Same Old Song and Dance
Here we are, the first week of February and those geniuses in Cleveland have released this years nominees for the class of 2024 in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Any casual reader of this column knows my feelings towards this organization. Their board has their favorites and their agendas and to hell with what actually constitutes rock and roll.
I will admit, I am softening a bit as far as that silo I put all rock and roll in. Is country rock and roll? No, but it’s influences are widespread and almost every country star in the Hall could rock it if he or she chose to. So, I won’t push back too much on that. Maybe Dolly Parton shouldn’t be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame but she is such an icon, I would elect her to pretty much any Hall of Fame.
I haven’t softened as much about Hip Hop and Rap but an educated person could say the same thing about the blues or the Motown sound. It is just a newer form of expression and I guess I have to live with it being a part of the Hall.
So this year, once again, there is a smattering of this and a smattering of that and to be honest, there isn’t one candidate that stands out all that much. So here goes, let me know what you think.
This is in no particular order.
Willie Nelson. I would have to say he should be a shoo in. Even in a stronger class Nelson should be voted in. Country Tonk or not, Willie Nelson has had an amazing career and influenced countless musicians over that career. I say yes.
Kate Bush. Huh? How does Kate Bush even get put on a ballot let alone have a shot. She has had one hit, due to it’s placement in the Netflix series “Stranger Things” and what else? Zero. I did see her live on some PBS special and I will say she put on a great show but to be inducted into the Hall there should be some standards, somewhere. No, a thousand times no.
Sheryl Crow. Another artist that has had a career but I can’t honestly say it’s been a career full of classics. She can rock though and she is that LA type of troubadour that the Hall loves. I would say no but I think she does have a following and she is very well liked in the industry so her chances are pretty good. No
Missy Elliot. Now I personally like Missy. She sings about things that she has experienced and puts it to a very catchy beat. She is a rapper and a singer and an actress as well but is she worthy of the Hall. I say No.
Iron Maiden. Never been a metalhead, never will be. The only slashing guitar I like is Slash or Eddie Van Halen (RIP). Because they are not my thing doesn’t mean they aren’t worthy. They have produced some of the best heavy metal music in history and my vote is a very strong Yes.
Joy Division/New Order is a tricky one for the Hall. The New Wave/Alternative/Punk space has very limited representation in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and while I did enjoy a lot of the groups back then, I really wasn’t convinced that any of them where worthy of admission. It was a powerful subset of rock and roll and it definitely was not for everyone. Joy Division/ New Order (For those that don’t know why the band has two names, it’s simple Joy Division and New Order have practically the same make up and were considered one and the same band for years) might be a touch above the rest but as much as I like them, I don’t think there body of work or influence really warrants admission, so No.
Cyndi Lauper. Cute act, screeching voice, limited talent. No
George Michael. Let’s not get sappy about this one. He had a very good solo career and his band, Wham, was one of the top selling bands in the World for about an hour or two. Hard to argue if he gets in but I personally don’t think he should even though his song “Father Figure” is top ten on my playlist. He is also one of the top selling artists of all time. I say No but if he gets in I won’t complain.
Warren Zevon. Another interesting choice. Two of his albums are classics and it seems that was all he had in him. However, his true claim to fame though has to be his songwriting skills. Finely crafted stories that were open to interpretation by various artists. I say Yes
The White Stripes. No. Sorry, Jack White is literally one of the most talented guitarists around but this band did little to nothing. Broke no ground. No
A Tribe Called Quest. For some reason, I have heard a bunch of songs these guys have done and they were all pretty damn good. They are musically better than almost any other artist with Rap/Hip Hop credentials and if they get in I won’t be upset. I will be surprised however. I say Yes
The Spinners. This one group that a lot of people will say “Wait, aren’t they already in?” Michigan based, signed to Motown early on, they had a slew of singles that filled the record store shelves but didn’t become great until they moved to Atlantic records and had hit after hit. Not sure why they were never elected but given that this class sucks, this should be a sho in. Yes
Soundgarden. I say no. Mainly because there catalog is very weak. Yes, they were at the forefront of that grunge sound out of Seattle but let’s face it, if Sirius radio ever realizes no one listens to Eddie write and cancels that horrific station, grunge will die a similar death as Kurt Cobain.
Rage Against The Machine. White noise from one the absolute best guitarists alive, Tom Morello. I do not agree with their political opinions but like a good citizen I believe they are allowed to spout them over ever increasing shredding guitars that drown out any form of literal expression. In other words, play your guitar long, loud and fast Tom because your lyrics aren’t really that good. I say No. I will say no next year as well.
Ok, there it is, five yeahs and nine no’s. Better than what you would expect since I have dropped my standards a bit.
I am not sure what the rules are as far as these fan elections go but it seems that after a period of time, bands are dropped if they don’t get enough support. Take for instance J.Geils. Where are they? I will write them in if I can. Where is War? Same thing. Too many great bands are tossed to the scrap heap to make room for…Kate Bush?