12/16: THE R&R HOF AND THE GRAMMY’S AND HARD ROCK & METAL
Well today was that day that happens every year when the R&R HOF gets announced and the blatant insane disrespect for so many rock and metal bands is once again on full display. It is infuriating for so many of us. I know I said I will chill with this because it has become so absurd it actually shouldn’t even be given attention. But many have said it is important for me and others to continue to call this out and shed light on what a joke it is. You see so many have NO IDEA how many bands have been snubbed for decades. They just assume bands like Deep Purple and so many more are already in! Alice Cooper told me when he finally went in after being snubbed like 15 years his friends had just assumed he was in already! Nothing against Green Day but for them to go in 1st ballot 1st time while Deep Purple sits for 20+ years is so insane you can’t even begin to figure it out. Deep Purple actually showed up a couple times on the ballot and this year weren’t even on it at all! I guess Joan Jett finally scored enough points with the Hall to get in but it seems like it took her singing a Nirvana song last year for them to realize it. She is a pioneer for female rock, why it took that is anyone’s guess but trust me, that’s what made them wake up. Nothing against Dave Grohl but they are counting the minutes before they can put him in again with Foos. There are just those acts like Green Day, etc, you can just feel are deemed cool enough (meaning Rolling Stone and critics love them) to get right in. Guns goes 1st time 1st ballot off of let’s be honest one iconic record, Kiss waits 15 years. They are actually putting Lou Reed in a second time now as a solo artist. Perhaps they can get him in a third time for his work with Metallica? I don’t mean to shit on any artists here. Many are deserving even if I’m not a fan. But as I often say when they finally get it right and get someone in it is still so wrong. The fact that Stevie Ray Vaughn is now just getting in is mind blowing! So the private club of the clueless roles in while Purple, Priest, Maiden, Cheap Trick, Thin Lizzy, Dio, Journey, Motorhead, Foreigner, Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Motley and so many others get snubbed. The entire thing has become amazingly irrelevant and has zero positive impact on an artists career after they do go in. No bump in ticket or album sales. So you have to just kind of shake your head at the whole thing and think how cool it could be if it was done right. It is important to call out and I’ll keep doing it until it gets fixed or someone lends me a few mil to do one the right way!
And a quick note on the Grammy’s, they are just as bad and as lost. The difference is they don’t intentionally snub hard rock and metal like the HOF does. They just don’t know better. As a result it’s a spin the wheel process to see who they give a Grammy to with no real sense behind it. As rock or metal act winning a Grammy means nothing in any real way. When they give one to Motorhead for a cover of a Metallica song or nominate Anthrax for an AC/DC cover how serious can you take it? And of course they don’t dare televise the metal category! I get an artist thinks it’s cool to have the award on a shelf, but because of they are so clueless in their process and nominations again there is zero impact on sales or tickets for those artists. A true shame that two of the biggest mainstream institutions are beyond lost when it comes to our kind of music.
I agree 100%. I also think Styx and Whitesnake deserve to be considered.
The only thing I can think of is we start our own Hard Rock Hall of Fame!!
STYX!!! Oh yes indeed! First band to ever have 3 multiplatinum albums in a row. DDY has one of the greatest voices and is a monster on keys. Whitesnake is also so phenomenal that it is scary. Even with their revolving door of guitarists, bass players, keyboard players and drummers, EACH member was class A material. Both deserve RRHOF adds
The Jethro Tull debacle over AC/DC and Metallica still pisses me off. They can shove that flute up their ass.
What else can we say? Overlook a band like Deep purple again, look at who else still isn’t in, and look at who is, the R&RHOF really is an institution, an institution of idiots!
I would not be surprised if the Foo Fighters get in the R&R HOF within the next couple of years. Even if they get in before most of the above mentioned artists , I feel it would be justified. Dave Grohl is an exception and I think most Rock music people will agree. Even though the Foo’s 20 years is much less then most of the above mentioned artists , the Foo Fighters to this day, keep putting out strong album after strong album and I believe they are the band that is carrying the torch for Rock n Roll right now.
I have nothing against Dave and Foos and I like the band, but I do think the way the media falls all over them is a bit much. And yes, they will get in the Hall first time eligible. Whatever Rolling Stone loves..
I was off work the last couple of days and when the 2015 class was announced, I got so upset that I developed heartburn, seriously! I spent the night taking antacids and listening to Deep Purple albums. I listened to In Rock, Machine Head and Burn all back to back. I haven’t done that in a while, so thanks are in order for the jackasses at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for inspiring me to have a Deep Purple listening party at my house.
Party on James! 😉