The Rock and Roll Futures (301)
As we intend to make this website a constant work in process, we though it would be useful to discuss the future bands/artists who will become eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Many of these artists are still recording and/or performing and thus adding to their impending legacy. They will be in our future lists so please feel free to vote so that we can rank them accordingly when they become eligible.
Beloved in his circle, Iron and Wine (essentially the one man Folk Band, of Samuel Bean) put out some of the sweetest and soothing sounding Indie Folk music in years. The critics have gushed over Bean (as they should have) and commercially he has not done badly, but Folk music may have reached a certain quota in Cleveland and has a long line ahead of him.
Although Ja Rule was one of the most successful Rappers in terms of sales in the first half of the 00’s, he is probably best known for the feuds he has had with Hip Hop stars of even greater stature (and we aren’t just making a pun about his height). As long as this stays the case, and until the first thing you think of with…
Jack Johnson was at one time a competitive surfer and based on the music he did, he did his best channel Pop/Rock meets the beach. Johnson would become classified as a Soft Rock superstar and one that has a sizable niche in that field. Multiple Singer/Songwriters have entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and though he has sold a lot of records, is he…
Regular visitors to our site know how adamant we are against actors singing. Academy Award winner, Jamie Foxx may be one of the exceptions to that rule as the multi-talented performer, actually can sing. Foxx sold millions of records not just because he is a famous actor and comedian, but because those people actually enjoyed the music. Sadly we wonder how many other actors will fail…
Although many in North America considered Jamiroquai a one hit wonder from the Global smash, Virtual Insanity, the British band was anything but. Scoring hit after hit in their native England (and they were successful on the U.S. Dance charts too), the band developed their smooth blend of Acid Jazz to near perfection. With a soulful Stevie Wonderesque vocal, they continue to deliver a successful blend…
Although Gospel influenced singers have penetrated the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Christian Rock seems very far away from reaching the Hall. An interesting future candidate is Jars of Clay, who were able to secure mainstream attention in the mid 90’s as their music was a rich and textured blend of current Alternative trends. Many people got into the band before they realized that the…
From the San Diego coffee houses to the mainstream pop world, Jason Mraz utilizes a slew of influences from Folk, Alt Rock, Reggae and Blue Eyed Soul to crate his own style of melodic pop music. Mraz is often lumped in with John Mayer) though his body of work differs from him greatly. He did have respectable album sales and love from the Grammys but is…
As much as we generally try to keep objective with these (and we admit to only being moderately successful at that) but in the case of Jessica Simpson and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, all we can say is “Dear God…NO!” The Bullet Points:Eligible Since: 2024 Country of Origin: U.S.A. (Abilene, Texas) NIHOF’s Favorite Album: We Don’t Have One NIHOF’s Favorite Song: We Don’t…
Still very much active and still recording, Jimmy Eat World is a key band credited with the Emo scene which first gained prominence in the 90’s. It was at the turn of the millennium though when their catchy Pop Emo hybrid songs really caught the band National attention. They aren’t a Hall of Fame band at present, but they still have a lot of juice left…
Another polarizing artist, John Mayer has a legion of female fans that seem to swoon at every word he sings. As such, he is subject to a bit of a backlash from men and generally the Rock and Roll set. He is a talented Singer/Songwriter but ironically his mass popularity may work against him as Hall of Fame seems to like their songwriters somewhat tortured. Considering…
Despite their name, Blues was not exactly the staple genre of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. In fact, the Blues really played very little in the catalogue of music that the group did. Actually, trying to categorize this group was always difficult, as they bounced between varying places in the Alternative spectrum, though regardless of where they landed, they were always unique.
How is it possible for a white teenager from North Dakota become a Blues Guitar prodigy? Regardless of the bizarre demographic, Jonny Lang became such a prodigy and was considered a Blues guitar wizard while still in his early teens. The most accomplished Blues men regardless of generation praise him and his name remains synonymous with quality Blues. Having said that, there are many Blues great…
It can be argued that Josh Groban has one of the most incredible voices ever heard. That being said, does being an Adult Contemporary star, even one with a voice as strong as his, make one a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer? No, probably not.
Although she did not achieve the level of commercial success that many musical pundits pegged for her, but with the sweet way Juliana Hatfield sang in her Indie Rock style, maybe her formula was never meant to be more than cute Indie darling. Regardless, Hatfield carved her place in the Alt World for a time in the mid 90’s and developed a loyal following. The…
A major player in the Alternative Hip Hop in the late 90’s, Jurassic 5 was one of the critical favorites of their day, although not a commercial one. It was not for a lack of effort as they had a major label and played festivals that should have expanded their audience, but for whatever reason they never had that breakthrough the mass populace. Long since disbanded,…
We don’t think that anyone who was listening to N*Sync really thought of them as Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, but those that heard them knew that Justin Timberlake was the real talent. As it turns out, he might be one of the greatest musical talents of his generation.
With Rap beginning to enter the Hall, a question will soon be asked the same of traditional Rock bands as to whether solid and consistent acts can get in without having a period of dominance. Juvenile falls into the former as he has had a wide amount of successful albums in the Gangsta Rap genre, he did not exactly break new ground. Gangsta Rap may find…
Keane has been called that Alternative Rock band with “no guitars”, and they are also known as a very competent outfit that has been very successful without selling out. Although their sound is piano driven, they have a diverse sound and are equally capable of “rocking out” as well as dancing on the mellow side of the Rock rainbow. As they have had albums that have…
Although we are not sure how many boys to the yard her milkshake brought, Kelis did gain International attention with it. Actually more successful in England, Kelis is a decent R&B artist who deserves to be reflected on more than that one hit…or her tumultuous career outside of her music. With that said, we don’t Cleveland is in her yard. The Bullet Points:Eligible Since: 2024 Country…
Another of the modern Country stars to enter our Future Candidates List, Kenny Chesney may have had a plethora of top hits on the Country charts and though a few charted on the low end of the Mainstream lists, Chesney is a solid candidate for the Country Music Hall of Fame and highly unlikely to get a sniff at Cleveland.