Are you ready, music fans? Here are your 2011 Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame nominees: Alice Cooper, the Beastie Boys, Bon Jovi, Chic, Neil Diamond, Donovan, Dr. John, the J. Geils Band, LL Cool J, Darlene Love, Laura Nyro, Donna Summer, Joe Tex, Tom Waits, and Chuck Willis. Feeling a bit overwhelmed? Yeah, so are we.
Don’t get us wrong: Tom Waits had better get in, no contest, and while Alice Cooper may be a glorified novelty act, he’s certainly been influential. It’s especially nice to see the late Laura Nyro, an under-appreciated contemporary of Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez, get some well-deserved recognition. The Beastie Boys, Dr. John, Donna Summer, and LL Cool J are unquestionably legends… but they also aren’t rock musicians. Joe Tex, Darlene Love, and Chuck Willis, if not household names, are at least important historically. And then we’ve got Bon Jovi, Chic, Neil Diamond, Donovan, and the J. Geils Band. Uh, Rock Hall selection committee, are you guys running out of rock stars?
Let’s take a closer look at these five especially dubious picks, shall we? In the J. Geils Band, we’ve got a second-tier, classic-rock relic that won’t stop reuniting and is most famous for such goofy hits as “Love Stinks” and “Centerfold.” Donovan is the dude who Bob Dylan spent most of Don’t Look Back making fun of. Neil Diamond is the guy your mom likes, of “Sweet Caroline” fame (although perhaps he deserves the honor purely for penning the sparkling Monkees hit “I’m a Believer” during his tenure as a Brill Building songwriter). Bon Jovi may have been wildly popular (and who doesn’t like a drunk karaoke rendition of “Livin’ on a Prayer”), but is he anything more than a cut-rate Springsteen? We’re not saying that these artists haven’t been good for a fun pop hit every now and then. And Chic, for heaven’s sake, are the disco sensations we can blame for “Le Freak.” But they probably haven’t earned eternal enshrinement for their great contributions to the art of rock, either.
So, what gives? This year’s nominees needed to have released their first album at least 25 years before the induction date, which means we’re working with artists who have been around since 1986 or earlier. Of course, the early ’80s weren’t the best decade for rock: There was New Wave and hair metal (which hopefully won’t be producing many nominees), along with the rise of hip hop and the ascendancy of mega-pop stars like Madonna (inducted in 2008) and Michael Jackson (2001). But compared to the parade of rock legends the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s produced, the ’80s don’t look so hot. And it’ll be another half-decade before we get to deserving ’90s alt-rockers like Nirvana and Radiohead.
Could the selection committee have made better choices? Certainly everyone has their own pet picks. We might point to Joan Jett, who released her debut solo album in 1980, or her first band, The Runaways, who were among the first successful all-girl rock groups. The conservative types at the Rock Hall have consistently ignored post-punk, when bands like Joy Division should be shoo-ins. American art rock represents another massive gap, with no mention of Sonic Youth, who have been eligible for the past few years. The Smiths have never been nominated. Friends, Brian Eno, who has not only made genre-defining music himself but has produced albums for bands the Rock Hall crowd actually listens to, like U2 and Coldplay, has not been inducted. (His early band, Roxy Music, hasn’t received the nod, either.)
The point here isn’t about these exact artists. Rather, we’d just like to see the committee look beyond platinum albums and Billboard #1 singles to consider acts that have actually moved popular music forward.
Comments (32)
The RRHOF, has snubbed many past icons, and instead nominate people like Donna Summer, LL Cool J, Tom Waits, the Beastie Boys, Chuck Willis, and Chic to name a few, and they even inducted people like Blondie and Percy Sledge, while ignoring such legends as Leon Russell, The Moody Blues, Chicago, Peter Frampton, Joe Cocker and Johnny Maestro to name a few. This organization has no clue when it comes to knowledge of R&R history. HOW OLD ARE THE PEOPLE ON THE VOTING COMMITTEE, AND DO THEY EVEN KNOW WHO THE HELL JOHNNY MAESTRO IS?
[...] Bon Jovi, Beastie Boys, LL Cool J top eclectic list of Rock and …Los Angeles Times (blog)Is the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame Running Out of Rock Stars? »FlavorwireToronto Sun -WTAM.com -The Star-Ledger – NJ.comall 365 news [...]
Neil Diamond should have been inducted long before this. He is a remarkable singer songwriter. Kentucky Woman, Solitary Man, Cherry Cherry, are all brilliant 60s classics.
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“it’ll be another half-decade before we get to deserving ’90s alt-rockers like Nirvana and Radiohead.”
Are you serious? The 90s were a lost decade, the 80s produced a ton of great rock bands. If only more of the 90s bands had ended it early like Cobain did.
[...] Bon Jovi, Beastie Boys, LL Cool J top eclectic list of Rock and …Los Angeles Times (blog)Is the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame Running Out of Rock Stars? »FlavorwireToronto Sun -WTAM.com -The Star-Ledger – NJ.comall 365 news [...]
How about Chet Helms? Bill Graham is in already. Chet was one of the founding fathers of the modern rock music concert and also the psychedelic and peace movement of the 1960′s. He hitchhiked with the then unknown, Janis Joplin from Texas and brought together Joplin with Big Brother and the Holding Company, which helped shape the San Francisco music “sound.” His Family Dog Production company produced over 500 rock and roll shows. Helms died in 2005. Many have said that without Chet Helms and his spirit for “the music over money,” there would be no Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother or many other popular rock bands. Induct Chet Helms into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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Justin Beiber will beat Rush and Kiss, he is eligible in 24 years! RRHOFarts is a terrible was of time.
Hard to tell who’s more clueless, the RRHOF nominating committee, or Judy Berman. Dismissing Alice Cooper as a “novelty act” , while hyping sludge such as Nirvana shows just how idiotic she is. Without KISS, Rush, Deep Purple, Alice Cooper & the Runaways in the inductees, the RRHOF will remain as it is, nothing more than a bad joke.
if it turns out to be the Bon Jovi & Donna Summer show — I will boycott!
I say boycott the RRHOF nothing but a joke!! what is there definition of Rock and Roll? Madonna what a joke..So many deserving bands that actually deserve to be are not included. Wheres the Doobie brothers? Rush? Chicago? and the list goes on and on. Running out of stars..??? they aren’t even including the real stars of ROCK. Bad joke indeed.
I am so glad to see that there are more intelligent people on this thread than the writer. Laura Nyro had better get in and Chuck Wills! Neil Diamond and Donovan are the most worthy on this whole list. I am an African American Woman and even I know that LL Cool Whip doesnt deserve this honor (not yet anyway). I like Donna Summer a lot and she has sold a lot of records but if you are going to talk about the influence of disco Chic deserves to be inducted before she does. Bon Jovi and J Geils NO NO NO! I would put the Monkees in there before these two groups strictly for music video influence if anything and their longevity.
Doobie Bros – Chicago – Roxy Music – Bad Co.
Is this lady an idiot? Neil Diamond not worthy? Does this pompous clown think that rock music appeared one day in box of Lucky Charms in 1985 or did she get her musical appreciation education from the same guy that sold the magic beans to Jack. Lady it is a shame you are not appreciative that someone started this thing before U2. As for Laura Nyro she belongs in the Song Writers Hall of Fame without question she was never a decent performer, very loved and highly respected, not voice talented.
You have no business writing an article about performerswho founded Rock Music when you make the two faced comment that Neil Diamond is “The guy your mom likes”, fool! Don’t you think he was part of the bridge that carried the Sinatra, Dean Martin etc people into rock and roll, oh hell with it I quit.
Hawk all you want to with your nasty comments about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – No artist ever turned down the honor – Bon Jovi brings class to the Hall of Fame because they have profound respect for music and the power it has to heal – like Mr Gil Kaufman of MTV says Jersey Warhorses they are – and believe it Jon’s butt is rock hard
It does seem disappointing to hear that pop musicians are taking a precedent over deserving rock musicians that haven’t been inducted. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame seems like they want a large list of inductees when the number shouldn’t matter. This should be about Rock talent and not about creating a list of inductees.
seriously Judy. There was New Wave and hair metal (which hopefully won’t be producing many nominees. The hair metal you diss contains more talent than most in the hall. People like you shows how much the Hall is a complete joke. Donovan, Dr. John, the J. Geils Band, LL Cool J, Darlene Love, Laura Nyro, Donna Summer, Joe Tex, Tom Waits, and Chuck Willis, Chic are worthless.
When will people understand that it’s a big sales/popularity contest? I would say there’s many more “rock stars” out there that I would put into my own Hall of Fame but don’t belong in the official Hall of Fame because they don’t meet their arbitrary, non-musical standards. Just listen to and enjoy your own music. The RRHOF might make for a nice tourist stop but they’re irrelevant.
The writer wants a white male rock guitar hall of fame .Rock n roll is broader than that and always has been.Disco and hip hop may have come later to rock but so did heavy metal ,punk and most of the sub genres.The Hall of Fame gets that.
there are so many musicians who should be in the Hall of fame that are not in it yet, Stevie Ray Vaughan for one, i mean come on, when will it be his turn to be inducted? he should have been it along time ago.
Judy Berman, you’re so right on the money. All these losers (Bill, bonejack? bonehead? jack-off? Ace Steele? What a stupid name – wannabe KISS member) who are attacking you and Cobain/Nirvana, and who think that Neil Diamond is rock — they must be in their seventies and senile. It’s supposed to be the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, not the Pop Music Hall of Fame. But in reality, it’s just a hall of shame. Neil Diamond isn’t rock. And yes, Alice Cooper IS a novelty act. School’s Out? Please. Alice Cooper and KISS create third-rate, embarrassing baby music. KISS is both the biggest joke on the planet and the worst band on the planet. They have to wear all that makeup because they’re so ugly. They make Jagger and Richards look like male models. Jenny (“Justin Beiber will beat Rush and Kiss, he is eligible in 24 years! RRHOFarts is a terrible was of time”): very funny and probably true, but, again, KISS is probably even worse than Beiber, if that’s possible.
Hop-Frog? Seriously, a douchebag like you is going to comment on someone’s name? G.F.Y.S. . Alice & KISS each have sold more records than 95% of the acts in the R&R HOF. For both of them to still be viable acts 40 years later shows that neither is a “novelty act, and that you are an imbecile.
Hey, A$s-Face: I called all you morons names because you’re attacking the author of this article for having her own opinions. If you don’t agree with her opinions, that’s fine, you’re free to disagree, but don’t be an abusive jerk-off about it, okay, douchebag?
Here’s your exact quote: “Dismissing Alice Cooper as a ‘novelty act,’ while hyping sludge such as Nirvana shows just how idiotic she is.”
But in reality, you’re the immature idiot. Grow the f*** up, moron. She’s entitled to her opinions, which I happen to agree with in this case. But even if I didn’t agree with her, I wouldn’t call her names because I’m an adult. Obviously, you’re just a loser.
And you’re not just an immature idiot — you’re also a lazy idiot: “G.F.Y.S. … R&R HOF” — what’s the matter, your fingers are too tired to type out “Hall of Fame?” Then stop beating off so much and give your fingers a break. (And, for your information, “yourself” is one word, not two.)
This line is a real winner: “Alice & KISS each have sold more records than 95% of the acts in the R&R HOF.” Genius, the “R&R HOF” isn’t about record sales. Besides, I seriously question your claim about Alice Cooper’s and KISS’s record sales, although I do know that there are plenty of morons in this world who probably like KISS.
“…while hyping sludge such as Nirvana” — of course you’d think Nirvana is “sludge” — you have no taste. You think KISS is talented. Your brain — if it even exists — is sludge. Cobain had more talent in his trigger finger than the three of you (Alice Cooper, KISS, and A$s Steele) combined all have in your entire ugly bodies. “Ace Steele” — HA! More like A$s Hole. Wannabe rock star. Pathetic loser.
Alice Cooper, Ace Hole, and KISS — a bunch of ugly guys with no musical talent who need to wear stupid makeup.
“For both of them to still be viable acts 40 years later shows that neither is a “novelty act, and that you are an imbecile.”
“Viable acts?” Are you kidding? Perhaps that’s a typo; you probably meant to type “vile.” Viable — yeah, right. They just keep selling those records, keep selling out those stadiums, and everyone just keeps talking about ‘em, don’t they?
“Ace Steele” — exactly just who — or what — are you, anyway? The bastard love child of Ace Frehley and Peter Steele? God, you must really be one ugly dog, aren’t you? Woof!
U@ is in the Rock and Roll Hall a Fame. I think you need to check your references? The were inducted in 2005 looser. And more to the point the *0s made more music and more great bands then any other Decade. there was so much different styles of music that we could not keep up.
U2 is in the Rock and Roll Hall a Fame. I think you need to check your references? The were inducted in 2005 looser. And more to the point the *0s made more music and more great bands then any other Decade. there was so much different styles of music that we could not keep up.
DEEP PURPLE in ROCK and roll hall of fame
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