I’m glad somebody is on the train with me for The Band. I know it’s not everybody’s cup of tea but I’m gonna be so pissed when they drop off the ballot and some lesser band gets in on the 20th ballot or whatever.
I’m doing my part to keep some other groups I like and respect on the ballot as well - so PFunk and Jefferson Airplane get my votes for now. If Billy Joel stays where he is I will move that vote to either Joni or Buffalo Springfield… if anybody wants to convince me I’m all ears. Although I guess it won’t matter since they should both stay on the ballot, and I’m OK with the others falling off (and Sir Paul too for that matter - I can’t think of any solo work of his that needs memorializing by this august body).
I will pitch removing Billy Joel altogether. In a ten ballot Hall of Fame, sure. In a three ballot, no. Not because he wasn’t enormously popular and successful, he certainly was that - I remember enjoying my brother’s copy of Glass Houses way back when. The issue is influence.
If we have to limit to three choices, I guess I have to consider how influential were they on the rock music scene generally. He’s not uninfluential - he had a substantial impact on modern pop music. But he arguably trails Buffalo Springfield and inarguably IMHO trails well behind Joni Mitchell in that context. Oddly enough I think if you asked him he’d probably agree on that last. I only mildly prefer Mitchell to Joel, not really a big fan of either. But Mitchell is the more important musician historically. Billy Joel is a lesser Elton John in terms of impact, a Hall of Famer in a wider context but as far as I’m concerned not in this narrow of one.
Was Buffalo Springfield influential as Buffalo Springfield or as the nexus of a lot of very influential musicians? Or maybe it is that they the critical starting point for the acoustic, Country-esque sound?
Buffalo Springfield were great and had one of the best songs of the 60s, but they weren’t really that influential in the end and only had a 3 year run with 3 albums.
Buffalo Springfield - For What It’s Worth
3 of the members did go on to great careers after of course.
Stephen Stills, Neil Young & Jim Messina of Poco & Loggins & Messina.
I think if you were to pick one act to represent the starting point of the “country-esque” sound, it would be Gram Parsons. But it’s tough because he never had a big hit himself. He was in the Byrds toward the end of their flyght and made the extremely influential Sweetheart of the Rodeo album, but they had a very different sound at that time than they did at the height of their career. He actually just made the real Hall this year, through the back door as a “musical influence”.
I feel like Chris Hillman is dramatically overlooked (often in favor of Parsons) in that conversation. He was there with Gram in the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers. So if we want to assign a “starting point” for the “Cosmic American Music” (as Gram called it), I would lump that in with The Byrds, and include all of McGuinn, Hillman, and Parsons on it.
For me Buffalo Springfield are a clear notch down on impact from the Byrds. They had a few big songs, and obviously Stills, Young, and Messina all went on to influence rock music in various ways.
Of course Bruce deserves to get in. And he will. But I want to make sure that others acts stay on the ballot.
You’ve convinced me. I moved my Joel vote onto Joni Mitchell. And since P/Funk appear to be safe I also moved that vote to Janis Joplin.
If Janis and Joni each get another vote or two we can bump Billy Joel out of the top three for this round and get a nice trio of Bruce/Janis/Joni - that would be a solid class indeed.
Probably just a little more as said nexus to be honest, which I why I said arguably. I do think they are pretty seminal, but untangling the Byrds-Buffalo Springfield-Flying Burrito Brothers chain is kinda difficult. The Byrds are the oldest so probably take pride of place, but all were sort of serially pretty impactful. But I didn’t vote for them either and probably won’t, so there’s that .
Janis Joplin is hard on this small of a list. Again. She’s kind of a tossup for my fourth pick between her and Jefferson Airplane. I personally have listened to her more than Mitchell, but I think Mitchell is more important (longevity has a little bit of impact here as well, but just a little). If I were being catty, longevity works against Jefferson Airplane (coughStarshipcough). End of the day, I guess I’d give Joplin my fourth vote out of that crew.
Because there may be at least 3 more deserving artists on the ballot? Bruce Springsteen is a massive presence in the history of Rock but as far as influence I think Del Shannon has him beat with his pioneering use of synthesizers as a lead instrument on his records.
Uh, sorry about that. School ended and threw me off my scheduling. ANYWAY, this week we welcome Bruce Springsteen, Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, and, God help us all, The Eagles. This week’s ballot includes the five members of the class of 2000 plus multiple returning candidates. Let’s see how it shakes out!
This is the first poll where I’m struggling to find three that are deserving. Up to now, the struggle has been crossing someone off.
P-Funk should finally cross the threshold as they deserve. Earth, Wind and Fire should be shoe-ins as well for creating that mix of R&B, disco, and funk with African influences.
Beyond that…I just can’t get into The Band. Eric Clapton is on the bubble for me, but I think his best work and most influence was as a member of Cream and the Yardbirds (side note - why weren’t the Yardbirds on the 1992 poll here?). No one else grabs me.
I don’t know why Paul McCartney is getting votes. This isn’t a lifetime achievement award, it’s specifically about his work as a solo artist. He’s an amazing artist and songwriter, but he just didn’t do that much Hall-worthy stuff solo.
Finally, P-Funk and The Band earn their spots in the SDMB Hall. Also, Eric Clapton. Six other returning candidates, plus the 2001 class and the previously overlooked Yardbirds, give us a long ballot with some interesting choices. Three votes, yadda yadda.
I still like Jefferson Airplane, and I think Queen deserve to be in. After that, there are a bunch of options I respect but don’t really like (plus one that I like but, to put it mildly, don’t respect). I’ll mull over my third vote for a while.
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