The annual nominees for the R&R Hall Of Fame have been released today. And with that usually it’s a day I go crazy and rant and rave about who is and isn’t on the ballot as I have since the thing opened. But I have thought about it and decided I’m done doing that. Why? Not because it has been fixed at all, quite the opposite actually. It is SO damaged and SO clueless and SO disrespectful of real rock bands that it has actually become irrelevant and not worth my time or aggravation. After years of screaming about Rush, Kiss and Alice Cooper, all who finally did go in, I noticed something else, it was forgotten about 24 hours later. I mean it had zero impact on any artists careers. It did nothing to spike sales of albums or tickets. Many don’t even see it because it is expensive to go to and the TV broadcast is now on a premium pay channel. Having attended the induction last year as a guest of Ace & Peter’s it was a really nice moment of course, and of course there are tons of worthy bands in the Hall. But looking at the nominees this year as far as who is on it and who is not even in the conversation after being snubbed for over a decade I realized something. Why get upset? This is NEVER going to change! It is a private club of the music industry snobs and never was the voice of the fans. They have run this thing into total irrelevance in my opinion because they are so hung up on what they think is cool vs what millions of music fans buy and care about. It just doesn’t matter at all in the big picture because the history of who has and hasn’t gone in (and how long some waited to finally get in) just taints it. If you are a real rock music fan and take a step back you just have to laugh at all the obvious bias going on. I get the sense the same people that made fun of me for liking Kiss in high school have all moved to the Hall nomination group. It’s that type of elitist music snob vibe. It always has been but I thought when Rush, Kiss, Alice, etc finally got in the tide would turn and progress would be made. But nothing has changed. Deep Purple, Bon Jovi, Dio, Motorhead, Motley, Def Leppard, Cheap Trick, Journey, Styx, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and COUNTLESS other huge selling and influential acts are still snubbed in the rush to get Green Day, or Sting solo in. I have decided by ranting about it I am giving this thing way too much credit and validity. I kind of thought that all along but actually thought some progress was finally being made. But it is as disrespectful as ever for real rock music and to the millions of fans these bands have. So it doesn’t move the needle, half the artists don’t want to go, most fans can’t go or even see the broadcast, and fans have very little to do with it and THEY make the bands careers! It’s irrelevant to me now and a total time waster. Yes I get it still means something to some artists to go in, and I would never belittle that moment for anyone. But it really has become irrelevant in so many ways to REAL fans of REAL rock bands that sold MILLIONS of albums and INFLUENCED generations that it isn’t worth my time and effort. And I know many will say “somebody needs to start their own Hall”. Heard that a million times, tried and still try to find an interested partner with the resources. Maybe one day. But until then I, or any other real rock fan, shouldn’t acknowledge this joke of a private club. I did for so long because I thought it would help change the tide, but I see that is just not going to ever happen and it’s time to move on. Especially when you consider in the big picture the way it’s done it means very little in the end.
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Well, I sort of disagree that it isn’t worth the time to argue… I do think that some of what we’re seeing now is a result of guys like EVH and Axl and Kiss not participating in full. Yeah, the Hall is disrespecting hard rock (that Blackmore, Gillan, Robert Fripp and Rick Wakeman are not in is just plain ignorant), but I don’t think the rock guys are helping matters. I think we should hold the individuals accountable. Dave Marsh won’t change; he’s a biased, partisan fan who thinks he knows better than every one else, but how about Tom Morello? I know he’s one guy, but why isn’t he more vocal on this?
Prog and Metal are not the only snubs. How about Stevie Ray Vaughn, Johnny Winter, Thin Lizzy, Humble Pie, J Geils Band. All are Hall of fame to me ,I believe they knew Steve Marriott had to be in, the guy is one of the greatest singers of all time so they put the Small Faces in. Now I like the Small Faces but Humble Pie was a better band . I believe that because Steve Van Zant preffered The Small Faces they got in.
Funny thing, the website says “In order to be eligible for this year’s ballot, artists or bands need to have released their first single or album in 1989 or earlier.”
Greenday’s first ablum came out in 94….
They keep changing the rules to suite themselves.
That is not accurate. That is when they hit it big but there were two albums before Dookie.
Their first EP came out in 1989.
That is not correct. Their first album, 1039 Smoothed-Out Slappy Hours, came out in 1989. Dookie, their third album, was released in 1994.
The first single was released in 94 off Dookie.
Its states singles, not album.
Always well said Eddie.
But I think we all have a problem with it because they use the name rock and roll.
I think a simple name change to some like The Music Industry Hall of Fame would make it
tolerable. This way you are not insulting our style of music inducting Ice T.
Just make it a broad spectrum title.This way all styles are acceptable.
Thoughts?
Agreed. Since they have artist from numerous other genres I would even take it a step further break things up by genre. More artists could be added and would be placed appropriately – Pop, Rock/Hard Rock, Punk/Alt Rock, Hip Hop, Country, & Blues. Or something like that…
Well Eddie, I am kind of glad you gave up, I too think it may be run by the bullies in high school who made fun of my Danzig tee shirts. If it is not held as an honor by the artists then it needs to go away. As a person who writes and conducts research, one important component of the induction consideration is missing, a definition!!! If they would just define the genre it would be resolved. I’m not sure how the bias occurs but I’m pretty sure it’s the same ‘ole boys club (a group of homogeneous old white males) that runs everything else longstanding in America. It should reflect record sales, classification by genre and impact on culture, there should also be some limitations on time of recordings to time of induction. The other topic I agree with is the political environment of broadcast television and why I have to pay to watch something that is a reflection of artistic personae. I have decided to push my anger aside in regards to the Hall of Fame also, the only reason I watched this year was to see Peter and Ace and support their accomplishment.
“Well Eddie, I am kind of glad you gave up, I too think it may be run by the bullies in high school who made fun of my Danzig tee shirts. ”
I take issue with this. I think it’s so cliche for you and for Eddie Trunk to play that card, but it’s just not reality. The so called “bullies” voted Sex Pistols in, who everyone was ridiculed for liking, same with Iggy Pop. What about The Ramones? It’s easy to call them legends now, but they were also ridiculed from the mainstream, in the 70’s. It was not cool to like them. You got teased for liking them, and they got in fairly quickly. You really think these bullies listened to Madonna? You were called a queer if you were a guy and listened to her. Yet, she got in. So who are these bullies you speak of? Stop with that, please.