For anyone who still cares, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its nominees for next year's induction. Here are my thoughts on who should and shouldn't make it.
Madonna is a mortal lock. She will make it and deserves to. Blaming Britney Spears et al on her would be akin to blaming Eddie Van Halen for Yngwie Malmsteen. Longevity, video pioneer, redefining what a female pop star could be (even if you don't like what that was), an easy choice.
Donna Summer - She was basically the face of disco so she'll make it and I don't have a huge problem with that.
The Beastie Boys - Deserve to be in if only for the Sabatage video. Acquiring a social conscious cinches it.
Chic - They probably get a lot of points for impact and the later production work of Nile Rodgers, but I wouldn't vote for them.
John Mellencamp - I'm on the fence about him. I think he falls a little short, but Hall of Fame type people love his pseudo-Springsteen reawakening and his Farm Aid cause so I expect him to get in
Ventures - The Ventures, are well, the Ventures. They don't deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.
Leonard Cohen - Critics love him. Hardly anyone else listens to him. If you can make zero commercial impact and still make the Hall of Fame, he belongs. Personally, I'm not a huge fan so I'd leave him out.
Afrika Bambaataa - Critics seem to love him, so he'll make it. The only record of his I own is World Destruction with John Lydon. Last year's induction of Grandmaster Flash shows that you can only have one or two hits if you're influential. I wouldn't vote for him, but as with Cohen I wouldn't be proud telling people about it.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - daryl d
damn. Your article was published before mine and I spent so much effort making sure I'd have the first article published on this topic. An editor wanted me to make a couple changes (which he was right about) but it should be up soon.
2 - Glen Boyd
And a few of my own thoughts, on your "thoughts" Brad:
Lets start with the Ventures. An absolutely innovative instrumental band who combined elements of garage, surf, and Dick Dale twang to more or less create the blueprint for early sixties instrumental rock on songs like "Walk Don't Run." Hell, they should be in for the drum solo on "Wipeout!" alone.
The Beastie Boys -- That social conscience they developed is probably the one thing that ended up ruining them.
The Ronettes -- absolutely deserve their status. Phil Spector may have been responsible for the sound, but Ronnie's voice was essential to it. "Baby I Love You," "Walking In The Run" -- holy crap Brad! If those records were not pivotal, then what is?
Afrika Bambaataa -- if all you've ever heard is "World Destruction" I sort of understand your ignorance here, so let me educate you. With the Soul Sonic Force, Bambaataa was an early pioneer of the electro funk sub-genre of hip hop with "Planet Rock."
Chic -- Absolutely pivotal disco group. Nile Rodgers notwithstanding, and love or hate disco, records like "Good Times" (which has been sampled by every freaking rapper on earth), and "Le Freak" helped to define the genre.
I got a kick out of your article though.
-Glen
3 - Brad Laidman
Ventures - if Dick Dale isn't in they shouldn't be in. If the meters aren't in - ditto.
Beasties - I didn't say I was happy about their social conscience :)
Ronettes - 90% Phil 5% Hal Blaine 5% Ronnie - but still how do you make it on two or so songs?
Chic - I put the Sex Pistols in on only one album, but other than them you should have some longevity, shouldn't you?
Afrika - I know about his cred - I just wonder who besides critics really listened to him. He's an innovator so I don't really mind if he makes it.
4 - Mr. Wonderful
This isn't Mellencamp's first shot. DC5? Chic? Oh please.
Once again, those braniacs snubbed KISS. For effect on rock and roll, they HAVE to be in there. KISS is (was) rock and roll. (Even if rock or metal would be better off without them, they changed the game. Generations were influenced by the bombs and the makeup and the crazy stunts)
It's time to stop punishing them for their disco and film making missteps, and the crass commercialism that just won't die. Give them this and maybe they will finally go away with a shred of remaining dignity.
5 - Brad Laidman
My guess is that Gene putting their name on everything he can think of doesn't help their cred.
6 - Robert Lewis
Brad....You know absolutly nothing about what you are commenting on. I can NOT believe what you wrote. But this IS America.....
7 - Brad Laidman
Robert,
It's hard to refute that since you didn't list anything specific. Are you an incensed Dave Clark 5 fan? Do you consider Bits and Pieces the equivalent of A Day in the Life?
8 - Brad Laidman
Let me address two of Glen's comments
The Ventures didn't record Surfari and if neither Dick Dale or the Meters are in they don't belong.
The Ronettes were 90% Phil Spector and 5% Hal Blaine - Darlene Love would have been an infinitely better choice.
9 - Brad Laidman
Heh, I meant the Surfaris recorded Wipe Out
10 - Glen Boyd
Touche on "Wipe Out" Mr. Laidman. Although I still think the Ventures may have recorded their own version -- just not THE VERSION. I agree that Dick Dale also belongs (is he already in? if not, he will be). I completely fail however to make any connection whatsoever between the Ventures and the Meters though.
As far as Ronnie Spector goes, she was the voice behind "Baby I Love You," "Walking In The Rain," and "Be My Baby," all of which are quintessential rock and roll records. Why do you think Brian Wilson so often plays "Be My Baby" in concert, calling it "just about the greatest song I ever heard -- and one which I wish I'd written."
The Ronnettes absolutely belong in the R&RHOF, because without Ronnie's voice, those songs might have been --- well, just another Darlene Love record.
-Glen
11 - Brad Laidman
Heh, you mean like He's a Rebel and Christmas, Baby Please Come Home. Darlene was on tons of stuff that wasn't credited to her.
I dig Ronnie, but check those Brian Wilson quotes, he might mention her occasionally, but 99% of the time he's talking about Phil Spector. Spector may have turned into a madman, but other than wanting to get into Ronnie's pants he considered the Ronettes just another one of his interchangeable girl groups.
I don't want to drag down Ronnie Spector, and Be My Baby is one of the most amazing tracks ever, but if you're group can't credibly fill out a single greatest hits album (and the Ronettes can't) then you're one or two hits had better be the equivalent of a nuclear bomb on the music scene like the Sex Pistols' were.
A lot of baseball players had a killer year or two, but that doesn't put you in the hall of fame.
12 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
"Blaming Britney Spears et al on her would be akin to blaming Eddie Van Halen for Yngwie Malmsteen."
Except, the difference is, is that Yngwie smokes the shit out of EVH and still does.*Check out "Hot on your Heels" by Steeler Vs. "Erruption"*While, Britney is an overrated back-up singer who got popular because all the dudes wanna bang the shite outta her. So, in reality, your comparison makes Madonna look way too f*cking guilty.
13 - Mark Saleski
Yngwie should get in because he wrote the absolute worst song about vikings ever. and we all know that rock and roll is about bad viking songs.
14 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
Touche, Mr. Saleski...
Though one bad song about vikings in comparison to the 20+ years of pretentiously horrible love songs from Madonna...Hmm,I think I'll play "Now Your Ships Are Burned" over & over until my f*cking ears bleed.
Hey, Mark, I hear she may do another remix of "Holiday" to coincide with the release of that shitty movie on DVD. Ya know, the one with that sellout..umm, yea, Jack Black.
15 - Mark Saleski
just tweakin' ya dude.
personally, i'd rather hear Madonna sing "Crazy For You" than Yngwie play too many notes per bar.
and yes, i know that he has talent, he's just never resonated with me. we've had this conversation before.
16 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
Thus the "Touche" remark...Mark. Yes, we have had that discussion, so, I won't reminisce. Plus, I don't Yngwie would be up till next year.
Madonna may have progressed into a better entertainer w/ time but so didn't The Monkees. I just don't believe,imo,that she's worthy of any praise.
17 - Mark Saleski
praise is almost a side issue, because i really don't know what she has to do with rock & roll.
18 - gonzo marx
i've got no real problem with Madonna and the Beasties making it in...
but for KISS and Rush not to be in already...much less ahead of the rest of the acts nominated this year is a pure fucking crime, imo
i'm not a KISS fan, but there's NO denial of their impact in Rock
and over 30 years of selling out EVERY venue they have ever played as well as their incredible body of Work and HUGE influence on so many Musicians, there's just NO excuse of keeping these Canadians out of the Hall
and in the name of all that is Rock, why the fuck aren't Motorhead inducted yet?
the small souled pinheads and pissants who decide upon inductees need some serious schooling, imo
Excelsior?
19 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
Rush hasn't been inducted?? That's f*cked...
How about Iron F*cking Maiden?!?! They only single handedly changed the world of Heavy Metal. They are only the bench mark for all things Metal!!
AND DIO needs to be inducted next year along with Yngwie J. Malmsteen...
20 - Triniman
Who REALLY takes the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame, The Grammys, etc., seriously?
21 - gonzo marx
obviously not the Judges, Triniman.
but i digress...
Excelsior?
22 - Richard
If you think nobody listens to Leonard Cohen except critics, you don't know anything about music. That said, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a completely weird place for him.
23 - Brad Laidman
Richard I will take that obvservation as a fact as long as you prove that you've never written an ounce of rock criticism :)
David Lee Roth: All critics like Elvis Costello because all critics look like Elvis Costello!
24 - Mark Saleski
All critics like Elvis Costello because all critics look like Elvis Costello!
...and now that Costello is married to Diana Krall, Roths statement vanishes into a puff of smoke. poof!
25 - Jim Beaver
Did Dick Dale sell 100 million records? The Meters? The Surfaris? (Yes, the Ventures also recorded "Wipe Out.") You can hardly find a rock guitarist who doesn't credit The Ventures as a major influence. About bloody time, says I.