gold star for USAHOF

Two generations of Britmetal slammed out their wares at FivePoint Amphitheater in Irvine, California, on September 27 as Deep Purple headlined the show that Judas Priest opened, with two different kinds of metalheads banging in support of each.

And while both bands have been presenting said wares for more than four decades, each demonstrated that it still had a trick or two up its sleeve even as both reliably fired off the hallmarks that eventually landed one band in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame while the other is on the short list of the Rock Hall's biggest "snubs." So, did one band justify its inclusion? And did the other further its case for inclusion?

It’s that time again for us at Notinhalloffame.com.

As you may have noticed, our main logo always features four people/artists who have been considered by us to be egregious snubs by their respective Halls of Fame.  Some of those images have not changed, as hockey broadcaster, Don Cherry has been part of the logo from day one.  Some, we don’t expect to change, as we will be very surprised if Barry Bonds will ever be chosen by the Baseball Hall of fame, though surprises do happen, such as when Randy Savage was selected to the WWE Hall of Fame.

Saying all of that, the musician(s) that we have chosen for the Rock and Roll HOF snub of the logo have fared very well.

When our website began in 2009, Alice Cooper was featured as the Rock snub.   He would get in shortly after, and we replaced him with Rush, who got in that year in their first year of nomination.  Rush gave way to Kiss, who honestly we thought would never get inducted, but sure enough they were nominated and then inducted the first year they were on our logo.  Deep Purple, a fixture on our top five since our website’s inception took over and after two years, they were chosen.

Does this mean that we have a magic touch for getting artists in?

Selfishly, we will say yes!

This year, Janet Jackson has now become part of our logo and we have gone with that for three reasons.

1.  Your votes have been strong, and she has moved up our ranking more than anyone else in the top 100 over the last three years. 

2.  The social media clamoring for her induction has been strong, and someone who we consider a friend to the site, Mike Litherland, has led it.  If you haven’t checked out his efforts, you can do so here.

3.  Aesthetically, it is a good visual.  Kraftwerk, who we actually have ranked higher would have been to, but we doubt that the fans of Kraftwerk, or even the band themselves even care.  It is a shallow reason, but a reason nevertheless.

So does this mean Janet is now a lock for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

Based on our track record…it could very well be!





Is anyone really surprised that there is more drama with Deep Purple and their induction in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

Founding member and former guitarist, Ritchie Blackmore announced on his Facebook page that he will not be in attendance when the band is officially inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April.

"Ritchie was honored by the offer of induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame…He was discussing the possibility of attending, until we received correspondence from the President of the Rock Hall of Fame, who said that Bruce Payne, management for the current Deep Purple Touring Band, had said 'No"……….!!!!!' Therefore Ritchie will not be attending the ceremony. He sincerely thanks all the fans that voted for him for their support."

This is not exactly a shock as Blackmore has not played with the band since his departure in 1993.  When asked if Blackmore would be joining them drummer Ian Paice was non-committal and stated that there were some in the band who would probably not want to play with Blackmore at the Hall of Fame ceremony.  As it turned out, Paice was right.

The current line-up of Deep Purple will be performing at the induction ceremony.

Will the drama of Deep Purple and the Rock and Roll of Fame ceremony end with this?

Doubtful!



When we set up our inaugural Notinhalloffame.com Rock and Roll list, the con that we stated against inducting Deep Purple was the immense amount of members that they had in the band and who they would induct.  As it turns out, members of Deep Purple had the same concerns.

With the announcement that Deep Purple would be inducted, drummer, Ian Paice had this to say about those who would be chosen for the Rock Hall, and those who were not:

"It'll be interesting, won't it?  It's a somewhat complicated situation. The personalities that are involved didn't always get on terrifically well, so that has to be taken into consideration. I don't think there'll be anybody swinging at anybody else -- I think there's a possibility that some people just won't be there. We may all turn up and be happy on the night and it'll go wonderfully well, or two or three people will be studiously ignoring each other. It could almost be like a reality TV show. I'd rather it wasn't, but there we go.

"If they ask us to play there, who's gonna play what? Who's prepared to play what, and with who? As we've been blessed with so many virtuoso players in the band over the years, it might have been easier to take us individually to be inducted rather than as a band. We've just got a lot of details to work out -- what they're going to ask us to do, what we can do, what will be impossible. It's not a band of four or five guys who have stayed together throughout their career and are asked to do something. It's more complex than that. So we'll just have to make a decision of what's right for us, not what's right for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Everybody who's ever been involved with the band, even for a short time, is instrumental in making it work and ensuring it still exists to this day. So I think if you're gonna do it, everybody should have been invited to join the club.”

Paice is referring to the fact that several key members of Deep Purple’s past and present were not chosen to be inducted.  These notable members are:

Steve Morse, a current band member and guitarist since 1994.

Don AIrey, a current band member and keyboardist since 2001.

Tommy Bolin, a guitarist with the band from 1975 to 1976.

Joe Lynn Turner, the lead vocalist on their 1990 album, Slaves and Masters. 

Would it be a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony without drama?

Of course not, and we here at Notinhalloffame.com are looking forward to watching it all unfold. 







For us at Notinhalloffame.com, Christmas always comes early.  The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced the new inductees and there are many people who are rejoicing and just as many who are disgusted.

Deep Purple, who held the top stop on our list and have been in the top five since our website’s inception has made it on its third try.  Numerous band members have been vocal about their distaste for the Hall, however many Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees have been very open about their desire to see the British rockers in.  This will necessitate a change in our logo, which currently features the band as the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame snub.

N.W.A. has also been chosen.  This selection coincides with the successful biopic of the band that received critical acclaim and also educated a new generation to the impact of the hip hop group.

Chicago, who have been eligible for the Hall since 1994, finally received their first nomination this year.  The classic rock group has been named on multiple snub lists for years.

The same holds true for the Steve Miller Band, who have also been eligible for over two decades and received their first nomination this year.

The final inductees are the power pop group, Cheap Trick who also had their first nomination this year. 

While fans of those artists are certainly pleased, there are an equal amount of fans who will wake up disappointed.

Janet Jackson who has significant online support (led by Mike Litherland who we have had the pleasure of interviewing twice) did not get in.  This was her first nomination, and her snub this year will likely increase the support for her candidacy.

Progressive rock group, Yes, were told “No”.  They too have a large throng of fans clamoring for their induction.

The Smiths were denied as were Nine Inch Nails, who have been on the ballot for the first two years of their eligibility.

For the tenth time, Chic failed to get in.  The only thing we seem to know for sure is that this trend will happen again next year.

The Spinners, Chaka Khan, The J.B’s and Los Lobos were also not chosen.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony will take place on April 8th at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, New York.

With this, we will be taking a deeper look at the inductees in upcoming articles and will begin work on a revised list, which we are looking to have up in late January.


We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate this group of inductees and look forward to debating this topic for years to come.



This month, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will be announcing its 2016 inductees. Judas Priest, who gives a fat rat's ass any more, anyway?

I'm not kidding. No one is ever happy with the selections. There is no definition of what "rock and roll" is, which means that there is no consensus on which artists are appropriate candidates. Apart from the need to have released the first recording at least 25 years previously to qualify and a vague suggestion of "musical excellence," there are no criteria that can be universally applied. And with only fragmentary glimpses of the Hall's nominating committee and its selection and voting procedures, sustained mutterings about how the entire process is an industry charade stage-managed by driving force Jann Wenner and his cronies are approaching whispered revelations about the Freemasons, the Illuminati, and other occult conspiracies.
As most of you know, Deep Purple has been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year, which marks the band’s third time up as a Finalist.  For many (including us as we have them ranked #1 on our Notinhalloffame.com rock list) the exclusion of Deep Purple has been a joke and other bands who are in (Metallica, KISS and Rush) have stated that the Hall needs to induct them.

In a recent interview with Classicrock.com, Deep Purple frontman, Ian Gillan had the following to say about their nomination and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in general.



“I have no respect for them.  They’re the kind of people that having seen A Hard Day’s Night decided that the Monkees would be America’s equivalent to the Beatles.  They’ve no idea what goes on in the big wide world outside of their self-arbitrating surroundings.  To me, those people are bloody arrogant and rude.

I’ve heard that somebody on their committee dismissed us as one hit wonders.  I couldn’t figure out what that hit was; ‘Hush’, ‘Kentucky Woman’, ‘Black Night’, ‘Strange Kind of Woman’, ‘Child in Time’, ‘Perfect Strangers’, ‘Knocking At Your Back Door’ or perhaps even ‘Smoke on the Water’.

I’m sure that my mum would have been pleased and it all sounds very grand, but just take a look who’s in it!  I once wrote a song called ‘No Laughing in Heaven’ which was about not wanting to go to heaven due to the company I’d be keeping, and with a few exceptions, the Hall of Fame is pretty much the same thing.”



While we aren’t exactly sure what Gillan meant with his Monkees reference (They have never been nominated and are not considered a band that will get in due to the way they were brought together) it can be understood why he is frustrated considering that the group has been eligible since 1994. 

We are certainly curious just which artist he doesn’t want to be in the Hall with however it is worth noting that the Hall does not seem to view acceptance by an artist (see the Sex Pistols) to get inducted.

Still, is it not safe to say that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is missing a major act by not having them in it?  Maybe this could be the year for Deep Purple…let’s see if they care to attend if chosen!





At 2:00 AM Eastern the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced their Class of 2016 Nominees and it features some new possibilities, old returnees and a few headscratchers.

Let’s take a look at this group in order of their rank on Norinhalloffame.com.

Deep Purple: (#1)The British rockers have been nominated twice before, though their first nomination came seventeen years after being declared eligible.  They have been number one on our list for the past two years and have never been out of the top four since our website began.

The Smiths: (#5) This is their second straight nomination.  The group has always been ranked in our top ten.

N.W.A.: (#11) This is their fourth consecutive nomination and coming off of their successful biopic, this could be their year.

Chicago: (#12) Surprisingly, this is the first nomination for Chicago who have waited over twenty years for this.  Seriously, how could this one wait so long just to get to this stage?

Yes: (#16) The progressive rock band gets a second shot at the Hall and clearly they have landed on Cleveland’s radar.

The Steve Miller Band (#21) This also marks the first time that the Steve Miller Band has been nominated and like Chicago it took over twenty years to get here.  Chances are that all of you reading this had a cd of their greatest hits.

Nine Inch Nails (#33) This is Trent Reznor’s second nomination and the man who will likely (maybe this year) become the lone Industrial representative of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Janet Jackson: (#34) This is the first nomination for Janet Jackson and we know our friends at the #Inductjanet campaign will be thrilled!  This is a strong female contender for an institution that claims to support gender equity.

The Cars: (#36) Steadily climbing our chart since its inception, this marks the first nomination for the Ric Ocasek led Pop/New Wave group.

Cheap Trick: (#44) This is another first time nominee as the Chicago based power-pop rock group has been increasing in legacy in recent years. 

The Spinners (#54) The Spinners are nominated for a third time and considering that the band they inspired (Hall & Oates) got in, perhaps this year the Spinners will add another Philly Soul representative to the Hall.

Chic: (#100) This is the eleventh (that is not a misprint) nomination for the R&B/Disco outfit from the 70’s and this is getting a little sad.  Why not just induct Nile Rodgers through the same back door that they used to crowbar Ringo Starr in last year?

Chaka Khan (#131) Huh?  With all due respect to Chaka Khan, we are far more interested in seeing her inducted with Rufus, which is actually what the ranking reflects.  This is Chaka Khan’s first nomination.

Los Lobos (#135) I hope to God that those of you reading this only think that this group was known for covering La Bamba!  This is also there first nomination.

The J.B.’s (Unranked) Another strange nomination considering that the Rock Hall not long ago inducted multiple backing bands, including that of James Brown’s first band, The Famous Flames.  This was the band that supported Brown from the 70’s to the 90’s.

We know we are going to hear a lot about this one and expect that there will be a lot of people upset that their favourite musician(s) were not chosen. And while there is certainly a lot to criticize it is nice to see so many first time nominees. 

Now it’s your turn.

Do you agree with these choices?  Let us know here at Notinhalloffame.com!

Maybe you noticed, maybe you didn’t, but we had a logo change here at Notinhalloffame.com.

 

Since the inception of our site in 2009, our core logo has always had an image of a filmstrip with four different potential Hall of Famers from respective fields.  We have alternated from Pete Rose and Barry Bonds for baseball[1], Don Cherry for Hockey and in the past we have had Alice Cooper, Rush, Kiss (who would all get in) and now currently Deep Purple representing Rock and Roll.

 

The WWE, had always been represented by an iconic picture of Randy “Macho Man” Savage holding the Intercontinental Title.  Savage had fallen so far out of favor with the WWE that it almost literally took his death and a few years in top of it to get him into the Hall.

 

With Savage’s induction, a new WWE figure was needed…something that pops out right away.

 

We have elected to go with former three time Tag Team Champions, Demolition.

 

I know what some of you might be thinking.  Ax and Smash aren’t even in your top twenty-five and there has been little push for them to get in.  That may be, however this was a very popular team in their day, and damned if that look doesn’t stick out on the logo!

 

Besides with Bruno Sammartino, The Ultimate Warrior and Randy Savage now in, the ones who are no longer active or deceased who NEEDED to be there are now there.  That makes the other spot a lot harder to fill, so why not with a tandem of a former Masked Superstar and Soviet sympathizer? 

 

For the record, here are the other wrestling personalities that had been considered to take the spot of the “Macho Man” on the Notinhalloffame.com logo.

 

Owen Hart

Lou Thesz

“Ravishing” Rick Rude

“The British Bulldog”, Davey Boy Smith

Ivan Koloff

 

So there it is. 

 

Our current Notinhalloffame.com logo has Barry Bonds, Don Cherry, Demolition and Deep Purple.

 

Who will be the next one from our logo who will have to be removed because he/they got into their respective Hall of Fame?

 

As always, we here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to thank you for your support and look forward to your feedback!



[1] With the PED controversy, it seemed more appropriate to interject a steroids guy over a gambler.  Notice we didn’t say “inject”!

Now both the Baseball and Football Hall of Fame ceremonies are on the horizon, but it was the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the controversy that come with it that began this site in the first place. 

In the past, along with regular contributors, Sphensiscus and DDT, we have done projections as to who we thought would be the nominees for the Hall, but at the suggestion of Spheniscus, we put together a dream ballot of the fifteen acts, we want to see nominated and why.
When the idea for this website was in its infancy, the first thing we did was figure who out all the eligible artists who are not in the Hall.  Many elicited a surprised reaction that they were not enshrined, but Deep Purple received the biggest “they aren’t in yet?” reaction from us. As we discussed the idea of this site with others, Deep Purple’s omission continued to get the most surprised reaction. Considering that budding musicians still cut their teeth to “Smoke on the Water” it is easy to understand why people feel that way about Deep Purple. Probably more than any other band on this list, they just “feel” like they belong in a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.