It's been a while since I've done one of these. Before I dive into these nominees, let me say a couple things. I've come a long way from the early days of Sound Mind when I constantly complained about who was or wasn't in the Rock Hall. People are passionate about music and they like what they like. No nominating committee can please everyone. Having said that, would it kill them to nominate Midnight Oil. The committee has a blind spot for artists from Oceania, like Midnight Oil, Crowded House, or any of the Flying Nun bands. At this point, I'd settle for The Wiggles.
I live in Cleveland and I love visiting the actual Rock Hall museum. None of my complaints are with the museum. I'm excited that it's going to be expanded. Maybe this will allow them to have permanent displays for every act that has been inducted. As far as this year's nominees, I think it's a strong list considering they are running out of artists who are qualified AND deserving of induction. Here are your nominees in alphabetical order.
BAD COMPANY
Bad Company is arguably a Top 5 debut album. The original lineup was a certified Super Group. Paul Rodgers is a Rock Hall level front man. "Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" is one of my favorite songs. Did the band have a Hall of Fame career? Probably not. Have other artists gotten in on the strength of one album? Yes. I feel what holds Bad Company back is they weren't influential. They wouldn't get my vote, but they do have some merit.
THE BLACK CROWES
I don't get The Black Crowes. They did have some commercial success, but clearly aren't a Hall of Fame worthy group. Only one band with fighting brothers deserves induction this year and it ain't these guys. Plus, their big hit, "Hard to Handle", is a cover song.
MARIAH CAREY
This year, there are surprisingly only two female artists nominated. Mariah Carey has been nominated multiple times and will eventually get in. This is probably her year, because at least one of the two women is going to be inducted. Her style of histrionic singing isn't my thing, but you can't fight city hall.
CHUBBY CHECKER
I was surprised Chubby Checker isn't already in the Rock Hall. He's before my time and I haven't really explored his catalog, but he's obviously one of the pioneers of rock music. Open the door and let him in.
JOE COCKER
I was also surprised Joe Cocker hasn't already been inducted. He doesn't do much for me. His success has come mostly from covering songs by The Beatles. He certainly hasn't had a Hall of Fame career.
BILLY IDOL
Neither has Billy Idol. I mean, he was fun in the 80's, but come on. He is primarily known for covering "Mony, Mony", which is a wedding reception staple. I enjoy "Dancing With Myself" and "White Wedding", but the rest of his catalog isn't great. Pass.
JOY DIVISION / NEW ORDER
During my 1980 dive, I listened to Closer by Joy Division and it was horrible. What little I know of New Order, they were alright, but not Hall of Fame caliber. I'm also not a fan of combining two bands for a nomination. I get why they did it, but I disagree with their approach.
CYNDI LAUPER
It's cool that she just wants to have fun, and she found some medication for her skin problems, but she's not worthy of induction to the Rock Hall.
MANA
Until today, I'd never heard of Mana. I had to look up their wiki page. This may shock you, but I admire the committee for this nomination. The vast majority of artists in the Rock Hall are either from North America or the U.K. Rock 'n' Roll is a worldwide music form. There are hundreds of tremendous non-English speaking artists from the past 70 years who should be considered. I haven't listened to Mana yet, but they've sold 25 million albums. This nomination will spur me to give them a listen in the near future. Hopefully, the committee will expand their scope to Asia, as well. There were many bands that formed in Asia after the British Invasion. Unfortunately, they'll probably only consider K Pop groups twenty years from now.
OASIS
Don't let Liam's big mouth get in the way of inducting Oasis. This needs to happen.
OUTKAST
All I know about Outkast is "Hey Ya", which is a great song. We've long passed the days of arguing about hip hop acts being inducted into the Rock Hall, so I'm agnostic about Outkast. I'm ill-informed and therefore have no opinion. I'm sure they're deserving.
PHISH
No thanks...next.
SOUNDGARDEN
Soundgarden should be a no-brainer for Rock Hall induction. It's unfortunate that Chris Cornell is no longer with us. He was an amazing front man. And the rest of the band were tremendous, as well. Their three album run from 1991 to 1996 is stellar.
THE WHITE STRIPES
Can you imagine a Rock Hall class of The White Stripes, Oasis, and Soundgarden? I know it won't happen, but I can dream. The fan voting let me down with The White Stripes in the past, so now the committee needs to do their job and put them in. Easily, the most important band of the 2000's. I'd also love to see Jack and Meg reunite. Peace.
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