Performers who are eligible for Rock Hall of Fame

Barry White; Chicago; Tommy James & Shondells; Harold Melvin & Blue Notes; The Intruders; The Spinners; Patty Labelle; Jethro Tull; Emerson, Lake & Palmer; Pointer Sisters; The Chi-Lites; The Commodores & Rick James


There must be a planned conspiracy why the above referenced individuals are not in. If you can induct Abba and Neil Diamond into the Hall, there's something seriously a missed with the process.

Thank you for posting this because this forum has been dead dead dead for ages.

Now, why do you think that those artists should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

Darryl, I'm a new subscriber to this wonderful website, so please forgive me for discussing this topic so late. Anyway, in answer to your question.

With regards to my first performer that I had listed, (Barry White), The body of work that he had created speaks for its self. Mr. White took orchestral music and incorporated it into modern rock & roll. In my opinion, Isaac Hayes was the genesis of this particular style of music; but White innovated it to another level. With regards to the other artists, Chicago incorporated brass instruments with unique vocal style. I do feel there is a severe under-representation of soul groups in the Hall (minus the Motown groups). But, for not acknowledging the Philadelphia soul influences of The Blue Notes, Intruders, Delphonics & Stylistics is a miscarriage of justice to the tenth degree. As for the Canadian influence in rock & roll, I present Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Jethro Tull.

Karimm, thanks for your reply.

As you explore this site, I hope you notice that I have written a lot for the site about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame including a series of "audits" of the performers who have been inducted already (through 2013):

www.notinhalloffame.com/blogs/ddt-s-pop-...audit-pt-6-2011-2013

For those performers, I find that about 75 percent of the inductions are justified. My view is both expansive and selective, expansive in the range of musical styles that are included under the umbrella of "rock and roll," but selective in the artists representing each style--that artist must be among the top significant performers in that style. Of course, that is all subjective, which leads to the differences of opinion that are at the heart of any Hall of Fame-type of discussion, particularly this one, which doesn't have objective metrics such as the team sports' Hall of Fame. I also think that the RnRHoF shot itself in the foot simply by calling itself that--at the very least, it should be called the Rock and Soul Hall of Fame because that is the direction it went in from the very first inductions in 1986.

One thing I've found over the years of discussing, debating, etc., who should or should not be in the Hall is that we are all shaped by our biases and limitations. A ground-level point is finding out just what people mean when they say "rock and roll." For me, it really should be called the "Primarily Western Popular Music Primarily Since the Mid-1950s Hall of Fame," but that is not as catchy as its current title.

Another thing I've noticed is that people often use the comparative, such as your statement, "There must be a planned conspiracy why the above referenced individuals are not in. If you can induct Abba and Neil Diamond into the Hall, there's something seriously a missed with the process." Ah, the old "if Artist A is in and Artist B is not, then there must be something wrong." This gets back to biases and limitations, and to how you define "rock and roll." (For the record, I agree with you about Neil Diamond but not about ABBA.)

I also agree about the Spinners; they have long been on my list of major snubs. I won't go into the others, but I'm curious: What do you mean about a "Canadian influence" in Jethro Tull and Emerson, Lake, and Palmer? Both are English bands.

And if I may add to the discussion, I would also like to see inducted:

The Moody Blues
Jethro Tull
Yes (nominated once)
King Crimson
Emerson Lake & Palmer
Procol Harum (nominated once)
Supertramp
Chicago
Foreigner

And....although their chances of getting into the Hall are slim at best, I'd like to see on the notinthehalloffame list....

1. The Fixx (the best MTV 80's band, IMHO---why aren't they on the 500 list? Still together today...)

2. The Call (passionate rock band, cut from the same cloth as U2. Brilliant band, led by the late, great Michael Been. Always critically respected and they've always had a devoted cult following)

3. Renaissance (magnificent progressive rock band with a devoted cult following. Still together.)

And if I may add to the discussion, I would also like to see inducted:

The Moody Blues
Jethro Tull
Yes (nominated once)
King Crimson
Emerson Lake & Palmer
Procol Harum (nominated once)
Supertramp
Chicago
Foreigner

And....although their chances of getting into the Hall are slim at best, I'd like to see on the notinthehalloffame list....

1. The Fixx (the best MTV 80's band, IMHO---why aren't they on the 500 list? Still together today...)

2. The Call (passionate rock band, cut from the same cloth as U2. Brilliant band, led by the late, great Michael Been. Always critically respected and they've always had a devoted cult following)

3. Renaissance (magnificent progressive rock band with a devoted cult following. Still together.) - Musicologist999

All your preferred inductees are on the borderline. I suspect Chicago will be inducted eventually although it would be strictly as a "compiler" that endured for decades rather than as a talented, innovative band. That applies to Foreigner as well, with Lou Gramm's power-ballad singing pushing the band over the threshold, but that is rewarding occasionally interesting power-pop for longevity.

As for all the prog-rock, I championed Procol Harum in my write-up on the 2013 RnRHoF ballot (www.notinhalloffame.com/blogs/ddt-s-pop-...-of-fame-nominations). However, I gave the thumbs-down for Yes for the most recent ballot (www.notinhalloffame.com/blogs/ddt-s-pop-...ons?showall=&start=4). I've been on the fence with Jethro Tull for ages, but by now I think its innovation and singular sound should get the thumbs-up.

King Crimson had so many stylistic shifts that I don't know if that is a plus or minus. My favorite variant is the mid-'70s art-metal band with Bill Bruford and John Wetton. The fan in me says yes; the critic says no. No for the rest.

As for the three bands you think should be on the notinhallofhame.com list, I had the Call and the Fixx pegged for last year's list along with another 50 bands:

www.notinhalloffame.com/blogs/ddt-s-pop-...in-hall-of-fame-list

The Call. Perhaps a little too earnest at times—although "Oklahoma" remains refreshingly manic—the Call established itself in the 1980s with a edgy mix of the secular ("Blood Red (America)") and the spiritual ("I Still Believe (Grand Design)"), concocting a tough yet atmospheric sound that garnered heavyweight support from Peter Gabriel and the Band's Garth Hudson and Robbie Robertson. "Everywhere I Go" and "Let the Day Begin" endure.

The Fixx. Speaking of the Minutemen, they once asked, "Do You Want New Wave or Do You Want the Truth?" With the Fixx, you got a little of both. This lean synth-rock outfit mixed vaguely urgent social warnings ("Red Skies," "Stand or Fall") with chichi social observations ("One Thing Leads to Another," "Saved by Zero") throughout the 1980s. You were never quite sure what they meant—"Less Cities, More Moving People"?—but it sounded pretty good.

Sorry for the shameless plugs, but I think the only hits my articles for this site get are from web bots.

To be honest, I have at least two fave-raves who I think should be in the Hall.

Firstly is Wynonie Harris, alias "Mr. Blues"; he has to have influenced a number of R&B and Soul artists; he should be there on general principle.

The second act I mention is going to get me some very loud ridicule, yet I feel this artist should be there - she has been an influence on the artist we call "The Material Girl", who even noted this artist's influence when interviewed for a magazine article in 1985.

To put it in her terms, "False eyelashes, blonde hair, mini-skirt, leather boots - she was cool."

I speak, of course, of one Nancy Sandra Sinatra, eldest daughter of Frank Sinatra.

True, she was primarily a pop singer, she did record a whole boatload of songs which are well worth hearing, I think; after all, between 1965 and 1970, she had eight hit songs on the charts.

I welcome your comments.

George wrote:

To be honest, I have at least two fave-raves who I think should be in the Hall.

Firstly is Wynonie Harris, alias "Mr. Blues"; he has to have influenced a number of R&B and Soul artists; he should be there on general principle.

The second act I mention is going to get me some very loud ridicule, yet I feel this artist should be there - she has been an influence on the artist we call "The Material Girl", who even noted this artist's influence when interviewed for a magazine article in 1985.

To put it in her terms, "False eyelashes, blonde hair, mini-skirt, leather boots - she was cool."

I speak, of course, of one Nancy Sandra Sinatra, eldest daughter of Frank Sinatra.

True, she was primarily a pop singer, she did record a whole boatload of songs which are well worth hearing, I think; after all, between 1965 and 1970, she had eight hit songs on the charts.

I welcome your comments.

Wynonie Harris is more likely a candidate for the Early Influences category as his last charting single was in 1952. Sister Rosetta Tharpe was the Early Influence inductee last year, so there is hope for the guy whose "Good Rockin' Tonight" gets anthologized regularly on "roots of rock 'n' roll" collections. But then again, there are going to be adherents for a host of mid-level artists from Harris's period--Roy Brown, Big Mama Thornton, the Clovers, Billy Ward and the Dominos, Sonny Till and the Orioles, and others.

The case for Nancy Sinatra is thin despite those hit singles and a passing mention from Madonna. Not a great voice or stylist, working with Lee Hazlewood was a terrific boost, and--let's face it--having daddy sign you to his own record label (Reprise) is a leg up that most are not going to have. I'm not laughing, though. At this point, I think anyone whose name carries over a few decades is worth a mention. And the Rock Hall is so ballsed up and has bitten off far more than it is capable of chewing that I don't know that the Rock Hall has much meaning beyond having the _Rolling Stone_ Baby Boomer contingent behind Jann Wenner trying to define the "rock and roll" canon for everyone else.

And by now, nearly everything I hear is "pop." If people are listening to it, buying it, downloading it, pirating it, etc., it's "pop."