The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced their nominations for 2010 inductees and once again there are glaring omissions.
Some Blogcritics contributors offer their assistance for 2011:
Glen Boyd nominates Alice Cooper (eligible since 1996)
When I heard that KISS were among the nominees up for induction into this year's class of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, I just about fell outta' my chair. I mean, KISS? I've got two words for you, Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame: Alice Cooper.
Sure, KISS sold more records and enjoyed a longer run on top, but Alice Cooper provided the blueprint for not only Gene, Paul, Ace, and Peter's act, but for the countless other theatrically based "shock-rock" bands that have come since — from Twisted Sister and Motley Crue, to Slipknot and Marilyn Manson. Most, if not all of these bands owe their very existence to Alice Cooper — a fact that many of them readily will admit to being true. At least, the smart ones will.
Beginning with the album Love It To Death, the original Alice Cooper band had a short, but phenomenal run as the biggest rock and roll act in the world in the early seventies, with a string of albums that also included Killer, Schools Out, and Billion Dollar Babies.
During this time, Alice Cooper also revolutionized the idea of rock and roll as theatre. Their elaborate stage shows revolved around the twisted, mascaraed Alice — a uni-sexual character straight out of your worst slasher-film nightmare, who ultimately paid for his crimes with onstage executions that included the electric chair, beheadings and hangings. Alice Cooper were universally reviled by parents, politicians, and the religious right as a result of these shows. Naturally, the fans loved them all the more for it.
After the breakup of the original band, Alice himself enjoyed sporadic success as a solo artist with albums like Welcome To My Nightmare — but with successors like KISS taking the greasepaint and the rock theatre a step further — things were never quite the same again.
It's high time the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame rightfully recognize the band who paved the way for KISS and others like them. Michael Bruce, Neal Smith, Dennis Dunaway, the late Glenn Buxton, and of course Alice Cooper himself. Members of the Academy (or whatever you call yourselves), I submit to you the original Alice Cooper Band.
Article comments
1 - Jeff Cooke
Amen! The fact that Cooper wasn't one of the very FIRST inductees to the HoF proves that it has no credibility. Not only did Cooper precede the others, he will outlast them. While the others are stretching their spandex, Alice Cooper is stronger than ever. A big fat fart in the direction of the so-called Hall of Fame.
2 - El Bicho
"The fact that Cooper wasn't one of the very FIRST inductees to the HoF proves that it has no credibility."
To be fair, he wasn't eligible until '96 and they had a few couple of decades of musicians to get through first, but he is certainly overdue
3 - Glen Boyd
Alice is definitely overdue. As Jeff said, he is also still going strong. He may not fill arenas anymore, but his shows show he also hasn't slowed down a bit as far as knowing how to give his audience their moneys worth.
4 - Paul Roy
This is definitely a more worthy list. I am stunned that Alice Cooper is not already in. And don't get me started about Rush's snub. Of the actual nominees, I think that Genesis is certainly worthy, and I have no problem with Kiss.
5 - Tom Johnson
This turned out great, everyone! This speaks for a LOT of frustrated fans.
The Cure! How is it possible with how important and influential they are that they're not already in there? How many bands wouldn't exist or sound like they did without them?
I think Genesis and Kiss are indications that we're going to start seeing some of these groups get in sometime *relatively* soon.
6 - Josh Hathaway
The Cure is one of the most obvious, glaring omissions I can think of, too. I can't even fathom why they haven't been inducted.
7 - zingzing
nina simone. new order. faust. can. my bloody valentine.
8 - El Bicho
Thanks, Paul. And just think how cool the concert would be with our inductees.
moody blues. iron maiden. bauhaus. depeche mode. sonic youth.
9 - zingzing
sonic youth.
repeated for emphasis.
10 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
Sorry I missed the deadline for your article El Bicho. I had to practice with my band (here's some DEMOS if you're interested). Plus, I'm going to see Porcupine Tree tonight,so, I was getting my plans in order.
Anyways, I'm still amazed that Iron Maiden doesn't get the recognition they deserve(along with RUSH,Alice Cooper,YES and many others) Whether you like Maiden or not, they pioneered Metal not only in the 80s but also into the new millennium. AND they did it without the help of the mainstream media. If any band had a significant impact on the evolution, development and perpetuation of rock and roll, it was definitely IRON MAIDEN. Personally, I don't think you could find a Metal/Hard Rock band that wasn't influenced by them. Their album covers had amazing artwork and presented a life-like visual of the album theme. Their music was & is an audio archive of passion & talent that made quite the statement against the trends and showcased their ability to soar above all others in that genre. Their songs contained intelligent commentary about religion, philosophy & even politics but they knew how to tell a story with their lyrics and had a strong musical structure to support it.Talk about the beginnings of the "Thinking Man's Metal"! They are the reason why Metal is still on the map and they deserve a spot to immortalize their efforts!!
11 - El Bicho
Although they deserve to be in, I don't see how Metallica got in before Maiden, Motorhead, and Judas Priest
12 - Eric Olsen
great job on this! The Rock Hall is very light on metal but ridiculously light on prog, and then there's Roxy Music - I am chopfallen that they are still not in. I'd say Roxy and Yes aer the two most egregious omissions at the moment
13 - Glen Boyd
I'd love to see Tom Waits jam with Alice on something like "Billion Dollar Babies" -- his voice is perfect for it. Or how about Geddy Lee giving SRV or the Cure a shot? The mashup possibilities here are limitless.
-Glen
14 - JC Mosquito
Ach - every year, the wunderkind at the RARHOF pass over the Guess Who - Canada's premiere band who solo millions of albums and singles and toured constaantly and showed the world that there was talent not just in England and the continental USA. And - they even played some classic rock 'n' roll.
AS for Alice Cooper - he and Guess Who leader Burton Cummings each has one of the best rock 'n' roll voices EVER. AH - what do I know........ I gave up on the RARHOF years ago when it quit being about rock and roll.
15 - Donald Gibson
The Guess Who absolutely belongs in there as well. They wrote and recorded some of rock's finest songs " "These Eyes," "No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature," "Undun," "Laughing," "American Woman" " it's ridiculous they haven't been honored.
16 - Gray Hunter
Really, Alice Cooper, Rush and Iron Maiden are not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Seriously? That's wrong. I've never been a fan of any kind of Halls of Fame. This just proves why they are useless.
17 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
Well, if you think about it, it really mirrors what is wrong with the music industry these days. The major conglomerates homogenized music & the ideology that goes with it.
I'm sure the Hall of Fame gets some sort of nod when they do these screwy things. I don't believe they could stay afloat just from the admissions to the museum.
I know, I know... Money has always been a sweet part of the deal but it just seems like that mentality has successfully taken over the whole process.
Oh well, Fuck'em all! They should take the RARHOF along with those stinkin Grammy Awards and....Aw, Fuck it!
18 - Scott Deitche
After the induction of Madonna- doe sit even matter anymore? It's all a joke.
But I'll play:
RUSH rules all. Case closed.
Motorhead- influenced thousands of more bands than The Dave Clark FIve, yet...
Dick Dale- invented an entire rock genre.
Alice Cooper- aforementioned
Iron Maiden- Up the Irons!
19 - zingzing
say what you will about madonna's music (she has had her moments, i think), but she's in there more for her media manipulation anyway. and that's just as "rock n roll" (if i must, and i must, i must,) as anything motorhead ever did.
and rush stinks.
20 - El Bicho
Madonna is absolutely more rock 'n' roll then Billy Joel or Ricky Nelson. Those guys were pop singers
And I don't know get how The Ventures get in and Dick Dale doesn't. Great call, Scott
21 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
"and rush stinks"
You don't have to like an artist to appreciate those who have made a great contribution to music.
I mean, Madonna is an absolutely horrible musician in my mind,but, I recognize the controversial material she has successfully released and the door she has opened for women in music.
22 - nightbird1103
Two words: STEVIE NICKS- I know she got in w/ Fleetwood Mac, but she has earned it. Before there was Madonna (does she even write her own music?) there was and IS Stevie Nicks.