Paul Rees Was Raised On Radio
- Dave Sloan/Holly Cantos
- Feb 27
- 1 min read
Paul Rees was a young lad living in Scotland during the heyday of Album Oriented Rock (AOR). From a distance, Paul became a fan of American radio and the artists played on those stations, which led him to write the book Raised On Radio: Power Ballads, Cocaine & Payola – the AOR Glory Years 1976-1986. It's an oral history of the golden era of critically derided, yet monumentally popular radio rock, when Journey, Boston, REO Speedwagon, Toto, and others ruled the airwaves. Paul joins the podcast to chat about his book, and to fanboy about his favorite artists from this era.
What a fantastic episode — Paul Rees' story really hits home! There's something so special about falling in love with music from across the ocean, discovering bands like Journey and Toto through crackling radio signals and sheer passion. It's a reminder of how music can transcend geography and become a genuine obsession. That era of AOR was truly something unique — massive hooks, stadium anthems, and yes, plenty of drama behind the scenes. It's the kind of rich music history that deserves deep research, almost like tackling a New Assignment Help project where you have to dig through layers of sources to uncover the full story. Paul's oral history approach sounds like the perfect way to capture those golden years.…