Rock Hall Nominees: 2014

     The nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2014 were just announced. Much to my surprise, when I clicked the link to the fan voting at Rolling Stone, I had a difficult time only voting for five nominees. If you are a regular reader of Sound Mind my ballot won't come as much of a shock. So, here's who I voted for, the nominees I would have liked to vote for and the ones that I feel don't belong in the Rock Hall. Speaking of the Rock Hall, later this morning I'll be posting about Paul McCartney's new album, New. Peace.

1) Peter Gabriel- He's already in with Genesis, but definitely deserves induction on his own merits. Solsbury Hill, I Don't Remember, Games Without Frontiers, Shock The Monkey, I Have The Touch, Sledgehammer, Red Rain, Big Time. Open the door, let him in.

2) KISS- They are this years Rush. Stop being dicks and put them in already. I know Gene Simmons is a horrible, horrible person, but enough.

3) Nirvana- It's their first year of eligibility and they are a no-brainer.

4) Yes- I know the voters don't like prog rock, but Yes have an amazing catalog. I did a post on them entitled "The Answer Is...Yes" if you're interested in a longer justification of their merits.

5) The Zombies- I've mentioned before that I was stunned to discover The Zombies weren't already in the Rock Hall. They should be in just on the strength of "Time of the Season", "She's Not There" and "Tell Her No".

Nominees I Would Have Voted For If You Could Vote For More Than Five

1) The Replacements- I was pleasantly surprised to see them on the list. They were a highly influential band and also helped bring attention to Alex Chilton and Big Star. Hopefully, they will be nominated again next year.

2) Hall and Oates- Don't be a hater, you know they belong in the Rock Hall. I just couldn't knock anybody out of my top five to vote for them.

3) Link Wray- I was also stunned that he's not already in the Rock Hall.

And Not Receiving Consideration: Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Chic, Deep Purple, LL Cool J, The Meters, NWA, Linda Ronstadt, Cat Stevens (go take a ride on the Hate Train, Yusef).