Few rock genres have been as formulaic, anodyne, and unhip as AOR, a late 70s acronym for Adult Oriented Rock or Album Oriented Rock. Among the juggernaut bands that drove its melodic lite-metal sound into the early 80s, Foreigner scored huge with Feels Like the First Time, Cold as Ice and other strained emotings. As with kindred spirits Boston, Journey and more, they delivered at least one redeeming beauty of a hit, the ardent, desperate Waiting for a Girl Like You. The faux-gospel opus that was I Want to Know What Love Is has fans such as Mariah Carey, who covered it last year.
