Middle of the road (music)

Middle of the road (also known by its acronym MOR) is a commercial radio format. Music associated with this term is strongly melodic and uses techniques of vocal harmony and light orchestral arrangements. The format was similar to soft adult contemporary. In the mid-late 2000s the term "middle of the road" became used by journalists as a way to describe musicians and bands such as Train and Westlife who calibrated their musical appeal to commercial, popular music taste and avoided more innovative material.