevate tracks that never became prominent singles-chart entries.
Progressive rock: A rock genre that uses extended compositions, experimentation, and influences from classical and jazz music. Its long, ambitious tracks suited stations willing to play beyond radio-length singles.
Underground radio: Independent-minded radio programming associated with alternative culture and less commercial music choices. Its eclectic, album-conscious approach helped establish audiences for non-single rock tracks.

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