Yearly Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Debate Thread

I see your argument. If Abba has a saving grace, it was they wrote their own hits and didn't rely on a group of studio people. However, I just I remember Peter Noone of Hermin's Hermits once saying about the Human League "they were influenced and wanted to be bigger than Abba." He than sort of grimaced on air. So, if their influence is beyond just Human League and spawning Europop, I can sort of see it. However, I will say they did not pioneer the music video. A lot of bands were doing and doing them better by the time Abba got on the scene.

Also, per Motorhead, every time my wife watches the cooking show "Ace of Cakes" the song "The Ace of Spades" plays in my head. Now that is influence in my mind.

 

Even Elvis Costello has cited ABBA as an influence, and admitted that he flat out stole the keyboard flourish in "Oliver's Army" from "Dancing Queen."

 

Totally with you on Black Sabbath. On influence alone they should have been first ballot.

 

Motorhead always struck me as one of those bands that everyone said they liked but never actually listened to. I think everyone is too busy being transfixed on Lemmy's status as some mythical rock figure to really see that the band was largely unremarkable in the studio.

If you want a weirdo hard rock/metal/punk band from that era that really had influence and that people really listened too, try the Misfits.

 

Easy with the hyperbole.

 

Someone tell me The Pixies are in the place if we are discussing The Misfits.

 

By my math they'll be eligible in two years. And while I don't think for a second they'll get in, you could actually make a really strong case based on influence alone. Kurt Cobain was a huge fan and figured Nirvana would be dismissed as a shameless Pixies ripoff. Listen to the Pixies and Nirvana back to back and try to tune out the vocals -- they're damn near identical.

 

I love the Cure, but I don't think they belong in the HOF.

 

BTW, Agnatha (the blonde in ABBA) has the most beautiful version of "I Don't Know How to Love Him" I have ever heard.

 

Bands like the Cure and Depeche Mode start to get into a tricky area. The music industry is pretty fragmented now, and both bands are massively influential in some of those areas. Depeche Mode may be the most influential synth band (you could make a good and possibly better argument for Kraftwerk or Joy Division/New Order), and the Cure borders on religion for the Goth/dark/mopey/shoegaze whatever you want to call it.

I would thinks there's probably a huge regional split for bands like that, too. I grew up in Southern California -- Depeche Mode did a tour where they played clubs and theaters until they got to Los Angeles... where they played two sold-out shows at the Rose Bowl.

I'd say yes to the Cure and I'm on the fence with Depeche Mode.

 

Just as many people WOULDN'T want to see such a "performance" any more than they would like to see Nadia Comaneci (try to) perform a backflip 25 years after she retired.

Said Benny Andersson: “The people who are really fond of Abba for what we did, I think we are doing them a favor by not going out. We all feel the same. It’s been too long of a time.”

Hell, I give him credit for admitting "we're not what we were." A few long-past-their-prime acts still performing could take a cue from that.

My wife loves Pat Boone (of all people) but would not want to see him perform today. "His voice is too weak. I want to remember him as he was," she says.

 

Lets see... Rock hall thread.. ripping Rush.. praising the Cure and Depeche Mode...

Yeah, pretty much like sending up the Bat Signal for Junkie. ;D