Glaring omissions from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (article)

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Glaring omissions from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

April 14, 10:39 PM · 5 comments

On April 3rd, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland inducted the Class of 2009, which included performers Jeff Beck, Little Anthony & the Imperials, Metallica, Run-D.M.C., and Bobby Womack. It was an eclectic list to say the least. These inductees were chosen by 600 voters of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, and they all met the criteria that their first recording was released at least twenty-five years ago.

Any time there is a vote for anything – US President, student council treasurer, etc. - some people will not agree. So here is a list of artists who deserve to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame but aren’t … while Patti Smith, Brenda Lee, and The Lovin’ Spoonful are. Go figure.


Hall & Oates: With seven Number 1 singles and nearly 30 Top 40 singles, you’d think these guys from Philadelphia would get some respect. With over 40 million albums sold, they are the most successful recording duo in history. But their stigma is a lack of critical respect. Who says it’s not cool to like Hall and Oates? Critics can’t let their guard down and say Out of Touch is a great sounding single or that Abandoned Luncheonette was soul music meets alt country long before there was alt country. These guys still make music and tour. If you are judging them on Maneater or the hand claps in Private Eyes, you are missing the bigger picture. Maybe the HOF’s excuse is that they don’t know whether to use “and” or the ampersand for the duo's name.

Electric Light Orchestra: From 1972 to 1986, ELO accumulated twenty-seven Top 40 hit single appearances in both the UK and the US, and they also hold the dubious distinction of having the most Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 hits of any band in US chart history without ever having a #1 single. Perhaps the HOF has forgotten them because they are uncertain exactly who to induct. Who officially makes up ELO? The band began as a trio (Jeff Lynne, Bev Bevan, and Roy Wood) and ended as one (Lynne, Bevan, and Richard Tandy). In between, they were often a seven-piece. Their 2001 release Zoom was really a Jeff Lynne solo album with the ELO name on it. Why are they not in? A Jeff Lynne bias perpetuated by people like The Courier Journal’s Jefferey Lee Puckett exists. Lynne was not solely some Beatles derivative. He was responsible for dozens of catchy tunes and innovative arrangements. Eldorado holds up against any concept album from the 70s. His great success as a producer adds to the fact that Lynne’s omission from the HOF is as unjustified as Seth Rogen’s comedic success.

The Moody Blues: More than fourteen years after their stunning debut Days of Future Passed, they hit their commercial peak with Long Distance Voyager. Here’s another band that doesn’t get the respect they deserve for their 18 platinum albums. The less informed may think “Your Wildest Dreams is too schmaltz rock for me.” Well then give Question or Legend of a Mind a listen to respect their musical innovativeness.

Rush: Never much of a band for hit singles (and no, Geddy Lee’s Take Off with Bob and Doug Mackenzie Brothers doesn’t count), this Canadian band has always sold albums with ease to the tune of 24 gold records. Their most recent album, Snakes & Arrows, debuted at #3 on the US charts, and its subsequent tour placed them in the top 10 profitable touring acts in 2007 and 2008. Like them or not, Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart are three outstanding musicians. OK, so the complex song structure. Lee’s voice, and the length of their tunes may shy you away from them, but they are a quality band who is still relevant thirty-five years after their first release. (Oh and like you’ve never made that Spirit of Radio guitar sound with your voice. Right) Needless to say they are in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, but that’s a little like winning the Grey Cup and not the Super Bowl.

KISS: OK, these guys can only write banal and juvenile lyrics, and yes, they did record one of the most wretched songs ever, Lick It Up. But they also have some pretty fine stuff in their canon. Hard Luck Woman, Shandi, and Do You Love Me are good songs. Not good KISS songs – just good songs. If you look into the band a little closely, you may gain some newfound musical respect for Paul Stanley, who can play some nimble guitar and has the perfect arena rock voice. His partner, Gene Simmons, is arguably musically inept, but he is a master of promotion and marketing. They are still a spectacle after all these years – even with two other guys wearing Peter Criss and Ace Frehley’s make up. If part of HOF criteria is cultural impact, how can KISS not be in there? Seriously, it’s crazy. Are they being snubbed because the HOF does not know who to include as a member of KISS? Actually, that may not be such a crazy idea. Gene, check your ego, and welcome Peter and Ace back as members not hired help, and that may sway some voters’ minds. Like them or not, they are a fascinating band.

Peter Gabriel: Dress up like a giant flower and people hold it against you. Maybe Gabriel is too cerebral for the HOF voters. I’m trying to think of a reason he’s not in there and can't think of one. He has matched great commercial success with much critical acclaim. He has done humanitarian work, promoted world music, worked on film scores, and made consistently quality music for more than thirty years as a solo artist. The video for Sledgehammer may be the best known music video of all time, and the song was massively popular worldwide. In fact, it hit #1 in the US, knocking his old band mates Genesis’ Invisible Touch out of the top spot – which leads us to …

Genesis: It’s hard to believe this band is not in the HOF. It’s the Phil Collins backlash taking effect big time. Collins, either with Genesis or solo, was on the radio constantly in the mid 80s. Invisible Touch had five Top 5 singles in the US. The thing is, that was far from one of their better albums. To fairly look at the band, you have to go beyond Collins, Sussudio, his appearances on Miami Vice, and his Disney collaborations. The last record he did with Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks, We Can’t Dance, was an excellent record if you discount the tepid I Can’t Dance single. Take a listen to Mad Man Moon, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, and Follow You Follow Me, and you may soon appreciate their staying power.

Well, who else belongs? Alan Parsons should get some HOF recognition for his work with his band The Alan Parsons Project and his engineering work (Abbey Road and The Dark Side of The Moon to name a couple). While not known to many Americans, The Jam were a British phenomenon that had 18 consecutive top 40 singles from 1977-1982. The Sex Pistols are in the HOF and The Jam isn’t. I don't buy that. The Jam has influenced some of today's most popular acts like Oasis and Green Day. Yes is another progressive rock band not given its due. Much like the Moody Blues, they enjoyed their greatest commercial success many years after their first release. If you watched MTV in 1983, you couldn’t help but see the video for Leave It. R.L. Burnside might get a look. This North Mississippi native played music for decades before receiving some well deserved acclaim late in life with releases on Fat Possum Records. And finally, Jethro Tull made the flute cool, and that takes some hard work. Despite what the Grammies say, they aren’t a heavy metal band.

There will always be debate on matters like this. Anyway, what would message boards be if people couldn’t complain? So, I will shake my head as to why Jefferson Airplane and The Velvet Underground are enshrined and ELO is not. I will remain miffed as to why progressive rock gets no respect. But much like Jim Marshall’s omission from the National Football League’s Hall of Fame, there’s always going to be some poor decisions that leave worthy candidates on the outside looking in.

whether you agree with the current version or not(Im not an arnel fan myself) Journey absolutely deserves to be in the HOF. Its a travesty and a joke that they are snubbed every year.