This weekend, Clevelandβs Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will induct its class of 2015. Joan Jett, Ringo Starr, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Lou Reed, Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, Bill Withers, Green Day, and The 5 Royales will join the hallowed halls of the museum dedicated to honoring the greatest artists in rock and roll history.
Criteria for induction include βthe influence and significance of the artistsβ contributions to the development and the perpetuation of rock and roll.β Each year, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation nominating committee selects a group of nominees. An international voting body of βsix-hundred artists, historians and members of the music industryβ then vote, and those with the highest totals are awarded a place in the Hall of Fame.
The voting body doesnβt choose the nominees — they merely pick from the artists presented to them by the Hall of Fame Foundation nominating committee. The committee membership is not disclosed, nor is the secretive process for determining each yearβs nominees, though Rolling Stoneβs editor and founder Jann Wenner, current Chairman of the foundation, is said to be its most influential voice. Wenner has insisted that he isnβt on the nominating committee, but rumors abound that multiple former and current Rolling Stone writers are.
The conversation invariably turns to those artists who have yet to be ushered into the Hall of Fame. Weβve chosen 25 such artists and bands, covering a broad spectrum of musical genres, who more than deserve the honors.
An artist or band is eligible for induction to the Hall of Fame 25Β years after their first album is released. Weβve noted that year in parentheses next alongside their name. This list is by no means definitive, so please be sure suggest artists you feel deserve Hall of Fame recognition in the comments at the conclusion of this article.
In 2014, one of the greatest backing bands of all-time was inducted into the Hall of Fame: The E Street Band, whose musical support was a major factor in Bruce Springsteenβs storied career. Itβs time for another, very different, group of backing musicians to be inducted — Crazy Horse. Billy Talbot, Ralph Molina and Frank βPonchoβ Sampedro are Neil Youngβs galloping, hard-rock firing table. Young doesnβt always record and tour with Crazy Horse, but when he gets the itch to ramp them up, itβs a ragged, raw, electrifying experience. The Horse haveappeared on many of Youngβs greatest albums, and their distinct loping, loose-knit groove has provided a lurching backdrop for him to unleash his inner garage-rock demons on classics like βCinnamon Girl,β βDown By the River,β and βCowgirl in the Sand.β Crazy Horse doesnβt play within the lines — their style is like a boulder rolling downhill — and from a technical standpoint are not the worldβs greatest musicians, but the feel and chemistry with Young is oh-so right. Theyβll sit idly by, sometimes for years on end, while Young records acoustic-based projects or works with other musicians. But heβs always returned to Crazy Horse.
Boston-based new wave pioneers The Cars are one of the most iconic bands of their era, and remain popular today. From their self-titled debut in 1978 to 1987βs Door to Door, their final release before breaking up, the band notched five platinum albums and thirteen Top 40 hits in America. The Cars blended edgy guitar-rock, nimble synthesizer riffs, gangly front-man Ric Ocasekβs oddly clipped vocals, and strong melodic hooks to create a tight, highly distinct brand of rock with enduring appeal. Important singles include βJust What I Needed,β βLetβs Go,β βShake It Up,β βYou Might Think,β and their biggest hit, βDrive,β featuring lead vocals by the late Benjamin Orr. The band reunited in 2011 with the release of their seventh album Move Like This and a successful tour. Itβs a crime theyβre not yet in the Hall of Fame.
Despite Hall of Fame nominations in 2009, 2012 and 2015, this talented California-based funk/R&B combo, originally fronted by the Animalsβ Eric Burdon, remains on the outside looking in. They recorded the classic 1970 album Eric Burdon Declares βWarβ featuring the smash single βSpill the Wine,β War recorded one more album with Burdon before going solo in 1971. They reached their commercial and artistic peak with 1972βs The World is a Ghetto, which hit #1 on both the Billboard Pop and R&B album charts. Altogether, the influential combo scored twelve Top 40 hits, including seven that reached the Top 10.
Formed in 1968, British hard-rockers Deep Purple started as a progressive rock band, but as their line-up shifted, morphed into a locomotive hard-rock machine. Their most successful period featured vocalist Ian Gillan, the great Ritchie Blackmore on guitar, Jon Lord on thunderous keyboards and organ, bassist Roger Glover and drummer Ian Paice. Their most successful album, 1972βs Machine Head, one of the great pillars of β70s rock, included the single βSmoke on the Water,β whose foreboding riff is among the most instantly recognizable in rock history. Their legacy as one of the preeminent rock bands of the β70s should be enough to punch their ticket to Cleveland.
Soul legend Ben E. King was nominated for induction in 1986, 1987 and 1988, but the Hall of Fame Foundation seems to have since forgotten him completely. He was inducted in 1988 as a member of The Drifters, but his solo work also deserves recognition. His first major solo hit was 1961βs βSpanish Harlem.β His signature song is βStand By Me,β one of the most important singles of its time. Co-written by King, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, βStand By Meβ was inducted earlier this year into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress for its βcultural, historical and aesthetic significance.β Other major solo hits by King include βAmor,β βDonβt Play That Song (You Lied),β βSupernatural Thing, Part 1,β and βDo It in the Name of Love.β
Regardless ofΒ the induction of Metallica and Black Sabbath, heavy metal has long been neglected by the Hall of Fame. This needs to change, and at the top of the list are British metal pioneers Iron Maiden. They first landed in 1980 with their raw, punk-influenced self-titled debut, but really took off after the addition of powerhouse vocalist Bruce Dickinson and the release of the 1982 behemoth The Number of the Beast. Known for over-the-top live shows and gruesome album art featuring the recurring character βEddie,β Iron Maiden remains one of the worldβs biggest concert draws. They maintain a large and dedicated U.S. fan base and have made 14 appearances on the Billboard album chart. Their most recent release, 2010βs The Final Frontier, was a global chart-topper, a testament to their lasting relevance. Iron Maidenβs brand of metal is high-powered, melodic, with razor-sharp musicianship, searing guitar lines and air-raid siren vocals. Key tracks are βRun to the Hills,β βFlight of Icarus,β βHallowed Be Thy Name,β βAces High,β βWasted Years,β βThe Evil That Men Do,β and βFear of the Dark.β Iron Maidenβs monumental 35 year run is eminently deserving of recognition. Judas Priest better not be far behind.
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet itβs crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So wonβt you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each weekβs magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.