It’s Only Rock ‘N Roll, But We Like It
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which I had the pleasure of visiting back in 2008, has just released its list of nominees for induction in 2020. On the ballot for the first time are the Doobie Brothers, Soundgarden, Motorhead, Dave Matthews, T. Rex, and Thin Lizzy…The Doobies and Thin Lizzy aren’t ALREADY in?? Also on the list of nominees are Judas Priest, Pat Benatar, Depeche Mode, The MC5, Nine Inch Nails, Todd Rundgren, Whitney Houston, Kraftwerk, the Notorious B.I.G. and Rufus featuring Chaka Khan. People can and will quibble about who should and shouldn’t be in this current group, but I’ve always felt more intrigued by who gets left OUT rather than who’s nominated to go in. If you look at things like record sales and original group longevity, a band like Motley Crue would be a shoe-in. And THAT would lead to some hot debates…according to Pitchfork.com, some of the artists who became eligible for induction in 2020 and could have been nominated include Oasis, Weezer, Aaliyah, Daft Punk, Elliott Smith, Sleater-Kinney, and Wilco. Let the rock ‘n roll debates begin!
John Young
