Once
rock & roll reached ascendancy over traditional
pop in the late
60's, middle-of-the-road pop emerged as a separate style. Nobody ever accused
Johnny Mathis,
Andy Williams,
Barry Manilow, or other MOR vocalists of being
hip or
edgy like their rock contemporaries. They were throwback artists, appealing most to middle-aged, middle-class people who remembered the heydays of
big-band swing and pop vocals. Though a few MOR
crossover acts --
Barbra Streisand,
Neil Diamond,
the Carpenters -- made inroads on the pop charts (especially during the
70's), most middle-of-the-road artists relied on their wide appeal to a large fanbase. They released albums rather than singles, and toured to large, older crowds. As
rock fans aged during the late '70s and
80's, many of them gradually grew into middle-of-the-road pop, and the style continued steadily into the
90's and beyond.
Published before on allmusic.com. Placed with permission.