So-Called "Rock" Hall Nominees - Let the Debate Resume!
Monday September 22, 2008
A sure sign of autumn: the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announces its nominees for induction, and the debate resumes over the Rock Hall's relevance, and its puzzling definition of what rock is, and who has performed it or had some undefined "influence" on it.
Well, they're nothing if not consistent. I'm sure you won't be surprised at the usual scarcity of rock artists among the latest crop of nominees:
• Jeff Beck
• Chic
• Wanda Jackson
• Little Anthony and The Imperials
• Metallica
• Run-D.M.C.
• The Stooges
• War
• Bobby Womack
Now that the nominating process is complete, the equally Machiavellian voting begins. Anybody who gets more than 50% of the votes cast gets the honor being able to buy a ticket to the induction ceremony early next year.
Hey, how about those legendary rockers like Chic, Wanda Jackson and Run-D.M.C.? I can't wait to read your comments!
Comments
This is a joke, right? I couldn’t vote for one of these nominees without slitting my wrists afterwards. The lack of quality proves the HOF is worthless and needs to go away.
These groups and individuals are a bunch of “Le Freaks.”
Is there any kind of legitimate criteria used in picking the nomminees? Chic and Wanda Jackson?! PLEASE!!
Jann Wenner doesn’t know what rock n’ roll really is, and never will. If he did, the artists actually deserving of such recognition would already be enshrined, as it were. I’m amazed that three of the four biggest “working-class” bands in the world, AC/DC, Black Sabbath and Lynyrd Skynyrd, are in, I really am (the other one being Grand Funk Railroad, eligible in 1994). The nomination process alone would take a good 5 or 10 minutes to explain, but suffice it to say that too damn many ‘rock’ journalists are involved, and not enough of us little folk. The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is a stupid joke, and will continue to be as long as Wenner heads it up.
I agree with some of your thoughts on who or what is “rock & roll” (which by the way, died out around 1959-60 to be replaced by “rock”) There is one name on the list that truly belongs: Wanda Jackson.
If you know anything about Rock & Roll, and it appears that several of the commentators don’t, Jackson was the epitome of a Rock & Roll artist in the vein of Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis, etc.
Proof of this is easily obtainable. Just take a listen to “Party”, “Riot in Cell Block #9″ or any one of the many records Jackson cut for Sam Phillips at Sun Records. Rock & Roll in it’s rawest, purest form.
A parting note to the ill-informed “experts”, without Sam Phillips and Sun Records (Presley, Perkins, Lewis, Orbison, Jackson, Feathers, Mann, etc), there wouldn’t be any Rock & Roll.
What? These guys must be kidding! Apart from Jeff Beck, who really laid some basic rock tracks, either solo or performing with others, I can’t see the point of nominating these fellas. Some may have sold a bunch of records, nothing more important than that. If that’s the case I would vote for Menudos or Sigue Sigue Sputnik!
I think the problem is the name. It’s obvious that it’s not a “Rock And Roll” Hall of Fame , it’s really a “Popular Music Hall of Fame”. Also , most critics need to prove their “political correctness” so they will nominate a Run DMC , who i’m sure is wonderfull but have only a glancing relationship with rock and roll.
The so called Rock and Roll Hall of Fame lost all validity with me when they snubbed Skynyrd for sooo many years.
THer are so many bands that deserve to be in there that have been snubbed. RUSH for one and KISS for two. I know that many think that KISS is just theatrics, but A they hold the record for gold albums, and B Madonna??? WHat the F?!! If you want theatrics there is the queen!!!
Ugh! I’m sick!
OMG. WHAT were they…never mind.
How about Alice Cooper? Long underrated as a song writer because of the theatrics. The list goes on, but at least there IS a Hall of Fame.
The Hall Of Shame!
OK – BIG JOKE here with the nominations,, it gets worse every year… How about
CHICAGO
Grand Funk Railroad
Ringo Starr
Dick Dale
Blood Sweat and Tears
Alice Cooper
Journey
Bluesman HUBERT SUMLIN
I threw up when I saw CHIC in there,, I thought they forgot to spell out CHICAGO!!!
Alice Cooper, Steppenwolf and Grand Funk Railroad should all be in without question. Come on and wake the hell up people!!!!!
Ahmet would be ashamed—still no Yes, and we are talking about that degenerate Iggy Pop? Come on—you are becoming the MTV of the museum world. Ugh….
WHat??? Run-DMC??? No Ringo Starr??? No YES? Grand Funk Railroad???? BS&T??? I don’t get it!!!
Can you believe this list?
Wasn’t Chic nominated last year?
There seems to be an inside track to get them into the Rock Hall.
What about…
KISS
Alice Cooper
Jethro Tull
Rush
Grand Funk Railroad
Journey
Joan Jett
Cheap Trick
The List can go on and on forever.
I’ll never understand the political process of this process!
I’m sure there’s an explanation … There’s an article for classicrock.about.com
JEFF BECK should have been-
one of the very first..
since then- he is more than worthy
-to have a classification all his own:
BEYOND Rock’n'Roll..
WAR is/has been one of the unsurpassed, unique-but down-home, globular,HAPPY soulful, FUNKIEST musical bands out there for more than 40 years.. no other band has such variety of catchy,in-th’groove tunes as this incredible and underrated group of international players!
just saw them recently LIVE-
and Lonnie Jordan at the helm
of this fine ensemble KEEPS IT REAL..
and one of the most entertaining bands
on this- or any other planet
(there-I SAID IT!)
Sorry Jeff Beck, Iggy & Stooges, and Metallica – while deserving, you’ll have to wait your turn until:
Deep Purple
RUSH
Judas Priest
KISS
Alice Cooper
Genesis
Heart
make it in first. What a crock.
ROCK AND ROLL hall of fame!! That’s all that’s needed to say. I’ve signed petitions for Kiss(Gene says the hell with it)rock and roll pioneers,longevity. Open a Rap hall, open an R&B hall(I would love that too!!)but if it’s a ROCK hall of fame put ROCK AND ROLL IN IT!!!! WHO votes them in………????????
That’s a real treat! Guys, next year lets nominate the macarena dudes: Los del Río!!!
Thank you so much for stating the obvious. Every year I am shocked at the list and evry year I write a letter to the Rock Hall decision makers to no avail. I have been to the Rock Hall three times. Each time I swear it will be my last. I would love to know where they got the so called “decision makers” but I owuld LOVE to sit in on that meeting….Idiots.
The R&R HofF houses Jann Wenner’s personal favorite artists (that’s a pre-requisite to be considered!) and if there’s an artist or a genre he does NOT like, that person or group is not getting in the place. His pet dislike is Progressive Rock, hence the absence of YES, Jethro Tull, and my personal favorite band, the Moody Blues (the group who sort of “pioneered” orchestral rock with their first album Days of Future Passed. Plus all 3 bands are still out there touring, so that has to be another strike against them. AND, while I’m at it–another band still touring and NOT in the place is Chicago. Where are they? Talk about another ground-braking group–marrying a jazzy brass section w/rock–that isn’t in there. These 4 groups, in my opinion, are glaring omissions, and have all made major contributions to rock music for DECADES. The whole thing is a joke!
Grand Funk sucks, I’m not upset about them not being in, but the lack of Deep Purple, Rush, etc. is definitely troubling. And Metallica shouldn’t be in until their big brothers Priest and Maiden make it.
Maybe controversy is the Hall’s fuel for free publicity. I mean, how Stoopid is it that The Coop is not Elected?
Mr. Kilby is absolutely correct re: his comments about Wanda Jackson. I’m betting many of the comments here are written by those who think they understand the origens of R&R, but obviously don’t. She was a seminal figure in the development of R&R, as the only female rockabilly guitar player, and a monster at that. Check her out boys and girls, you’ll be amazed.
Jeff Beck is certainly a glaring omission, much worthier than Judas Priest or KISS (ugh!). I also agree that the absence of Yes, Jethro Tull & the Moody Blues are egregious. I would add King Crimson to that list. For the serious arena rockers out there Grand Funk, Alice Cooper, Joan Jett, the ‘original’ Genesis when Peter Gabriel was the front man, and certainly Rush deserves to be in.
I have never liked Metallica, but their influence on true rock cannot be underestimated, so they should get the nod. Heart was a ground-breaking female act for sure, and they deserve consideration. Dick Dale, BS&T, Chicago, Cold Blood also should get chosen. As for Journey & Cheap Trick, perhaps they deserve to be there, as well. I just hate their music…lol!
There are just too many artists who truly deserve representation in the HOF, but the process most certainly is political in the extreme, especially with the guy now running the whole show. This is a passionate subject for many people, which is a wonderful thing. Love to hear more about artists we all think should be included in the next HOF class.
Alright, alright already. I think the gist is that many people are upset about omissions.
As for those nominated, I say Run-DMC should go in (and not on the basis of political correctness). Regardless of one’s narrow-minded musical tastes, they along with Metallica should be definite shoe-ins.
Personally I’d like to the Stooges, Jeff Beck, & Chic go in as well.
Though I do agree that the Hall should be renamed the “Popular Music Hall of Fame”
The fact that Rush has been snubbed for the tenth year is nothing but a joke. They’ve sold more records/tapes/cd’s then CHIC COULD EVER HOPE TO SELL, same for The Stooges. The RNRHOF is a EFFING JOKE.
I want to add the “Moody Blues” to the list as well.
ALICE COOPER & THIN LIZZY
HELLO???????????? I have to link here today Dave, my readers will have plenty of amusing and sarcastic comments to add. *Sigh*
Where is:
Chicago
Heart
Doobie Brothers
Deep Purple
Alice Cooper
Kiss
Jethro Tull
Moody Blues
Connie Francis
I’ve been writing about rock and jazz music since ‘75 for various magazines and newspapers; I played rock and jazz at several stations as a radio DJ from ‘75-’85; and I was the manager of a chain of record stores called Buzzards Nest Records in the 80s in Ohio. So, I’ve played a ton of rock, sold a ton of vinyl, cassettes and CDs, and met and interviewed many rock and jazz artists in the last 33 years, most of whom should be in the Hall of Shame, er, Fame.
Since they want the bands to perform 2 or 3 of their songs when they are inducted, I strongly suggest they start with the oldest acts so they are alive to celebrate their induction and to perform while they are still healthy and can play or sing!! Remember the Dave Clark Five not getting in until after they lost their bandmates? To hell with the acts from the 80s onward getting into the Hall, go back to the 60s and 70s and get them in 1st! The essentials:
The Moody Blues
Procol Harum
King Crimson
Deep Purple
Yes
Genesis
Chicago
Alice Cooper
Jethro Tull
Cat Stevens
Three Dog Night
Journey
Heart
Kiss
Rush
Grand Funk
Rainbow
ELP
ELO
Then they can get to: Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Metallica, etc.
P.S. There is a Songwriters Hall of Fame, an R&B Hall of Fame, a Country Hall of Fame, a Vocal Group Hall of Fame and countless other halls- that’s where quite a few of those let into the R&R HOF deserve to go, not here!
Genesis? Egad!
Reading the comments I noticed a number of groups that should, repeat SHOULD, be on the list. Steppenwolf would be my own pick. Chic? Who the F came up with this nonsense? How about MC5? Or Atomic Rooster? The Groundhogs? But, noooooooo! Next we’ll be seeing Boy George, or George Michaels on the short list.
Hey, any chance of forming some sort of petition to voice a very public outcry of how much f-ing ignorant the people in charge of the HOF is? You’d have my signature.
What about the Jonass Bros?
Metallica wouldn’t be there with out bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden or Deep Purple, and their affiliates. So why are they there first?
Can anyone say Moody Blues???? Yes – Doug did.
I live here in Cleveland and have an I-beam in the place with my name on it but the Board in NY has to go. We all feel that way. Their decisions are not reflected by what we envisioned our hall to be.
If we could take the Rock Hall back by eminent domain, there would be 100 inductees a year so we could catch up. We are way behind and ignore those that really deserve it!!
Hmmm…yes…a glaring omission on my part…Steppenwolf. They certainly deserve to be in the HOF. Let’s not forget Vanilla Fudge, Mike Bloomfield, Al Kooper, War, D.J. Fontana, Elvis’s original drummer (it’s a crime he’s not in the HOF), & if the Iggy Stooge gets in then MC5 has to go in.
If Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Woody Guthrie are in, you could easily make a case for Cat Stevens, Donovan, Joan Baez, Phil Ochs, Judy Collins & Arlo Guthrie. If Al Green, Isaac Hayes, Sam & Dave are in then why isn’t famed Memphis Producer/Writer, Willie Mitchell in? He found and made Al Green what he became.
Let’s talk seminal British Blues Rock artists like Long John Baldry, Graham Bond (Clapton, Winwood, Page, Beck & a host of others started with this guy), Humble Pie (spawned Peter Frampton, Rory Gallagher & Steve Marriott), John Mayall, Savoy Brown, Alvin Lee & Ten Years After.
What about such iconic or groundbreaking late 60s, 70s-era bands like Doobie Brothers, Steve Miller Band, Deep Purple, Blue Oyster Cult, Foreigner, Guess Who, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Captain Beefheart, Black Oak Arkansas, Little Feat, Kansas, Dixie Dregs, Supertramp, Robert Palmer, Todd Rundgren, Mott the Hoople, The Tubes, The Cars, Mountain, Marshall Tucker Band, Robin Trower, Procol Harum, Edgar & Johnny Winter, Rick Derringer, Warren Zevon.
And how can Lou Reed not be in on his own accomplishments? I know Velvet Underground is in, but damn…no Lou Reed? And no Iron Butterfly? No T-Rex…The Turtles, Chicago, Paul Revere & the Raiders, The Hollies, no Spencer Davis (another band that spawned a lot of great British musicians & future stars), Gerry & the Pacemakers, Manfred Mann, The Zombies.
These artists are all worthy to be in the HOF, especially over some of the later artists who have already made the cut. Get serious, HOF, and quit playing the PR game.
Metallica wouldn’t be here without Judas Priest, Iron Maiden or Deep Purple and their associated bands.
Can anyone say Moody Blues – yes Doug did. At this rate The Rasmus will make the Rock Hall first.
I’m born, raised in the Rock and Roll capitol of the world, Cleveland, and have worked in the entertainment industry for 30- years. I even have my name on an I-Beam in the Rock Hall. Clevelanders would love to take the Rock Hall back by Eminent Domain! If we had our way, NY decisions would be gone and we would induct 100 artists per year just to catch up.
The snob board in NY is out of touch with what needs to be done and what the people see. No band should get in before those bands who have been up for induction get into the Rock Hall.
This Rock Hall was founded for all Rock Bands and NO ONE should be over looked, or out right denied.
On Sept 10th 2001, fox news exposed the board in NY for unfair practices on electing inductees, but sorry to say that news bit got lost the next day.
Unfortunately this comment is NOT an opinion but fact.
And still no Leon Russel?
HOF of R’n'R – isn’t HOF anymore. And isn’t about R’n'R, during long time already.
:)
It’s private list of somebody’s PR.
And why there are no Montserrat Cabalier, great Pavarotti
or russian Chaliapin, for example, among the members or nomminees? Why not? They all are better than Madonna.
I stopped pay attention to this PR-action somewhere in the end of 90-s.
… I do agree that the Hall should be renamed the “Popular Music Hall of Fame”…
Neil Diamond
Yesss….I can say the Moody Blues loud and clearly!!!
Doug said it well, but I believe I mentioned them first…no matter…. lol just as long as the voice or our voices are heard!
Igor – you missed my point. Clevelanders NEVER wanted the inductions done this way. The Rock Hall, Which we raised so much of our money and taxes for, was sold out to a “Boardroom” Or BORED in NYC.
It’s time for the R&R HOF to change it’s focus and realize that either it has to change the criteria for nomination to prevent non Rock acts from being considered…CHIC ??!! – or it must choose not to have the election of members be it’s primary function. Instead, it could put more emphasis on existing members by adding to or changing displays with greater frequency. What’s wrong with having inductions only when a necessity is created? Why not induct only Iggy Pop and Jeff Beck this year if only they are worthy?
I haven’t really followed the shenanigans of the RRHOF, but reading these comments tells me all I need to know. If all the artists in Doug’s list (32) are absent, then the RRHOF is irrelevant. Period. Or at least egregiously misnamed. Who needs the validation of some outfit in Ohio anyhow? Who determined that they’re the arbiter of ‘greatness’? It’s nice for the artists to get some recognition but a dozen gold records surely means more than a figurine and a handshake…
Even though it’s late I had to weigh in on the complete senselessness of this (and many other) years list. Chic??? Run-D.M.C.??? WTF – how can they even be considered R&R? Other commenters have pretty much covered the list of omissions but just to reiterate a couple – Alice Cooper, Deep Purple, Kiss, The Tubes, Savoy Brown… If these bands aren’t in then the electors must really be “White Punks on Dope”. Think someone needs to go “Tell Mama”. She can tell the electors to “Lick It Up”. ’nuff said…
in regards to the rnr hof, I just remember what the late great j.l.hooker stated “aint nothin but the best laid out for the garbage, natural facts” boy did he hit it home on that, oh well, so many dues paying great ones, kicked to the side so the hall can be “correct”, and while we are on that subject, is hank williams sr. in the soul hall? well he ought to be!
Just because Run DMC did a song with Aerosmtih DOES NOT qualify the group as a rock category. Give me a break……
The Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame? Or should it be Hall of Shame? Better still, the Rock ‘n Roll and Whatever Hall of Total B.S. When will Leon Russell be nominated and inducted? Read his creditials. He is the real deal, folks. Yet, he is never included. Perhaps because he didn’t sell out to the “industry”, he focused on the artistry.
So many great rock bands or not in there like Chicago, Rush, Kiss, Cheap Trick, Iron Madden, Judist Priest, Styx, Journey, Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Deep Purple, Yes, Genisis and Roxy Music but instead we get Chic, Run DMC, Madonna and Grandmaster Flash. And even when they do put a rock band in there its a band like the Sex Pistols who made one album with a bassist who could not even play the bass while Geddy Lee one of the best bass players rock has ever seen has made over 25 albums in 35 years and still packs out almost every show he plays is not even on the nomination list. It’s just sad because what you have is a group of people trying to change the diffinition of rock and roll for future generations and it looks like they are going to succeed in doing just that. My grandkids will grow up thinking that Run DMC is rock and roll and bands like Rush will be forgotten. It will only be 90 year olds like me who will tell them what rock and roll really is and by then nobody will care what I have to say, a truly sad state of affairs.