The United States of America has often touted itself as the “Melting Pot” of the world. We will let some other website debate the validity of that statement. For now, we will simply slot the ironically named band, War as the band on our list that we think best serves the Melting Pot analogy.
There is no rule in music that says that you have to be a commercial success to make a difference. Hüsker Dü fits that category as they were considered influential by countless bands though they themselves never really broke past cult status.
Our next act is a band that will likely be beat out for induction by other 90’s Alternative acts, despite having a sound that wasn’t really like the bands they are often lumped with. Of course, it is really hard to categorize Sonic Youth with any other band, they were just that unique.
This is the man that has the unarguable distinction of having the most distinct singing voice on this list. The raspy alcohol and tobacco soaked voice of Tom Waits blends perfectly with the lyrics about the downtrodden and his ballads have much more somberness because of it. He was certainly different than the other Singer/Songwriters of the 70’s and it wasn’t just because of his unique voice.
For those who watched the original run of Good Times, it wasn’t likely that you would have pegged Janet Jackson as the cast member who would become the biggest star among them. Of course, with the last name of Jackson and her famous siblings; perhaps nobody should have been surprised.
In earlier selections the NIHOF committee debated the merits of artists who never had success commercially be it because they were ahead of their time or just did not receive support from their label. In the case of Captain Beefheart there likely was no point in time (past, present or future) in which he could have been a commercial success. Quite likely, the Captain could probably care less.
The next selection is a band synonymous with early 60’s surf music. Jan & Dean was certainly a key part of that scene, though they always seemed to be in the shadow of the Beach Boys.
Do we even bother to raise the Progressive Rock question in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame anymore? As this list continues we find yet another band of the aforementioned genre who may be wondering what they have to be considered Hall eligible. Certainly, the fans of Emerson, Lake & Palmer are wondering the same thing.
The early 90’s brought a lot of attention to the Pacific Northwest music scene, and there were many who thought it came out of nowhere. The reality was that Alternative music in its various forms was alive and well and if anyone was the early champion of the state of Washington it might very well be the Sonics.
Many musicians crave the spotlight and as we look up and down the list we created we find many artists who fit that description. Our forty-third selection, Lou Reed seems to be an exception to that rule, as he often appeared to eschew Rock and Roll stardom in favor of his art.