Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2008 Nominees Announced

On Friday, the nominees for possible induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were announced. According to the rules, the top 5 vote getters are to be inducted. I'll explain that last sentence later on in the post.

One of my favorite discussions that I have with friends, relatives, countrymen is the RRHOF and who we think should and shouldn't be in. As a music fan, one thing that I enjoy about the RRHOF is that it recognizes the achievements of people who with the passage of time, often get overlooked. Artists such as Ruth Brown, The Orioles, and Gene Vincent as well as sidemen like Johnnie Johnson and James Jamerson come to mind.

Unfortunately, the RRHOF induction process often falls prey to the 3 P's: political maneuvering, popularity contests, and personal vendettas. One of the main criticisms is that the nomination process is controlled by a select few such as founder Jann Wenner, former foundation director Suzan Evans, and music critic/writer Dave Marsh. As a result, the decisions regarding who gets in and who doesn't is dominated by their personal likes and dislikes. I mean, the only way that some of the inductees should get into the Hall of Fame is if they buy a ticket like the rest of us.

The following is a 2001 letter by a former RRHOF board member that was sent to Fox News:

"Thank you for your insightful article on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I am a veteran music journalist who spent two years on the Hall's nominating committee and saw from the inside some of the politics at work.

"I saw how artists were sometimes chosen for nomination because of their affiliations with the directors of the Hall and others were shot down without so much as a moment of consideration simply because some people in that room didn't like them personally or because an artist had bad blood with someone calling the shots.

"At one point Suzan Evans lamented the choices being made because there weren't enough big names that would sell tickets to the dinner. That was quickly remedied by dropping one of the doo-wop groups being considered in favor of a 'name' artist.

"During my second year on the committee, I received a petition signed by 5000 fans of the Moody Blues requesting that the group be considered for nomination. Personally I am not much of a fan, and neither, apparently, was anyone else on the committee (at least no one who would admit it). Still, I felt they were a legitimate contender for the nomination and that it was my duty to present the petition since so many people had taken a lot of time to put it together. I plunked it down on the conference table to a great roar of laughter from the assembled bigshots.

"Jon Landau, Springsteen's manager, asked me if I personally was a fan of theirs. 'Not really,' I said. 'End of discussion,' he said.

"On the other hand, I saw how Atlantic Records artists were routinely placed into nomination with no discussion at all, due to the large concentration of Atlantic executives on the committee. I saw how so-called critical favorites were placed into nomination while artists that were massively popular in their time were brushed off. I saw how certain pioneering artists of the 50s and early 60s were shunned because there needed to be more name power on the list, resulting in 70s superstars getting in before the people who made it possible for them. Some of those pioneers still aren't in today — but Queen is.

"I was finally kicked off the committee after writing a guest editorial for Billboard in which I criticized the Hall for its insider ways.

"Almost ten years later nothing has changed."

In the six years since the former board member wrote that letter, things are still pretty much the same. How else do you explain artists who to me are borderline at best (Jackson Browne, Percy Sledge, and Lynyrd fuckin' Skynyrd just to name a few) being in while worthy performers like Rufus featuring Chaka Khan, Hall & Oates, The Marvelettes, KISS, and Bobby Womack are still singing the Little Anthony & the Imperials tune "I'm On the Outside (Looking In)?

Earlier I mentioned that "According to the rules, the top 5 vote getters are to be inducted." I phrased it that way because there was an alleged controversy with the voting process for the 2007 class. Last March, there was a FOX News article claiming that The Dave Clark Five should have been the 5th inductee because they had more votes than inductee Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. The article went on to say that "[Jann Wenner] used a technicality about the day votes were due in. In reality, The Dave Clark Five got six more votes than Grandmaster Flash. But he felt we couldn't go another year without a rap act."

Although the RRHOF denied that the fix was in, they did acknowledge that late votes were received. Whether or not one believes last year's voting controversy, it still has to make you question what goes on behind the closed doors of the RRHOF.

Below are the 9 nominees along with my thoughts on who I predict will and won't get in this year:

Afrika Bambaattaa- Shouldn't and won't get in. A rap pioneer, Bambaattaa's 1983 track "Planet Rock" is one of the cornerstones of the genre. However, since another rap artist will more than likely be among the inductees (see below), I think that some voters will say that one representative of the genre is enough for one year. With that being said, I think that Bambaataa is worthy of getting in someday, just not this year.

The Beastie Boys- Should and will get in. There may still be people who think that The Beasties helped to destroy rap with their breakthrough album "Licensed To Ill". I say forget all that and give them credit for growing beyond their early beer swilling persona with albums like "Paul's Boutique", "Check Your Head", and "Ill Communication". Plus, the fact that the Beasties still have a high profile in the music biz (they released a critically acclaimed instrumental album earlier this year) will probably work in their favor.

Chic- should, but won't get in. I think the disco tag will prevent them from getting into the RRHOF, at least this year.

The Dave Clark Five- Should and will get in. Although they didn't have the staying power of other British Invasion acts like The Beatles or the Stones, The DC 5 pumped out some foot stomping classics back in the 60s ("Glad All Over", "Bits and Pieces", and "Can't You See That She's Mine" just to name a few). Plus, the alleged voting controversy that I mentioned earlier will probably help earn them an induction.

Leonard Cohen- shouldn't, but will get in. Since 2005, it seems like the honor roll of inductees has included at least one head scratcher each year. Cohen will be the one for 2008. I realize that he has a cult following and is well regarded within music circles, but still!

Madonna- Should and will get in. Despite her limited vocals, the lady from Bay City has cut some pretty good records over the years. Plus, she has been hugely influential (for better or worse) on many female artists who have followed her.

John Mellencamp- should but won't get in. I was pleasantly surprised when he was among the nominees this year. Apparently he made the nominees list previously, something that I wasn't aware of until recently. Because of his "tell it like it is" manner, Mellencamp has probably pissed off the wrong people (i.e. RRHOF voters) in the music industry. That's the only explanation I can come up with for why he isn't in the RRHOF already (he's been eligible since 2001). However, since it's the RRHOF and not the Congeniality Hall of Fame, any voters that may be holding grudges against Mellencamp need to put them aside and induct him into The Hall.

Donna Summer- should and will get in. Even more than Chic, Donna Summer is heavily identified with disco. However, it's been said that there has been a conscious effort to get more female artists into the RRHOF. If this is true, that may work in Summer's favor. With that being said, I think that Summer's track record makes her worthy of induction regardless of her gender.

The Ventures- shouldn't and won't get in. Although they were one of the top instrumental groups of the 60s with hits like "Walk, Don't Run" and "Hawaii Five-O", induction into the RRHOF is pushing it a bit.

The 5 inductees should be announced later this year, while the actual induction ceremony is scheduled to take place on March 10, 2008, at New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel.