The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees were announced sometime around noon today. From what I can tell, 15 bands/artists are nominated, and 5 of them are choosen for induction in December. Without further ado, here are the nominees:
1. Alice Cooper. Yep, they're finally giving Alice Cooper some recognition. Long overdue, but better late than never. I can't help but feel like he could be the Susan Lucci of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame though. Overlooked for years and years before getting a pity nod. And of course, this is only a nomination; we'll see if he's inducted or not.
2. Bon Jovi. The state of New Jersey rejoices. As for the rest of us... I mean, have they really done anything decent since Slippery When Wet? I guess I'm ok with it ultimately. Richie Sambora is a great guitar player; I'll say that much. But in terms of influential 80's bands that were eligible this year, there are many that are far more deserving than Bon Jovi.
3. Tom Waits. This one came as a surprise to me. I dig Tom Waits, in small doses. He does have one of the most unique voices in modern music, and a lot of bands list him as an influence. I'm cool with his nomination, but I fear this could be the "look at us; aren't we so very hip" nomination this year.
4. Neil Diamond. Hmm... He's been eligible since 1991, so I suppose if he's going to be recognized, now's the time... maybe? Chalk this one up as the "completely out of left field" nomination. Is he rock and roll? Boy, I just don't know... He's got a great voice, and I like a few of his songs quite a bit, but this one's leaving me puzzled. Sorry Neil.
5. Donovan. Another surprise for me, though only because I figured he'd remain overlooked for longer. I can't argue with this one. He deserves at least a nomination.
6. J Geils Band. Love Stinks, Centerfold, Freeze Frame... They're one of those bands that I don't recognize by name, even though I know the songs. They've been nominated before, so obviously somebody really wants them to be included. I'm ok with it.
7. LL Cool J. No big surprise here. There seems to be an unwritten law that at least one hip hop/rap artist must be included in the nominations. I have a problem with this nomination. All due respect to LL Cool J, I think he's a talented artist, but he's just simply not a rock and roll musician.
8. Beastie Boys. Sigh... The ironic thing is, the Beastie Boys began as a hardcore punk band, heavily influenced by Bad Brains. But Beastie Boys failed as a punk band, so they turned to rap. Rap worked for them, so they've stuck with it. At least they have their roots in rock and roll, and they still incorporate punk and rock and roll into their style. But this, to me, is a perfect example of "If you're considering X band, why not Y band?" Certainly Bad Brains should be recognized before Beastie Boys.
9. Dr. John. I'm not terribly familiar with his work, to be honest... Ah, he did Right Place, Wrong Time. A good song, no doubt. But apparently it was his one hit. He'll probably pull at the New Orleans apologists' heart strings enough to get in.
10. Donna Summer. Hot Stuff, She Works Hard for the Money... Yeah, she's disco. Disco sucks, and doesn't belong in the rock and roll hall of fame. Next.
11. Chic. More disco. Sure, Sugarhill Gang sampled the bassline from one of their songs on Rapper's Delight... but that's a rap song. This is the rock and roll hall of fame. Next.
12. Laura Nyro. Eh, I've heard Wedding Bell Blues, but I really don't know anything about her.
13. Darlene Love. Not familiar with her either. iTunes seems to pull up her Christmas album above all else. Apparently she's a soul singer? K. Shrug. Next.
14. Chuck Willis. Eh, ok. A 50's r&b singer. Must have fallen through the cracks when the others were nominated and inducted years ago. CC Rider is a cool song.
15. Joe Tex. Another soul singer. One of his songs is on the Grindhouse soundtrack (Quentin Tarantino & Eli Roth's movie/movies) so it's not completely out of left field.
So, who will be inducted? Most likely: LL Cool J, Bon Jovi, Chuck Willis, Neil Diamond, Dr. John.
Possibly: Donna Summer, J Geils Band, Chic, Laura Nyro, Joe Tex
Long Shot: Alice Cooper, Donovan, Beastie Boys, Darlene Love, Tom Waits
Who should be? Alice Cooper, Donovan, Megadeth, Kiss, Joan Jett. Of course, Joan Jett, Kiss and Megadeth weren't nominated. So... Alice Cooper, Donovan, Tom Waits, J Geils Band, and... eh, Neil Diamond?
We'll see what happens in December.
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