The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Sucks Because These Acts Are Missing
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced the Class of 2023 this morning and as per usual it’s sure to generate lots of discussion about who made the cut and who got snubbed. Here’s this years underwhelming class:
- Kate Bush
- Sheryl Crow
- Missy Elliott
- George Michael
- Willie Nelson
- Rage Against the Machine
- The Spinners
I love Kate Bush, but I’m fairly confident the only reason she made it in was because of “Running Up That Hill” appearing in Stranger Things.
Sheryl Crow is lovely and all, but Rock Hall worthy? Nah.
Missy Elliot is a true hip-hop pioneer, I have no issue with this one.
George Michael won the fan vote, but I can not get behind this. Will poor Andrew Ridgely be there to accept the honor on George Michael’s behalf?
Willie Nelson – um, yes.
Rage Against the Machine ahead of Iron Maiden or Ozzy or even Motley Crue? Sorry, gentlemen.
The Spinners I had been long advocating for, so I’ll allow it.
This class is just so MEH! And by the way, the fan vote is a joke as George Michael was the only artist in the Top 5 to make the cut. Cyndi Lauper, Warren Zevon, Iron Maiden, and Soundgarden rounded out the Top 5, but none of them got on while Missy Elliot was 12th out of 13 vote getters.
As each year passes I find the Rock Hall nominations to be less impactful. An artist must be 25 years on from their debut release to be considered, and each year there are fewer and fewer recent artists that seem worthy of Hall of Fame inclusion. Going back to 2000, how many acts since then have truly had careers that one would deem Hall of Fame worthy? Taylor Swift? Justin Timberlake? Good luck trying to find a rock act that would meet the criteria. For that reason I think going forward the Rock Hall nominations are going to have to concentrate on the many artists who have been shut out thus far, making up for years of snubs.
Here is a list of some artists that absolutely deserve recognition before many of the nominees and winners this year.
- The B-52s
- Bad Company
- Billy Idol
- Boston
- Bryan Adams
- Cher
- Chic
- Commodores
- Devo
- Diana Ross
- INXS
- Iron Maiden
- Jethro Tull
- Journey
- Joy Division/New Order
- Kool & the Gang
- The Monkees
- Motley Crue
- Ozzy Osbourne
- Phil Collins
- Scorpions
- The Smiths
- Warren Zevon
- XTC
The 38th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place on Friday, November 3, 2023 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Ticket details for the ceremony will be announced at a later date.
