Even at it's height of popularity, where most of the genre favourites were achieving numbers 1's globally... most peopled laughed it off as corporate rock.
AOR was always classed as "Any Old Rubbish" by the UK media.
It's never been credible.
When Steve Perry dies, we won't all be going to the cinema to see a film about his life...
Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, Kurt Cobain (sort of), Elvis, John Lennon on the other hand...
Niv