2026 Rock Hall Nominees

      So, I was going to come on here today to announce a new trajectory for Sound Mind, but then I saw the 2026 Rock Hall nominees had dropped. I'll get to the Sound Mind update at the end of this post, but here are my initial thoughts about the nominees. Let me begin by saying music is personal and no one ever agrees with these nominee lists. Once all the "no-brainers" were inducted this process has devolved into an exercise of agendas and gatekeeping. And I'm someone who loves the Rock Hall and what it represents. But it's clear the time has come to stop forcing mediocrity just to have an annual gala event. This list is preposterous. And truthfully, so is the fan vote. For what it's worth, here's my personal breakdown of the nominees. 

OASIS

     A polarizing bunch of wankers who don't care about the Rock Hall, but I love them and feel they should be in. At least in America, they were the face of Britpop. 

BILLY IDOL

     I would support him for a Video Music Hall of Fame, but not the Rock Hall. 

INXS

     While they have slightly more merit than Billy Idol, they aren't Rock Hall level.

IRON MAIDEN

     I suppose they belong in, but in all honesty I haven't listened to them in 40 years. They do have a legacy that merits recognition. 

JEFF BUCKLEY

     I like Grace, and apparently the precedent has been set for artists with limited catalogs being inducted. However, Buckley has had no real impact or influence in rock music. Thumbs down.

JOY DIVISION / NEW ORDER

     Stop already. Pick one or the other. Neither should be inducted.

THE BLACK CROWES

     Is there a Hall of Fame for smoking weed? Their big hit was a cover BTW.

WU-TANG CLAN

     Yes. They are better than most of the other Hip-Hop artists who have already been inducted. 

PHIL COLLINS

     Peter Gabriel is in as a solo artist, so I can support Phil getting in as well. It does seem like they're throwing a bone to someone who is in poor health, because they developed a conscience for a second.

EVERYONE ELSE

     Are the members of the Rock Hall Foundation trying to kill me? PINK??????

     The actual reason I'm posting today is to announce a new series for Sound Mind. It's called Randos. I'm going to use the Random Item feature in Discogs and reflect on whatever album or single is selected. My intention is to make it through my whole collection, but that would take several years. The first selection was Through the Fire by HSAS. I picked this up a few months ago and you may be surprised at my thoughts. I am kind of a sucker for supergroups. Peace.