The 2011 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominees

Once again the esteemed Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has come out with their nominees. The Hall makes the claim that this is their most diverse group of nominees ever, and with the field expanding to fifteen candidates it stands to reason. Once again, however, the nominations will stir up debate as eclectic as this group is; there can be no doubt that thousands will feel that many have been snubbed. With that said, we here at notinhalloffame will take a look at the nominees in order of our ranking.","Once again the esteemed Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has come out with their nominees. The Hall makes the claim that this is their most diverse group of nominees ever, and with the field expanding to fifteen candidates it stands to reason. Once again, however, the nominations will stir up debate as eclectic as this group is; there can be no doubt that thousands will feel that many have been snubbed. With that said, we here at notinhalloffame will take a look at the nominees in order of our ranking.

#3 Alice Cooper

In our opinion, this is the most deserving nominee of this group, and easily the most snubbed in the past. This is Alice Cooper’s first nomination and considering that he is the father of “Shock Rock” and an icon of Hard Rock music he should have been inducted years ago. Really, this should be a no-brainer for the Hall as he is the truly the top “Rock Star” of the bunch.

#10 The Beastie Boys

Potentially, the “Rap” inductees of the class, the Beastie Boys have been a relevant band for a long time and have a lot of creditability within multiple genres. They have been nominated previously and this would be a great way to give an “urban” nomination to a group that won’t alienate the anti-rap masses. They have a much better shot than a lot of people think.

#26 Bon Jovi

Probably the most successful of all the nominees, Bon Jovi has been selling out arenas for over twenty years. They may not be the most critically loved of this group, but even their most fervent detractors will have a hard time arguing that this band is out of place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This is their first nomination, and with their cache value, could be the only one they need.

#37 Neil Diamond

As one of the premier songwriters of his time, Neil Diamond is receiving his first ever nomination. He is one of the most covered artists ever, and though he has a little too much Adult Contemporary is his second half of his career for our liking, his popularity will endure long after he his gone. This however could be like KISS’s nomination last year, in that in may be a token one.

#49 Tom Waits

If the Hall goes for a uniqueness quotient for this year’s class, than Tom Waits should have an inside track. An easy argument is that if Leonard Cohen is in, than Waits who has many similar traits belongs in also. Cohen was too many a surprise inductee, as Waits could be this year. Those who follow Waits would feel that the accolade would be warranted.

#61 Donna Summer

This is the Queen of Disco’s third nomination in four years, and should she get in, it should be expected that it will result in a similar type of uproar that ABBA’s induction last year received. Donna Summer was a major star, and her induction would be an acceptance of Disco as a whole.

#78 Chic

Like Donna Summer, Chic is associated with Disco, but they were a self contained band that used R&B rhythms flawlessly. This is their sixth nomination, so it seems clear that there is a strong Hall contingent that wants to see them in. With Summer and Chic both nominated, it is possible though that they may cancel each other out.

#104 Donovan

Although many consider Donovan a weirdo, he is equally praised as a genius by others. Both camps may be right as the 60’s trippy Folk star is receiving his first nomination. Should the Hall look to go that far back for a 60’s star, we suspect that they will go a different route than Donovan.

#110 Joe Tex

Joe Tex is receiving his fourth nomination and this could be the year that the Soul star finally gets in. He was a great performer, but much of his music is not heard today and this could be the issue that has prevented him from getting inducted in the past.

#116 Chuck Willis

Although this is Chuck Willis’ 6th nomination, it is his first since 1990. Nothing has changed in the past twenty years, so it can easily be argued that his chances are not that strong. Willis died in 1958, and he does not have a lot of televised material that can reach new generations. Despite his talent, there will be little reaction from anyone if he is left out again.

#125 LL Cool J

With his second consecutive nomination in two years of eligibility, LL Cool J seems poised to enter the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame eventually. He was a Hip Hop Superstar with mainstream appeal, but how many listeners of only Classic Rock stations will critique the Hall should he get in?

#151 Laura Nyro

Receiving her second straight nomination, Laura Nyro may be the most respected on this list, but is the one who contains the least amount of public awareness. Despite this being her second nomination, she remains the darkhorse candidate of the “Songwriters” division of this group.

#173 Dr. John

Another intriguing candidate, Dr. John could be a nomination to celebrate the New Orleans sound. With that region enjoying renewed attention, it is possible that the celebration could continue with the “Night Tripper” getting in. With all due respect to Dr. John, this could be a case where he is from works heavily in his favor.

#259 The J. Geils Band

Surprisingly on their third nomination, the J. Geils Band has been a long time favorite of Jann Wenner. They broke up right when they finally broke out of the Northeast, but they still left behind a fun legacy of danceable Rock. Still, should the Hall go that route, they could probably go a better route.

#389 Darlene Love

Also on her third nomination, Darlene Love could get in based on the strength of her powerful voice and recognition of her genre has a whole. Still, there should be something iconic about Hall inductees, and Love falls well short on that category.



Based on our rankings it should be obvious which five we would pick of this group, and for that matter which five we would select in the first place. From what we know of the Hall, we suspect they will go with five form varying genres and that music fans will react negatively regardless of who is selected. If we have to guess who they will pick (and that is what we do) we think they will go….

The Beastie Boys
Bon Jovi
Chic
Tom Waits
Dr. John

What do you all think? Let us know here at notinhalloffame!