How the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame Works

Every Spring, as the pot plants bloom and another class is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I read SOOOOOOO many posts from d-bags about who's in, who's not, why they're not, etc.


I'm a rocker, I understand these critics and the record biz, so here it is.


Officially, a performer is eligible for the Rock Hall 25 years after the release of their first record under that name. Bruce Springsteen was inducted in 1999. But "Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band" won't be eligible until 2011; the first release bearing that name was the (underwhelming) Live 1975-85 compilation.


There's also a gray area regarding which members of a group are inducted. Santana has had 8,000 members in the last 40 years. Yet only the original, "classic" lineup (1967-1972) is in the HoF. The rules can be bent, however, by the powers-that-be. Fleetwood Mac started as a British blues band fronted by Peter Green and (alleged molester) Jeremy Spencer. Then they morphed toward a poppier sound with hitmaker Bob Welch. Then came the most popular lineup with Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham. All of these folks are in except Welch (from the middle lineup). Weird. It's the same reason Dave Winfield is wearing a Padres cap in Cooperstown.


Who makes these calls? Jann Wenner (founder of Rolling Stone), Ahmet Ertegun (founder of Atlantic Records) and other music biz giants running the Rock Hall Board. Who can blame them? They put the Rock Hall together, they’ve discovered/mentored hundreds of talented musicians... why would they want to crap up the HoF with acts they find unworthy?


They decide who is nominated, when, which members, under what name, etc. It's then up to a huge pool of music biz professionals (ranging from Paul Shaffer to George Martin) to actually vote on the inductees.


Is this the RECORD SALES Hall of Fame? NO! If it were, The Carpenters, George Michael, Barry Manilow and Lionel Richie would have been inducted by now.



Is this the MUSIC Hall of Fame? NO! Otherwise, you'd have Gershwin and Paul Whiteman next to Cher and the Four Lads.


Is this the INTERNATIONAL Music Hall of Fame? NO! Then you'd see Wagner and Ravi Shankar with Bryan Adams and Pink Lady.


Is this even the POP Hall of Fame? Somewhat.



Unofficially, getting into the Rock Hall requires an act to have AT LEAST two of the following four criteria in their corner:


critical acclaim

huge record sales (POP, as in popularity)

influence on future acts

love from the Rock Hall board of Ertegun, Wenner, etc. (this one sticks in the craw of every Rock Hall naysayer)



Some acts are slam dunks: Elvis, The Beatles, Chuck Berry, The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, etc. But The Dave Clark Five, The Hollies, Donna Summer... none of these acts were on the radar a decade ago. Yet love from the board eventually melted the hearts of voters.


The Velvet Underground sold maybe 14 albums in their lifetime, but their huge influence continues to this day. (Love from the board helps).


Neil Diamond, Grand Funk, Chicago and Journey were all popular in their day, but critics hated them and their music isn't played much anymore (aside from a couple of singles). Influence? Minimal. Yet I read far too many complaints about their exclusion. Again, would the Hall invite chronic bed-wetters to their pool party? NO!


The Monkees were very popular for 2 years, marginally influential ("look at this show, ma! I wanna start a band!"), but critically dismissed. Davy Jones contends that Wenner has a personal dislike for the group, which is a shame. Most of the great Motown acts (Temptations, Supremes, Four Tops, etc.) sang while others played on and wrote their records. The Monkees started out that way, then began playing and writing as well. Give 'em a shot!


Hall & Oates were hugely popular, critics were indifferent, yet they have proven increasingly influential in the 25 years since they stopped having hits. The Board must have a problem.


The Moody Blues were quite popular from 1967-81. Yet there are few symphonic pop bands out there today. Critics have always felt their albums were contrived. (Examples include the spoken word sections of Days of Future Passed and the prologue to "Ride My See-Saw," neither of which has aged well.) So they have a long wait. My suggestion: The Moodies need a concise, highly visible compilation of their magnificent singles to reignite interest. Queen's Classic Queen in the early '90s brought them back into the U.S. limelight, along with Wayne's World and Freddie Mercury's death. I recommend a new compilation, then placing "I'm Just a Singer In a Rock and Roll Band" in a movie, commercial or even video game, and then killing one of the members. Or at least having him disappear in Russia for a few years. Justin Hayward, I'm looking in your direction.


These rules apply only to musical acts. The HoF now has additional, separate categories for record executives, producers, engineers, sidemen and the other talented, overlooked individuals who serve as the glue between the gears of Rock.


Quincy Jones produced Thriller, Off the Wall and countless other hits. Yet in 1991, he gave a rambling, self-serving speech while inducting Ahmet's then-recently deceased brother, Nesuhi, who co-founded Atlantic. Jones is not in the Hall... yet.


Obviously, induction into the Rock Hall is a complicated mess of politics. It's not just about who was the most popular or who had the truest rock and roll outlaw spirit (where's Waylon Jennings?). In the next 10 years, as the number of eligible, un-inducted rock acts dries up, what will the Hall do? Open a hip-hop wing? Close up shop? Change their name to the "Music Hall of Fame"? I suspect they’ll be forced to revisit some of the overlooked acts of the "rock era" (which I define as 1955-85), before plunging headlong into hip hop. My predictions follow. Bear in mind I’m not a fan of many of these acts, but I feel they will still be considered:



The WHY AREN'T THEY IN YET? List These acts should get in right away:

-Ringo Starr (as a solo artist; how many kids took up the drums because of Ringo?! The man's had three hit albums and 7 Top 10 singles, including 2 #1's!)

-Hall & Oates

-Quincy Jones (as a Producer)

-Def Leppard

-Beastie Boys

-Little Feat

-Randy Newman

-Merle Haggard

-Lee "Scratch" Perry

-Lou Reed

-Todd Rundgren

-The Faces/Small Faces

-War




The Next Decade List :

Guess Who

Huey Lewis and the News

Kiss

Stevie Ray Vaughn

Heart

Rush

Roxy Music

J. Geils Band

Sting (solo)

Harry Nilsson

Moody Blues

Badfinger

The Spinners

Cliff Richard

Donovan

Procol Harum

Gram Parsons

Stephen Stills (solo)

Ry Cooder

Jethro Tull

Yes

Steve Miller

Rick James

Jan & Dean

Alice Cooper

The Monkees

The Doobie Brothers

Deep Purple

Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels

Judas Priest

Rufus Thomas

Donna Summer

Phish

Randy Travis

Chicago

Sonic Youth

Carole King (as a Performer; she's already in as a writer)

The E Street Band (may not be eligible till 2012 due to a ridiculous technicality; Bruce was inducted in 1999)

Spinal Tap

Bernie Taupin (as a Writer)

Norman Whitfield (he was Motown's biggest Producer/Writer in the 70s, mostly working with the Temptations)

Al Jolson (early influence; ask David Lee Roth!)

Jimmy Miller (produced all the great Stones albums in the 60s and 70s, plus Traffic, Spencer Davis Group and Motorhead)

Geoff Emerick (engineered every Beatles album from Revolver through Abbey Road, plus "Band On the Run" and LPs by Elvis Costello and Jeff Beck)

Chuck Britz (engineered all the Beach Boys and Jan & Dean hits in the 60s)

John Coltrane (as an early influence)

Al Kooper (for Lifetime Achievement: discovered Skynyrd; started the Blues Project and Blood Sweat & Tears; exec at Columbia Records)

Ed Sullivan (as a Non-Performer; DICK CLARK is in for the same category)



FUTURES (will be eligible in the next decade or so):

Snoop Dog

NWA

Public Enemy

Mariah Carey

Kanye West

50 Cent

Salt n Pepa

Boyz II Men

Babyface

Soundgarden

Green Day

STP

Hole

Steve Albini

Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman (founders of Sub Pop)

Simon Cowell (American Idol)

Black Crowes

Guns 'n Roses

Nirvana

Pearl Jam

Ice Cube

Ice-T

Rage Against the Machine

Sheryl Crow

Dave Mathews Band

Pantera

Dr. Dre

Janet Jackson