This year’s Rock Hall of Fame nominees came out last week. It is a good list overall. Out of the 15, at least 12 or 13 of the nominees deserve to get in sometime in the future. In addition, except for Def Leppard none of these acts had me running for the bathroom. The two weakest entries (Def Leppard) and Stevie Nicks) are winning the listener polls and they probably have the best chance of getting in. Invariably the worst act wins the poll and gets in every year (maybe it should be abolished.)
Here are some of the genres the hall continues to undervalue: glam (TRex, Mott the Hoople, Jobriath, Iggy Pop, Sweet and Slade), funk (War, Rick James, LaBelle, and Tower of Power), early underground (Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band, Love, The Fugs, The Holy Modal Rounders, The Residents, and Silver Apples), industrial and or synthesizer using bands Throbbing Gristle, (New Order, Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, The Killing Joke, and Ministry), Prog (Hawkwind, King Crimson, Procol Harum, Soft Machine and Can), Brit pop (Oasis, Blur, Suede, Pulp and The Verve), alt rock (Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage, Beck, Pavement, Soundgarden, Jane’s Addiction, Bikini Kill, and Hole), reggae (Peter Tosh, Toots and Maytals , UB40, Steel Pulse and Burning Spear), country rock (Gram Parsons and the Flying Burrito Brothers, Joe Ely and The Flatlanders, Steve Earl, and Emmylou Harris), jazz rock/fusion (Ornette Coleman, Mahivishnu Orchestra, Carla Bley, Jaco Pastrorius, Return to Forever and James Blood Ulmer, British punk (The Damned, The Buzzcocks, Slits, Wire and X Ray Spex), goth and or dark wave (Bauhaus, Nick Cave, Sisters of Mercy, and Siouxisie and the Banshees), post punk (Joy Division, The Mekons, Public image Limited and Gang of Four), New Music (Phillip Glass, Kronus Quartet, and Matthew Shipp) and proto punk (New York Dolls, Death, Suicide, Modern Lovers and Flaming Groovies), plus what used to be called college rock which includes most of the good stuff between 1980 and 1991 (The Smiths, The Pixies, The Replacements, My Bloody Valentine, and Sonic Youth.) Of course any of these categories overlap.
Warning I tend to prefer what used to be called alternative, indly rock or college music more than most other pop music genres. Starting with the 3r’s here are the nominees ranked in my humble opinion in terms of greatness and worthiness to be in the rock hall.
1. Radiohead – I came in a little late to the “I love Radiohead” club. My students at Columbia College raved for a few years at me about how great they were along with Nine Inch Nails (later on they championed the Strokes and Nas.) One weekend I took the plunge. I started listening to them, and I did not stop until I heard all their CDs (Oak Lawn Library had them all.) Sure, they copied from Pink Floyd, Krautrock bands, the Fall, Public Image Ltd, U2 and many other bands (I think they actually ended up being much greater than U2.) However, of all the top selling bands that invaded the top 10 in the current millennium this band has meant the most to me. 2016’s A Moon Shaped Pool was a Meddle evoking atmospheric sonic masterpiece. In addition, they were obviously a big influence on some bands I enjoy such as Muse and the National, and some I am not that crazy about like ughh Coldplay. But blaming them for Coldplay would be like blaming Nirvana for the (Yech) Goo Goo Dolls or Pearl Jam for (choke) Dave Matthews Band. Come to think of it I would also like to see the slightly similar Sigor Ross get in.
2. Roxy Music – Out of all the leftover ‘70s bands that were recently nominated (the Cars, J. Geils Band and Cheap Trick), Roxy Music is clearly the most influential, innovative and interesting. Half of the bands on early MTV stole their visual image or music from both Roxy Music and Bowie. Their ‘70s catalog is timeless and consistently brilliant (they got even better after Eno left.) The only reason they are not in and will probably not get in right away is that they committed the unpardonable crime of not selling very well in America. I predict that they will get in by 2025 and Kraftwork will get in by 20150. Eno also deserves to get in as a solo artist. If Duran Duran gets in first I may vomit.
3. Rage Against the Machine – I know there are reasons why people are against their induction. Their recorded output is limited and the stuff they influenced cringe (Limp Bizcuit and Linkin Park) is mostly horse manure. However, their political, socially conscious lyrics and Tom Morello’s guitar playing (he was able to simulate scratching on guitar) were superb. Let us not forget not only were they one of the earliest bands to merge metal, punk, rap and funk, they also arguably did it better than anyone else. I also had the pleasure of seeing them play live twice and the performances were incendiary. Now where is Beck and Ice-T?
4. The Cure – The Rock Hall seems to despise synthesizer-based MTV bands that were more popular in the UK than the US, but I am betting that this band (or maybe Depeche Mode) might break the glass ceiling. I listened to the greatest hits, Standing on the Beach (the title comes from a song that alludes to Camus’s The Stranger) and cut for cut it was better than any solo Paul McCartney LP (his All MY Best was a third mush). In addition, they had a big influence on fashion, they were reasonably popular in the US, and the critics liked them. They should be in already even though I think the never nominated New Order and Joy Division were a bit better. Also along with Siouxsie and the Banshees, they probably did more than anyone else to popularize Goth style in the colonies.
5. The MC5 – Their recorded output is small but the killer twin guitar combo of Wayne Kramer and Fred”Sonic” Smith (one of the best guitar combos since Keith Richards and Brian Jones was unbeatable.) Also with their lyrical radicalism, they paved the way for the politically charged punk of the Clash. Sham 69, and the Dead Kennedys and maybe even Public Enemy. Also the free jazz influences (they were inspired by Albert Ayler, Sun Ra and Ornette Coleman) make them more interesting and innovative than 99% of the punk and metal bands that followed them (they were huge influences on both genres.) In addition, they were supposed to kill live. Robert Bixby wrote that their live sound was “a catastrophic force of nature the band was barely able to control.” I am going to see the 50th tribute concert at the Metro but only Wayne Kramer is left from the original lineup. See my interview with their former manager, John Sinclair here. If they do not get in maybe, Stevie Van Zandt should pitch “Kick out the Jams” as a single.
6. Janet Jackson – She probably only made two complete full-blown album masterpieces but for a while she was actually better than her Disney loving brother. When she was at her peak, I was mostly an Indy rock listener who resisted dance music, but she ended up hooking me with her marvelous, life-affirming videos (I Miss the Old MTV Much). However, if Madonna is in, Janet Jackson should definitely be inducted, and I think in 10 years Lady GaGa should make it.
7. The Zombies – This is perhaps the greatest British invasion band that did not get in yet (The Pretty Things were terrific too though.) Their psychedelic masterpiece, Odyssey and Oracle is right up there with Sgt. Pepper’s and Piper at the Gates of Dawn, but I like Love’s Forever Changes a little better. It would also be nice to see Roky Erickson get in somehow.
8. Todd Rundren – He should have gotten in years ago for both his recordings and production. In addition, I love all those cult weirdos. He should have definitely gotten in before Hall and Oates and Billy Joel. Hello it’s Me is the quintessential sincere, sad ‘70s love ballad that captures all the insecurity of a budding romance.
9. Devo – I know they are less musically interesting and influential than Kraftwork but they are quite entertaining live and they made some of the best videos. In many ways they are visual pioneers, they were great at Lollapalooza and in Urghh a Music War as well as on SNL.
10. Kraftwork – They are also worthy of inclusion but they are unlikely to get past the hall’s American or English only policy. Also to tell you the truth I prefer actually listening to Neu and Can more. But they inspired tons of disco and hip-hop including the unforgettable “Planet Rock. “ They get points for mentioning Iggy and Bowie in a song.
11. John Prine – I liked everything I have heard from him especially Sweet Revenge and that Jesus Christ song from The Missing Years. The only drawback is genre considerations. His music is much closer to country-tinged folk than full-fledged rock and roll. He sure beats the hell out of Cat Stevens though. Has everyone else forgotten Harry Nillsen?
12. Rufus with Chaka Khan – The rock hall surely has a problem with funk. Chaka is excellent with or without her band, and she lived in Chicago. I am sorry I missed her at Pitchfork. Maybe Tell Me Something Good would have a better chance at making it as a single.
13. L.L Cool J. – I know he was one of the first big important solo rap people, and I like all the work by him that I heard (maybe I have not heard enough.) However, his raps never gave me the same kind of intense charge as the Wu Tang Clan, Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprasy or Ice-T. Also as one of the founders of hip hop, shouldn’t Afrika Bambatta have gotten in first? Maybe the child molestation charges hurt his chances. I would not mind seeing him in but there are better people that never got nominated. How about Snoop Dogg?
14. Stevie Nicks – I say pass on this one. They should have more women in the rock hall, but there are half a million better candidates (For starters Bjork, Carole King, Nico, Liz Phair, Yoko Ono, The Go Gos, Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams, Rosanne Cash, Lydia Lunch, P.J. Harvey, Suzanne Vega, Nico, The Roches, and Kate Bush immediately come to mind.) Her solo work is catchy but not that interesting. Some of the romantic duets are pretty, and they sound good in the car. Even Cyndi Lauper had that one great first album that she knocked out of the park that was far better than anything Stevie ever did. I do not think anyone can ever claim they had a transformative experience during one of Nick’s solo songs. I loved her in American Horror Story though (she was tailor made for her role). Lindsey Buckingham made far much better solo albums. Supposedly he got her into the band in the ‘70s (when they were an item) and she was responsible for getting him kicked out earlier this year.
15. Def Leppard – This is the year’s big dumb nominee that sold truckloads of albums but did nothing to change music or make music progress (the previous occupiers of this niche were Journey, Bon Jovi and Kiss). Their songs are slick, melodic and devoid of ideas and great musicianship. They are more tolerable than Toto or Asia and if you put a gun to my head, you might be able to get me to sing along to “Rock of Ages.” However, Motorhead and Soundgarden made far better music. Not to mention Thin Lizzy, Blue Oyster Cult, Iron Butterly and Steppenwolf. I could go on. The MC5, Stooges, or The Up would eat them alive onstage. When it comes right down to it I prefer the new wave (in both cinema and music) to the new wave of heavy metal, which was slightly hookier but not much smarter than the old wave.
