Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Snubs

I recently gave kudos to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for an excellent Class of 2013. Now it is time to get back to bashing the Rockhall.

First, with these type of endeavors, nobody is going to be completely happy. Unlike with some sports related Halls of Fame, you cannot rely as heavily on statistics. The Rockhall explicitly claims that it does not weigh album sales, chart-topping hits, etc. very heavily. The only solid criteria is that someone is not eligible until 25 years after the release of their first record or single. After that, the Rockhall states that it recognizes those artists who "have had a significant impact on the evolution, development and perpetuation of rock and roll." And that "criteria include influence and significance." That is really all of the guidance that the powers that be provide. There is a Nominating Committee that nominates a group of nominees each year, and then approximately 500 voters (industry insiders, critics and all previous inductees) get to vote. This year a public poll resulted in one vote for the masses.

There are some true headscratchers (Percy "When a Man Loves a Woman" Sledge being the most obvious), but I think that you can make an argument for the majority of inductees. Where it gets less credible is when you compare some of the inductees to some of the major artists still waiting on the outside. The first five or six classes were easy. Who's going to argue with Elvis? Beatles? Dylan? The Byrds? The Who? But as time has passed the decisions have gotten more controversial. I think in part because enough time had passed between the 50's/60's and the mid-80's, when they started this thing, that time had narrowed the focus a bit. Also, nearer to the birth of the music, it was not nearly as fragmented as it has become. In the early days there really was a more or less monolithic "rock and roll" music, at least until the late 60's.

So, here are some thoughts on the biggest snubs thus far. I have grouped them by genre or time period. The number in parentheses that follow some of the artists indicate the number of times they have been nominated but have not made the final cut. If there is no number, then they have not even been nominated yet. I am not a big fan of many of these selections, but whether I personally like them or not is irrelevant. This is a point that the Nominating Committee and Voters need to be reminded of. Not all of these are slam dunks either. But they are ones that deserve consideration. And all of them are more deserving than Percy Sledge.

The 1950's and 1960's: Paul Butterfield Blues Band (2), Dick Dale, Johnny Burnette and His Rock and Roll Trio, Link Wray, Love, MC5 (1), The Monkees, The Zombies
As I stated above, this era has been covered pretty thoroughly by now. It also helps that many of the powers that be grew up themselves listening to these artists. None of these are the top tier of the 50's or 60's, those have already been inducted, but they would still be solid inductees to round out Rock and Roll's first two decades.

Progressive Rock: King Crimson, Yes, Electric Light Orchestra, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, The Moody Blues
Always despised by critics (who seem to value simplicity as truth), it is no surprise that Prog Rock has gotten the shaft in the Rockhall. The bands who have been inducted associated with the genre have had considerable crossover success outside the genre (Genesis, Pink Floyd and Rush). King Crimson and Yes are two of the more egregious snubs overall. If influence is criteria, they are arguably the leaders of an entire genre.

Hard Rock/Heavy Metal: Deep Purple (1), Jethro Tull, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, KISS (1), Motorhead, Motley Crue, Thin Lizzy, Ozzy Osbourne, Blue Oyster Cult
As neglected (or even moreso) as prog is metal and closely-related hard rock acts. Like prog, this is a genre often dismissed by snooty critics. But Purple, Priest, Maiden, KISS, Motorhead...all were innovators and leaders within this enduring genre. There is simply no excuse for their absence, and their influence is undeniable.

Soul/R&B: Barry White, Chic (7), War (2), Janet Jackson, The Marvelettes (1), Whitney Houston, Kool & the Gang, Bill Withers, The Spinners (1)
I actually think that the Hall has done an excellent job with this genre, and black music in general. But, as you can see, there are still some important acts that could be added. The Nominating Committee has definitely tried with Chic.

Rap: Africa Bambaataa (1), Eric B. & Rakim (1), LL Cool J (2), NWA (1)
Recently, as rap artists have started to gain eligibility, the Hall has not hesitated to nominate and induct them. Public Enemy, Grandmaster Flash, Run DMC and The Beastie Boys are already in. These others will follow.

The 80's: The Cars, The Cure (1), Depeche Mode, Devo, Duran Duran, The Eurythmics, INXS, Journey, Joy Division, New Order, Peter Gabriel, The Pixies, The Replacements, The Smiths, Sonic Youth, Bon Jovi (1), Def Leppard, Gary Numan
"A musical wasteland" is how influential Nominating Committee member Steve Van Zandt described the 80's. Jann Wenner recently proposed shortening the 25 year threshold to 20, in part to leapfrog the 80's and get to the 90's bands that he likes more. Here is where the generation gap on the Committee really comes into play, and it is my biggest beef with the Hall. They just don't grasp why these artists were significant. They can induct the marginal Dave Clark Five from the 60's, but can't get around to even nominating The Smiths. Look at the number of nominations, and incredibly out of that list above, The Cure have gotten one nomination and Bon Jovi also got one (and Bon Jovi is far from the most important in that list). That's it. The Committee claims to be adding new members to address these deficienies, but the results are not there.

Influential Cult Artists: Big Star, Can, Kraftwerk (2), Nick Drake, Kate Bush, Roxy Music, T. Rex, Stone Roses, Television, Lou Reed
Velvet Underground, already inducted, is the best example here. Artists who did not have huge (or in some cases, hardly any) commercial success, but cast a large shadow on other artists. These are where the "influence" criteria comes into play. They may not bring ratings for the ceremony broadcast, but the story of rock and roll is incomplete without them.

Other: Cat Stevens (1), Steve Winwood (1), Hall & Oates, Willie Nelson, Jimmy Buffett, Cheap Trick, Chicago, Dire Straits, Doobie Brothers, Gram Parsons (3), Steve Miller Band, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Sting
Chicago and Hall & Oates were simply too commecially successful to ignore. Willie Nelson and Gram Parsons (like Johnny Cash, already inducted) were country artists who had a big influence on rock artists. Jimmy Buffett inspired an entire subculture to rival Deadheads. SRV will get in soon for revitalizing blues music, I think they are just waiting to get in most of the classic blues influences first.

Early Influences: Frank Sinatra, Lightnin' Hopkins, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Kingston Trio, Bing Crosby, Django Reinhardt, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, John Coltrane, Ella Fitzgerald, Karlheinz Stockhousen, Merle Haggard, Scott Joplin, etc.
The Hall has done a decent job acknowledging pre-rock influences with the Early Influence category, but there are still more. Sinatra especially, who had a massive impact on pop vocals.

There are more, of course. But these are the ones that stand out to me. Here is my list of the Top 10 Snubs, considering impact and influence:

Yes, King Crimson, Judas Priest, Hall & Oates, The Cure, Duran Duran, The Smiths, Deep Purple, KISS, Peter Gabriel...These 10 are no brainers and should make up the Class of 2014.

To see a complete list of current inductees, go here. Thanks to Future Rock Legends for the statistics.