Some bands just have an iconic status without really trying to. From the unique way that lead singer Lemmy sings upright into the microphone, the umlaut over the second letter ö and their biker look, Motörhead may be more recognizable visually than audibly by those whom are unfamiliar with the British rockers. Of course, fans of Motörhead could never confuse them with anyone else.
As shown by our earlier and later inclusions we don’t have a problem listing artists (in varying capacities) twice. Already on this list as a member of Roxy Music, Brian Eno would probably be in our top five should we ever get around to listing producers but for now we will settle for a solid top fifty rank for his solo work.
Considering the amount of Progressive Rock bands on this list and the lack of Progressive Rock representation in the hall we have often wondered if any of them will ever get through. Despite the relatively high ranking we are giving King Crimson and the high regard they are held in many circles, this is likely not the band that will break down the door for the rest of the genre.
Some of the artists on this list seemingly exploded out of the gate with an album that told you that they had the potential to be something special. In looking back at Depeche Mode, none of us in the NIHOF committee really thought that the band that gave us “Just Can’t Get Enough” would be a band that would have a potential Hall of Fame career.
In the early 70’s, Cat Stevens established his mark as a brilliant songwriter capable of delivering hits on both sides of the Atlantic. His songs were deep, personal and introspective and to many who were followers of the Singer/Songwriter movement, Cat Stevens was considered a member of its elite. Few could be considered so powerful with such a soft singing voice. Certainly, one to march to his own tune, Stevens turned his back on the music industry, converted to Islam and has until recently has been largely out of the public eye.
Many of the musicians on this list create a polarizing opinion as to their “validity”. In the latter half of the 1960’s, there likely was no group that separated fans as much the Monkees did. Their bubblegum image and status as a corporate creation were labels that they couldn’t shake, and despite the fun solid music they made they were a group that was not considered “cool” at their height.
We at NIHOF were pleasantly surprised by the recent induction of the Ventures to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Although we were happy for them, we couldn’t help but feel that someone else who represented the Surf sound should have gotten in there first.
A few of us remembered at NIHOF when Stevie Ray Vaughan passed away in a tragic helicopter crash. A running joke that went around was how terrible it was that Stevie Ray was dead and all the New Kids on the Block are still alive.Nearly twenty years later, his fans miss him as much as they did when he was first taken (and are still cranky that all five New Kids are still alive).