Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2014 Nominees
Want to talk about something other than politics for awhile? The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees for 2014 are out, so it is time to cheer on your favorites, sneer at the lame ones and make the case for the bands who haven’t made it. Here are the nominees:
— The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
— Chic
— Deep Purple
— Peter Gabriel
— Hall and Oates
— KISS
— LL Cool J
— The Meters
— Nirvana
— N.W.A.
— The Replacements
— Linda Ronstadt
— Cat Stevens
— Link Wray
— YES
— The Zombies
For me, this is an OK list — with Paul Butterfield, Peter Gabriel, The Meters and The Replacements (maybe YES too) the slam dunks. I didn’t get Linda Ronstadt until her recordings with Nelson Riddle, which are really gorgeous. KISS will probably get in, even though I completely do not get that business.
And this is another year that Warren Zevon, Brian Eno, Afrika Baambaata,The New York Dolls, etc aren’t in.
What do you think about this list? I’m especially interested in hearing the case for KISS (for cryin’ out loud) being in the HOF.
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I didn’t like KISS in their day, but now I appreciate them. They are a fun party band with a sense of humor that continued to play power-chord rock and roll at a time when everybody was rapping (or trying to). What’s not to like? The songs are good and are in your head whether you know it or not.
Plus, they are one of the top selling bands of all time.
Also, I didn’t have cable TV so my music experience was relatively unpolluted by band videos.
YES was huge in its day and I don’t know why they aren’t already in.
Zombies didn’t have much output but had tons of influence and a good critical reception.
This list does require stretching your concept of rock and roll, though.
This is about commerce rather than art, so I expect KISS will get the nod. I am not a fan, I find them artless, but I get it that they sold a lot of vinyl and made Casablanca records a ton of dough. I think everyone else on the list has merit, and if this is not their time, they will get in.
Who deserves it most? Butterfield, Wray, Nile Rodgers and Bernie Edwards of Chic were a groove machine, H & O, why not, how many hits do you need to get in? Richie Blackmore of Deep Purple should be in on virtuosity alone. The Funky Meters most certainly, Yes eventually, The Zombies, that would make me happy.
KISS qualified years ago for induction but never got the votes. The Hall now has a “fan vote” feature that lets one nominee in directly without the normal peer group of voters having to sign off.
So Beth, it will be Sloe Gin Time Again.
The ‘Placemats. Along with Husker Du, among others, proof that the ’80’s didn’t suck. At least, not totally.
Chic and Hall & Oates. And of course, the mighty Meters, who brought N’Awlins funk into the mainstream.
Nirvana will be a slam dunk with voters.
And, if Cat Stevens gets in, I just might blow up the bleeping Hall. Can’t STAND that insipid shit. One of the satisfying things about vinyl was that you could break a record you couldn’t stand to pieces. I might, or might not, have done this to someone’s copy of ‘Tea For the Tillerman’ when I was in college.
OMG, the Zombies! They are amazing, Odyssey and Oracle is one of the best albums ever written.
My 5 would be:
Nirvana
NWA
Zombies
Peter Gabriel
Hall & Oates
It’s too early for Nirvana, and they suck, Cobain’s wife’s band Hole is better. No one on the list really impresses me, but I would say that Cat Stevens and Kiss should get in and The New York Dolls are getting screwed.
Agree Nirvana is overrated and dreary, but they should probably get in for sheer impact on the scene.
N.W.A will, rightly, get in. I’m glad nobody here is trying to make a case for YES. Talk about insipid shit. Yes makes Cat Stevens look like Bob Dylan.
I appreciated LL cool J in the day, but he and especially NWA are hip hop performers with perhaps arguably little influence on rock and roll. Who’s next, Garth Brooks? Plus who needs a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame anyway, the whole thing is pretty much a joke.
I like Yes. It’s their imitators that are insipid. They are part of a whole different line of rock and roll that isn’t based on the blues, so that’s the first hump to get over. But they have plenty of good songs and high-energy rock and roll. I never understood WTF the lyrics were about though, but it never seemed to matter.
@meatball – who needs a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame anyway?
Cleveland.
Hey, Meters fans — did you notice that the amazing Trombone Shorty got the band to reunite for his latest CD? Yeah, that’s right.
And I don’t have much of a problem with rap artists getting in — but only after Gil Scott Heron gets in. But I’d scrap LL Cool J for Eric B and Rakim.
But KISS? All they are getting the award for is selling alot of records.
Agreed.
I agree with the Sex Pistols assessment. The idea of a corporate “Hall of Fame” is ridiculous on its face and the place is a piss stain. I rate the place up there with the Hard Rock cafes..
KISS is a fucking joke, by the way. Who’s next, Wierd Al Yankmydick?