Which I would steadfastly support. A wing or display case at the HoF for people who are - for whatever reason - thought highly of but aren’t worthy of induction. One hit wonders who ruled the world, influential players and songwriters, whatever. Then again, I’m an advocate for a small hall in the first place. There’s nothing wrong with having high standards.
Mine:
Bon Jovi (I don’t like the band but it’s hard to deny their fame and longevity)
Dire Straits
Judas Priest
Radiohead
Rage Against the Machine
In some ways it’s a very weak year with that writer making only Radiohead a shoo-in. I find Radiohead unlistenable, so I’ll let others tackle them. But the range of the other nominees says a lot about both how huge a range rock has as the overwhelming modern music mainstream and the various paths artists take to rise to be the croutons in the salad mix. Link Wray had two hits, the Zombies three spectacular singles, Rage Against the Machine three albums. They have cult status like the MC5. Cult bands need to be in the mix, just like long-lived middle of the road bands like Bon Jovi. Wouldn’t the lineup be totally different if the Hall were in the UK? Wouldn’t Kate Bush have been in long ago? Wouldn’t Dire Straits and the Eurythmics and Depeche Mode and the Moody Blues also be in long ago? With the Cars and J. Geils and Bon Jovi being who? Then there are the outside the rock mainstream choices like Nina Simone and Sister Rosetta Sharpe. Black music like the Meters and Rufus with Chaka Khan always needs to be mentioned and always seems to run on a separate track. LL Cool Jay has the cred and the sales and modern rep. He’s not class of 92 but close, like Radiohead and Rage.
I like the fact that the names are so varied. I like that some of them produce emotional arguments. Personally I think Moody Blues and Dire Straits are WTF they aren’t in yet? cases for body of work and highest highs. I know there are a few more in the same hole. Rectify the long-standing omissions and then get to the modern age and celebrate that.
Agree about the Moodies. They’ve been around for over 50 years and are still making good music. I just can’t think of any criteria in which they fall short of what a RRHoF inductee SHOULD be.
I think this is a really pertinent point, to be honest. There’s a load of bands on that list (and indeed in the Hall already) who are/were big in the USA but have little resonance in the UK and probably elsewhere too. I think that’s fine - the USA is an enormous market and success there has to count for a lot - but I think we’re really scraping the barrel now on Boomer Era Rock and probably a bunch of the New Wave bands; forgetting some of these and opening up to newer/non-US bands might well be better.
For example: I think I mentioned this last year as well. There’s no Can, Kraftwerk or Neu! in the Hall and they’re not even on the short list this year. What’s that about? If the hall were in the UK, Joy Division/New Order would already be in it. We’d probably already have had Bon Jovi/Def Leppard and Judas Priest in too, mind.
Find it funny, though true - no beef here, that Rage are described as the one band to come out of Nu-Metal with their credibility intact. That might be true - but they did basically invent it and Tim Commerford has already apologised for their role in Limp Bizkit’s existence.
Of this lot - don’t know a lot about the Moodies who seemed to exercise a lot of comment both last year and this. I’d have Sister Rosetta, Kate Bush, Nina Simone, Radiohead and Rage as definites and could be persuaded on a number of the others (Dire Straits for instance were the biggest band on the planet for two or three years in the 80s). Don’t understand why The Cars or J Geils are here. Don’t know enough about The Meters. The Zombies resume seems thin. Everyone else seems arguable.
I was a bit skeptical when I first saw his name, but after reviewing his discography, I simply hadn’t remembered that he’d made that many hits over such a long period of time. The list of rappers in the HOF is a fairly short one, but I think he’s earned his spot on it.
Then maybe they should have invented rock first.
I’ve often seen criticism that inductions are overly influenced by the likes and dislikes of Jan Wenner. He doesn’t like progressive or metal so it’s very difficult for those bands to get in. That seems to be loosening in recent years. However that’s why I think Radiohead is getting in.
**
Bon Jovi
Kate Bush
The Cars
Depeche Mode
Dire Straits
Judas Priest
Moody Blues
Radiohead
Rage Against the Machine
Nina Simone
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
**
I would suggest inclusion based on the strength of the songwriting. Every bit as good as those other guys from England who were hogging all the spotlight around the same time. Argent and White wrote some really good songs. Sadly, not enough promotion, and not too many folks are aware of them.
I’ve never been to the RRHoF, but I’ve been to the Baseball HoF, and I know there are special exhibits: Abbot and Costello, for example, have one, for their “Who’s on First?” routine. They are not considered inductees, but their skit is considered part of baseball history.
Does the RRHoF have special exhibits like this? The Residents certainly deserve one, if so.
I went to Cooperstown when I was a teen. All I remember is Abbott and Costello. Who’s on First blew my mind.
I went to the RRHofF once, too. They had a good special exhibit about John Lennon. I assume they have special exhibits all the time, along with the varied items in the permanent collection.
The only reason (and you are entitled to your opinion if you think it’s a good one) to leave LL Cool J off is if you think all rap/hip-hop should be excluded. He had one of the first big rap songs, one of the first major albums, the first star on a historically great and still active record label. Then he had one of the first hit rap “love songs” while still being “hard” on his other cuts and subsequent albums. He made a “comeback” (though don’t call it that) when he was only 22. He already had 4 hit albums at that point. Then another dud, followed by multiple massive hit singles all over the radio in '96-'97 (12 years after his breakthrough). I think his output after '97 was garbage, but at that point and perhaps since I don’t think any rapper had/has sustained a decade long career of commercial and cultural relevance. He STILL had 6 more top 10 albums after that. The guy had a 21 year streak of 11 Gold or better albums. He’s undeniably important to a genre of music and multiple subcultures and phases of the development of that music/culture/business. You could say it’s not rock, but his music “rocks” more than other music that’s comfortably allowed that adjective, groups like Run DMC/Beasties/PE were legit “rock stars” and he fits that mold. Basically, he overcomes every objection applied to every other artist debated on this thread or “HOF” selections in general (high peak, long career, popularity AND artistic relevance, significant contributions to the game, etc). If you are a small-hall narrow definition of rock voter who doesn’t care about precedence, then you can leave him off.
If Bon Jovi gets inducted before Judas Priest, it will prove that the RRHoF is a total sham which has lost all relevance to modern music. Which means… Bon Jovi will probably get inducted before Judas Priest. :smack:
Moody Blues has a decent chance as the token long-neglected-classic-rock-favorite; with Rush, Deep Purple & Yes being inducted in recent years, this could be their ticket. Never heard of Sister Rosetta Tharpe before now. Link Wray would be nice. The Zombies – ehh, they had a couple huge pop hits in the 60’s but really, how much long term influence did they have? MC5 definitely deserves it more than them.
Eurythmics will make it in before Depeche Mode or The Cars. Grrrl power! Pretty sure Radiohead’s a lock, I do think that band’s completely overrated but man, are they critical darlings or what. Which I guess counts for something. Same goes for RATM. Kate Bush (wtf, she’s not in yet??) or J. Geils Band would be nice, but this is the RRHoF we’re talking about.
We’ve had two consecutive years with a gangsta rap inductee so LL Cool J probably will get passed over this year.
well it’s probably old news but if Jann Wenner does not like you then you are not getting in. Maybe that’s changed a bit now but it was true for a good while.
It dawned on me the other day that they’ll most likely have a Tom Petty tribute and I was wondering who will do it.
Last year, for Prince they had Lenny Kravitz, along with a handful of other people I don’t recall off the top of my head.
Jeff Lynne ISTM, would be the obvious/easy choice. But my first thought was Eddie Vedder. He could probably do a good job. But, in my opinion, Dave Grohl would be even better and I know there’s at least some history with him and the band, even if it was just one gig.