Classic rock

Classic Rock was originally conceived as a radio station programming format which evolved from the

Classic Rock was originally conceived as a radio station programming format which evolved from the album oriented rock (AOR) format in the early-1980s. In the United States, this rock music format now features a limited playlist of songs ranging from late 1960s through today with more emphasis on the earlier hits by artists associated with the loosely-defined "classic rock era". It is often erroneously referred to as a specific genre of music by more casual fans of those bands.

The origins of the classic rock radio format can be traced back to The Beatles' groundbreaking album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which would forever change several courses of the rock and roll format, especially with the slow rise of FM broadcasting, even though a majority of people were still listening to AM radio. Since Sgt. Pepper did not spawn any singles, both AM and FM stations began to play select tracks from the album in an attempt to retain listeners. Soon both stations and artists realized that album cuts rather than Top 40-oriented singles could be a major source of radio airplay and artist visibility.