Songs of the last 30 years that would pass for "MOR"

[new_friends_gr]

Here are some more ideas:

• "Endless Summer Nights", "Right Here Waiting", and "Now and Forever" by Richard Marx
• "All I Need" by Jack Wagner
• "Love and Understanding" by Cher
• "Man in the Mirror", "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Will You Be There", and "You Are Not Alone" by Michael Jackson
• "Let's Wait Awhile" and "Come Back To Me" by Janet Jackson
• multiple songs by Luther Vandross
• "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You" and others by Michael Bolton
• "Penny Lover", "Ballerina Girl", and "Do It To Me" by Lionel Richie
• "I've Been Waiting for a Girl Like You" by Foreigner
• "Vision of Love", "I Don't Wanna Cry", and "Can't Let Go" by Mariah Carey

There are probably many more I can come up with, but that's just a sample.

 

[vchimpanzee]

I don't like most of these songs that have been listed and I hope this doesn't give the people in charge of adult standards formats any ideas.

 

[Groove1670]

I wanna hear - David Gates - Took The Last Train.

 

[ChrisInMI]

Here are some more ideas:

• "Endless Summer Nights", "Right Here Waiting", and "Now and Forever" by Richard Marx
• "All I Need" by Jack Wagner
• "Love and Understanding" by Cher
• "Man in the Mirror", "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Will You Be There", and "You Are Not Alone" by Michael Jackson
• "Let's Wait Awhile" and "Come Back To Me" by Janet Jackson
• multiple songs by Luther Vandross
• "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You" and others by Michael Bolton
• "Penny Lover", "Ballerina Girl", and "Do It To Me" by Lionel Richie
• "I've Been Waiting for a Girl Like You" by Foreigner
• "Vision of Love", "I Don't Wanna Cry", and "Can't Let Go" by Mariah Carey

There are probably many more I can come up with, but that's just a sample.

A.J. -

Regarding Cher, I think "Love and Understanding" would be probably a bit too loud for an MOR format. I'd think her duet with Peter Cetera on "After All" would probably fit better; it's been played on WDUV as long as I can remember.

I'd leave Michael Bolton out of it - first, I'd pick Laura Branigan's "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" over his; but second, his dramatic vocal style might also be too loud for the format. To be honest, I think Laura's version might also be too loud. I'm also not sure any Mariah song except for maybe "Hero" would work; on her other ballads she gets a little too loud and goes a little too overboard with the vocal gymnastics.

One exception I might make for Bolton would be for "Go the Distance" which would have the all-ages appeal of coming from a Disney film ("Hercules"). In fact, really any "pop" version of a song from a Disney movie would be a good fit; seems to me that MOR stations back in the day loved movie music. (Along that line, any of Elton John's hits from "The Lion King" could work, as could "A Whole New World," "Beauty and the Beast," Phil Collins' "You'll Be in My Heart" from "Tarzan", "Colors of the Wind," Linda Ronstadt's versions of "When You Wish Upon a Star" and "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes," etc.).

I agree anything from Lionel Richie within bounds of reason would work (i.e. not "Dancing on the Ceiling", LOL).

"All I Need" - I can easily picture a station like WJR in Detroit playing that when it was current in late 1984.

The most MOR-friendly hit of Michael Jackson's from the '80s and '90s, aside from "The Girl Is Mine," would probably be "Heal the World" - it has a nice, mellow, easy sound, not too intense. To that end, perhaps "Human Nature" could fit.

 

[ChrisInMI]

A few more for the MOR list...

"My Heart Will Go On" Celine Dion (I'll grant her one exception for this big movie hit)
"To Where You Are," "You Raise Me Up" Josh Groban
"Midnight Blue" Louise Tucker
"Now and Forever (You and Me)" Anne Murray
"Theme From Terms Of Endearment" Michael Gore
"Theme From St. Elmo's Fire" David Foster
"The Best Of Me" David Foster & Olivia Newton-John
"Believe In Me," "Make Love Stay" Dan Fogelberg
"If We Hold On Together" Diana Ross
"That's What Friends Are For" Dionne Warwick & Friends
"Glory Of Love" Peter Cetera
"You're The Inspiration" Chicago
"As Long As You Follow" Fleetwood Mac
"You Can Call Me Al" Paul Simon
"All I Need" Beth Nielsen Chapman
"All Time High" Rita Coolidge
"To All The Girls I've Loved Before" Willie Nelson & Julio Iglesias
"Heartlight" Neil Diamond
"Love Will Keep Us Alive" Eagles
"Don't Know Much," "All My Life" Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville
"Somewhere Out There" Linda Ronstadt & James Ingram
"Time To Say Goodbye" Andrea Bocelli & Sarah Brightman
"Baby Come To Me" Patti Austin & James Ingram
"On My Own" Patti Labelle & Michael McDonald
"Greatest Love Of All," "Saving All My Love For You" Whitney Houston
"A Whole New World" Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle
"Buy Me A Rose," "The Greatest" Kenny Rogers
"Angel," "I Will Remember You" Sarah McLachlin

These are examples of what I would consider acceptable songs for the MOR format had the format not morphed into the more contemporary sound it is today. In other words, MOR in its heyday of the late '60s might easily include these right alongside Sinatra, Mathis, Como, Dean Martin, Petula Clark, Andy Williams, The 5th Dimension, etc.

I love pretty much all of these songs. Great list!

With "Buy Me a Rose," the Luther Vandross version might work also.

 

[ChrisInMI]

I used to listen to a tiny FM station in Michigan's Thumb that considered itself MOR in the late 1990s (it's still on the softer side of AC today). These were some of the songs from the period of 1980 and onward that I recall them playing. They mixed this with a lot of AC gold from the '70s, some soft country and standards and some smooth jazz.

Falling Into You - Celine Dion (album title song, not a single in the USA)
You Make Me Feel Brand New - Roberta Flack (presumably the Stylistics original as well)
Kissing a Fool - George Michael
Magic - Olivia Newton-John
When You Love Someone - Anita Baker & James Ingram
Every Road Leads Back to You - Bette Midler
Let It Flow - Toni Braxton
If I Ever Lose My Faith In You - Sting
The Next Time I Fall - Peter Cetera & Amy Grant
The Tide Is High - Blondie
Groovy Kind of Love - Phil Collins
Tell Him - Celine Dion & Barbra Streisand
You - Bonnie Raitt
I'll Never Get Over You (Getting Over Me) - Expose'
Crazy - Kenny Rogers
Can't Stay Away From You - Gloria Estefan
He's So Shy - Pointer Sisters
Lucky One - Amy Grant
Is It a Crime? - Sade
Everywhere - Fleetwood Mac

FWIW - Anne Murray's "Now and Forever" charted in 1986, not the 1990s. Her last Hot 100 entry to date.

 

[unitron]

Is the original version of "Midnight Blue" too old to qualify?

I didn't even know it had been re-made.

 

[EZway2go]

Speaking of the aforementioned Anne Murray, it's a little uncanny when you listen to her 1983 country crossover hit, "A Little Good News." Some of the names may have changed, but here we are, almost 30 years later, talking about the same stuff.

Is the original version of "Midnight Blue" too old to qualify?

I didn't even know it had been re-made.

If you're referring to Melissa Manchester's 1975 hit, yes, it's a bit over the 30 year limit. It's kind of hard to believe that song will be 40 years old in just a couple years, isn't it?

However, "Midnight Blue" by Louise Tucker, is not the same song. It's a synthesized classical piece adapted from Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 8. It did far better in other countries than it did here, but it does show up occasionally on EZ Listening stations. I hear it on KMGR in Richfield, Utah.

Getting back to Melissa Manchester, her last big hit was, in fact, exactly 30 years ago, wasn't it? "You Should Hear How She Talks About You." Definitely good MOR material, but I think that one's a little too contemporary for what would be considered MOR, say, 15 years earlier. My favorite by Melissa is "Better Days" from 1976, which you never hear anywhere, and I don't know why.

 

[Tim]

Thank heavens for my MP3 player, else I rarely if ever hear this type of music on radio. AC-leaning/pop oldies (or whatever we call the format)....I love thousands of those songs you just rarely hear...so, I've stopped listening to radio except for occassional sportstalk and play-by-play.

But, you know what? I like a lot of rock from the 70's+...even some songs from today, and selected music from other genres (like the ill-fated smooth jazz and a few MoR standards). Can't hear much of that stuff on radio either.

Thus...bye by radio!

 

[fmradio1]

While these kind of songs since Y2K are few and far between, there are several that would be deserving...

Adele "Someone Like You"
Bruno Mars "Just The Way You Are" & "It Will Rain"
Enrique Iglesias "Hero"
James Blunt "You're Beautiful"
Plain White T's "Hey There Delilah"
Christina Aguilera "Beautiful"
Alicia Keys "Fallin'" & "If I Ain't Got You"
Colbie Caillet "Bubbly" & "Realize"
DJ Sammy & Yanou "Heaven" (Candlelight Mix)
Jason Mraz "I'm Yours" & "I Won't Give Up"
Kelly Clarkson "Because Of You," "A Moment Like This" & "Breakaway"
Dido "White Flag" & "Thank You"
'N Sync "This I Promise You"
Fergie "Big Girls Don't Cry"
The Fray "How To Save A Life"
Owl City "Fireflies"
Pussycat Dolls "Stickwitu"
Savage Garden "I Knew I Loved You"
Uncle Kracker "Drift Away" & "Smile"
Five For Fighting "Superman (It's Not Easy)"
Lee Ann Womack "I Hope You Dance"
Enya "Only Time"
Vanessa Carlton "A Thousand Miles"
Faith Hill "Breathe"
Marc Anthony "You Sang To Me"
The Band Perry "If I Die Young"

I'm sure I could find a few more if I dig deeper, but it's not that long of a list considering it encompasses twelve years. Still, I like the idea of a MOR/Soft AC concentrating on just the last thirty years

 

[vchimpanzee]

Regarding Cher, I think "Love and Understanding" would be probably a bit too loud for an MOR format. I'd think her duet with Peter Cetera on "After All" would probably fit better; it's been played on WDUV as long as I can remember.

I'd leave Michael Bolton out of it - first, I'd pick Laura Branigan's "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" over his; but second, his dramatic vocal style might also be too loud for the format. To be honest, I think Laura's version might also be too loud. I'm also not sure any Mariah song except for maybe "Hero" would work; on her other ballads she gets a little too loud and goes a little too overboard with the vocal gymnastics.

I agree anything from Lionel Richie within bounds of reason would work (i.e. not "Dancing on the Ceiling", LOL).

"All I Need" - I can easily picture a station like WJR in Detroit playing that when it was current in late 1984.

The most MOR-friendly hit of Michael Jackson's from the '80s and '90s, aside from "The Girl Is Mine," would probably be "Heal the World" - it has a nice, mellow, easy sound, not too intense. To that end, perhaps "Human Nature" could fit.

Definitely Laura Branigan. He became popular right after that song was a hit. I'm surprised he didn't thank her for making his song a hit when he won a Grammy after that hideously bad performance.

I despise "Human Nature" and "All I Need".

 

[vchimpanzee]

While these kind of songs since Y2K are few and far between, there are several that would be deserving...

Adele "Someone Like You"
Bruno Mars "Just The Way You Are" & "It Will Rain"
Enrique Iglesias "Hero"
James Blunt "You're Beautiful"
Plain White T's "Hey There Delilah"
Christina Aguilera "Beautiful"
Alicia Keys "Fallin'" & "If I Ain't Got You"
Colbie Caillet "Bubbly" & "Realize"
DJ Sammy & Yanou "Heaven" (Candlelight Mix)
Jason Mraz "I'm Yours" & "I Won't Give Up"
Kelly Clarkson "Because Of You," "A Moment Like This" & "Breakaway"
Dido "White Flag" & "Thank You"
'N Sync "This I Promise You"
Fergie "Big Girls Don't Cry"
The Fray "How To Save A Life"
Owl City "Fireflies"
Pussycat Dolls "Stickwitu"
Savage Garden "I Knew I Loved You"
Uncle Kracker "Drift Away" & "Smile"
Five For Fighting "Superman (It's Not Easy)"
Lee Ann Womack "I Hope You Dance"
Enya "Only Time"
Vanessa Carlton "A Thousand Miles"
Faith Hill "Breathe"
Marc Anthony "You Sang To Me"
The Band Perry "If I Die Young"

I'm sure I could find a few more if I dig deeper, but it's not that long of a list considering it encompasses twelve years. Still, I like the idea of a MOR/Soft AC concentrating on just the last thirty years

Deserving of what?

Most of these to me are deserving of the dumpster. These have little in common with what others have said, and it seems like a totally different format to me.

 

[fmradio1]

Why? They're soft, well written, well sung, popular tracks from the past decade. If you were going to "update" the MOR format, it's songs like these you would use.

VChimp, you've made it very obvious on numerous threads on this board that you have a very close minded, narrowly defined view of the soft AC/Standards format. That's your prerogative, but an updated MOR format would not be trying to attract you as a listener. I would want younger demos, and I would be playing these tracks alongside established songs from the 80's and 90's, most of which have been mentioned on this thread. There's nothing wrong with the old stuff and it has it's place, but this format is going to die off with it's audience unless it moves ahead to the 21st century.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Why? They're soft, well written, well sung, popular tracks from the past decade. If you were going to "update" the MOR format, it's songs like these you would use.

VChimp, you've made it very obvious on numerous threads on this board that you have a very close minded, narrowly defined view of the soft AC/Standards format. That's your prerogative, but an updated MOR format would not be trying to attract you as a listener. I would want younger demos, and I would be playing these tracks alongside established songs from the 80's and 90's, most of which have been mentioned on this thread. There's nothing wrong with the old stuff and it has it's place, but this format is going to die off with it's audience unless it moves ahead to the 21st century.

I'm not going to change my point of view on this.

You're designing a new soft AC format, not a standards format. Most of the posts here have been about a standards format of sorts.

 

[ChrisInMI]

Vchimp, you hit the nail right on the head when you said what we're talking about is not an updating of adult standards or something intended to replace adult standards. Nor are we talking about the 1950s or '60s kind of MOR station which was heavy on album cuts and light on actual hit records. What we are talking about is, I guess, sort of a modified soft AC with a wider mix of music than what you hear on stations like WFEZ and WDUV today. It would probably be mostly hit songs but would also include some "spice" in the form of album cuts (the likes of Norah Jones, certain less aggressive Adele tracks, Michael Buble, Diana Krall, Corinne Bailey Rae, probably some "new standards" recordings as well). Most of the vocals that get played on smooth jazz or smooth AC stations probably would fit too.

Again, I think KBVA is a perfect example of what a modern-day MOR format would probably sound like. I was streaming that station and they actually played a "Glee" cover - specifically, the version of Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide" sung by Gwyneth Paltrow on lead (based on the Dixie Chicks' cover of same). That's the kind of "spice" recording I'm referring to. Another example could be KTXR in Springfield when it was in its "Timeless Love Songs" phase.

 

[EZway2go]

You know, I could honestly see fmradio1's list getting played on the Dial Global format in, say, 5 to 10 years, maybe sooner.

 

[jh]

If I'm reading this thread correctly, I think you're looking for songs that would be played today if the full-service MOR/soft AC blowtorches of the past had continued playing music instead of going to talk.

I'm not very familiar with today's AC artists, just country, but anything by Taylor Swift or Carrie Underwood would have crossed over to MOR if those stations existed today. Even some Brad Paisley songs would probably get some airplay. So would Faith Hill and Martina McBride.

 

[semoochie]

I think the point is that these stations couldn't exist today, which is why they all evolved to Full Service/AC 40 years ago! They evolved further, to News/Talk/Information because the music was getting in the way of the main purpose of the format. Such a format now would be as a Mainstream AC, with a Full Service element but there doesn't seem to be much call for it.

 

[EZway2go]

If I'm reading this thread correctly, I think you're looking for songs that would be played today if the full-service MOR/soft AC blowtorches of the past had continued playing music instead of going to talk.

I'm not very familiar with today's AC artists, just country, but anything by Taylor Swift or Carrie Underwood would have crossed over to MOR if those stations existed today. Even some Brad Paisley songs would probably get some airplay. So would Faith Hill and Martina McBride.

Now I'm getting confused over the intent of this topic. But that's a good thing because you can see all the varied opinions on this... which explains why the MOR format evolved into what it is today; i.e., if you can say the MOR format even does exist today.

The list I posted earlier consisted of songs I would have expected to hear, just as they are, right alongside, say, an Andy Williams song in the late '60s. Some of the songs I'm reading here are way too harsh, either by their instrumentation or piercing shrill "singing" voices. Sure, they're staples on a Soft AC station today - and the same could be said for country - but that's what the format is today. They're acceptable because, over the years, we've become desensitized, so to speak. We're a product of our culture. Just look at some of the stuff you see on television... and compare that to an old Lawrence Welk show.

The MOR format of the '60s and early '70s was for another era. Keep in mind that many MOR stations from that time actually chopped off the last part of "Goodbye To Love" by The Carpenters because the fuzz guitar riff was considered too extreme for their audience.

 

[klutch00]

If you're referring to Melissa Manchester's 1975 hit, yes, it's a bit over the 30 year limit. It's kind of hard to believe that song will be 40 years old in just a couple years, isn't it?

However, "Midnight Blue" by Louise Tucker, is not the same song. It's a synthesized classical piece adapted from Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 8. It did far better in other countries than it did here, but it does show up occasionally on EZ Listening stations. I hear it on KMGR in Richfield, Utah.

Getting back to Melissa Manchester, her last big hit was, in fact, exactly 30 years ago, wasn't it? "You Should Hear How She Talks About You." Definitely good MOR material, but I think that one's a little too contemporary for what would be considered MOR, say, 15 years earlier. My favorite by Melissa is "Better Days" from 1976, which you never hear anywhere, and I don't know why.

There are so many songs which have fallen by the wayside, which for whatever reasons 'don't test well'. Unfortunately, much of this has to do with 'familiarity'. A song like "Better Days" is likely not to test well as it is too obscure. Don't get me wrong, I think it's inexcusable! I for one think some of these stations should have playlists well into the thousands! They should be able to play music by artists that much of the target audience can relate. This includes some of the more obscure songs as well as the major hits. Melissa Manchester is a good example of this on a MOR.