In a refreshing change from the recent Baseball Hall of Fame inductions, the R&R Hall of Fame did a better job than the SDMB.
It is weirdly difficult to figure this out. I mean, there has to be some way of weeding out everyone who’s ever been nominated or else the ballot would become impossibly long and confusing.
So, having done some research, it appears that the ballot is new every year. There is no carryover; an artist on the ballot in 2019 must get on the 2020 ballot through the nomination process.
I know this was not the intended effect but the ones who got in “instead of Todd Rundgren” will be known for that more than their music. And I like the Zombies a lot.
Def Leppard. One of the most derivative bands I can think of.
Ahead of Devo and Rage Against the Machine, who both, arguably, defined new movements in rock music. Not to mention Kraftwerk, whom I don’t even like, but who were also pioneers in their subgenre.
I liked Pyromania myself back in the day, but enough is enough.
After this, you know damn well Nickelback is going in.
Yay, looks like half my choices (based on the italics in the poll) made it: Roxy Music and The Zombies. I’m still wondering why in the hell I didn’t vote Radiohead–maybe I thought it was too soon. (My other two were Kraftwerk and Todd Rundgren. I mentioned MC5 in my post above, but I apparently didn’t vote for them.) Like I said before, I’m really happy with any of them, but missing Todd Rundgren seems like an oversight to me. I’m not as intimately acquainted with his work as others here are, but all I know and have heard about him would make me think he should be a shoe-in.
I’m a huge Todd fan and didn’t think he was going to make it as a performer. Even though he’s a great performer and a genius songwriter, he doesn’t have enough hit records and people citing him as an influence. It’s his own fault for jumping from one genre to another.
But I thought they would have given him a Nile Rogers style “Award For Musical Excellence” to acknowledge his production work. He produced The New York Dolls, Bad Brains, Hall & Oates and many others. He saved XTC’s career by producing Skylarking. And his definition of “production” included arranging, playing whatever instrument was needed, writing songs, engineering, whatever.
On Bat Out of Hell, he did all of the arrangements - according to Meat Loaf, Jim Steinman cannot read or write music, and would hum what he wanted to Todd.
I mean, the man played the “motorcycle guitar” on the title track to Bat Out of Hell, the marimba on Love My Way and the COWBELL on We’re An American Band! What does he have to do to get some respect?
He’s very sarcastic, but I’ve not heard him called an asshole. If he were, he wouldn’t have so many musicians who have been with him for decades. The core of his band, Jesse Gress on guitar, Prairie Prince on drums and Kasim Sulton on bass have been with him for decades, Sulton since 1976!
I imagine Steven Tyler doesn’t like him. Todd’s girlfriend Bebe Buell cheated on him with Tyler, Todd forgave her and raised her daughter Liv as his own - then when she was 11, her mom revealed that this other rock star was her biological father. Todd and Liv are still close.
And Andy Partridge has never forgiven Todd for helping create their most successful album, Skylarking, and saving their career.
By the way, Todd predicted the move to music streaming back in 1978.
I agree he deserved a HOF spot, but on the other hand it’s hard to see him being diminished in any real way by not getting in.
Did Stevie Nicks really need to get in separately in addition to being part of Fleetwood Mac? Maybe her wardrobe will be voted in from a future ballot.
Todd has made it clear that he doesn’t care one way or the other, but his fans do care. And a feature spot on a concert on HBO would do a lot for drawing crowds to the shows.
I’m not a Radiohead fan, but I’m glad they got in. They’ve been constantly innovative and influential, which is what a Hall of Famer should be. The commercially successful dolts have gotten their reward.
The Hall usually gives the “Award for Musical Excellence” only after someone fails to get in as a performer several times. Chic was nominated and failed to get in seven times before the Hall inducted Nile Rogers under the Musical Excellence category. (Oddly enough, Chic hasn’t been nominated since.). IIRC, the Musical Excellence Award is announced separately from the Performers.
Also remember, that Todd Rundgren is best known to the American public for “Bang On My Drum” , which probably doesn’t help his case.