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Also, I'm thinking Toto > REO.

REO probably has an edge in influence, since they were more directly responsible for popularizing the sound of arena rock and AOR earlier on. REO were hugely successful in their heyday, but going by streaming stats at least, Toto seems to pretty much kick their ass in terms of lasting popularity. The shelf life of "Africa" alone is really remarkable.

As for acclaim, some of Toto's members are quite revered in their own right, and their session credits include some seriously heavyweight names--Michael Jackson, Steely Dan, Boz Scaggs, George Benson, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Miles Davis, Pink Floyd, etc. That level of musicianship and industry-wide respect gives Toto a pretty compelling resume in terms of acclaim, IMO.

Toto > Styx as well? Figure they would break down similarily as Toto vs REO.

Probably right, Tim. Even though I personally like having Styx ahead of Toto on the list, since they seem to be regarded as one of the unofficial "Big Four" of AOR, yeah, Toto likely have better credentials overall--even though Styx is probably more influential than either Toto or REO.

Guess it makes sense to keep Styx ahead with their wins in influence and (initial) popularity.

I could go either way. Up to Area Man.

Hmmm... I'd said Styx/REO Speedwagon take influence (they both released their first studio albums in a primordial AOR/melodic rock style in 1972 - Styx and R.E.O./T.W.O., respectively, while Toto released their first studio album in 1978) and Toto takes acclaim.

Now, popularity is where things get tricky. You see, I come from Illinois, which is the same state that Styx and REO Speedwagon come from. Radio stations of the "classic rock" or "classic rock"-adjacent ("classic hits," "oldies," etc.) formats play a lot more Styx and REO around here than Toto (and a much greater diversity of songs, too). Honestly, I can't tell at this point if it's because Styx and REO are regional favorites ("local boys done good") or if this radio popularity reflects a wider popularity. A quick glance at the discography pages for Styx, REO, and Toto seems to indicate Styx and REO would take (initial) popularity, based on charting hits.

Personally, I'm inclined to keep the current top five the way it is now, as those five artists seem to get bunched together in the same sentence quite a bit. Here are some sources (none of them written by me) that list all five in the same breath:

-IronRiot
-MelodicRock.com forum
-this random YouTube Music playlist title
-Steve Hoffman forum
-this random FaceBook post (which actually lists Survivor, as well)

In addition, I know that these points aren't criteria exactly, but I think REO embodies the AOR/melodic rock genre in its most pure form better than Toto, a band that fused AOR with quasi-jazzy semi-yacht-rock touches, and the popularity of Toto's "Africa" in the Internet meme world seems semi-ironic to me.

I hope that I don't come across as obstinate (I'm more-than-willing to make alterations), but I think the top five should stay the same for now.

Anyway, the top thirty would now look like this, with Journey going back to number one, based on feedback:

1. Journey [placement that is simultaneously new and old]
2. Boston
3. Foreigner
4. Styx
5. REO Speedwagon
6. Toto
7. Bryan Adams [new placement]
8. Heart (1983-1993 output)
9. Pat Benatar
10. Chicago (1980-1991 output)
11. Eddie Money
12. Survivor
13. Jefferson Starship / Starship
14. ZZ Top (1983-1992 output)
15. Blue Öyster Cult (1976-1985 output) [new placement]
16. Loverboy
17. Billy Squier
18. Rick Springfield
19. Peter Frampton
20. Asia
21. .38 Special
22. Night Ranger
23. Cheap Trick (1981-1991 output)
24. Kenny Loggins (1980-1988 output)
25. Kansas (1980-1988 output)
26. Bad Company (1986-1993 output)
27. Richard Marx
28. Rainbow (1979-1986 output)
29. Cher (1982-1992 output)
30. Michael Bolton (1983-1989 output)

Thoughts?

All good with me.

If there are no further objections, I'll probably submit the alterations (Cheap Trick's date-range qualifier starting at 1981, BOC's date-range qualifier starting at 1976, and BOC and Bryan Adams both getting bumped up in the rankings) sometime tomorrow.

Sounds good.