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2025 Rock & Roll HOF screechfest

Hot and Rickety

Active Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
268
This year's nominees (with very preliminary thoughts):

  • Maná: I honestly had not heard of this group until today. I simply can't evaluate them other than: yes, the RRHOF is extremely lacking in Spanish-language artists.
  • Chubby Checker: If we're measuring by impact, then he has to be considered, because "The Twist" helped get adults listening to what was then considered rock 'n roll. If we're going by musical innovation, then there's no way Checker belongs. Both of his No. 1 songs were covers, and most of his other hits were more or less novelty songs in the same vein as "The Twist."
  • Joy Division and New Order: I think both were more influential than many realize, and probably deserve a good look.
  • Mariah Carey: Will get in by virtue of her weaponized voice and her mashive amount of hits, most of which she had a hand in writing. If you remember that the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame probably should be called the Popular Music Hall of Fame, her induction (and the induction of others who cannot be considered "rock 'n roll") will go down easier.
  • Soundgarden: Should get in but won't, because RRHOF voters hate metal and Soundgarden is the most metal of the Seattle bands.
  • Joe Cocker: Is a Woodstock performance, a cover of a Beatles song and a payday soundtrack No. 1 from a hit '80s film enough? We'll find out! Most of Cocker's remembered songs were covers, and his songwriting resume was extremely thin. He also happens to be dead, and the RRHOF hasn't been too big on posthumous solo-artist inductions of late.
  • Oasis: I never found them at all interesting or creative. I realize I'm in the minority here. The fact that they're back in the public consciousness probably will tip the scales in their favor, because the induction show needs a hook.
  • Billy Idol: Early MTV loved him, but would things be all that different if Billy Idol chose to be a plumber instead of a performer? Probably not.
  • Phish: Just incredibly hard to evaluate. These dudes are proficiently superior to anyone on this list, and their longevity is to be admired, but if you went up to 100 random people on the street and asked them to name one single Phish song, how many do you think would be able to do so? 10? 5? Their popularity is just so contained.
  • Black Crowes: Boogie-woogie Oasis here has a couple of very fun early albums and then what? And like Oasis, I'm not sure they really broke any new ground.
  • Outkast: Pretty inventive hip-hop. They're in.
  • The White Stripes: Proof that only two people can make a very impactful racket, and that only one of them need be musically proficient. Jack White has been doing all the proper RRHOF stuff in recent years, which will endear him to the voting committee.
  • Cyndi Lauper: Not a whole lot of staying power, but a couple of mashive early-MTV hits -- only one of which she had a hand in writing -- and an endearingly oddball persona could be enough.
  • Bad Company: Foreigner walked so Bad Company could run, I guess. I'm not sure how you induct the former and not the latter. They're essentially the same band in all but their membership. After this, hopefully we're done inducting middling '70s rockers into the RRHOF.
 
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OK, I'll play along.

Mana: *shrug emoji* I have no idea and neither do the voters.
Chubby Checker: No. I mean, you know his name came up every single year since the place opened and they never wanted to drop the standard that much. No need to do it now.
Joy Division/New Order: Absolute yes. My number one "they should be in the Hall" pick every year.
Mariah Carey: Whatever. I wouldn't vote for her, but she'll be in at some point.
Soundgarden: Yes. Amazing singer, unique guitarist, solid body of work.
Joe Cocker: I'd vote yes. Tremendous singer -- I ashumed he was in until I looked it up about a year ago.
Oasis: An unenthusiastic yes, I think. Really great at their best, and huge in England.
Billy Idol: Nah. The safe, corporate face of 80s punk. He had some good songs, but always struck me as kind of lightweight.
Phish: Nope.
Black Crowes: Nope. I mean, perfectly good band, but I can't even imagine what the pro-Black Crowes argument would be.
Outkast: Absolutely yes. And I'm not even a hip-hop guy.
White Stripes: Yes. Creative, original, really darn good.
Cyndi Lauper: No. A couple of good songs and they're covers. People like the idea of Cyndi Lauper more than anyone likes her music.
Bad Company: Short answer: no. Longer answer: fork no. Bad Company? NO.
 
I can live with Mariah Carey, Soundgarden, Joe Cocker, Outkast and White Stripes. If it's a limit of 5, those are my 5.

Joy Division/New Order and Oasis are maybes because this is a US body and they were way bigger in Britain. Billy Idol is a Brit but has a short hit window.
 
My only add is the long-time drummer for the Black Crowes is a sports junkie and also the uncle of a former Syracuse basketball player who was on the 2003 national champs.
 
I have newfound respect for Billy Idol after listening to several of his shows on Sirius XM. I had no idea how embedded he was in the early days of London's punk scene as a roadie and club kid before GenX. Oh, and "Eyes without a Face" is his best song.
 
Give Chubby one of those "Musical Excellence" deals. Maybe the career isn't worthy, but "The Twist" most definitely is.
 
I have newfound respect for Billy Idol after listening to several of his shows on Sirius XM. I had no idea how embedded he was in the early days of London's punk scene as a roadie and club kid before GenX. Oh, and "Eyes without a Face" is his best song.
Couldn't agree more about Eyes Without a Face. I just referenced it last night.

And he had a really good recent tune.

 
They have put in at least seven each of the past three years, so my guess at who they pick:

Maná
Joy Division and New Order
Mariah Carey
Joe Cocker
Oasis
Outkast
The White Stripes

I think Phish belongs but they are too niche to get inducted (the only song I can actually name is Run Like an Antelope). Some of the others I can see: Chubby Checker, Billy Idol and Cyndi Lauper are the famous famous portion of Hall of FAME. I agree that if he belonged, Chubby Checker would already be in
 

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