Notinhalloffame.com mourns the loss of Captain Beefheart, who passed away earlier today.  Born, Don Van Vliet, Captain Beefheart was a Avant Garde musician who pushed the boundaries of music and inspired multiple musicians.  Beefheart was our #47 selection, and will likely remain a high ranked act on our list for years to come.  We are going to sit back and listen to Trout Mask Replica and remember a man we consider a legend.

Notinhalloffame mourns the loss of Hall of Fame pitcher, Bob Feller. The legendary hurler  goes down in history as one of the greatest Cleveland Indians of all time and will be missed. His contribution to baseball  will not be forgotten.

Mr. Feller was 92 years old.

Well gang, the votes are in and like every year, surprises have occurred.

First let’s take a look at who got inducted this year.

Alice Cooper

We at Notinhalloffame.com are thrilled with this induction and will be happy to have Alice Cooper leave our list.  This was his first nomination, after being eligible for over fifteen years, and in many ways this feels like the committee is “righting a wrong”.  However, a look at the other nominees may also point at Cooper being the true “Rock” representative of the list; a possibility that becomes increasing ironic considering the name of the institution.  Regardless, when we redo our list in February, removing this name and placing him in the Current Rock and Roll Inductees will be an absolute joy.

Darlene Love

Inducted on her fourth try, this may be the one induction that will receive the most second guessing.  Nobody can question her vocal prowess, but with her muddled history and her biggest hit being of the Christmas variety, she is largely anonymous to most people at this stage.  We congratulate her, but are of the opinion that there are other artists of her generation more deserving.

Dr. John

Like Alice Cooper, Dr. John waited a long time for his first nomination and when finally nominated, got in on his first try.  It could easily be argued that “the Night Tripper” was aided by a large sentiment towards New Orleans, but his body of work is solid and with a unique sound, a certifiable hit, and critical acclaim he brings a better resume than half of the inducted artists.  He is not out of place here.

Neil Diamond

Alice Cooper may have waited a long time to be inducted, but Neil Diamond waited a lot longer.  Diamond may be thought of my some as a cheesy Adult Contemporary artist, but many within the industry consider him one of the best songwriters ever and he is easily among the most covered.  He has a large legion of fans who will be thrilled with this induction, and his detractors really should take a look at his early material and give it another listen.  He does belong in the Hall in our opinion.

Tom Waits

Uniqueness is what sets Rock Stars apart from each other, bit Tom Waits was in his own category.  His raspy voice may have been only matched by his prolific songwriting ability and though he does not have a catalogue of hits, he certainly had a long laundry list of beloved albums and legions of loyal fans.  If Leonard Cohen can get in, than Tom Waits makes perfect sense.

Those who didn’t make the cut……

The Beastie Boys

This was their second nomination and a lot of people (us included) thought it would be their year.  The inductees this year lacked a modern urban act, and despite their Caucasian exterior, the Beasties fit that bill.  With their impact and innovation, there should be no doubt that they will be nominated again.

Bon Jovi

Hands down, the most successful of the nominees, Bon Jovi would have been a marquee attraction.  They are still recording and selling out stadiums and you can count on them getting in the Hall eventually.  This may seem like a snub now, but they will get in one day.

Chic and Donna Summer

We are lumping them together as there is much in common here.  They have both been nominated many times, they are both considered icons of the Disco era, and they both will see themselves here again.  Our belief is that they cancelled each other out and as such gave them little chance to get in this year.  With that said, we would not be surprised that if one of them does get in, the other will be permanently left out.

Donovan

As much as we respect Donovan, this just felt like a token nomination and we really didn’t think he would get in.  Our guess is that will be the only time he would be placed on the ballot.  Hopefully, we are not wrong.

J. Geils Band

With all due respect to Peter Wolf and company, this is not a band that should be on their third nomination.  With that said, had they not disbanded at the height of their popularity, would they be in the Hall now?  It certainly seems like there is a strong contingent looking to put them in.

LL Cool J

Much like the Beastie Boys, we thought LL Cool J had a really good shot.  LL has been nominated two years in a row in his first two years of eligibility and this has to indicate an excellent shot for induction.  Should he be the lone Rap artist nominated in a future year, consider him a lock.

Laura Nyro

She is talented and respected, but she doesn’t have the cache name that may put her over the edge.  She is however coming off of two consecutive nominations, but her legacy isn’t exactly growing and that has to change for her to get over the hump.

Joe Tex

Now 0 for 4 in terms of nominations, Joe Tex just seems to be someone who will always be on the bubble.  Many consider his music on the goofy side, and with the amount of acclaimed songwriters they inducted this year, Tex was not someone who could have fit in with that group.

Chuck Willis

Even worse than Joe Tex’s 0 for 4, is Chuck Willis’ 0 for 6.   Five of those failed induction attempts took place consecutively between 1986 and 1990 and it was a great surprise to see Willis back on this year’s ballot.  Despite the beautiful music he created, there wasn’t a lot of it, and he just isn’t well known.  His spot, likely went to Darlene Love.

What are your thoughts on this group?  Did they get it right, or did they just nominate the wrong people in the first place?  You know our thoughts, now tell us yours!

Notinhalloffame.com congratulates Pat Gillick, who has just been selected by the Baseball Veteran's Committee for the Baseball Hall of Fame.  It is well deserved, and we are happy that he got in, as many times the Veteran's Committee selects nobody.