We have a bit of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame related news prior to Christmas as Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament discussed Rage Against the Machine’s snub and Mick Box of Uriah Heep talked about his bands own chances for enshrinement.

On their Sirius/XM channel, Jeff Ament briefly mentioned that the fact that Rage Against the Machine was snubbed as they were not chosen for 2019 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class.

“Another first ballot snub, our cohorts from Los Angeles, Rage Against The Machine. Of course we have a lot of history with those guys, Brad was in a band with Ed years ago. We jammed with Brad a little bit when we were mixing our first record. We’ve been friends with those guys all the way through. Timmy and I are super tight bass bros.”

We didn’t say it was a deep thought on it.  

RATM member, Tom Morello is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame committee and the band was nominated the last two years, which is the exact amount of time they have been eligible.

In an interview with “The Five Count Radio Show, Mick Box of Uriah Heep was asked why they have not been inducted yet.  Here is what he had to say:

 “I've never even thought about it, because all I hear about how they choose bands and people to be in it, I'm not quite sure it's good or bad; I can't make up my mind about it. But, saying that, just recently, a campaign has been started for us to be in the Hall of Fame. Whether it disappears into the ether, I have no idea. If it comes to fruition, it'll be great — it'll be a nice moment to savor. But, you know, life goes on regardless. And if it comes, great; if it doesn't, then that's great too."

"Wouldn't it be nice to have [the trophy]? But if it don't come, then life will continue. And as it is, it's a pretty good life already. I mean, the thing they do overlook is that we were pioneers for a lot of bands throughout our career. For instance, we were the first band to play in Moscow when Glasnost sent us an official invitation to be the first Western rock band to play over in Russia. We went to Moscow and played to 180,000 people in the Olympic stadium over a 10-day period. It was just immense. 

Uriah Heep have been eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 1995 but have never been nominated.

We know that there will be a lot more discussion about the 2019 Class as we continue to inch towards the ceremony.  

As always, we will be watching!

For all intents and purposes, this is our Christmas morning.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced their Class of 2019 and there was little surprise with who got chosen as Radiohead, Stevie Nicks, Janet Jackson, Roxy Music, Def Leppard, The Cure and The Zombies were chosen.

Radiohead enters on their second year of eligibility. Nominated last year as well, we suspect that when they announced last year they could not attend the ceremony due to commitments on tour in South America that the committee decided to delay the inevitable by a year.

Def Leppard is no surprise as they easily won the fan vote keeping the streak alive as every fan vote winner has been ushered in.  This was their first nomination.

Stevie Nicks makes history as the first woman to be a double inductee.  She was previously inducted with Fleetwood Mac.  

Janet Jackson enters on her third nomination.  It has been speculated that without Les Moonves wielding his influence against her (over Nipplegate) that this should be her year.  It is, and she joins her brothers into the Rock Hall.

The selection of the Cure opens up a glut of future inductions for early 80’s Alternative bands such as New Order and Depeche Mode.

Roxy Music enters on our their first nomination, though they have been eligible for nearly twenty years.

The Zombies, who have been nominated before finally enter after being eligible for more than 25 years. 

The biggest surprise in terms of who did not get in has to be Todd Rundgren, but the fact that he was nominated bodes well for a future induction. Kraftwerk, MC5, Rufus & Chaka Khan, Devo, Rage Against the Machine, LL Cool J and John Prine.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the newest class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and we will begin work on a new and revised list!

It has been an interesting year for John Prine who was nominated for both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriting Hall of Fame this year. In an interview with Billboard, he discussed both of those nominations and what those meant to him.

"It's been quite a year. The (halls of fame), those things are pretty darned neat just to get nominated for. I know there's lots of people who have been waiting years to just get in. Truly, the nominations are good enough. I haven't been nominated before for these particular organizations. I don't know if I'll get in the first year or not."   

When asked about the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, Prine indicated that it would it mean a lot to him to be inducted:

"I found it easier to make up songs than to learn other people's songs…The Songwriters Hall of fame, that's the one all the big-time writers get into, the really great stuff, the Broadway stuff and all that. That would be something, to get your name in there."

Prine however was comfortable with the idea that he could possibly be a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer next year.

“I always related to the rock 'n' roll lifestyle. So that'd be great to be in there, no matter what year they want to put me in."

Prine however was quick to add tha the felt the Zombie should go in before him.  

We will know next month whether or not Prine will get into both, one or neither of the Halls of Fame. As you can imagine we will be paying very close attention to what those nominations will be!

Kirk Buchner interviews Fonda Bryant, the daughter of Johnnie Taylor.  She discusses his career and why she feels he should be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

We love this.

Another significant figure who is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has stated his contempt towards that institution.

That man is Iron Maiden frontman, Bruce Dickinson who in a spoken word tour in Australia had this to say when asked by a fan if he thought that Iron Maiden should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He had this to say:

“Absolutely. I actually think the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is an utter and complete load of bollocks, to be honest with you. It’s run by a bunch of sanctimonious bloody Americans who wouldn’t know rock and roll if it hit them in the face. They need to stop taking Prozac and start drinking fucking beer."

That sounds pretty rock and roll to us!

The heavy metal band has been eligible for the Hall since 2004 and has never been nominated.

Iron Maiden is ranked #14 by us on Notinhalloffame on or list of those to consider for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

As always we can’t get enough of the drama!

Yesterday, we discussed how it wouldn’t be the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame without a potential inductee (in this case it was Trent Reznor) essentially saying it was worthless. It also wouldn’t be the Rock Hall with another potential inductee (Ted Nugent) implying it was criminal that he was not included.

In an interview with My Global Mind Magazine, Nugent had the following to say about his omission from the Hall:

“I have some really clear thoughts. Its sacrilege, it’s ultimately disrespectful and cruel to Chuck, Bo and Little Richard and all the founding fathers in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Because the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame means something and I don’t have to explain to you because you know, and you don’t have to explain it to me. Abandon egos, bragging, and Ted Nugent speaking on behalf of Ted Nugent; is it or is it not vulgar, dishonest, and obscene that Grand Master Flash, Patti Smith, and ABBA are in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame but Ted ‘Fucking’ Nugent isn’t!

Is that the most outrageous and disgusting lie you have ever seen? Joe Walsh nailed it; ‘It’s not music lover driven.’ He used the word fan, and it’s not fan driven. Its ultra leftist liberal CEO driven gang who couldn’t give a rat’s ass about the music.”

David Crosby, a two time inductee with the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash responded on Twitter with a simple shot:

“That is really funny stuff ....he’s not good enough and he never will be ....a hack player and no singer at all ....could not write a decent song if his life depended on it”

If this seems familiar, it is because the same thing happened a year ago where Nugent stated he should be in, and Crosby decreed the Motor City Madman (actually he called him an asshole) wasn’t good enough.

Damn, we love the drama that this Hall continues to create!

It wouldn’t be the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame without a high profile artist stating that they don’t want any part of it. Trent Reznor just added his name to that list.

In an interview with Stereogum, Reznor had the following to say about a possible Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction:

"I saw somebody write something online or comment on Twitter like, 'What could be less rock 'n' roll than the fuckin’ Hall of Fame,' And that is authentically how I feel about it. I’ll say this: It’s nice to be appreciated. It’s nicer when it feels like that’s coming from a place that you care about. Like, a Grammy doesn’t mean a fuckin’ thing. It means a few assholes in a room that are trying to make a TV show have good ratings deciding, 'Let’s give it to this guy.' It doesn’t feel like it has any meaning behind it.

I honestly couldn’t give less of a shit. I’m not gonna sleep any better. Included or not. With that being said, it’s always nice to feel you’ve been appreciated to some degree, but it’s not on my list of things I have to achieve before I die.

 

The Oscar was completely unexpected, when you see what goes on behind the scenes there and the different guilds and how many people are involved and how seriously they take it, I’m still pretty blown away by that. I’m not saying there isn’t politics and bullshit involved too, but it feels like it’s coming from a much more significant place and from the community that’s honoring you than a couple dudes trying to get ratings for a TV show like the Grammys. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, who knows what that is. I don’t give a shit. It’s irritating every year that suddenly my inbox lights up with, 'Oh man, sorry about … ' I don’t give a fuck! You know what I mean? I don’t … The worst would be if we did [get inducted] and then what? We’d have to fuckin’ show up and jam? I can’t even imagine what that would be."

Nine Inch Nails were nominated in 2015 and 2016 but never since.

This is not exactly a shocking statement from Reznor and we expect we will hear more from RRHOF worthy artists before the Class of 2019 is announced.

We look forward to this day every year at Notinhalloffame.com. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced their Finalists for the Class of 2019 and annually it brings about the biggest debates in the short history of Halls of Fame.

Hell, it was those debates that caused us to create this website in the first place!

Here are the nominees:

Def Leppard: This is the first time that the British pop-metal band has been nominated after being eligible since 2004. They are ranked #41 on our list.

Devo: Often perceived as a one-hit wonder (for Whip It), this was a very influential act that was far more than just a New Wave Band. This is their first nomination and they have are ranked #84 on our list.

Janet Jackson: This is Janet’s third nomination and first since 2017. She is ranked #18 on our list.

John Prine: While Prine is a decent candidate, this has to be considered the biggest “oh, really?” reaction of this year’s Finalists. He is ranked #314 on our list.

Kraftewerk: Arguably in terms of influence, there is no artist(s) that deserve induction more than Kraftwerk. This is their fifth nomination and they are ranked #2 on our list.

LL Cool J: This is the lone Hip Hop nominee and for LL Cool J, it is the fifth nomination. He is ranked #88 on our list.

MC5: In terms of Proto-Punk or even Punk in general, this would have to be the nomination. They are ranked #6 on our list.

Radiohead: Radiohead were nominated last year on their first year of eligibility and they are up again this year. They are ranked #1 on our list.

Rage Against the Machine: RATM is back for the second nomination and they are ranked #47 on our list.

Roxy Music: This is the first nomination for Roxy Music who have been eligible since 1997 and also for Brian Eno, who also has a solo career worth celebrating. They are ranked #5 on our list.

Stevie Nicks: Already inducted as a member of Fleetwood Mac, this is the first solo nomination for Nicks. She is ranked #122 on our list.

The Cure: The Cure were nominated before in 2012 and are essentially this year’s 80’s Alternative nominee. They are ranked #11 on our list.

Todd Rundgren: This is the first nomination for Rundgren who has been eligible since. Rundgren brings a resume that is propelled by his producing credits and he is ranked #13 on our list.

Rufus and Chaka Khan: This is the fourth nomination for Chaka Khan (in some capacity as she was initially nominated as a solo) and fourth in a row. They are ranked #170 on our list.

The Zombies: The Zombies return to the ballot for the fourth time and their third year in a row. They are ranked #85 on our list.

While this was a longtime coming for Roxy Music, Todd Rundgren and Def Leppard, we expect that there will be a lot of people upset at Devo’s nomination and the usual backlash of a Hip Hop nominee.

Notably there are no Progressive Rock candidates and no first year eligible nominees.

So, did they get it right in terms of nominations?

Let us know and let’s see who will get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019!

In an interview with Cleveland.com Def Leppard’s lead guitarist Phil Collen discussed the band’s omission from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame:

“We don’t actually care because everyone does it for us…We treat everything – Grammy’s, al that stuff as irrelevant…If that’s your main focus, there’s some life lessons to be learned.”

Def Leppard has been eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 2004 and not only have they not been inducted into the Hall they have never been nominated. Despite this, Collen pointed out to Cleveland.com that he had no issue with the Hall itself and the people who work there…just the voting committee. Collen had this to say and the relationship he has with the actual Hall itself:

 "Rush and KISS should have in there a long time ago…KISS is one of the biggest bands in the world and they were treated with disrespect. But not by the people who work there…I love the people at the museum…They take great care of me and our museum. It's just the voting panel.”

He also discussed with Cleveland.com on how he retrieved a guitar that was on display at the Hall for a gig during the last time he played the city:

The axe in question was his famed glow-in-the-dark guitar with Bela Lugosi’s image on it.

"It was in a case, I got it out and my guitar tech strung it out…I played it for the show and it was back in the case the next morning.''

Collen joined the band in 1982 during the Pyromania recording sessions.

Def Leppard is currently ranked #41 on Notinhalloffame.com.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony is rapidly approaching and the event took more shape today with the announcement of more of the inductors.

The lead singer of the Killers, Brandon Flowers, will be inducting the Cars. The band will be performing together for the first time since 2011.

Mary J. Blige will be inducting the late Nina Simone and Ann Wilson of Heart will be inducting the Moody Blues. Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes will be inducting Sister Rosetta Tharpe.

It had previously been announced that Howard Stern will be inducting Bon Jovi. At the ceremony Richie Sambora will perform with the rest of the group for the first time since 2013.

At present it is not known if Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler will be attending and how the Rock and Roll Hall plans to handle the situation.

The Hall of Fame ceremony takes place on April 14 in Cleveland.

The first content that we ever put up on Notinhalloffame.com was our original Rock and Roll list ranking those who were not yet in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame but were worthy of consideration. It ranked 100 acts, and as we continued on we extended it to 500. Our eventual intent is to get to 1,000 and at present we now have 567 ranked.

The selection of The Moody Blues, The Cars, Nina Simone, Bon Jovi and Dire Straits to the Hall means that they are removed and newly eligible acts now populate our list. Rankings of existing musicians have been altered based on your comments and votes.

The new top 25 features:

Radiohead takes over the top spot after being ranked #2. They were nominated last year in their first year of eligibility and it was widely speculated that they would get in but it should be only a matter of time.

Kraftwerk returns to the number two rank after being #1 last year. The influential band has been nominated four times (2003, 2013, 2015 & 2017) and was our original number one selection when we put out our first list in 2010.

Jethro Tull holds firm at #3. To the surprise of many, the British Progressive Rock band has never been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame despite being eligible for twenty-five years.

The Smiths also held their spot at #4. This is the third year that they have been ranked this high and they were nominated in 2015 and 2016.

Roxy Music is ranked #5 for the second year in a row. They have been eligible for the Hall since 1997.

MC5 is ranked #6 for the third straight year. They have been nominated the last two years.

Gram Parsons moves up one spot to #7, which is his highest ranking to date. He was nominated three times in 2002. 2004 & 2005.

Willie Nelson drops down to #8. Nelson has never been nominated.

New Order returns to the top 10 moving from up from #11. They also have never been nominated and have been ranked as high as #5.

Judas Priest makes their first appearance in our top ten taking the #10 position after being ranked #13. The heavy metal pioneers also earned their first nomination last year after being eligible since 1999.

The Cure moves up to #11 from #14, which is their highest rank to date. They were nominated in 2012.

John Coltrane remains at #12. He has never been nominated.

Todd Rundgren continues to climb our rank, moving from #15 to #13. He has moved up every year since our list’s inception and he has also never been nominated although has been eligible since 1995.

Iron Maiden climbs to #14 after being #17. They have also never been nominated and this to date their highest rank.

Dick Dale moved up one spot to #15. The “King of the Surf Guitar” has never been nominated.

T.Rex rises two spots to #16, their highest rank to date. They have also never been nominated.

Pixies also went up two spots to #17. Never nominated, they have been eligible for the Hall since 2012.

Janet Jackson also increased her rank and is now at the #18 hole. Jackson was nominated in both 2016 & 2017.

Joy Division reached the top 20 for the first time reaching #19. Like New Order, they have never been nominated.

King Crimson returns to the top 20. They were ranked #23 last year and they have never been nominated.

Wu-Tang Clan plummeted from #10 to #21. They have only been eligible for two years.

Depeche Mode continued to rise and are now #22. They have been nominated for the last two years.

Big Star dropped to #23. This is their lowest ranking to date and they have yet to be nominated.

Link Wray moved up three to #24, his first time in our Top 25. The guitar legend was nominated last year and also in 2014.

Beck closes the Top 25. He was ranked at that last year.

As you see, no new act made our revised Top 25. That doesn’t mean that there are not new entries as we have 19 debuts to our Notinhalloffame.com list.

They are:

Bjork at #56.

Dave Matthews Band at #81.

Blink-182 at #90.

Rancid at #100.

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony at #128.

Snoop Dogg at #178.

The Roots at #235.

Built to Spill at #249.

Shania Twain at #255.

Sheryl Crow at #304.

Counting Crows at #309.

Toni Braxton at #320.

Everclear at #381.

AFI at #387.

Collective Soul at #400.

Aimee Mann at #420.

Frank Black at #454.

Elastica at #484.

As always, we here at Notinhalloffame.com thank you for your votes and comments and encourage you to offer more as this does alter future rankings.

Look for our revised Notinhalloffame.com Baseball list in the upcoming weeks.

It did not take long to find out who the first inductor will be for the upcoming Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony this April.

On the Howard Stern Show on SiriusXM, Jon Bon Jovi announced that Stern was his first choice:

“The truth is I only had one choice….nobody knows not only me but the members of the band as well as Howard.”

Bon Jovi, both the singer and the group have been longtime guests of the Show dating back to 80’s. Stern told Bon Jovi that he was “honored” and “would be thrilled to do it”.

Stern should make an entertaining figure for the ceremony and we look forward to see who will also become inductors.

Hello everyone!

As you know, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced the Class of 2018, which features Bon Jovi, Dire Straits, The Cars, Nina Simone, The Moody Blues and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. They will be removed from Notinhalloffame.com Rock and Roll list and now we are working on our next rendition.

The list is impacted annually by your votes and comments and we have seen in the past your input move an artist almost 100 spots. This year will be no exception.

Now we already have a Futures section reflecting those who are eligible for the next vote in December but we thought we would take the time to ask all of you where you think the following musicians deserve to be ranked by us.

Our first inkling is that of the new eligible artists none of them stand out as a first ballot entry. Frankly we are not sure that any of them are Top 50 worthy.

We certainly have some ideas, and we will be taking into consideration the votes that you have already given on each artist’s respective page in the futures section. However, we thought it prudent to ask all of you again here your thoughts about the potential rankings for the following:

AFI

Aimee Mann

Bjork

Blink-182

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony

Built to Spill

Collective Soul

Counting Crows

Dave Matthews Band

DMX

Elastica

Everclear

Frank Black

Grant Lee Buffalo

Liz Phair

Rancid

The Roots

Shania Twain

Sheryl Crow

Snoop Dogg

Toni Braxton

We look forward to hearing any insight you may have!

Congrats to the six newest members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Nina Simone, The Moody Blues, The Cars, Dire Straits, and Bon Jovi! 11 quick thoughts on this class:

1. The Good: The Rock Hall voters had a quality list of candidates to choose from with limited pet projects. That is reflected in this group. There isn’t a single one that is undeserving. And these are all acts that have been waiting a long time. Bon Jovi has been eligible for nine years and they are the most recent band on this list. Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Nina Simone have been eligible since the Hall opened in 1986. While there were other acts I thought might get in, this is a good, solid (somewhat safe) Rock Hall class of acts that have been waiting a while.

2. The Bad: One of the biggest criticisms levied against the Hall is that if you aren’t a white guy it is very hard to break through and in. And while this is a worthy group of people, ti is a pretty homogenous group. There are twenty five people going in this class. Two are women and two are not white and they are the same two people. And for what it is worth, both have been dead for quite some time (Simone since 2003 and Tharpe since 1973).

Part of this is that the voters can only vote on the nominees in front of them. They had 19 choices this year and only five of the over fifty people in those groups combined were women: Tharpe, Simone, Kate Bush, Chaka Khan, and Annie Lennox (with the Eurythmics). So 40% did get in, although the voters only actually chose Simone as Sister Rosetta Tharpe got a special award. Still with so many quality female artists who have never been nominated, (Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Cher, Carly Simon, Patti LaBelle, Pat Benatar, Connie Francis, and Emmylou Harris just to name a few) getting them in one at a time seems tokenism at best.

3. The Unnecessary: Going back to Sister Rosetta Tharpe, it was apparent that she was going to be inducted as soon as she was nominated. Rock Hall geeks like me have been pushing for her to be inducted as an early influence for the past 15 years at least. That said, there was no way she was getting in via the vote, she was always going to be the early influence. So why put her on the ballot? It just crowds an already large group and spreads the votes out even more. The Rock Hall has done this two times before with Wanda Jackson and Freddy King and were roundly criticized for it. It is just unnecessary. If there is an old time act you want to induct in a seniors committee sort of way, just do it. Don’t put them on the ballot.

4. The Popular: The Rock Hall has had an online vote for the past six years, the results of which are supposed to count for only one of the 450+ votes that go in every year. Not coincidentally, the band that has won the online vote every year has gone in vote (Rush, Kiss, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Chicago, Journey, and now Bon Jovi). I originally said as soon as they were nominated that Bon Jovi should start preparing their speeches then as they were clearly winning that vote.
Interestingly, this year the top four vote getters on the online poll all got in: Bon Jovi, The Moody Blues, Dire Straits, and The Cars in that order (Nina Simone was 10^th). So it would be interesting to see how many voters listened to the public in filling out their ballots.

5. The Shocking: Finishing 12^th on that list was a band pretty much everyone was sure was going to be a first ballot inductee: Radiohead. But they ended up not making the cut. Part of that may be that they announced that if they were elected they would not be at the ceremony as they had a concert in Buenos Aires that day they were unwilling to move. Something similar allegedly happened with 2017 inductee Yes when they had a cruise for Yes fans back in 2014 they were unwilling to move if they were elected. The rumor was that they did make it, but since they weren’t willing to work with the Hall, the Hall didn’t let them in. Don’t feel bad for Thom Yorke and company though. They’ll be back next year.

6. The Critics Choice: It is great to see Nina Simone get in. She was highly talented and incredibly influential musician and political activist whose heyday was from the late 50s to early 70s. The problem I expected for her was that her lack of hits was going to hurt her chances of getting in. I mean, while “Sinnerman” is one of my favorite tracks of all time, her greatest hit is 1958’s “I Loves You, Porgy” which has largely been lost to history at this point honestly.   

But what I underestimated was while she is not as well remembered by the public, she is not just loved but beloved by many in the music industry. There was almost universal support amongst artists when she was first nominated that of all of the nominees she should be the one in. They got her. And it is really about time. If you don’t know her, find her today.

7. The Overlooked: This is another win for bands that have been passed over for years without a nomination. Simone and Tharpe waited 32 years to get in on their first shot at the Hall. The Moody Blues waited 28. Dire Straits 14.

This follows a pattern that has been occurring since they revamped the nominating committee. Lots of “forgotten bands” are getting their shot and getting in after waiting more than 10 years for a chance. In the past five years we’ve had Hall and Oates, Linda Rondstadt, Peter Gabriel, Bill Withers, Cheap Trick, Chicago, Steve Miller, Electric Light Orchestra, Joan Baez, and Journey get through this way. That is a good sign for groups like: America, Bad Company, Blood, Sweat, & Tears, Blue Oyster Cult, Jethro Tull, Kansas, King Crimson, REO Speedwagon, Roxy Music, Styx, Supertramp, The Doobie Brothers, The Pointer Sisters, Three Dog Night, Uriah Heap, Wings, and many others who have been eligible since at least 2000 and have no nominations.

8. The Opening Doors: Every time an act is elected that tends to open a door for someone else. Sort of a situation where X can’t get in until Y is in, which is the argument that happened with KISS not getting in before Alice Cooper. So who does this class help?

Bon Jovi is a help for other 80’s big hair rock bands like Def Leppard and Motley Crue and perhaps following acts like INXS.

The Cars helps other 80s pop bands like Duran Duran, Foreigner, and perhaps Culture Club or New Order.

Dire Straits helps other 70s and 80s guitar groups like Steppenwolf, Blue Oyster Cult, The Doobie Brothers, and perhaps groups like the Pixies and even the Flaming Lips.

Nina Simone removes one of the longest overlooked women. That gives more hope for Patti LaBelle. We are now 32 years into the Rock Hall and Patti LaBelle is not enshrined in any way, shape or form. That is a travesty.

And the Moody Blues gives help to those remaining British invasion groups who haven’t broken through yet like their fellow nominees The Zombies, Manfred Mann, Herman’s Hermits, and Gerry and the Pacemakers.

9: The Left Behind: So what does this mean for those who were not elected? I think this may be the only nomination for Kate Bush, who was another pleasant surprise to see on the ballot, but just doesn’t appear to have either the public or critical support to get back on. LL Cool J had his 4^th nomination but first in five years and with other rap acts such as Notorious B.I.G., Dr. Dre, and Snoop hitting the ballot over the coming years, it may be a while before we see him as well.

The others: Depeche Mode, Eurythmics, J. Geils Band, Judas Priest, Link Wray, MC5, Radiohead, Rage against the Machine, Rufus with Chaka Khan, The Meters, and The Zombies should all be back in consideration in coming years. In fact, I’d be surprised not to see at least Radiohead, Rage, and the Priest back again next year.

10: The Coming Attractions: Look for Snoop Dog, Dr. Dre, The Roots, and Dave Matthews Band to join the ballot next year as potential first time eligibles (with Counting Crows, Toni Braxton, and Sheryl Crow also being possibilities). I’d also expect Janet Jackson, Kraftwerk, Nine Inch Nails, and Jane’s Addiction to resurface from previous ballots. Finally, don’t be surprised if Tammi Terrell or Leslie Gore end up being the female artist they rediscover for the ballot next year.

11: The Crystal Ball: So how did I do with my predictions? I picked Bon Jovi, Judas Priest, LL Cool J, Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, and The Moody Blues with Sister Rosetta Tharpe as the Early Influence inductee. So only three out of six with the Early Influence inductee. Not bad, but not great either.

When you are nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, it is naturally disappointing when you don’t get the call.

It was no exception for Judas Priest frontman, Rob Halford who saw his band nominated for the first time though they were eligible since 1999.

In an interview with 100.7 KSLX in Phoenix, Halford read and shared the rejection letter that the band received:

Thank you for embracing your nomination for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. While you didn’t garner enough votes for induction this year, you were part of a very select group of Hall of Fame nominees. Artists are frequently on the ballot multiple times before they are inducted. For example, Black Sabbath were nominated eight times before their induction, Patti Smith seven times, Solomon Burke nine times, and both the Beastie Boys and The Yardbirds were on the ballot three times before their respective inductions.

If you are touring or simply traveling nearby, please visit our museum in Cleveland, Ohio. Our six floors of exhibitions tell the remarkable history of rock and roll and how it changed the world. You’re part of that story and we’d love to share it with you. Again, congratulations on your nomination.

My best,

Greg Harris, President and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

 

Fascinating, right?

While we could easily be wrong on this, we don’t recall a time where a band shared this letter publically.

In the interview, Halford was not bitter but did stress that he felt that the band deserved to be inducted:

“We’ve put our 10,000 hours in and more. Beyond that, we just feel that heavy metal music deserves more space on shelves at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

 

We were thrilled and honoured to be even nominated, so it’s kind of bittersweet. We got the nomination, which is something of a recognition for the work that you’ve done, but we didn’t quite get in this time, but I’m hopeful that eventually we’ll get some more metal.”

We here at Notinhalloffame.com think that they will be nominated again.

While we know that Christmas Morning is a couple of weeks away, it is our December 25 at Notinhalloffame.com.

This morning the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced the new inductees for the Class of 2018.

Let’s get right the new inductee shall we?

Bon Jovi. Every year since the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame instituted the Fan Vote, the winner was selected. This year was no exception. Eligible since 2008, the New Jersey rockers got in on their second nomination and can still sell out arenas today. They have sold 120 million albums worldwide.

Inducted Members: David Bryan, Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, Alec John Such & Tico Torres.

The Cars. Classic Rock. New Wave. Pop. The Cars checked all of those categories and arguably is the safest choice of the lot. The band has been eligible since 2003 and received their first nomination two years ago and was also nominated last year.

Inducted Members: Elliot Easton, Greg Hawkes, David Robinson, Ric Ocasek & Benjamin Orr.

Dire Straits. Eligible since 2003, Dire Straits was a straight up rock band that stood out in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. This was their only nomination.

Inducted Members: Alan Clark, Guy Fletcher, John Illsley, David Knophler, Mark Knophler, Pick Withers.

The Moody Blues: How long have fans been waiting for this one? The British group has been eligible since 1989, yet had to wait nearly 30 years for their first nomination. They only needed one, and they are finally in.

Inducted Members: Graeme Edge, Justin Haywars, John Lodge, Mike Pinder & Ray Thomas.

Nina Simone: The High Priestess of Soul has also never been nominated until now, but like Dire Straits and The Moody Blues, that was all that was required.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe:: As we expected, Sister Rosetta Tharpe was chosen but slotted in as an Early Influence Selection, which males you wonder why she was nominated at all considering the Hall could have just inducted her without nominating her in this fashion. Regardless, the musical legacy of Tharpe is certainly Rock and Roll Hall of Fame worthy.

Based on the nominees this was about as safe as they could be, and we can imagine that many rock traditionalists are very happy with this class.

Radiohead, who were eligible for the first time this year did not get in, and notably they said earlier that they would not be attending (should they have gotten in) as they already booked a concert in Buenos Aires that date. One has to wonder if that played a factor in the group not being selected.

Also passed over this year were Depeche Mode, Eurythmics, The J. Geils Band, Judas Priest, Kate Bush, Link Wray, LL Cool J, MC5, The Meters, Rage Against the Machine, Rufus with Chaka Khan & The Zombies.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony will take place on April 14, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio.

We will begin work in the new year on the revised list for the 2018 vote. Look for that in late January.

What do Rush, Kiss, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Chicago and Journey have in common? Other than being members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, all of them won the fan vote, by which the regular public could make their voices heard to the Rock Hall, and since its inception all of the above winners were elected in that respective year.

If history is to be repeated than we should pencil in Bon Jovi as an inductee for the next Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class, as they were the runaway winners from the fan vote.

According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the fan vote ballot takes the top five vote getters in that order and it counts the same as any one of the 90 others that it receives from musicians/experts who comprise the voting body, though again the fan vote has been unblemished to date.

The voting tally is as follows:

Bon Jovi: 1,162,146

The Moody Blues: 947,795

Dire Straits: 613,749

The Cars: 552,733

Judas Priest: 538,508

The Zombies: 529,478

Eurythmics: 451,997

1. Geils Band: 349,319

Depeche Mode: 302,144

Nina Simone: 184,628

Kate Bush: 179,337

Radiohead: 176,310

Rage Against the Machine: 167,903

The MC5: 127,004

LL Cool J: 118,317

Sister Rosetta Tharpe: 111,158

Link Wray: 98,436

Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan: 84,625

The Meters: 59,045

The announcement foe the next Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class will be announced on the Hall’s Facebook page on December 13.

We haven’t made it to the 2018 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony and we already have potential drama for the 2019 one.

In an interview with Rolling Stone (of course they are going to ask this question!) Noel Gallagher was asked about the Rock Hall, which they are soon to be eligible. He had this to say:

“I’ve already been approached by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame… The fuckin’ fella from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame came to me and said, ‘Do you know in two years you’ll be eligible for the Hall of Fame?’ I said, ‘Is that right?’ He said, ‘Yes.'

And he started going on, and I said, ‘Let me fucking stop you there. I know what it is. I know what it entails, and it won’t be fucking happening, OK?'

He invited me down to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame itself and showed me all these exhibits of Oasis stuff. It’s a great place and all that, but I won’t be doing it, I don’t think.”

Gallagher did go on to say to that Oasis does deserve to be inducted, but if we are looking to see a big moment with him and Liam, perhaps it won’t be under the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame umbrella.

We have to admit, we love this constant drama.