The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Beclowns Itself (Again)
Latest inductees confirm everything wrong with Cleveland-based institution
Willie Nelson got an odd gift for his 90th birthday.
The country music legend learned he finally made the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame cut.
Huh?
Is there any sane argument against the singer/songwriter’s legendary status? Did the Hall’s voters need another year of Nelson above ground to finally say, “It’s time?” Did they miss his decades-worth of essential songs, tours and collaborations?
And, by the way, isn’t he a country singer, not a rock ‘n’ roller?
Absurd. All of it.
Then again, absurdity rules this Hall, which officially opened its doors in 1995. The institution is meant to honor rock legends, but through the years it’s welcomed acts whose songs soar beyond the “rock” category.
Think this year’s nominees, including Nelson, Missy Elliott, Chaka Khan and “Soul Train’s” Don Cornelius. Do any of those names scream, “rock” to anyone?
It gets worse.
Bon Jovi, the band that brought the song “Bad Medicine” into existence, is enshrined in the Hall but Iron Maiden isn’t. A more embarrassing case of exclusion comes via the so-called Pre-Fab Four.
The Monkees remain uninvited despite their outsized impact on pop music. The faux band became the real deal, reportedly outsold the Beatles at its musical peak and enjoyed musical rebirths in both the ’80s and mid-2010s.
Their wacky TV show built on the Beatles’ visual legacy and became a precursor to MTV.
And the songs! So many perfect pop moments – think “Last Train to Clarksville,” “Daydream Believer,” “Sometime in the Morning,” “I’m a Believer,” “Shades of Gray” and “Pleasant Valley Sunday.” Even the deep cuts count, and the band’s 2016 “Good Times” album delivered more essential tracks.
The same holds true for the Indigo Girls, a tireless duo with a string of killer tracks and albums. They’re one of the most beloved touring acts around, and yet they still stand outside the Cleveland Hall.
Warren Zevon, Soundgarden and Joy Division also await their induction, assuming it ever happens. Maybe Hall voters are waiting until they each turn 90, which hits Zevon the hardest since he passed in 2003 at the age of 56.
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Rock & Roll Hall of Fame chairman John Sykes accidentally summed up the institution’s irrelevance via this quote to Variety.
“Sometimes it takes a major moment like Willie’s 90th birthday or, in the case of Kate Bush, music being played in ‘Stranger Things’ to shine a light on them for a lot of younger people who didn’t know who she was in 1985; they probably weren’t even born yet.”
Good thing Nelson lived to be 90, otherwise his body of work might have gotten ignored.
Embarrassing.
The Baseball Hall of Fame is special, in large part, due to the brutal barrier to entry. Some of the best players of the modern era, including Curt Schilling and Don Mattingly, have yet to make the cut. The former’s political positions clearly play a role in his omission.
Other MLB giants excluded from the Hall include Lou Whitaker, Dale Murphy and Dwight Evans. That means getting a Hall pass means something significant to the culture and the sport.
The musicians who make the Hall cut? The honor means little in the long run. Perhaps that’s why we’ve seen inductee no-shows over the years, including three-fifths of Van Halen, Paul McCartney, Axl Rose and David Bowie.
To quote Bill Murray in the classic camp comedy “Meatballs” … it just doesn’t matter.
How about all of the early black rock n roll artists
Far far far too many to list
Robin Trower!!!
I can’t believe they did soundgarden like that they were easily the best in the inductees they keep out soundgarden and Iron Maiden but they induct Kate bush just because of one song that got popular from stranger things and idk if y’all know but Alice In Chains or pantera isn’t inducted either which is terrible
They put who they want in there. The fan vote has nothing to do with it. Frankly I’m embarrassed by the way they snubbed some of the real ROCK AND ROLL artists..
They should have a 3 day event to solve all this bull crap of the hall of fame. With all of music that is now being allowed into the Rock n Roll hall of fame which is not rock and roll at all!! Rock n roll was born out the blues that git kicked in the ass and speeded up with electric guitars and that is why the blues and rock n roll are tied together!! So there is your pure rock and roll! But this other stuff is not!! So what they should do now is call it the world music hall of fame!! They should do it like the oscars and have different categories of music to award!! Hip hop and R&B day and the next day have the pop and easy listening bands and on the third day have the rock n roll bands day that gives bands like , bad company, Styx, Fournier, peter frampton , REO, bryan adams, eddie money,j giles band, james gang,joe walsh, joe cocker,molly hatchet, Ratt, motley crue, super tramp, Ted nugent, Toto,Alan parson, and many more that been all over the radio’s for years. So just fo the world music hall of fame and have different categories and then this bs stops! We can watch the days that we want to watch and all will be happy!!!!
The Monkeys, Guess Who, Gordon Lightfoot, Kool and The Gang, Roberta Flack, Rick James, Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne, Bryan Adams, INXS, Soundgarden, Weezer, Oasis, Blur, Smashing Pumpkins…
Where are Boston, Meat Loaf, Styx, Foreigner, Kansas?!
The Hall lost all credibility when they inducted The Beastie Boys.
Someone needs to start a real rock hall of fame and keep it true rock so the true rock n rollers will have something to be proud of. And we can forget about this sorry excuse of a hall of fame. Its more like a hall of shame!
Change the name to world of music Hall of Fame. Instead of Rock and Roll because some of this artist certainly aren’t Rock and Roll but great artist none the less and should be in a Hall of fame but not a Rock and Roll. Same goes for some of this award shows but that’s a hole different subject to address.
In the producer/engineer category, where is Eddie Kramer?
The Rock and Roll HOF is an absolute joke. No legitimacy at all!! Warren Zevon one of the great songwriters of a generation was 3rd in fan voting. He pissed a lot of people off, apparently, and there is still a grudge 20 years after his death
The Rock n Roll Hall of Fame is completely irrelevant
I think it’s absolutely hilarious how many people get so but hurt over things as such as Wiley Nelson being inducted into the hall of fame. The man has given so many years of his life to music. And when he started he was considered to be rock and roll. I believe all types of music should be celebrated. And should be able to be in any institution that wants them.
I agree 100%, crazy how 50 Cent isn’t in or Snoop Dogg
Personally i find them to be an embarrassment. To claim people like Chaka Khan was an influencer of rock is the equivalent to saying potatoes is why we have corn. They are not related. Yes, R&R was influenced by soul from the 40s and 50s but not anyone from the 80s and 90s. As for Dolly, she even agreed she had no business getting inducted. She had nothing to do with rock.
There are amazing groups not even considered. No need for me to list them because everyone else has done a super job. I guess they are waiting for the true rockers to die of old age before they are considered.
Who gives a crap about the RRHF anyway! A bunch of Jews trying to cash in on classic rock as they’ve been doing since the 70s. R&R is in the heart of every true music lover and THAT is your RR HOF!
Whatever, Adolf…if that’s the limit of your intelligence, I can just imagine what sort of “true music lover” you are, let alone what is in your heart. Somehow, I doubt it has anything to do with rock ‘n roll.