2024 Rock & Roll HOF screechfest

New nominees:

Mariah Carey
Cher
Foreigner
Peter Frampton
Kool & the Gang
Lenny Kravitz
Oasis
Sinéad O’Connor
Ozzy Osbourne
Sade

Repeat nominees:

Dave Matthews Band
Mary J. Blige
Jane's Addiction
Eric B. & Rakim
A Tribe Called Quest

Initial thoughts

-- I think Mariah is the only lead-pipe lock on this list because of her voice and her sheer number of hits (many of which she either wrote herself or had a hand in writing).

-- Sinead O'Connor will get votes, dunno if she'll get enough votes. Had basically one huge song, and she didn't write it

-- Kool & the Gang probably is getting in. They had a pretty impeccable imperial era.

-- Ozzy is an interesting case, because you can argue that his solo career was just as relevant as his work with Sabbath. At least commercially so, and his influence on the genre is pretty undeniable. I'd argue he has a better case as a solo artist than George Harrison or Ringo Starr or Stevie Nicks, all of of whom are somewhat dubious double inductees. As does Diana Ross, who once again wasn't nominated as a solo artist, for unknown reasons (how does Mary J. Blige get a nod before Ross gets in as a solo artist?).

-- Straight no's: Foreigner, Lenny Kravitz, Peter Frampton.

-- Both Eric B & Rakim and Tribe Called Quest should be in, but I can't see them both getting in.

 

I generally defend the hall on these threads. I think it tends to get a lot of criticism it doesn't really deserve.

Having said that...

Jesus, what a steaming dungheap this list of nominees is. If you're nominating Foreigner just shut the damn doors to the place. It's full.

 

Jane’s Addiction is the only one on that list I feel strongly about.

They need to be in. If only for launching Lollapalooza.

 

No INXS, fail.

 

Acts that have to be in:

Oasis
Ozzy

Even then, it’s a deeply uninteresting year.

 

Kool & the Gang should have been in long ago.

But this is becoming a popularity contest more than other halls. Almost completely subjective.

 

I assume Mariah probably goes in. Whatever. I wouldn't vote for her, but I'm not going to make a passionate argument against.

Ozzy probably makes it. You subtract the Sabbath stuff and I think he's probably a pretty marginal candidate.

I really like early Jane's Addiction. I saw them when "Nothing's Shocking" came out and it was a pretty great show. (I'm also one of a handful of people who saw Perry Farrell's previous band Psi-Com before they broke up and he formed Jane's. But Hall of Fame worthy? I don't know.

Oasis I'm struggling with because there are so many bands from vaguely the same style that are far more worthy.

Kool and the Gang has been around forever and I would argue they have two good songs.

Sinead was a really good songwriter and brave as hell. Great singer, too. Hall worthy? I don't know.

If I had a vote I think I'd be a coin flip on Sinead, Ozzy and Frampton. No on everyone else, at least for now.

And put in Joy Division/New Order already. And the Smiths. Oasis is nominated and not the Smiths? Get the fuck out of here.

 

I never got the love for Oasis. Mediocre at best, in my opinion, with a whiny fuck as a singer.

 

Who I think will get in:

Mariah Carey
Lenny Kravitz
Oasis
Dave Matthews Band
Mary J. Blige
Jane's Addiction
A Tribe Called Quest

It's a stunner that Mariah, DMB, MJB, Jane's & Tribe aren't in yet. The first three have sales for days and are varying degrees of cool, always an important thing of the Hall. Jane's was a trailblazer in the alternative scene and has been a Cool Band To Like for three decades. Same with Tribe in hip hop.

Lenny is cool and has done it all musically, so this is a bone for the rock people. My guess is the Hall wants to induct Oasis in hopes they'll reunite on stage and create a cool trending moment, but I'd imagine the only thing the Gallaghers can agree upon is telling the Hall to fuck off. Still, my guess is they get in this year.

As for who I want to get in...look, everyone here knows where me & @Junkie fall on the musical spectrum. Foreigner was fucking great. Don't like 'em, that's fine. They could be called compilers, but the way the music industry has devolved, no one will ever compile like that again. Anyone can have a hit or two, but to do it at any point thru various fads/phases and put out five records with multiple smash singles over nearly a decade takes some skill.

And this is the Rock & Roll Hall of FAME. If you breathed air at all from 1976 through 1985, you know Foreigner songs. They can fill 10,000-seat sheds every summer.*** Are you going to get more people strolling thru the Hall for a massively popular band, or a critic's darling? It's like kicking Craig Biggio out of the Baseball HOF for Daisuke Matsuzaka b/c people were enamored with the gyroball.

***That said, I will acknowledge Mick Jones probably tanked their chances with his tribute band bullshit. He's been the only original member (original) in the band for 20+ years and has barely appeared on stage over the last 10+ years. It's sort of ironic their legacy as a band that can fill 10,000-seat sheds every summer has been diminished b/c a completely random collection of former hair metal stars are filling 10,000-seat sheds performing songs they had as much to do with composing as you and I. How many HOF voters can separate the tribute band from the guys who created the band? If Mick had just let the band fade away, they'd probably already be in. But Mick's health is worse than any other senior citizens on this ballot--including Ozzy--so I somehow hope they get in this year.

I was going to say take everything I said about Foreigner (sans my devoted fandom) and apply it to Peter Frampton, but he had far fewer hits than I realized. I'd be fine with him in but it's nothing I'm going to get worked up about. Kool & The Gang should be in b/c people will be dancing to Celebration at proms & weddings 10 years after the heat death of the universe. Cher should be in b/c she's been a star for seven decades, but if I recall correctly, she, too, told the Hall to fuck off. Ozzy, sure, but only if, as Eddie Trunk noted today, everyone who helped prop him up gets in too. And that'll never happen.

And Sade? Seriously? Come on.

 

Arguing whether Mariah Carey is in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame just proves how useless the place is and how dumb it is to discuss.

 

Kool & The Gang is a lot more than their 80s cruise control mode where they had a shit ton of pleasant, but largely anonymous hits.

The 70s iteration of Kool & The Gang is top shelf funk. Different too, because they were more jazz-based than some of the other funksters. Not that they couldn't kick out a jam, though. See "Jungle Boogie", "Hollywood Swinging", et al.

 

Oh and Dave Matthews Band can eat shit.