Collection of Classic 1976-1986 Rock Songs on 3-CDs Coming

Some of the biggest rock acts and tracks from the era that spawned Album Oriented Radio (AOR) will be the subject of a new collection from Cherry Red Records. The title, No Static at All: A Journey Into AOR 1976-1986, arrives September 25, 2026. It’s available to order in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here (where it will be released one week earlier).

Among the artists and songs on the collection are such favorites as Toto’s “Hold the Line,” .38 Special’s “Caught Up in You,” Rainbow’s “Since You Been Gone,” and the Alan Parsons Project’s “Eye in the Sky.” Other acts represented among the 59 tracks include Boston, the Gregg Allman Band, Pat Benatar, Blue Oyster Cult, and Kansas. The set includes sleeve notes and band-by-band biographies.

From the label’s announcement: During the second half of the 1970s, well before music streaming, there was the FM dial. Enabled by crystal-clear signals and an increasingly affluent audience, radio programmers created their own universe by digging deeper than three-minute singles. Overflowing with precise musicianship, carefully crafted, melody-infused songs of love and heartache and increasingly sophisticated, digitally assisted recordings, an idea that came to be known as “Album Oriented Rock” (with “rock” interchangeable with “radio”) began to emerge.

Curated from a North American perspective, this is the sound of late nights, of freeways and arenas and of the change in economic outlook that characterized that place and time across the States and Western Europe. Many of these songs became big hits. Others were overlooked album gems of power ballads and the new hard pop-rock sound.

No Static at All: A Journey Into AOR 1976-1986 Track Listing

DISC ONE
1. Boston – Something About You
2. Angel – Don’t Leave Me Lonely
3. Styx – Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)
4. Aviary – Feel The Heart
5. New England – Don’t Ever Wanna Lose Ya (7″ Edit)
6. 707 – I Could Be Good For You
7. Toto – Hold The Line (7″ Version)
8. Eddie Money – Shakin’
9. Donnie Iris – Ah! Leah!
10. Straight Lines – I’m Talking To You
11. Terence Boylan – Where Are You Hiding?
12. The Gregg Allman Band – Come And Go Blues
13. Red Rider – Lunatic Fringe
14. Aldo Nova – Fantasy (7″ Version)
15. Gamma – I’m Alive
16. Barry Goudreau – Dreams
17. Rainbow – Since You Been Gone (7″ Version)
18. Zon – Put On The Show
19. Nils Lofgren – Shine Silently
20. Starz – Cherry Baby

Related: The same label has a 2026 collection celebrating New York punk club CBGB

DISC TWO
1. Journey – Stone In Love
2. .38 Special – Caught Up In You
3. Blue Oyster Cult – Burnin’ For You (7″ Version)
4. Pat Benatar – Shadows Of The Night (7″ Edit)
5. Atlanta Rhythm Section – Alien
6. Little River Band – The Night Owls (7″ Version)
7. REO Speedwagon – Keep On Loving You
8. The Alan Parsons Project – Eye In The Sky (7″ Version)
9. Yes – Owner Of A Lonely Heart (7″ Version)
10. Asia – Only Time Will Tell (7″ Version)
11. Loverboy – Gangs In The Street
12. LeRoux – Turning Point
13. Balance – In For The Count
14. Quarterflash – Find Another Fool
15. Pages – Sesatia
16. Chicago – Chains
17. Rick Springfield – Don’t Talk To Strangers (7″ Version)
18. Peter Cetera – Livin’ In The Limelight
19. Kenny Loggins & Steve Perry – Don’t Fight It

DISC THREE
1. Night Ranger – Don’t Tell Me You Love Me (7″ Edit)
2. FM – That Girl
3. Kansas – Fight Fire With Fire
4. The Outfield – All The Love In The World (7″ Version)
5. Joe Lynn Turner – Endlessly (7″ Version)
6. Foreigner – That Was Yesterday
7. Giuffria – Call To The Heart
8. Dakota – Runaway (Promo Single Edit)
9. Billy Satellite – Satisfy Me
10. Russ Ballard – Voices (7″ Version)
11. Mr Mister – Black/White
12. Robert Palmer – I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On
13. Streets – Crimes In Mind
14. Billy Idol – Eyes Without A Face (7″ Version)
15. Icon – Shot At My Heart
16. Eric Martin Band – Sucker For A Pretty Face
17. i-TEN – I Don’t Want To Lose You
18. Robert Tepper – No Easy Way Out
19. John Parr – St. Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion) (7″ Version)
20. Boston – Can’tcha Say (You Believe In Me) / Still In Love

The 3-CD set is available to order in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here.