The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced the presenters and performers for the impending Class of 2021 Ceremony and as expected, it will be a loaded affair.

Taking place on October 30, we know the following people will be involved.

Tina Turner will be inducted by Angela Bassett, who portrayed her in the 1993 biopic, “What’s Love Got to Do With It” with performances by Bryan Adams, Christina Aguilera, H.E.R. and Mickey Guyton.

Carole King will be inducted by Taylor Swift, who will also be performing with King and Jennifer Hudson.

The Go-Go’s will be inducted by Drew Barrymore.

The Foo Fighters will be inducted by Paul McCartney.

Ahmet Ertugun Award recipient, Clarence Avant, will be inducted by Lionel Richie.

It has not been announced who will induct Todd Rundgren, Kraftwerk, LL Cool J, Charley Patton, Gil Scott-Heron and Randy Rhoads.

We look forward to seeing who else will be named as presenters and performers.

As much as we openly criticize the lack of transparency of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the day that announce their newest members is like Christmas morning to us.  We openly said that this year’s list of nominees is one of the best in the last twenty years, and it was poised to be a great class no matter who was selected.

Having said that, it is a large class, with six performers, three early influences, three Musical Excellence inductees and one Ahmet Excellent Award recipient.  

While we appreciate the wide breadth of inductees, the crowbarring of certain inductees is obvious.

The six members inducted through the traditional method were:

Carole King:  King is already in as a writer (with Gerry Goffin), but her singing career is worthy in its own right.  This was her second nomination, with her first coming all the way back in 1989.

Foo Fighters:  Dave Grohl is now a two-time inductee (with Nirvana), and in both cases, entered on the first year of eligibility.  

The Go-Gos:  The all-girl band finally were nominated this year, and they enter on their first try.

Jay-Z:  One half of the biggest power couples in music, enters on his first year of eligibility.   Jay-Z is one of the most successful artists regardless of genre, and his expansion into other fields is a blueprint for other musicians to follow.

Tina Turner:  Turner was already in with her ex-husband, Ike, but Her ascension in the 80’s as rock’s top solo female act while in her 40s, bordered on miraculous.  She also won the Fan Vote.

Todd Rundgren:  Rundgren is a rare dual-threat, as he is equally lauded as a producer as he is as performer.  Had he not gotten in, we thought that he might receive the Musical Excellence Award, but as we will see later, they went a different route.

The Early Influence Award Inductees are:

Kraftewerk:  The German synth pioneers had been nominated six times before, but not this year.  This is long overdue.

Charley Patton:  Patton was the father of the Delta Blues, and is the definition of “Early Influence”.

Gil Scott-Heron:  The master of the spoken word, and forefather of rap enters in a politically charged year.  We love this induction.  Scott-Heron had never been nominated.

The Musical Excellence Award Inductees are:

LL Cool J:  The hip hop star was nominated for the fifth time this year, but the inevitable comparison to Jay-Z did him no favors on this ballot.  Clearly, the Hall wanted him in, but this is a strange way to do it.

Billy Preston:  Preston is a great choice as his combined solo and sideman work.  We suspect he has been a name tossed around for years.

Randy Rhoads:  Rhoads was a legendary axeman who was huge in the development of Heavy Metal.

The Ahmet Ertegun Award winner is:

Clarence Avant: Known as the “Black Godfather” managed and produced many African-American artists, and would later form his own record label and radio stations.

Those not chosen:

Chaka Khan:  The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame committee really wants the Chicago diva in, as she has been nominated both as a solo, and with Rufus multiple times.  We can guarantee, they will nominate her again next year.

Devo:  This was Devo’s second nomination, but until Kraftwerk gets in, it might be a tough road for induction.

Dionne Warwick:  With all due respect, Warwick has the least rock credibility, but she has the most hits.  

Fela Kuti:  The nomination of Kuti was a surprise to many, but the pioneering African is arguably the most influential nominee if we look at music globally.

Iron Maiden:  Heavy Metal remains underrepresented in Cleveland, and had the British legends got the nod, they were unlikely to attend anyway.

Kate Bush:  Bush was a darling of the alternative crowd in the 80s, and her catalogue is unique, but with so many other strong women on the ballot, “running up that hill” proved too hard for her.  This was her second nomination.

Mary J. Blige:  Blige was a bit of a surprise as a nominee, but once you get nominated, you are entrenched on their radar…unless you are Mary Wells.

New York Dolls:  The Dolls were a huge part of proto-punk and were wildly influential.  This was their first nomination since 2001.

Rage Against the Machine:  RATM was the 90s alternative selection this year, and in this politically charged year, this was arguably their best shot of the three times they have been nominated.  They will likely be nominated again next year.

With this announcement, we will begin work on revising our Notinhalloffame.com list of those to consider for the Rock Hall.  Look for that next month.

We would like to congratulate the newest members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

When you follow halls of fame as diligent as we do, it is a festive season when you have the Baseball Hall of Fame and Football Hall of Fame announce their classes a week about.  Throw in the fact that the Rock and Roll Hall is now announcing their Finalists, we have an unprecedented time on our hands.

Due to COVID-19, the nomination process for the Class of 2021 was delayed by several months, but until two days ago there was no set date as to when it we learn who would be on the ballot.

The nominees are:

Carole King:  Ranked #87 on Notinhalloffame.com.  King entered the Rock Hall a long time ago as a songwriter with her partner, Gerry Goffin, but her solo work as a performer is also Hall worthy.  This is the first time she has been nominated since 1989.

Chaka Khan:  Ranked #168 on Notinhalloffame.com.  The Hall wants Chaka Khan in, as they have nominated her in the past as a solo, and later with the group, Rufus.  Again, as a solo, this is her sixth overall nomination.

Devo:  Ranked #80 on Notinhalloffame.com.  Devo returns to the ballot after a year, and their work in Post-Punk/New Wave is among the most influential of its day.

Dionne Warwick:  Ranked #362 on Notinhalloffame.com. Warwick has a trophy case full of Grammys and a laundry list of hits, but with an Adult Contemporary sound, her rock and roll credibility is suspect.  That hasn’t stopped Hall voters before.

Fela Kuti:  Ranked #397 on Notinhalloffame.com.  Every year there is a wild card, and this is year it is Fela Kuti, the most important singer from Africa.  If the Rock Hall voters value world music, he is the best choice they could make.

Foo Fighters:  Ranked #3 on Notinhalloffame.com.  Foo Fighters are in their first year of eligibility and it should be no surprise to anyone that they were nominated, nor should anyone be shocked to see them gain immediate entry.  An induction will make Dave Grohl a two-time inductee, having already been enshrined with Nirvana.

The Go-Go’s:  Ranked #111 on Notinhalloffame.com.  The Go-Go’s were he first all-female band to go #1 on Billboard, and this is their first nomination since being eligible in 2006.

Iron Maiden:  Ranked #13 on Notinhalloffame.com.  This is a pleasant surprise as the Heavy Metal gods have never been nominated despite being eligible since the 2004 vote.  Heavy Metal has struggled to find representation in the Rock Hall, and in the past few years, Judas Priest and Motorhead have been on the ballot, but failed to gain entry.  It might be a hard call to see Iron Maiden achieving what the others did not.

Jay-Z:  Ranked #2 on Notinhalloffame.com.  Jay-Z is one of the most important, if not THE most important hip-hop artist in the last thirty years.  If you don’t agree with that assessment, you can’t deny that he is among the most successful.  Like Foo Fighters, Jay-Z is on their first year of eligibility and he should get in.

Kate Bush:  Ranked #132 on Notinhalloffame.com.  Bush’s unique singing voice was only matched by her unique material. She was nominated before in 2018.

LL Cool J:  Ranked #100 on Notinhalloffame.com.  LL Cool J is nominated for the fifth time, but he again he is not the biggest named Hip Hop artist on the ballot.  The nomination of Jay-Z hurts LL Cool J more than anyone else, but there is no reason that two Hip Hop stars can’t get inducted in the same year.

Mary J. Blige:  Ranked #252 on Notinhalloffame.com.  Blige earns her first nomination on her third year of eligibility. Her diverse catalogue earns her a spot, but with other more established African-American women on this ballot, this will be a tough one for her to get elected on.

The New York Dolls:  Ranked #89 on Notinhalloffame.com.  The New York Dolls are this year’s proto-punk/punk nominee and the David Johansen led group were nominated once before, back in 2001.

Rage Against the Machine:  Ranked #40 on Notinhalloffame.com.  RATM is on their third ballot, and finding a group that fused rap and hard rock/metal better than them is a daunting task.

Tina Turner:  Ranked #113 on Notinhalloffame.com.  Tina Turner was long ago inducted as one half of Ike & Tina, but Tina’s solo career far eclipsed the duo in popularity.  This is the first time that Tina has been nominated as a solo, and should she get in, she joins Stevie Nicks as female double-inductee.

Todd Rundgren:  Ranked #12 on Notinhalloffame.com.  Rundgren’s overall body of work as a performer, songwriter and producer puts many Rock and Roll Hall of Famers to shame.  Eligible since 1996, Rundgren had to wait until 2018 for his first nomination, and he was also on the ballot last year.  

We know there will be copious amounts of rage regarding who was not nominated.  There always is.  We do feel that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominating committee did a good job nominating musicians across a musical landscape, and have for the last seven years. 

This ballot also has the greatest number of women in nominating history.

What happens next is up to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame voters.

Congratulations to all the Finalists, and let the debate again.

As you may have noticed, this list is peppered with performers who are already in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for their work in other bands. Carole King is already in the Hall, but for her work as a songwriter. Ironically, the fact that she is already in may be the very factor that prevents her from getting in as a performer.