Five years ago, I penned aseries of articlesthat examined the artists and bands that have yet to earn induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. As of the most recent Class of 2024, there are now 394 artists, bands, and industry personnel that have been inducted into the Hall. With this said, that does not mean that they have gotten ALL of the people who should, at the minimum, get some consideration for entry.
Why go back and do this again? In the last five years, many of those who were previously put on the “Should Be Inducted” list have actually been inducted into the Hall. Additionally, I stopped my series with the Eighties because, back in 2019, few artists from the Nineties were eligible. As we are approaching 2025, and with the “25 years removed” rule, we can now take a full look at the decade of the Nineties and see what they are missing.
You might think that, going back as far as the Fifties, we have tapped that vein out. “Big Mama” Thornton went in this year as a Musical Influence, and we’re going to go ahead and let up on the demand that Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys get a Performer induction. They were previously inducted under the Early (re: Musical) Influence category and, if we’re going to put in Jimmy Buffett, Judas Priest, and MC5 through this and the Musical Excellence categories and it is a full-fledged induction, then so be it. There are still some roots of the “rock and roll” tree that bear examination, however.
The “Crooners”
One of the problems with inducting Cher in 2024 is the fact that she is just a singer. She was not a musician, she did little (if any) songwriting – she basically walked into the studio, sang her part, and told everyone else to do the heavy lifting (can you tell I am not high on Cher’s induction?). If this is the standard that we are going to, then we’ve got to go back to the Fifties and before and put in those vocalists who have been overlooked because they weren’t “rock and roll.”
Does anyone spell out “rebellion” more than The Chairman of the Board, Frank Sinatra? Back in the Forties and Fifties, Ol’ Blue Eyes was a threat to the “squares” with his bawdy songs and boozing in Vegas. Although he made some disparaging comments about “rock and roll,” he did epitomize that spirit of rebellion that permeates the community.
There are plenty of others who can be considered in this same vein. Tony Bennett, Dean Martin, Neil Sedaka, Johnny Mathis, Patsy Cline, Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Harry Connick, Jr., Michael Bublé…the list gets extremely long, to the point where you must figure out where to draw the line and preserve the quality of the work as being the major reason for induction rather than charts or record sales. If Nat ‘King’ Cole can earn entry into the Hall, then why not some of the others in the “crooner” subset that predated and influenced “rock and roll’s” creation?
Dick Dale
Five years ago when I put this list together, I thought that Dale would be one of the first ones off the list. People love the guitar, as evidenced by Ozzy Osbourne’s hired guitar slinger Randy Rhoads being inducted through the Musical Excellence pathway in 2023, and you quite honestly cannot have a rockin’ song without having a guitar virtuoso wield it like a battleaxe. But here we are…five years after this original list, and Dale is still waiting for his rightful place in the Hall.
If you are a fan of “surf guitar,” then Dale was the man to whom you should pay homage. Along with Duane Eddy (inducted into the Hall in 1994…let me say that again…1994!), the duo were the practitioners of that style of music. They both laid the groundwork for vocal groups like The Beach Boys, Jan & Dean, and a myriad of other “beach bands” to earn success in the early- to mid-Sixties. Why does the Hall have one of these men in and not the other? There are plenty of mysteries as to why the Hall does things the way they do, but this question is extremely puzzling.
John Coltrane
The Hall has established that “rock and roll” is not just about the RAWK sound, that which came out in the late Sixties and many think ended on or about 1979 (the “classic rock” era). Different ingredients go into the gumbo that is “rock and roll” and one of those components is jazz. Epitomizing one of the great jazz legends is saxophonist John Coltrane, who is considered one of the immortals on the Mount Rushmore of the genre but hasn’t been enshrined in Cleveland.
Coltrane more than held his own, even against another Hall member Miles Davis when both were in the New Miles Davis Quintet. The rest of his work is also quite remarkable, especially his early work with the Blue Note label and another partnership with another jazz legend, Duke Ellington. Once again, if you are going to have one, why not the other – if you are going to have Davis, why not Coltrane (you might also extend this question to Benny Goodman or Glenn Miller)?
One Thing That’s Been Tapped?
If you are wondering where the vocal groups of the Forties and Fifties are, you’re not going to find them here or, should I say, in the Hall. All the luminaries from that arena are already in the Hall and, if they have not been chosen by now, then they aren’t what are considered the foundations of “rock and roll.” Sure, you may have had a song that became iconic, or you may have had a fleeting period on the top of the charts, but in many of these cases, these artists and groups have become footnotes in history rather than those who actually made history.
Now that we have thoroughly exhausted the Fifties and before, we can move forth into the Sixties. It may appear that decade has been wrung out of all its greats, but there are a couple that are still waiting at the window that are deserving of a nod. If you start thinking about this, do remember…it is the Rock & Roll Hall of FAME, not the “Hall of Pretty Good!”
It is hard to believe that we’ve already come around again to having to put together a nominee list for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Just over two months ago, the Induction Class of 2023 was ushered into the venerable halls in Cleveland, with the accolades for Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Chaka Khan, and others, still ringing from the rafters of the Barclays Center in New York. Time, however, moves forward, and it has come around again to consider the potential nominees for the 2024 class of the Rock Hall.
What does it take to get into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? The ONLY qualification is that your initial recording must have a minimum of twenty-five (25) years before the current year. There is no rule regarding what style of music you play, no hard-set guidelines as far as sales, just the fact that you had an impact on the development and history of rock and roll. Note that I say “rock and roll” there; the problem that way too many people have is they think the building on the shores of Lake Erie is there JUST for “rock” music. It isn’t…and the sooner that people look at the history of the Hall (and the people who have been inducted), they will realize this.
But let’s get beyond this. As it is 2024, those who did their first recording in 1999 are now what is called “first-year eligible” for induction into the Hall. The problem is…there are not that many that are newly eligible that would be worth a “FYE” induction. Thus, it is time that the Rock Hall and the Nomination Committee take care of business and right some wrongs that have gone on in the past. Let’s look at what we might be seeing next month when the 2024 Nomination Class is announced.
First-Year Eligibles and Last Year’s Leftovers
In looking at the pool of candidates for 2024, I have to be honest…it’s an underwhelming list. When your power hitters are 50 Cent, Brad Paisley, Buckcherry, Jennifer Lopez, and John Mayer (among others), there’s not a lot to hang your hat on here. Even one of my longtime favorites, Halestorm, does not save this lot from a general “meh” comment. I do not believe that there has ever been a year that DIDN’T have an FYE nominee on the list…this one could very well do it.
So, what about last year’s choices? The 2023 Nomination Class was arguably one of the most diverse, both musically and otherwise, of any group in Rock Hall history. ANY of the fourteen choices available would have had a legitimate reason for induction. That’s why I believe that at least four of those that were overlooked last year will be back on the ballot again.
The outrage from fans of Warren Zevon regarding his longtime snub as a nominee and, last year, as an inductee, is something that the Rock Hall has to correct. Anyone who related to the SoCal music scene of the Seventies, from Jackson Browne to Fleetwood Mac to Linda Ronstadt to The Eagles, has bowed before Zevon and his notable songwriting and lyrical prowess. To continue to keep Zevon out of the Hall is unforgivable.
There was a similar outrage from backers of Joy Division/New Order regarding their non-induction in 2023. For everyone who calls themselves fans of The Cure, Depeche Mode, and other synth rock acts from the Eighties, they all owe a mascara-smeared nod to Joy Division/New Order, who were the forebearers of the goth sound (you could also toss The Damned in here, but I digress). You would not have much of that dark, moody sound that has permeated many other areas of music without Joy Division/New Order.
Finally, it is time that the Rock Hall gets over their bias – some would call it a hatred – of hard rock and heavy metal. Last year’s Nomination Class had two legends of the genre in Soundgarden, who were “grunge” before the term existed, and Iron Maiden (despite their dismissiveness of such honors like the Hall). BOTH of these bands not only deserve another nomination, but they also deserve induction.
Recent Nominees…A Second Chance
Over the past few years, there have also been those who got their nomination, failed to be inducted, and…drifted away like they didn’t matter. The problem is that all these artists had a sizeable impact on the world of rock and roll; it’s just that it is in a more nuanced and low-key manner. It is time these artists/bands got their second bite at the apple, and maybe this time they’ll get the call.
Artists like Fiona Apple and Beck have been overlooked because of their idiosyncrasies and the difficulties in appreciating their creations (Tori Amos falls in this same category). It is their experimentation with rock and roll that has pushed it forward into the 21st century, for such bands as Arctic Monkeys and Portugal. The Man to become successful. With Kate Bush taking her rightful seat in the Hall, both Apple and Beck should get another look.
Likewise, there are a handful of bands that deserve kudos for their efforts. How the Hall has overlooked such influential bands as Oasis, Daft Punk, and Sleater-Kinney for induction for so long is a bit mind-boggling, to be honest, because each of the bands has left their DNA on rock and roll. Oasis made Brit Pop memorable again in the Nineties, becoming the biggest thing to come from England since arguably the Beatles; Daft Punk delivered for the electronic/dance music generation (and don’t say that Daft Punk aren’t the forefathers of the EDM movement), while Sleater-Kinney carried on the riot grrrl spirit of the early Nineties (and were the rightful heirs to The Runaways, who also deserve an induction).
Pop? Rap? Country? The Eighties? The Seventies?
The “rock” enthusiasts always scream about it, but pop music and rap/hip-hop are genres that have imprinted themselves on the fabric of rock and roll. Thus, the best that these musical stylings have must be remembered. For pop, you have Destiny’s Child (and you don’t think that the Rock Hall would not salivate over a Beyonce-led reunion on Induction Night?) and Mary J. Blige. But it is Mariah Carey that most would consider the most likely nominee to be inducted into the Rock Hall.
The litany of rap artists and acts that should be considered is led by Snoop Dogg. The Doggfather continues to have an impact on culture and the music world – NBC just tapped the man to be a part of the coverage of the 2024 Olympics…what else is needed beyond that and his ample skills on the mic? Toss into the mix Dr. Dre (could put him and Snoop in together, if you want), Queen Latifah (think she was more deserving of entry than Missy Elliott), Nas, Arrested Development (covers Lauryn Hill, too), Outkast, Wu-Tang Clan, or P. Diddy, and we’ve barely scratched the surface of the rap/hip-hop hierarchy.
The screeching from the “rock” set was loud with Dolly Parton in 2022 and got even louder with Willie Nelson in 2023. The basic fact is that, without country music, you DO NOT HAVE ROCK AND ROLL. Thus, let’s get those legends from country music – Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, George Jones, Garth Brooks – and give them their kudos (Cline especially – a whole host of women in the industry owe her a monster debt of gratitude).
If you want to break it down by decades, the Eighties gave us INXS, The Pixies, the late Sinead O’Connor, and many others (including such “second induction” nominee choices like Don Henley, Sting, and Phil Collins). The Seventies? They haven’t been totally picked clean, as bands like Motorhead, Thin Lizzy, DEVO, Television, MC5, and New York Dolls are all still out there. The Sixties? Well…let’s let that one alone.
So, now that we have broken it down…who do I think will be there? How’s this for a list?
Warren Zevon Joy Division/New Order Soundgarden Iron Maiden Fiona Apple Beck Oasis Sleater-Kinney Daft Punk Snoop Dogg/Dr. Dre Mariah Carey Destiny’s Child Patsy Cline Garth Brooks Thin Lizzy DEVO Don Henley Sting
That’s a pretty strong Nomination Class if you ask me!
Toss in such notables as “Big Mama” Thornton and John Coltrane for Influencers (and, what the hell…let’s give Frank Sinatra and Neil Sedaka a nod too), “Wolfman” Jack, “Mutt” Lange, and Rick Rubin for the Ahmet Ertegun Award, and “Weird” Al Yankovic and Paul Rodgers for Musical Excellence, and I think you’d have a damn good Class of 2024 set up. Alas, we will see what the Nomination Committee produces at the start of February, and then we can debate who should be the next inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
You could literally blindfold yourself, grab a dart, and toss it at a corkboard containing a list of albums from the legendary Bruce Springsteen and come up with an “essential album.” The biggest issue with the man who became known as “The Boss” is which one do you go with? Do you go with the youthful troubadour who tried to cram all the words he could into a song? Or do you go with the stadium-rocking, anthem-making monolith that conquered the Eighties? Do you go with his work with the ever-faithful E Street Band or with his solo work?
For all those questions, the answer is an easy one for me. All you have to do is look back to 1982 and the massive curveball that he threw the world when he released the stark, moody, and melancholy Nebraska.
Let’s take the clock back another decade or so. In the beginning, Springsteen was just another long-haired guy traipsing around the boardwalk of Atlantic City, New Jersey, and hitting the Asbury Park nightclub The Stone Pony, trying to make his name in the game. He would get tremendously fortunate; Springsteen was discovered by another legend, the talent scout John Hammond, who quickly saw the potential in the youthful “Boss” and signed him to Columbia Records in 1972.
But it wasn’t an overnight success – far from it. Two albums of Springsteen’s ramblings of inner-city life and the hardscrabble desires of its youth to escape their surroundings, Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ, and The Wild, the Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle, failed to catch a spark with the listening public, and Springsteen was on the verge of being dropped by Columbia. Then lightning was caught in a bottle, and not a moment too soon.
Noted Rolling Stone journalist/music critic Jon Landau caught Springsteen’s act in Cambridge, MA, in 1974 and penned the now famous “I have seen the future of rock and roll” quote that catapulted Springsteen into the limelight. Massive success followed that effort (and Landau’s joining forces with Springsteen as his producer and manager) with 1975’s Born to Run (the choice for many for Springsteen’s masterpiece) and, following a management dispute, the highly underrated Darkness on the Edge of Town.
In 1980, Springsteen would deliver another classic. The River was a two-album collection of characters and musical stylings that swept across the board. The resulting two-year tour in support of that record had the world talking about Springsteen and the E Streeters and wondering what would come next from them – what it would be is one of the biggest risks taken in rock history and, perhaps, one of its greatest rewards.
Sitting in his farmhouse in New Jersey that he used to “get away” from things, Springsteen began to ponder many things in his life. He looked back at his upbringing and the people that he knew in his younger days. During the tour for The River, Springsteen met the antiwar activist Ron Kovic (the author of the autobiographical Born on the Fourth of July), who introduced him to the men who served – and were forgotten – by a people who didn’t want to remember the cruelties of Vietnam. And he wondered about his future direction…what would he do with his newfound popularity?
Springsteen chose to do what he arguably does best – tell the stories of those who were downtrodden, for whom life seemed to have bypassed, who were just trying to do the best they could to get by in a cold, cold world. With only a four-track recorder, an acoustic guitar, a harmonica, and his voice, Springsteen would put together the entirety of Nebraska and even throw in some work on songs that would eventually wind up on what some might consider his best effort, Born in the U. S. A. It was Nebraska, however, that marked an artistic achievement that Springsteen has never again approached.
It is a brief ten-track album, but Nebraska delivers you into each and every story with an intimacy and strength that you are not expecting. The title track looks at the killer Charles Starkweather who, along with his girlfriend/lover Caril Ann Fugate, went on a shooting spree in the Fifties that eventually left ten people dead. In telling the story of Starkweather, Springsteen sought to rationalize, maybe even humanize, these two people and demonstrate that they could be any “American,” any person, and that it is a thin line between being a normal person and a deranged murderer.
The best track of Nebraska comes up with the second track, the mournful “Atlantic City.”In the song, Springsteen once again taps on the everyman, the person who tries to do the right thing in a city where the wrong thing seems to be rewarded. By the end of the track, the man’s only desire is that he and his significant other escape to Atlantic City to leave their woes behind with a job that will remove their problems.
Another remarkable track from the Nebraska album was the tune “Johnny 99.” It is another tune about someone who has tried to go about life the right way, only to get shit on by “The Man” and those in charge. In the case of “Johnny 99,” the titular character loses his job and, in a drunken rage, kills a man accidentally. The judge in the case refuses to hear about the extenuating circumstances that brought Johnny to his court, instead hammering him with a 99-year sentence for the murder.
This is the theme that courses through the veins of Nebraska – that there are good people out there, trying to do the right thing, but sometimes life and its inequities force them into decisions that they would not otherwise make. Through it all, Springsteen channels his inner Woody Guthrie, who became a legend for his anthems of the working man, and became the type of songwriter and performer who could deliver these individual stories in a manner that is simultaneously touching and somber, angering and inspiring.
Strangely enough, Nebraska almost didn’t exist as it eventually was released. Springsteen took the tracks that he had done in his Jersey farmhouse and tried it out with the entirety of the E Street Band in the Power Station in New York City. After several run-throughs of the songs, however, Springsteen came to the realization that the songs weren’t the “rock anthems” that he thought they could be – that they had more of an impact in their simplicity and intimacy of his acoustic work than a fully formed E Street Band effort.
Bruce Springsteen, for more than fifty years, has become not only New Jersey’s favorite son but the States of America’s emotional and moral touchstone. He has been able to tell the stories of those who would have otherwise been left to rot in the wastebin of history (his fellow rocker, John Mellencamp, has done similar work throughout his career). Springsteen continues today with his exquisite storytelling and compelling characters, and it can be potentially traced back to Nebraska where he found a way to stretch beyond the boundaries of Freehold, NJ. That makes it the best of the records that Springsteen has ever released (perhaps not his best-selling, however) and one of the 100 Essential Albums of All-Time.
This morning, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced the Class of 2023, and it was done rather quietly. The reason I say this is that the induction announcement is usually a big deal on SiriusXM, with a show that interviews the new inductees and generally celebrates the world of rock and roll. This year? Nothing…I was a bit surprised about that.
These are my general, hot of the press takes on the 2023 class. I’ll have some thoughts about some other issues (including John Sykes’ apparent preoccupation with “what the fans think”) at a later date.
1) Overall, a decent class that has taken care of a couple of oversights from the past. In the Performers category, the inductions of Bush and Rage Against the Machine were long overdue and the Voting Committee finally corrected this error (some would also add The Spinners into this category). If there was a guaranteed inductee for the 2023 class (like last year’s Dolly Parton induction), Willie Nelson was going to be going in.
For both Missy Elliott and George Michael to go in with the same class was a bit of a surprise. I figured that one would go in before the other would (and I thought that would be Elliott over Michael), but they both made it through the battle. Sheryl Crow has done it all in her stellar career and the Hall enjoys honoring those who have always been there for them, thus her induction isn’t a surprise.
2) Those who were spurned from the Performers category are…well, let’s just say that the carryover of the “populist” theme from last year is evident. Critical favorites like Joy Division/New Order, Warren Zevon, Soundgarden, The White Stripes, A Tribe Called Quest, and Cyndi Lauper (we’ll get to the other in a minute) were not inducted and they didn’t get a nod from the “non-voting” paths. This isn’t a case of “not enough support” – Zevon and Lauper (along with #3) were WAY up in the Fan Vote and it was believed this would be the year, especially in first-time nominee Zevon’s case. Alas, it was not to be.
3) Not that they were sitting around waiting for the phone to ring, but Iron Maiden is probably never being inducted into the Hall. I’ve heard the explanations regarding the bypassing of hard rock/metal bands, and Iron Maiden in particular, but they’re beginning to ring hollow. How you can have one act but not another – in this case Judas Priest (who FINALLY got in through the “non-voting” method last year) and Iron Maiden – is befuddling. If I am finding it hard to believe, then you can only imagine how the Average Joe is seeing it.
4) The Award for Musical Excellence is OUTSTANDING. They also took care of a few oversights here by inducting both Chaka Khan (but not Rufus, surprisingly) and Bernie Taupin (writing partner of Elton John), who needed to be in the Hall. The inclusion of Al Kooper was a bit of a surprise since there hadn’t been a huge drive for his induction, but it is a welcome addition; Kooper’s legacy of work and influence are worthy of induction.
5) Equally as excellent as the AME were the choices for the Early Influences and the Ahmet Ertegun Award. DJ Kool Herc was the originator of rap, way back in the early Seventies, but it is a bit odd to see him go in and not alongside his longtime performing partner Coke La Rock. Link Wray is another one of those “oversight” corrections that the Hall takes care of through this manner, but it is also a well-deserved induction (and, we must note, if you’re going to have Duane Eddy in the Hall, then why not Wray?).
While I would have liked to have seen the Ertegun go to Rick Rubin, the choice of the creator of Soul Train, Don Cornelius, is a BRILLIANT move. Many people point to American Bandstand and its influence on the culture. Soul Train was just as big, if not more influential, in its impact on R&B, soul, rap, and culture overall. It’s too bad that Cornelius is no longer with us – I am sure that he would have delivered a FIRE induction speech!
Overall, the Class of 2023 for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame isn’t bad, but it’s not as great as it could have been. There are a few trends now, three years into the reign of Hall chairman John Sykes, that can be identified, but we’ll save that discussion for another time. For now, we can enjoy and congratulate those that were inducted and commiserate with those that were not.
It is getting closer to a day that all fans of rock and roll genuinely enjoy. Besides the Induction Ceremony and the unveiling of the nominees, the announcement of the vote for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and its latest Induction Class is one for celebration. Since the nominees were announced in February, there has been a great deal of speculation over who will get in as Performers and who might get in through the “non-voting” methods – and at the start of May, we will learn those names who will make up the Class of 2023.
There is a wide-ranging variety of choices this year for the Performers class. One thing that can be counted on from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame voters is that they will choose between five and seven inductees that will enter as “performers” into the Hall. The other nominees can still get in through the “non-voting” means, which is the way that Judas Priest entered last year, and LL Cool J entered the previous year (both through the Award for Musical Excellence). The Voting Committee, however, are the ones who will choose the “Performer” inductees.
Those “non-voting” methods have come under fire of late. Because they go through a committee selection process, rather than the 1100-member Voting Committee, it is thought that these selections are “lesser” than the Performers. The Rock Hall disavows this statement, indicating that the AME, the Ahmet Ertegun Award (for non-musician contributions to rock and roll, like managers, producers, and industry personnel), and the Early Influences Award (for contributions to rock and roll BEFORE it was rock and roll) are equals of those who were voted in. The stigma still exists, however, no matter how undeserved it is.
Before we go on, we should look at the nominees for 2023. That list (in alphabetical order) looks like this:
A Tribe Called Quest Kate Bush Sheryl Crow Missy Elliott Iron Maiden Joy Division/New Order Cyndi Lauper George Michael Willie Nelson Rage Against the Machine Soundgarden The Spinners The White Stripes Warren Zevon
With this information, we are now going to look at those who are going to be voted into the Rock Hall as Performers. We will also take an educated guess as to those who might be chosen through the non-voting methods; in the past, usually only one inductee was chosen for one of the three processes. Since the ascension of John Sykes to the Chairman’s seat of the Rock Hall, however, he has utilized the non-voting methods to “clear the decks” of artists and groups that were not getting the support from the Voting Committee. I would like to see each of the three put ONE entry in, but we are going to play from the previous indicators that have been set for the past couple of years.
So, here you go…these are this writer’s choices for induction with the Class of 2023 of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!
Performers
Willie Nelson – Much like Dolly Parton last year, if there is one bona fide lock for this year’s induction class, it would be the “Red-Headed Stranger” himself. With over 70 years in the business, having written classic tracks that range from Patsy Cline (another act that should be inducted into the Rock Hall, but I digress) to Snoop Dogg (“Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die” is a Willie classic), Nelson and his “outlaw” attitude are more than deserving of enshrinement in Cleveland. As of 2022, there are fifteen country artists and groups that have earned their induction into the Rock Hall – Nelson should make it sixteen.
Warren Zevon – When the nominees’ list was first announced, I was extremely thrilled to see Zevon on the list. I also thought that he would be inducted with ease, and the Fan Vote currently has him in the Top Five. Then why do I have a nagging feeling that Zevon will be bypassed by the Hall for induction? Zevon’s credentials should have gotten him inducted a long time ago, but the Rock Hall is not known for making the “right” decisions.
Sheryl Crow – A first-time nominee for the Rock Hall (despite being eligible since 2018), Crow is the epitome of the Nineties rock star. It was an era when women were REALLY beginning to flex their muscles (courtesy of such luminaries as Madonna and Crow’s fellow 2023 nominee Lauper), and Crow has gone on to work with the legends of the business. For the voters to pass her over would be surprising.
Joy Division/New Order – Another first-time nominee, the dual entry of these bands would be the first time that a combo entry has been inducted since The Faces/The Small Faces back in 2012. Joy Division was one of the early progenitors of what would eventually become the “New Wave” movement. After the suicide of singer Ian Curtis, the remaining members of the band felt they could no longer go on as “Joy Division” and instead rechristened themselves as “New Order.” Regardless of the name, the band continued to be a groundbreaking force in the Eighties rock scene and should be honored with induction.
Missy Elliott – Of the eight elected inductees from the rap and hip-hop world (nine if you count LL Cool J’s Artistic Excellence induction), none of them have been female. This should be corrected this year as Elliott earns a seat in the Rock Hall (I would have rather seen Queen Latifah get in, but…). Elliott has been a force in the rap community and, through her music and her philanthropy, has brought attention to women’s issues and the plight of the inner city. An excellent choice.
Iron Maiden – This one could go either way. Long dismissive of the Rock Hall, Iron Maiden deserves induction themselves, alongside their contemporary Judas Priest (the AME again). There is that old issue with hard rock/metal acts being inducted, however, which may keep one of the formative acts of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) out of the Hall.
This is where we start to get into some speculation!
The three non-voting methods have, in the past, been sparingly used. Under Sykes, however, each of the three methods has inducted two or three members (2021 and 2022) each year. We can debate the logic of this (circumvention of the Voting Committee, or rectifying oversights by the Voting Committee), but that is for another time. For this year, let us figure that one each in the three categories will be a “Wild Card” entry – someone that isn’t even on the radar – and come up with two potential inductees for each category.
Award for Musical Excellence – This is where two of the 2023 nominees are going to go in through. Bush and Rage Against the Machine have been nominated on multiple occasions and, whether it is because of the competition in the years they have been nominated or (possibly) the Voting Committee does not feel they are “worthy,” both acts have yet to be inducted. This is the year that Bush SHOULD be voted in but, if she is not, then the Hall will put her in through this manner alongside Rage Against the Machine (which guitarist Tom Morello has fought against but will accept after several fruitless nominations).
Early Influences – This is a bit tougher to come up with because there are still so many from the “early days” of rock and roll that are deserving of being honored. Topping that list would be “Big Mama” Thornton, who was the prototype for the rock and roll “belter” from the vocal sphere. A second choice? How about MC5, who has gone through the nomination wringer way too many times (six, to be exact)? As the originators of the “garage rock” sound (they could also be viewed as punk rock forefathers), MC5’s exclusion from the Rock Hall should be rectified this year.
Ahmet Ertegun Award – If there were one of these categories that should only have one inductee, it would be this one. It is not because non-musical people aren’t important to rock and roll, it is because you must have done something OUTSTANDING to be considered for the honor. A look at those who have been previously honored (including Bruce Springsteen manager/producer Jon Landau, label exec Irving Azoff, and the legendary Quincy Jones) indicates the gravity of this category.
My first choice for this induction would be producer Rick Rubin. From the creation of his own label (Def Jam Records) to his production work with artists across the board (Run-DMC to Johnny Cash), Rubin has been one of the most impactful “behind-the-scenes” performers in the history of rock and roll. Not having him as a part of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is an oversight in definite need of correction.
For my second choice, I am going to go with two because I cannot decide between them! First up is Malcolm McLaren, who was responsible for the “punk rock” attitude of the Seventies and whom without we would have never heard of The Sex Pistols, New York Dolls, Bow Wow Wow, or Adam and the Ants. Second on my list would be Bill Aucoin, the legendary manager of KISS. Without Aucoin, would KISS have been as monstrous as they were?
There you have it! Your Class of 2023 for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is:
Willie Nelson Warren Zevon Sheryl Crow Joy Division/New Order Missy Elliott Iron Maiden Kate Bush Rage Against the Machine AME WILD CARD “Big Mama” Thornton MC5 EARLY INFLUENCE WILD CARD Rick Rubin Malcolm McLaren OR Bill Aucoin AHMET ERTEGUN WILD CARD
That’s a pretty solid fourteen-member class, wouldn’t you say?
Now we will have the other fun part about the inductions into the Rock Hall – the debate over who gets in or not! What are your thoughts for 2023?
The Year in Rock 2022 has been punctuated by a bit of everything. There’s been some tragedy (the passing of Meat Loaf, Taylor Hawkins, and Christine McVie, among others), some truly memorable events (can anyone forget Wolfgang Van Halen ripping his dad’s “Hot for Teacher” licks at the London Hawkins tribute show?) and some great comebacks (Rage Against the Machine FTW!). But the one constant over the course of the last twelve months has been great rock and roll, from the independents to the newcomers to the venerable monoliths of rock history.
Over the next few paragraphs, we’re going to look back at the CDs that were released in 2022. Whether they were the “old guard” of the rock world or the brashest of newcomers, they all have added to the great tunes that we all love. Perhaps you’ll find a few of your favorites from the past year here – and, if you don’t, let me know what you think! (Hover on the album title for each artist to get a link to purchase, should you desire – I do NOT receive anything for this!)
Without further ado, let’s get started (and in no particular order)!
After last year’s Ordinary Man, there isn’t a soul on Planet Earth that would have denied the opportunity for Ozzy Osbourne to stride off into the sunset. Instead, Osbourne came out with arguably one of the great albums of his solo career. Patient Number 9was a tour de force from a true legend in rock history and he used that legend status to bring in a wealth of talent to work with him.
The reunion of Osbourne with his Black Sabbath mate Tommy Iommi on “Degradation Rules” was utterly outstanding, and even The Prince of Darkness’ turn with “Slowhand,” Eric Clapton (who had his own nuttery in 2022), on “One of Those Days” turned out excellent. Add in work from another Osbourne alum, Zakk Wylde, and the late Taylor Hawkins, and Patient Number 9 turned out to be one of the best albums of 2022. With 74 candles on his last cake, we must learn how to appreciate these efforts from Osbourne; there might not be many left.
I wrote about it in an issue of Rock at Night magazine and have often railed about it elsewhere. Rolling Stone hit on it recently, too. What is the subject? How “legacy” bands – bands that have been around since the Seventies (or even earlier) – continue to perform and just how many original members of a band constitute “the original band.” There was a tour this year that touched on this issue.
The massive summer stadium tour by Mötley Crüe, Poison, Def Leppard, and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts showed why these older acts continue to go out on the road – there’s still money out there! Only one of these groups, however, released new music in 2022, and it turned out to be a strong part of the legacy of the band. Def Leppard’s Diamond Star Halos would compare easily to any of their late Eighties work – think the Hysteria era – and served to remember why these bands are so beloved.
Diamond Star Haloswas from front to back an exercise in excellence from the boys from Sheffield. The lead track from the album, “Kick,” would have plunked you back down in the late Eighties if you closed your eyes long enough. My personal favorite from the album was “SOS Emergency,” which was a driving piece of rock and roll that echoed their NWOBHM heyday. Get your spandex out, get the Aquanet, and take a trip back in time with Def Leppard on what was a big surprise in 2022.
Coming out of the indie world (indie meaning not a part of the major label system), the Texas band Tough on Fridays has been plying their trade for some time. It has paid off in spades with the release of their new CD The Encore You Didn’t Ask For. An effort that was entirely crowdfunded, the CD release allowed the band to reach a new audience and set them up well for 2023.
The big tunes from the band were “Overboard!” and a “reimaging” of one of the band’s older songs in “Lush,” but the rest of the CD cannot be overlooked. It is these types of bands that are going to carry rock music – be it alternative or otherwise – into the future. Without them, rock and roll withers on the vine and they need our support, even more so than the established artists and bands do.
After the leader of the Heartbreakers, the eternal Tom Petty, passed away in 2017 (yes, it has been five long years), guitarist Mike Campbell could have been forgiven if he had just ridden off into the sunset. Instead, Campbell picked up with Fleetwood Mac after the dismissal of Lindsey Buckingham and advanced his pet project, Dirty Knobs, which carried a bit harder edge than his Heartbreaker or Mac days. That paid off in 2022 with the sophomore effort from Dirty Knobs, External Combustion.
Campbell and the Knobs came up with a jewel of an album, most notable by the track “Wicked Mind.” It is a tune that you could have easily seen fit into the Heartbreakers catalog without a great deal of imagination. The rest of the CD, however, delivers the goods with tracks like “Brigitte Bardot” and “Dirty Job” (featuring an assist from Ian Hunter). Rather than retiring, Campbell is going stronger than ever.
The genre of surf rock has a long legacy, back to the days of Dick Dale, Duane Eddy, and Link Wray, but there are few excellent practitioners around today (Southern Culture on the Skids comes to mind). Tampa’s Black Valley Moon enters the conversation here with an amalgam of genres on Songs from the Black Valley. You just don’t hear this type of rock anymore – is it surf rock? Is it punk? Is it goth?
It is all of that and more. If you want to gravitate to the more traditional “rock” sound, you can go for “Blackest Night.” If you do that, you’d be missing out on some entrancing overtures elsewhere. My personal favorite was “Don’t Lie, My Succubi,” and the band even opens up their Christmas spirit with a holiday tune – although it has their own twist on “Christmas Time in the Castle of Blood!”
The Warning is a band that has come up from their independent beginnings out of Mexico and become one of those banner carriers for the future of rock and roll. None other than Disturbed’s David Draiman has bestowed upon them the “future of rock” mantle, and the band has held their own with such powerhouse groups as Halestorm, Evanescence, and The Pretty Reckless. Halestorm’s leader, Lzzy Hale, even went as far as to bestow upon guitarist/vocalist Daniela Villareal one of her signature guitars – one of the utmost compliments that a musician can give to one of their own.
On their 2022 release ERROR, The Warning has come up with a pinnacle achievement of their career. The track “MONEY” is a foot-stomper that indicts the materialistic desires of people, but it was “CHOKE” (yes, the all-capitals titling is specific to the band) that put them on the map. If this is the future of rock and roll, then sign me up for the trip!
Last year Berk released a simply masterful CD, the reckless dreams of youth, that demonstrated there was a voice of maturity in the world of rock. Berk’s life experiences were visible through every thread of that disc, and she could have sat back and just enjoyed the ride in 2022. Instead, Berk emptied her emotional suitcase and came up with an equally (if not better) effort in 2022’s start at the end.
Berk’s emotional vulnerabilities are everywhere on the new CD – from her pleadings on “your permission” to her laments on times passed in “tragic endings.” Berk purges her soul of her worries, her confessions, and her intimate thoughts, and the journey is nothing but fascinating. If you are a fan of Liz Phair, this is another artist you should be checking out.
We’re going to go off the beaten track here – hey, how often do YOU think of Viking death metal? Amon Amarth has been a part of the metal scene for quite some time, but it wasn’t until this year that I found the Swedish band with their tune “Put Your Back into the Oar.” That led me to their latest release, the outstanding The Great Heathen Army.
To call them “Viking death metal” is perhaps a misnomer – they’re just a damn good rock band, a little bit of an edge, but not tremendously over the top. The song “Find a Way or Make One” is definitely a track that will get your workout moving, and their current release “Oden Owns You All” offers a punishing pace while maintaining its musicianship. Know it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but Amon Amarth is good when you just need to get some aggression out.
Keeping our frame of reference on the European continent, I had to give some kudos to the Finnish band Stolen Organ. Holding up the legacy of the Eighties “hair metal” era, Stolen Organ doesn’t hesitate to do their homage to bands like Guns N’ Roses, but they also put their flourishes on the album Have You Seen Justice.
Tracks like “Booze Devil” could have come straight out of Central Casting if you said “hair metal band from the Eighties” but the group establishes themselves on some of their more bluesy work. “Land of Glory” is particularly notable in this regard. While many might have been honed on British or U. S. rock, it is obvious that Europeans are catching up – and quickly – to their brethren that had a massive head start.
Most notable for her own blues work and her collaborations with guitarist Joe Bonamassa, Beth Hart has long been notable for her powerful vocal stylings. While many have lauded her solo work, it was a tribute album that Hart put together that finally drew her mainstream attention. That album, A Tribute to Led Zeppelin, simply knocked you on your ass with Hart’s interpretations of classic Zeppelin tunes.
Of note on the record were Hart’s takes on “Whole Lotta Love” and “Black Dog,” which Hart powered through with attitude and virtuosity. Yes, the ubiquitous “Stairway to Heaven” is here, but Hart’s interpretation of the work will give you a whole new appreciation for it. While it is great that Hart now has some eyes on her because of this CD, can we get some new tracks, please?
More in the traditional blues arena is Detroit vocalist Eliza Neals. Neals takes a blues style and melds it with a dash of Motown soul, opening new avenues for both sounds. On her album Badder to the Bone, Neals has reached new heights with her musical direction.
“Queen of the Nile” is the first track that grabs you off this CD, but Neals has a whole litany of tunes that can pull you in. “Fueling Me Up” is another outstanding track on the disc, with Neals blasting away with her tough yet tender soul/blues voice and a top-notch band backing her up. Keep an eye out for Neals if she comes into your area – her live performances are as good, if not better, than what you hear on the albums.
If your tastes run more toward box sets, there are two that were particularly noteworthy in 2022. First was the collection of bassist Suzi Quatro. The Rock Boxencompassed the entirety of her Seventies works, including the groundbreaking “48 Crash” and her dubious Top 40 hit “Stumblin’ In.” Overlooking that, however, is the fact that it is a comprehensive collection of Quatro’s effects on Seventies rock – and a firm definition of why she should be considered for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The other notable box set from 2022 is the work of Blondie. On Against the Odds 1974-1982, the early career of Deborah Harry and Company is espoused in full detail. The first five albums from the group, including Parallel Lines, Eat to the Beat, and Autoamerican, are here in their entirety, but also included are fascinating outtakes and early working versions of many Blondie classics. If you enjoy the work of the New York City legends, then you need to have this box set in your rack.
There you have it! Your Christmas list is compiled (if you’re looking for books, you should check out Bono’s Surrender, Rob Halford’s Biblical, and Stevie Van Zandt’s Unrequited Infatuations) or, if you have a music aficionado in your life, you now know what to get them. But what was YOUR favorite album from 2022?
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame honored its Induction Class of 2022 last Saturday, a stirring list of performers that saw one of the most diverse classes in Hall history enshrined. Now, however, it is time to shift our view to the nomination process for the Class of 2023, which will probably be announced in late January or early February. In the final part of our series on the prospective 2023 class, I am going to look at those who might have fallen through the cracks in the Hall’s pursuit of rock and roll’s Parthenon.
Here’s the thing with those who have “fallen through the cracks.” In some cases, they are extremely borderline calls. The Hall has already gone through much of the early history of rock and roll and pulled the crème of the crop from the rosters. Anyone that is left is a tremendously flawed candidate – they may have been great at the moment but, compared to the overall history of rock and roll, they have faded in significance (that’s right…we see you over there in the corner, Steppenwolf, Three Dog Night, and Badfinger, among MANY others).
Thus, this means that the Fifties are done. There will not be another performer inducted into the Hall from that decade unless they are named through non-voting methods. That goes for the Sixties too – that decade has been thoroughly gleaned and cleaned of viable candidates for the Hall. The Seventies are getting close to that point also.
Think about it for a second – those artists that came out in 1985 have been eligible for the Hall since 2010. In many cases, they haven’t even received consideration for nomination, let alone induction. That’s why the Hall Induction Classes since 2020 have seen artists and groups from the Eighties and Nineties dominate the election process – The Cure, Nine Inch Nails, Tupac and Biggie, and many others, including Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo (and let me note here – I was glad to hear that my long-standing contention that Benatar was holding up her induction until they also included her husband Giraldo was true!).
Here in this segment, I’m also going to include those artists that usually send the “RAWK” people into a spasmatic fit. That means country artists, pop princes and princesses, R&B crooners and groups, and rappers. Whether you like it or not, all those genres (and plenty of others) are a part of the rock and roll umbrella. As such, the best from those segments of the tree should be honored as a part of the rock and roll family – anything else would be disingenuous in an examination of “rock and roll.”
With the prerequisites set for Part III, let’s get started!
The Hall is known for putting out some nominations that make the average person say, “what the fuck?” or even question the Nomination Committee’s sanity. In the past, the picks of Fela Kuti and Sister Rosetta Tharpe fell into that category. Now, Tharpe is in the Hall (deservedly) and Kuti should be (and probably will, through the non-voting categories, this year or next). But who is that choice this time around?
I have two potential candidates in that arena that reach back into the foundations of rap. Long credited with the creation of the genre, DJ Kool Herc and Coke La Rock were the Brooklyn duo who were the first practitioners of “rap” styling. Herc would spin the discs on the turntable to provide the backbeat while La Rock spoke over the bass lines, detailing life in the inner cities and the struggles that were faced by those in dire situations. There was also a great deal of braggadocio, which was a staple of early rap. Any rap artist in the Hall now, and several rock acts also, owe a debt of gratitude to these men for their work.
Continuing in the rap vein, to this point in Hall history there have only been male rap artists that have been inducted. This is the year that the Nomination Committee should take care of that lack of female representation by nominating Queen Latifahm Missy Elliott, or MC Lyte for induction. Both ladies have been the benchmark that female rap artists have been judged against and for good reason – they are the pinnacle of the genre.
With the induction of Dolly Parton in 2022 (and, I’ll be honest here, I think Dolly might have been a WTF nomination that just happened to garner more support than the Hall expected), this opens the door for a plethora of country artists to get their due from the Hall. First on that list would be Willie Nelson, who has penned some of the greatest tunes in the history of music. His “outlaw” persona has always gone against the grain of the staid country establishment, making him more “rock and roll” than some “RAWK” artists and groups that have already been inducted.
The other from the country pool to be duly recognized would be Patsy Cline. Cline set the standard for a female vocalist in the early Sixties, regardless of the genre that you’re speaking of. Her life was cut tragically short, otherwise who knows what greatness would have come out of her. There are plenty of people who have been inducted into the Hall that would vouch wholeheartedly for the inclusion of Cline in the Hall.
If the “RAWK” crowd isn’t howling and hyperventilating by this point, they will after the next couple of passages. Even though she wouldn’t be my first choice for induction into the Hall, Mariah Carey punches all the boxes when it comes to being worthy of being a member of the Hall. A record-breaking performer, with crystal-clear vocals that have been the benchmark of excellence for years, and a legacy of success state that Carey should be considered if not inducted into the Hall.
There are a couple of R&B groups that would also be worthy of consideration. The Spinners are an outside choice for induction, but The Commodores would be an even more logical selection. What might stop The Commodores from receiving their due is the induction in 2022 of their de facto leader, Lionel Richie. Here’s a shocker for you too…The Fifth Dimension is not in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame! That should be rectified tout de suite.
With all these artists and groups mentioned, there are still viable rock artists and groups that bear mentioning for induction. There’s a whole list of singer/songwriters from the Seventies – Jim Croce, Harry Chapin, Nilsson, Dan Fogelberg, Warren Zevon, Jimmy Buffett – that would be worthy considerations. There are bands such as WAR and Blood, Sweat, and Tears, that have been overlooked. And hard rock/metal’s list of talent might overshine everyone on this list – Thin Lizzy, Motorhead, Iron Maiden, Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer…I could go on, but I would just be making our metalhead friends angry!
The thing is, in a year when there isn’t a wealth of FYE (first-year eligible) contenders that will be automatic choices for induction (like Eminem in 2022, or Foo Fighters in 2021), that is the time to try to clear some of the backlogs from your rolls. 2023 is one of those years that the Hall gets a chance to reexamine some of those from the past that might be worthy of consideration and give them their shot for induction. The more time that goes by, the chances grow smaller for these artists and groups to be recognized.
So, let’s choose some of those “forgotten ones” to include here in 2023. How about:
Willie Nelson DJ Kool Herc and Coke La Rock Queen Latifah Motorhead Warren Zevon Mariah Carey The Commodores The Fifth Dimension Patsy Cline
And these are our prior selections from Part I and Part II for the Nomination Class of 2023 for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame:
Rage Against the Machine New York Dolls Kate Bush Dave Matthews Band John Prine Jane’s Addiction Fiona Apple Jewel Sheryl Crow Korn Liz Phair
Not too shabby a list, huh? But I am sure that there are some selections that I might have missed, and I am always open to hearing other suggestions! It’s also a 20-person nomination class; in the past, the Nomination Committee has usually kept the number between 15-18, so I am probably going to be disappointed in a couple of areas – at least!
We’ve got a few months to debate this issue, however. The Nomination Committee usually discusses potential nominees over the course of the year, but its pace picks up after the Induction Ceremonies. Usually, by the end of January/beginning of February (in 2022, the nominees were announced on February 2), the Hall will announce who is under consideration for induction. Then the game begins again as to who will be a part of the Induction Class of 2023 for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
With the 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies in the books, it is time for one of the other “big things” in the Hall timeline. Debating who will be the nominees for the upcoming class of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ranks up as an activity with who will be inducted next spring, as it gives many a chance to debate for their favorites. It also allows for the Hall to take care of past business, in particular with those it has nominated before.
Simply being nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is a noteworthy achievement. As we pointed out yesterday, there are a plethora of artists who are considered each year when they come eligible, alongside those who currently are eligible for consideration. We also noted yesterday that many of those who are newly eligible have absolutely no chance at being nominated. Considering that only fifteen to eighteen artists and groups are considered each year by the Voting Membership of the Hall, it is arguable that it is more impressive to even be considered for the Hall.
But that doesn’t soothe many artists, bands, or their fans. There is a litany of candidates that have been nominated multiple times and have not been elected. The band Chic would fall in this category, garnering ELEVEN nominations in their time. Once Nile Rodgers was inducted into the Hall (via the Award for Musical Excellence in 2017), Chic has never appeared on the ballot again.
You also must be on the ballot to be considered. Thus, previously nominated candidates for the Hall have a “leg up,” you might say, over other acts that have never been considered or are newly eligible. Every year some artists or bands are on the nomination list that has been down this path before – don’t expect that to change in 2023!
Without further ado, let’s look at some of those who have been nominated in the past and whom we might see again in 2023.
After Chic, who are the bands with the most nominations? That dubious honor would fall to the Detroit punk rock progenitors MC5 and R&B master Chuck Willis – both of those choices have been nominated six times previously without being inducted. I don’t see either of them earning another chance in 2023 (MC5 may only get in through one of the non-voting methods, and Willis probably never), much like I don’t see Joe Tex and the J. Geils Band (five nominations each) finding their way to the ballot again.
Of those who have been nominated recently – and within the last five years, because it is important to be in the minds of the voters – the best bet for another nomination would be Rage Against the Machine. Long considered one of the originators of the rock/rap sound melded with searing political commentary, RATM has earned four shots at induction, the latest just this year. I think it might take one more shot for the group to get in, otherwise, we’ll be looking at a non-voting method for them to enter the Hall.
Another group that might have a better shot at getting in on the 2023 nomination cycle is New York Dolls. Once again, they were just on the ballot in 2022 and have three prior nominations under their belt. Here may be the kicker for the group – in 2023, the Induction Ceremonies are due to be held in New York City. What better way to honor the punk rockers than an induction in front of their hometown crowd? In 2023, New York Dolls are going to go into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame…in one way or another. (As a side note, look for Devo to earn induction during the next ceremonies that are held in Cleveland.)
There’s a third choice from 2022 to return to the ballot in 2023, and that would be the British chanteuse Kate Bush. She has also racked up three previous nominations for the Hall and has yet to be inducted. I have mentioned previously that, if the Hall were in London instead of Cleveland, then Bush would have been an FYE inductee. Alas, Bush has had to struggle through more popular choices like Tina Turner and Stevie Nicks (both deserving inductions, don’t get me wrong) while waiting for her name to be called.
What about choices before last year? There is a list of artists who have been tapped previously that are waiting to be called again.
Since 2016, there have been 117 nominations made. From those, many have earned induction over the six years since then (by my highly unofficial count, 66). I could see a band like DMB making a return trip to the nominations list, especially after the outcry in 2020 over their winning the Fan Vote and being passed over for induction. There has also been a great deal of attention paid to 2019 nominee John Prine, who has been lauded of late for his lifetime of work.
There are three others that I’m looking at that should also merit discussion. Jane’s Addiction and Bad Brains were both nominated for the first time in 2017 and were bypassed, as was 2016 nominee Los Lobos. Of these three, it is easy to conceive that Jane’s Addiction would get another nod and be considered a strong contender for potential induction if they got the call. While Bad Brains and Los Lobos both are extremely qualified and, in my thoughts, deserve to be inducted, it might be a non-voting path for those bands.
Thus, at the end of the day, who do we have from the “previously nominated” list taking another stab at the biggest honor in rock and roll? How about:
Rage Against the Machine New York Dolls Kate Bush Dave Matthews Band John Prine Jane’s Addiction
That brings to a total of eleven of my nominees for the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Class. We’ve got to look towards those that might have been bypassed in the past plus those that don’t tick the typical “RAWK” checkbox on the list (think R&B, country, rap, and other acts). In our third and final part, we’ll consider those choices and come up with a highly preliminary list (that could change, to be honest) before the announcement of the nominees in January or February 2023.
On Saturday night in Los Angeles, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame welcomed its 2022 Induction Class into the fold. And what a night it was! The highly diverse induction class featured plenty of worthy entries and, as a bonus, also provided some once-in-a-lifetime moments on the stage. The robust power of Judas Priest, complete with the proverbial “prodigal son” guitarist K. K. Downing and drummer Les Binks, demonstrated why they should have been inducted as Performers, while Priest frontman Rob Halford’s duet with Dolly Parton on “Jolene” demonstrated the stretches of rock and roll’s coverage. Finally, two-time Hall inductee Dave Grohl’s work with Lionel Richie was memorable, as was the very-in-love Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo’s acceptance speech and blistering performance.
Alas, however, the show has come to a close. It is now time for the pundits to start to consider who might be in line to join the Hall in 2023. My punditry is going to be broken down into three parts. Up first, we’ll look at the potential newcomers to the list – who might break through that has come eligible in the past few years? In Part II, we’ll examine those who have been nominated in the past. Finally, in Part III, we’ll look through the decades for those who might have been overlooked – and many have.
Without further ado, let’s get it on (tell me you didn’t think of Marvin Gaye?)!
As we get ready to look towards 2023, that means that artists who made their first recordings in 1997 are now eligible for induction. Several viable choices might come from that year, but the reality is that only a few of them will make the grade. A look at past years will show that the success rate is low.
Looking back at the year 2000, how many artists that became eligible that year do you think have made it into the Hall? If your answer was “zero,” then you’re as much a rock historian as I am. That’s right, the Class of 2000 has inducted nobody, although members of Jefferson Starship and Marc Bolan (with T. Rex) have been ensconced in the Hall. This includes such fan favorites as Bad Company, The Commodores, and KC & The Sunshine Band, plus critically acclaimed artists such as Brian Eno, Ian Dury and The Blockheads, The Residents, and Robert Palmer.
In looking at those newly eligible in 2022 (for the 2023 class), there aren’t names that leap out at you as surefire nominees. Perhaps it is because 25 years is such a brief time in life, it doesn’t seem like it should be a guideline for someone’s career to be judged. That is the standard that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame uses, however, so we must abide by that – until they up it to thirty or, maybe even forty, years.
According to Future Rock Legends, there are SEVENTY artists and groups that are newly eligible for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Naturally, there are some of these artists that have no chance in hell of even entering the Hall, so we can immediately issue the “thanks for playing” card to artists like Duncan Sheik, Foxy Brown, Tech N9ne, Busta Rhymes, and groups like Apocalyptica, Fastball, Fun Lovin’ Criminals, and Nada Surf. There is a handful, however, that bear a little more thought.
Two of those choices will send the “RAWK” denizens screaming into the night. Both N*Sync and The Spice Girls are newly minted “first-year eligible” members of the class of 2022 and both bear some thought. Both bands were practitioners of the “girl” or “boy” group sound that has become even more prevalent in today’s music world, with bands like BTS and Blackpink making their impact known. In 2021, however, Backstreet Boys didn’t even get a breath for an induction, so I am not expecting to hear either of these groups called up come January 2023.
There are three members of the hard rock/metal community that will bear watching. The Christian rock band Skillet, Iowa’s Slipknot, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra all are eligible now for induction into the Hall, and two of them I view as potentially viable. Slipknot is a given, with their impact on the hard rock world still being felt today. The other is TSO – I know, that may sound like a stretch, but the development of symphonic metal has been greatly advanced by TSO over the years. Although we’ve advanced a couple here, we’ve got to also recognize the anti-hard rock/metal bias that the Hall has – and we’ll have to table these two until we put together the entire list of potential inductees.
There are four left that might have a chance at being an FYE nomination. Two of them are critical darlings, Fatboy Slim and Fiona Apple, whom the Hall would absolutely love to induct. Their problem, however, is not an extensive amount of commercial success for either act. The other two have the exact opposite problem – Matchbox Twenty and Nickelback have long been fan favorites (even Nickelback), but their critical acclaim is lacking.
So, let’s move on to the other years, shall we?
In 2021, we’ve already talked about Backstreet Boys, but The Chemical Brothers were also newly eligible. Electronic music, alas, is having almost as hard a time getting recognized as hard rock/metal, as we’ll see in a bit. Jewel and Garbage are both viable choices, with equal parts critical and commercial acclaim, with Deftones and Gov’t Mule having a humongous critical acclaim to post their resume on.
2020 saw the first-year eligibility of bands like Oasis (should have at least been nominated), Korn (likewise), Daft Punk (sensing a trend here), Sleater-Kinney (geez, what IS the Nomination Committee looking for?), Weezer (ditto), and Wilco (hey…), but the Hall has overlooked them so far – is another year of waiting in the offering? Finally, the Hall Nomination Committee has bypassed 2019 FYEs like Liz Phair, Outkast, Sheryl Crow, Snoop Dogg, and the Dave Matthews Band (previously nominated).
As to our “newcomers” list, who comes out alive?
If there is an FYE nominee from the 2022 list that might make the nominations, it would be Apple. Her career has been one that the Hall loves to acknowledge and, with the current vibe of the Hall towards nominating more women for induction, Apple would be a logical choice for nomination if not induction. You MIGHT see Slipknot get the nod to soothe the savage hard rock/metal beasts out there, but that might be as far as Slipknot gets (for now).
From the other years, it is about time that Jewel and Crow get their fair due. Once again, riding on the trend of inductions of women into the Hall, they would be the most likely choices. Sleater-Kinney might make it in here, but they may be a bit too obscure for some to get behind them. I’d love to see Daft Punk, Korn, Phair, Outkast, and Snoop all get the call for nomination, but I also understand that the Hall isn’t my personal jukebox. If one of them got chosen, I’d be happy.
For Part I of our choices for the 2023 Nominations List, here’s what we’ll start with:
Fiona Apple Jewel Sheryl Crow Korn Liz Phair
Here’s the thing, though…we’ve still got two more groups to consider! In the next part of this series, we’ll look back at those who have been previously nominated. In many cases, it takes multiple nominations before an artist or band is inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Who do you think might be the ones who are nominated for 2023 that have been nominated before?
***WRITER’S NOTE*** I originally did this series on my personal website. As it deals with music and its history, I felt that I should have it here too. You can catch up with the rest of the entries at the end of this essay!
There is a term in the music industry – a “one hit wonder” – for an artist or a band that has one massive hit that simply overpowers everything that the act does for the rest of their career. But there are also those that had that one massive hit and, despite their best efforts, are unable to equal the quality or success of that masterpiece. The self-titled album from the band Boston falls into this category.
Released in August of 1976, Boston was a monumental occurrence in the world of rock and roll. What makes it even more impressive is the backstory to the album. That backstory would not have been heard, however, if it weren’t for the fact that the record was an immense moment in the passage of rock and roll time, making it truly memorable and worthy of this list.
In the early 1970s, guitarist Tom Scholz and singer Brad Delp had put together several songs that made the rounds of the labels, but there were no takers for what they were offering. Their demo tape would eventually make its way to Epic Records, who took a flyer on the duo and signed them to a deal. Indicative of the upcoming history of the band, the issues started almost immediately.
Epic, having spent the money to sign the duo, naturally wanted to keep an eye on their purchase in having them record in Los Angeles. Scholz wasn’t having that, however, preferring to work in his sanctuary of a home recording studio back in Boston. Scholz was not just being a tempestuous artist – he actually had developed recording concepts, without the usage of synthesizers, keyboards storing sounds or other electronic trickery, which could only be recreated in his basement studio, thus requiring the creation of the album on the East Coast instead of the West. Using his co-producer, John Boylan, as an intermediary with Epic Records, Scholz set about recreating the demo tapes for the inaugural album.
Scholz played nearly all the instruments on that debut album, with Delp’s soaring vocals carrying the tunes to meteoric heights. There were other players who would contribute to the record and, in fact, be listed as members of the band “Boston” (including Barry Goudreau on guitar, bassist Fran Sheehan, and drummer Sib Hashian), but the original work was all Scholz.
The album was an instant success. Boston would go on to become, at the time, the biggest debut album in the history of the industry, eventually selling over 17 million copies. All eight of the tracks on the record were constantly played on Album Oriented Rock (AOR) radio, and three of the songs, “More Than a Feeling,” “Long Time” (often played with its intro, “Foreplay,” on AOR radio), and “Piece of Mind,” were Top 40 hits. The band Boston would become a touring force on the “arena rock” circuit, alongside such bands as Foreigner, Kansas, and REO Speedwagon.
So, what made the album so special? It is difficult to quantify this, but simply put each song on Boston was given meticulous attention by Scholz to make it as perfect as possible. Part of the charm of the album, especially in the era of disco and its overdubbed drums and bass beats, what the factor that there was no computerization or electronic effects on the record. It was purely Scholz and Delp, doing what they did best.
It certainly helped that each song would have been a singular masterpiece in its own right. “More Than a Feeling” kicked off the record, followed up by the acoustic/electric work on “Peace of Mind.” Then you had the epic “Foreplay/Long Time,” which would have been a wasteful excess in the hands of another artist but served as a triumphant and exciting close…to just the first side of the album.
The second side of Boston could have been forgiven if it were filler, but Scholz’s meticulous nature would not allow that to happen. In fact, the second side of this album puts to shame pretty much anyone else’s FIRST side of an album. You had the dual guitar rockers “Rock & Roll Band” and “Smokin’” to lead off Side Two, before segueing in to a slowdown to the ending climax in “Hitch a Ride” and “Let Me Take You Home Tonight” (“Something About You” would have been better placed ahead of “Hitch a Ride,” but this is a quibbling point).
To put it bluntly, it was eight songs of excellence from a perfectionist (maybe two, counting Delp). But it was also unsustainable.
When you have the type of success that Boston did, it was almost automatic that you would be back in the studios to do a follow up. Scholz, Delp and Company did just that, following up this masterpiece two years later with a decent but uninspired Don’t Look Back. It had its share of success, especially with the title track, but it did not have the same cachet that the Boston album garnered.
Then began Boston and Scholz’s Long Exodus. Frustrated with the pace that Epic wanted regarding the band’s album releases and touring schedule, Scholz would enter the courtroom to battle it out with Epic (the band and Scholz would eventually win the lawsuit). A long eight years would pass before the band Boston would release another album (the intriguing Third Stage) but, by that point, the music world has passed the band by.
It would be another eight years before the final Boston album was released, 1994’s Walk On, which was empty with the lack of Delp on the vocals, and Boston was essentially over. Sure, Scholz has continued to issue albums under the Boston moniker, but they lack the same vitality that was found in the early work of him and Delp. The last album by this version of Boston, Life, Love & Hope, was released in 2013.
Here is a subject that comes up frequently when Boston, the band, is discussed. If their debut was such an impressive album, why aren’t they feted with induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? The reason is a simple one – the music that the band performed didn’t break any new ground, they were minimally influential, and they did nothing to change the direction of “rock and roll.” Boston was a good rock band, but they were far from an immortal (you could also discuss Scholz getting more attention for his production and guitar innovations, but that is a subject for another time).
There is no shame is having one of the great albums in the history of rock and roll, however, and that is what Boston, the album, was. The record was a monumental piece of 70s arena rock folklore that deserves to be respected. It is also critical that any record collection should have the album to capture that snapshot in time.
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