Time to Right Some Wrongs…Who Should Be in the 2024 Nomination Class for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?

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 21^st 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.

Renegades Radio Podcast – 2019 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nominees, Part III

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In the third and final part of our look at the 2019 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees, we critique the last five nominees for the Hall this year. Does Stevie Nicks earn her way in for a second time (she is already in with Fleetwood Mac)? Open up the Podcast to find out!

Elton John & Bernie Taupin Tribute CDs “Revamp” & “Restoration” Evoke Different Responses

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Earlier this year, the legendary pianist, vocalist and performer Elton John announced that, after 50 years on the road as a musician, he would be retiring. There’s plenty of reason to believe John when he says this – he’s never even mentioned the idea of quitting prior to 2018 and seems quite happy performing (his residency in Las Vegas was one of the hottest seats in town). The announcement of his retirement disappointed many of his longtime fans and made interest in his concert tour for the remainder of 2018 more special that simply being able to see the virtuoso.

Along with his farewell tour, John has also been feted with not one but two new CDs from artists paying tribute to the songwriting of John and his studio partner, Bernie Taupin. This isn’t the first time that the duo has gotten this treatment; back in 1991, they were the subject of a tribute album called Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin (the title of the CD reflected the fact that John and Taupin often worked separately on songs, with John coming up with the music and Taupin writing the lyrics in…two rooms). The record featured artists as diverse as The Who, Kate Bush, Oleta Adams, The Beach Boys, Wilson Phillips and Bruce Hornsby (his version of “Madman Across the Water” is nearly as good as the original) and their take on some of the classic music from John & Taupin.

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With John calling an end to his touring days, it seems natural for another trip down memory lane and instead of one CD, fans get two. There’s a reason for this: one CD, called Revamp, is filled with the top artists from the pop world and their renditions of popular John/Taupin tunes, and the other CD, called Restoration, features the best in current country music taking their shots at saluting John/Taupin. Surprisingly, it is the country side that wins out the “reimaging” (why not just “tribute”) battle between the two CDs.

Revamp kicks off with a snippet of John performing “Bennie and the Jets” before segueing into rapper Logic and P!nk joining forces for a rap/pop version of the tune. The twosome takes the classic song and make it their own, entertaining the listener and offering hopes that the remainder of the CD will be as adventurous. Unfortunately, that doesn’t come to be as pretty much every other song on the disc holds close to the original renditions.

Coldplay’s “We All Fall in Love Sometimes” falls flat, never even coming close to inspiring the listener, but Alessia Cara attempts to redeem that performance with a well-done version of “I Guess That’s Why They Call it the Blues.” Ed Sheeran turns “Candle in the Wind (2018)” into a folksy tune and Florence + the Machine hold serve with “Tiny Dancer.” Mumford & Sons (“Someone Saved My Life Tonight”) shows up for a so-so rendition before the top two performances take the CD.

Mary J. Blige demonstrates some very powerful vocals in tearing into “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word” and really does make the song hers. By far the top song on the album is the collaboration between rapper Q-Tip and Demi Lovato, who take the classic tune John performed with Kiki Dee, “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” and stand it on its head. Where the original tune was a piece of pop pablum, Q and Lovato turn it into a reggae/R&B mixed effort that comes off fabulously. Their approach wouldn’t have worked on any other song from the John/Taupin catalog, so it was outstanding that the right performers and song were matched up. Although Miley Cyrus (“Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me”) and Lady Gaga (“Your Song”) cover their respective tunes admirably, the Killers (“Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters”), Sam Smith (“Daniel”) and Queens of the Stone Age (“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” possibly the worst effort on the CD), come up short on their work.

Revamp is devoid of the artists taking their chances at recreating John/Taupin classics. For the most part, they stuck to the material and, while enjoyable, I’d rather see them stretch a bit and attempt something new. This doesn’t make Revamp bad, it’s just it pales in comparison to its companion disc.

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Surprisingly, it is the country artists that take part in the tribute on Restoration that take the most chances in their interpretations of John & Taupin’s songs. From the start of the CD, with Little Big Town delivering a daring rendition of “Rocket Man,” the country artists seem to be more comfortable with deviating from the originals. The country artists also delve deeper into the John/Taupin catalog than the pop artists did.

Although there is a repeated song – Maren Morris’ OK version of “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters” – and a repeated artist – Miley Cyrus shows up again to give a so-so performance of “The Bitch is Back” – the other artists take some chances with some deep cuts from the John/Taupin catalog. The Brothers Osborne deliver a stunning rocking version of “Take Me to the Pilot” and country legend Willie Nelson contributes a well-done version of “Border Song,” but other artists stretch their legs.

This isn’t to say they all hit the mark. Don Henley and Vince Gill give up an uninspired version of “Sacrifice” and Lee Ann Womack’s start slow/finish strong version of “Honky Cat” are a bit of a disappointment, but they are more than made up in such choices as Miranda Lambert (“My Father’s Gun”), Chris Stapleton (“I Want Love”) and Kacey Musgraves (“Roy Rogers”). Two duets bear special mention because of their uniqueness, the Rhonda Vincent/Dolly Parton collaboration on “Please” and Roseanne Cash and Emmylou Harris’ stirring rendition of “This Train Don’t Stop There Anymore.”

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For its sheer daring and stylistic changes, Restoration comes out as the better CD than Revamp. It could have been for the fact that the pop singers weren’t as well versed in Elton John’s music or that they didn’t feel comfortable taking such songs and making them their “style.” It really seemed that the country artists understood John and Taupin’s works much better, displayed in the chances they took in song choices and the way they were performed. While you can’t go wrong with either one (nor the original Two Rooms…in fact, ownership of all three is well worth having in the catalog), it is clear to see that one is better than the other.