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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189 Responses
I think the moment I became totally convinced the R&RHOF was a joke was when they inducted Neil f-ing Diamond. I mean, that King of Wuss Music goes in before KISS??!!! The Sex Pistols were right: the HOF isn’t worth s–t!!!
I will just repeat what Lars of Metallica said last year: “Two words: DEEP PURPLE”! Enough said!
Also, Stevie Ray Vaughn belongs in there too!
NWA in the Hall? Well, they put in Public Enemy, who are a RAP GROUP, not a ROCK BAND!
I’m sorry, but they should change the name to the Pop Hall if they’re putting in rap & other music.
To me, rap is NOT MUSIC, it’s just people screaming out vulgarity, cuss words, racial epithets & blatant sexism to beats stolen from other MUSICIANS!!!
I agree. They can’t write even write their own music. They “sample” ( steal IMO) from other artists.
Rap sucks!!
Lindy,
I couldn’t agree more.
I remember back in my youth, I used to think Rap was nothing special. But, next to the garbage today, Run DMC, Young MC, Tone Loc, The Beastie Boys, etc. were amazing. At least, the rhymes matched the music and they had a melody.
Today, they just shout over the music and it doesn’t flow. In my opinion, it’s complete useless garbage and what amounts to an audio abortion.
Dana from ET.com 🙂
Beautifully said Dana…
Thank you George 😉
D 🙂
How on earth could you possibly defend those losers?
Pete,
I wasn’t defending rappers. If you comprehended what I was writing, I was simply making a comparison between retro Rap and current Rap, nothing more.
My point was, what seemed lame back then, turned out to be a far superior product to what the genre has morphed into today. You don’t have to agree, but I happen to think that is the case. No where in my statement did I ever say that any Rap artists deserved, or have a rightful place, being inducted into an institution called the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame. Sheesh.
BTW, if you ask members of Anthrax (who collaborated with Public Enemy) and members of Aerosmith (whose career was revived due to their duet with Run DMC), they may have differing opinions.
Dana 🙂
Pete, once again you are not bright enough to get the point obviously …
SRV isn’t inducted?? Are you KIDDING me??
Yep, that is as much of a travesty as Deep Purple.
D 🙂
I’m from Texas and Stevie Ray is a GOD here to this day and always will be. I have a video of him playing on the Austin City Limits tv show, one show from ’83 and one not long before he died, that I still watch from time to time. He could play the blues better than anyone alive. He could play ANYTHING. The instrumental “Riviera Paradise” was one of the songs played at my dad’s funeral while a video montage of his life was shown because not only did my dad love Stevie’s music and he’s the one who turned my brother and me on to Stevie’s music, but that is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. Stevie was eligible for induction to the RRHOF a several years ago and now he’s unfortunately joined the staggering list of groundbreaking and influential artists and bands that are disrespected every year by the RRHOF.
Gotta be honest, Stevie Ray had talent that was unbelievable. He could play a simple blues tune, yet make it his own with riffs and leads that could leave you speechless. He could then play something as beautiful and elaborate as “Riviera Paradise” that other so-called guitar heroes couldn’t even attempt. If the blues has its “Stairway to Heaven” this is it. The song gives me chills. It’s other-worldly. His influence on others is incredible. He is the Eddie Van Halen of modern blues-rock. The fact he wasn’t inducted into the RRHOF the very first year he was eligible just supports Mr. Trunk’s assertions about the hall. What morons! Yes, I know the Hall has lost credibility via its “wall of denial,” but it still upsets me that the hall “experts” have become so elitist that they ignore such deserving artists, or they acknowledge them so late in the game that it speaks volumes about how they really feel about the artist without uttering a verbal insult–a “cold shot” if you will. A Hall of Fame for any institution should be above the fray and behave differently. They should be ashamed of themselves.
I always thought rock n roll was about rebellion. When we were all younger we didn’t care about our music being accepted. Why should we now? I could care less about RRHOF.
Paul is correct in the above post..instead of a hall of fame, it should be something along the lines of the smithsonian of rock and roll..celebrate the history and the bands that made it…
No motorhead, no Deep Purple,F**K the RRHOF!!!!!! THOSE GUYS TAKE A D**K IN THE MOUTH!!!