This Isn't Clairvoyance

Category:  News

It's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nomination time again.  This year, while there are still nominations that boggle the mind, it seems as though the nominations are actually catching up to the commercial popularity of acts (hence the term fame) and nominating accordingly.  Here are this year's nominees:

Paul Butterfield Blues Band:  The second nomination for the legendary blues singer and harmonica player and his band.  Given his influence they'll be inducted eventually.

Chic:  This is the eighth nomination for a disco-era band that is essentially a two-hit wonder.  Far more deserving nominees have been omitted, and this act really needs to disappear from the list.

Deep Purple:  The second nomination for the hard rock band named for a 1930's pop song.  Not the worst nomination on the list, but I don't see them getting inducted.  I thought last year they might garner enough "sympathy votes" off the death of songwriter Joe South (who wrote "Hush," one of Deep Purple's biggest hits) to be inducted; however, this year I don't see them making it, especially considering the other nominees.

Peter Gabriel:  His first solo nomination (he's inducted as a member of Genesis).  I would say that Gabriel is one of the certainties this year, if for no other reason than the critical success of most of his work and the commercial success of So and its groundbreaking video hit "Sledgehammer."

Daryl Hall & John Oates:  It is about time they were nominated!  Hall & Oates have surpassed the Everly Brothers as the most commercially successful duo in rock music history.  They should be inducted.

Kiss:  Another "about time you got around to noticing this act" nomination.  Kiss is about as lame as any band can be on record.  It is their live shows that earned them their loyal following and keeps them (although I am not in that category).  They should be inducted.

LL Cool J:  Taking Steve Miller's nomination space this year.  Shouldn't have been nominated, shouldn't win.

The Meters:  Second nomination.  As of this writing they are in next-to-last place in the fan vote (only Chic has fewer votes). 

Nirvana:  First nomination.  Bet the ranch on their induction.

NWA:  Second nomination, taking the Moody Blues' space on the ballot.  Not deserving of the space on the ballot.

The Replacements:  First nomination.  As someone who thinks Pleased to Meet Me was one of the best albums of the 80's:  WHY are they nominated?

Linda Ronstadt:  First nomination.  Tonight, November 2, 2013, let it be stated that I'm guaranteeing you she'll be inducted.  This isn't clairvoyance, this is the pathetic reality of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame:  in July Ronstadt announced that, due to advanced Parkinson's Disease, she can no longer sing.  Now that her marvelous voice has been silenced they're going to honor her.  And that stinks worse than a skunk factory.

Cat Stevens:  Let's face it, if you grew up listening to the radio in the 1970's you like at least one Cat Stevens song.  One of the great folk singer-songwriters of that era, I sincerely hope that religious prejudice doesn't keep him from being inducted.  

Link Wray:  Second nomination.  It's a crime that there had to be a second nomination.  He should've been in a decade or two ago.

Yes:  First nomination.  I never cared for them, but there's no question they were the premiere "art rock" band of the 1970's.

The Zombies:  First nomination.  I don't see them getting in.

My bets are on Ronstadt more than anyone -- even Nirvana.  Given that Nirvana basically created a new genre of rock I would be genuinely surprised if they aren't inducted.  I would also be surprised if Hall & Oates aren't inducted, now that they have finally been nominated, and I would also list Peter Gabriel as a very likely winner.  I would also like to see inductions for Cat Stevens, Kiss, and -- even though I am befuddled over their nomination -- the Replacements.  (If you're going to nominate them, then induct them!)  Finally, Link Wray -- it's embarrassing that he's not inducted, given that he's generally credited with inventing (or popularizing) the "power chord" in guitar playing.  Where would rock and roll be without him?

And my annual plea for the "hey, remember to nominate these people" acts who have yet again been overlooked:

Moody Blues -- yeah, they're still touring nearly 50 years after they formed.  And, unlike the Rolling Stones, they aren't charging a second mortgage for the tickets -- and they aren't a parody of themselves.

Steve Miller -- Miller just turned 70 last month.  He's been at this longer than half the nominees have been alive.  Half the people on this list don't have entire discographies that have sold more than Fly Like an Eagle.

ELO -- a novel idea became a massively successful act.  That lousy song used in the coffee commercials in the mid-80's might be what keeps them from being nominated, but they should be nominated -- and inducted.

Neil Sedaka -- one of the premiere acts in rock and roll between Elvis and the Beatles, and his songwriting skills predated ("Stupid Cupid") and post-dated ("Love Will Keep Us Together") his 60's hits.

Don Henley -- hey, if you're going to nominate people already inducted again for their solo work you might as well nominate the most commercially successful solo Eagle career (which was also the best solo Eagle career).

Inductions will be announced in late December.  Fans are allowed to vote for up to five nominees at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's site.  The act with the most fan votes has one vote added to their "official" tally.