Approximately a few weeks ago, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced their Class of 2020.  As always, this requires us to make revisions on our core Notinhalloffame.com Rock List of those worthy of consideration for the hallowed halls of Cleveland, Ohio.  

 

This means three things:

 

The first is that we removed those who were chosen (The Notorious B.I.G. #6, T. Rex #14, Depeche Mode #18, The Doobie Brothers #25, Nine Inch Nails #26 & Whitney Houston #271).  

 

The second is that we added the acts who are now Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the 2021 ceremony.

 

The third is that we looked at your votes and comments to assist on ranking modification.

 

Got all that?

 

Let’s move on!

 

You may have noticed that we have been expanding our core lists.  This is no different for our Rock list, as the eventual goal is to have 1,000 ranked.  We will get there, but in the meantime, we have an uneven number, but give us a year! Maybe two?

The entire Notinhalloffame.com Rock list is here, but below are the changes in our top ten:

Kraftwerk hangs on to the number one spot.  To date, they have been nominated six times, including the last two years.  They will likely get another kick at the can in 2021.

The highest debut comes high with Jay-Z at #2.  The New York City based rapper should be a lock for induction, and he brings sure-fire star power to a 2021 ceremony.

Foo Fighters make their first appearance at #3.  Like Jay-Z, it is expected that they will go “one and in”, and Dave Grohl will become a two-time inductee.

With the two new high-profile entries, there is a drop in the rankings for some of our other previous top tens.  

Oasis drops from #2 to #4.  Oasis is in their second year of eligibility, and they were not nominated last year.  Regardless, of when (or if) they get in, you know there will be drama should any Gallagher appear.  

Jethro Tull went from #3 to #5.  The Progressive Rock band have been eligible for Cleveland since 1993, but have never received a nomination.

Also losing two spots were The Smiths, who went from #4 to 6.  They have been eligible since 2008 and were nominated in both 2015 and 2016.  The induction of Depeche Mode should help The Smiths and other 80s Alternative Bands.

MC5 goes down to #7 from #5.  The proto-punk band has been eligible since 1991, and has been nominated five times including the last four years. 

Sliding from #7 to number #8 is Gram Parsons.  Eligible since 1992, Parsons was nominated three times, but the last one was in 2005.

At #9 is Judas Priest, who were nominated twice, including last year.  They hold the same spot as last year.

Rounding out the top ten is Willie Nelson, who fell from #8.  He has also never been nominated. 

Jay-Z and Foo Fighters are not the only new entries.  

Sleater-Kinney debuts with a very strong rank of #47.  They are the third and final new entry in our top 100.  The Chemical Brothers make their first appearance with #121.  The top 250 also has debuts with Modest Mouse at #155 and Rammstien at #233.

The other new entries are Neutral Milk Hotel at #255, Garbage at #266, Natalie Merchant at #277, Super Furry Animals at #372, Jewel at #521 and Air at #529

You know what we want you to do!

Cast your votes and voice your opinions, as we use them for future rankings.

As always, we here at Notinhalloffame.com thank you for your support.

In Season 1: Episode 2 of the Hall of Fame show, the Chairman and Evan Nolan discuss the recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Selections.

Some people have Christmas. We here at Notinhalloffame.com have the annual announcement of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class.  

This isn’t an exaggeration. As we have discussed before, the idea for the website originated from a bar discussion about the glaring omissions to the Rock Hall.  This begat a list, and another, and another, to where are the go-to site to discuss all things Hall of Fame related.  The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame houses the most hotly debated assortment of entries and snubs, and when you have something as subjective as music, how can it not?

We’ll go one step further. Unlike the sports halls that we regularly discuss, the words Rock and Roll, are even debated.  While people might debate the origin of baseball or football, nobody debates what it is.  With Rock, not only is the origin mudded, the definition of rock music varies depending on who you ask.  The only rule they have is that an artist is eligible 25 years after they recorded their first album, and they even broke that when they inducted Smokey Robinson as a solo well under that threshold, this leaving out the rest of the Miracles: who had to wait decades later.

Clear as mud, right?

Regardless, of that quasi-critical into, we do this because we care, and you are here because you care. Let’s look at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2020.

Depeche Mode: Eligible since 2006, Depeche Mode has been a Finalist three of the last four years.  This induction helps open up the door for other 80s Alternative groups, namely The Smiths and New Order/Joy Division

The Doobie Brothers:  The Class Rock band have been eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 1996, and it took until this year before they finally got nominated.  

Nine Inch Nails:  Approximately 18 months ago, Trent Reznor trashed the Rock Hall, but then he was an inductor for the 2019 Class.  Eligible since 2014, NIN enters in its third nomination making it the first (and likely only)

The Notorious B.I.G.:  This is the first year of Biggie’s eligibility and many expected him to enter immediately.  This will be a posthumous induction, as he was shot and killed in 1997.

T. Rex:  It took until this year for the glam rockers to receive their first nomination and after being eligible since 1994, Marc Bolan and company finally got in.

Whitney Houston:  Like Biggie, this is a posthumous induction.  The diva was first eligible in 2010.  Houston’s selection help artists like Mariah Carey get in later.

While fans of any of the other group/artist will point that the omission of their respective favorite is a snub, some are a little more surprising than others.

The Dave Matthews Band won the fan poll, but did not advance through marking the first time in five years that this has transpired. They have only been eligible for three years, and this was the first time that the popular jam band was nominated. 

It was widely speculated that Pat Benatarcwas going to get in (including us), but that didn’t happen. The 80’s rocker has been eligible since 1999, but this was her first nomination.  If any artist will elicit a backlash for a perceived snub, this is the one. 

Many pundits thought that comments made about the Heavy Metal genre being underrepresented by new Hall of Fame CEO, Joel Peresman, could result in Judas Priest entering.  This did not happen.  This was their second nomination, and the British rockers have been eligible since 1999.

The other Finalists who did not make the cut are:

Kraftwerk:  Eligible since 1995, this was their sixth nomination, and fourth in the past six years. In terms of influence, there is no greater act left who belongs in the Rock Hall, though their music does not make most music fans think of rock at all.

MC5:  The proto-punk band fails to get in on their fifth nomination, and they have been eligible since 1991.

Motorhead:  It took until this year for Lemmy and company to be nominated after being eligible since 2002.  The failure to induct Judas Priest this year, likely makes this a longer wait for them.

Rufus and Chaka Khan:  Chaka Khan has been nominated multiple times both as a single and with Rufus.  She is a clear favorite of the nominating committee and this could very well be a potential Nile Rodgers situation.

Soundgarden:  After being eligible since 2011, Soundgarden received their first nomination this year.

Thin Lizzy:  The Irish rockers have been eligible since 1995, and this was their first nomination.

Todd Rundgren:  We had speculated that he might enter via the Ahmet Ertegun Award for Musical Excellence, but this went to Irving Azoff and Jon Landau instead. This was his second straight nomination, and he has been eligible since 1995.

We also expect that there will be more articles published how the Hall has snubbed women (they haven’t, and we are working on a giant piece about that), and others comments that begin with “It’s a joke that ___ is not in the Hall.”  We will continue with our opinions, and we certainly encourage all of yours.

All of this year’s group of impending inductees will be removed from our core Notinhalloffame.com Rock and Roll list.  We will add those who are now eligible, and redo rankings based on the new entries, and the votes and comments that we have received.  Look for our revised list by early March.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the new members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and we are looking forward to the ceremony this spring.

In a recent interview with Fox News, Todd Rundgren was asked about his second Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nomination.  His reaction bordered on apathy, yet respectful of the desire of his fans, a trope that we see often from many in his position.

He had this to say:

Fox News: “When it comes to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, some artists are all for it. Others feel it’s a popularity contest. What’s your stance?”

Rundgren: “Well, I’ve never taken it seriously for one thing... When they decided that this was a good idea, I already had like three careers *laughs*. So personally, I never saw that kind of acknowledgment — you know, just some arbitrary bunch of people get together and hands out awards at a fancy event according to rules nobody really understands. I never cared about it. I have made no secret about that.

I have to say that I am upset at the fact that they pulled this stunt — vote and essentially ignore the fans. For years, I have tried to get [my audience] to be realistic about it. But for years, they felt it was an important thing for them, for me to be up there… The treatment towards the fans does upset me. They seem to be out of the whole process. And I believe their say matters the most in this whole process.”

Rundgren is correct in that his fan base is fervent about Rundgren getting in.  He has been eligible for the Hall since 1995. His current ranking on our latest Notinhalloffame.com Rock list has him at #11.

We know for sure that there will be more drama coming regarding the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In an interview with Billboard, Dave Matthews was asked about his band’s first nomination to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  It was a very humble answer by Matthews, the leader of the Dave Matthews Band.

 
In addition to saying that he felt “unqualified and undeserving” he had this to say: 

“I'm not sure that Lemmy Kilmisterever heard of the Notorious B.I.G., and I'm not sure if the Notorious B.I.G. ever heard of Lemmy, but maybe that's what rock ’n’ roll is… people falling out of their world or getting out of their world and getting in front of everybody and doing something that seems impossible and getting noticed for it. I feel like I don't belong, but I'm pretty happy to be included...in a pretty outrageous lineup of people. If I'm gonna be in a category of people getting into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, it's good to be included in one that makes no sense.

I was very happy to hear about it, and it is overwhelming. I do feel undeserving and flattered as well by the whole thing, and I think the whole band does, too. We all reached out to each other to say, 'How bizarre is this?'"

The selection of the Dave Matthews Band could be the most polarizing one of the Finalists.  While they have a wide fan base, they have also drawn the most online criticism of any group to be nominated. 

We do have to disagree with Matthews in his claim that this is a group of candidates that makes no sense, as this has been the pattern for nominees over the past decade. 

Let the conversations on this topic continue.

In an interview with 101.8 in Wolverhampton, England,K.K. Dowling of Judas Priest discussed his nomination to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In the interview, he had this to say:

“I think it’s looking pretty good this time, to be fair.  I know there was a lot of backlash when we didn’t make it last time a year or two ago.”

This is Judas Priest’s second nomination for the Hall, the last one coming in 2018.  Dowling isn’t wrong, as there were many fans of the band who were upset that it took them even that long to get nominated.  They were first eligible in 1999, so the wait to for them to even reach this point seems long overdue.

The length of time for Judas Priest to get inducted is nothing new for Metal bands as Dowling is most certainly aware of as he discussed in the interview that Black Sabbath had to wait 15 years before induction.  It also took Kiss 14 years to get in.  The only exception to the Metal rule is Metallica, who got inducted in 2009, their first year of eligibility.

While many eligible Rock and Roll acts who have waited as long as Judas Priest has seemed to get (dare we say) crusty about their snub, Dowling has taken it in stride:

“There’s no such thing as a young legend.  So, these are the credentials you’ve got to have.”

It should be noted that Judas Priest is not the only Heavy Metal band on this year’s list of Finalists. Motorhead have finally become Finalists after being eligible since 2002.  It is unlikely that both will get in this year.  As Dowling noted in his interview, nobody from the original lineup of Motorhead is alive. 

Stay tuned for more news about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as we know for certain, more will come.

In an interview with Steve Baltin at Forbes, Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails discussed his nomination to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Reznor had in the past been cynical about the Rock Hall, and had even trashed it, but it changed for him when he was the inductor for the Cure last year.

He had this to say:

"I get asked to do the Cure, induct them, and I love the Cure. And I wanted them to be inducted properly. I thought I could do a good job, went there. As I was in the audience, sitting there, it felt kind of cool in the audience.  So, I'm sitting at a table with the Radiohead guys, super nice, and I think we all kind of looked at it like, 'This could be bullshit. As we're there it kind of wasn't bullshit. We're watching Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music get inducted, who I love, and then play. And I see a whole arena full of people into it. I walk backstage cause the Cure's gonna come up. I go out and do my thing and I'm not sure if the Cure is gonna resonate with the audience, the audience I see sitting on the floor there is mostly old industry people. Then I walk out to do the induction, it's loud applause for them and it seems real. They come up and I can see that Robert Smith is happy and the other guys in the band are all kind of freaked out. It felt validating. I wanted to see them respected someplace I feel they deserve. It ended up being a pretty cool experience and I thought, 'Alright, it doesn't feel as bullshit as I kind of snarkily dismissed it as.' I don't have any problem admitting I've changed my opinion about something.

Of course, it would be nice to get in. But at the same time, I can look on that ballot this year, Todd Rundgren, Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk. And it's hard for me to make an argument why I should get in before they do.  Those guys, all of them, have been incredibly integral to me even having a band."

He added that if he could have had the inductor he really wanted, it would have been David Bowie.

This is Nine Inch Nails third nomination for the Hall, the last two coming in 2015 & 2016.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com are certain that we will have dozens more snippets about the Rock Hall to discuss before the announcement of the Class of 2020 happens in December.

We have what we like to consider a distinct “Holiday Season” at Notinhalloffame.com.  Today is the start, our “Thanksgiving” of sorts, as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has made their announcement as to their Finalists for the Class of 2020.

This is the first year that the Rock Hall is under new guidance (sort of) as Jann Wenner, the co-founder of the institution is set to step down officially on January 1.  The new Chairman, John Sykes, has been doing the press junket, and this will be the first induction under his watch; although the induction process won’t be.  

Let’s get right to the Nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for 2020:

Pat Benatar:  The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame claims it wants more women, and Pat Benatar was the queen of early 80s Rock and Roll.  This is her first nomination and she has been eligible since 2004.  Ranked #44 on Notinhalloffame.com.

The Dave Matthews Band:  The Dave Matthews Band is one of the most successful touring bands ever and this is their first nomination.  They were first eligible last year.  Ranked #77 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Depeche Mode:  Depeche Mode is nominated for the third time and the first since 2018. Last year’s selection of The Cure bodes well for Depeche Mode and should they get in, look for groups like New Order and The Smiths to follow.  Ranked #18 on Notinhalloffame.com.

The Doobie Brothers:  A Classic Rock staple, The Doobie Brothers have finally garnered their first nomination since being eligible in 1997.  Ranked #25 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Judas Priest:  The metal band from England are nominated for the second time, the first coming in 2018.  Ranked #9 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Kraftwerk:  In terms of influence, nobody deserves it more than Kraftwerk, who is nominated for the sixth time.  Ranked #1 on Notinhalloffame.com.

MC5:  This is a very influential proto-punk band who is nominated for the fifth time.  Despite this group receiving multiple nominations, they have not received a lot of online support.  Ranked #5 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Motorhead:  This is the first nomination for Motorhead, who have been eligible since 2002.  Sadly, this nomination has happened after the death of their lead singer, Lemmy Kilmister, who passed away in 2015.  Along with Judas Priest, they are one of two heavy metal bands who are nominated.  Ranked #30 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Nine Inch Nails:  This is the first nomination since 2016 and third overall for Nine Inch Nails, who is basically just Trent Reznor.  Ranked #26 on Notinhalloffame.com.

The Notorious B.I.G. This is the first year of Biggie’s eligibility and with all due respect to the other Hip-Hop artists who are eligible, there is no one else who has a bigger name in the genre.  Should he be inducted, it will be a posthumous one, as he was shot and killed in 1997.  Ranked #6 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Rufus featuring Chaka Khan: Rufus and Chaka Khan are nominated for the third year in a row, and Chaka Khan herself had been nominated as an individual once before.  Ranked #183 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Soundgarden:  Soundgarden gets the early 90s Alternative Rock Spot and this is their first nomination.  They have been eligible since 2011.      Ranked #31 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Thin Lizzy:  Thin Lizzy finally receives their first nomination since being eligible in 1996.  Ranked #90 on Notinhalloffame.com.

T.Rex:  This was a long time coming.  The influential Glam Rock band from London, England has never been nominated despite being eligible since 1993.   Ranked #14 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Whitney Houston:  Houston was the owner of one of the best voices in musical history and was a pop sensation in the 1980s before transitioning into more soul influenced music.  She has been eligible since 2009 and this is her first nomination.  Ranked #271 on Notinhalloffame.com.

We expect that there will be a lot more controversy and news between now and the official announcement of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2020.  By the way, that is our Christmas Day!

So, rock fans, what do you think of this group?

Our initial reactions are that this is a hard rock driven group, far more than we have seen in years.  As usual, there are new nominees who are have been eligible for a long time.  The curious omissions to us is that Motley Crue, who were leading the fan vote at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame kiosk and Oasis, who were the biggest group in BritPop.  Now we wait for the drama to unfold.  Much like the sun, we know it is coming!

 

 

 

 

Kirk Buchner and Evan Nolan predict the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Finalists

Now we get into the second group of bands eligible for the Rock Hall, artists that have a sliver of a shot of getting in. Remember, this list is not how much I like these bands (or Supergrass would be much higher) but rather how likely I think they are to get in the Hall.

And as always, if I ranked your favorite band too low, it is entirely personal. You know what you did.

40. Paul Oakenfold

Hometown:Mile End, London, England
Date started:1980
Eligible Based on:Debut Recording The Goa Mix (1994)
Top Selling Record:Bunkka (2002)
Top Hits:Faster Kill Pussycat (#4 Dance Charts, 2006) 
Underrated Track: Ready, Steady, Go (2002)
In Line Behind:Kraftwerk, Daft Punk, trance music getting in the hall
Induction would Help:John Digweed, Paul van Dyk, Sasha, Carl Cox
Odds of Nomination This Year:0%
Odds of Nomination Ever:2%
Will they Be a Rock Hall of Famer?:No

Facts:

This year is in many ways the year of the DJ. There are four major ones all eligible for the Rock Hall for the first time this year and while Oakenfold has the spot any of the other three (John Digweed, Paul van Dyk, or Sasha) could be in this spot. Each has won best DJ in the World at least once, which would really count for something if there was any evidence that a DJ would ever get into the Hall. And with all of the difficulty that techno has getting into the Hall, taking the next step to trance DJs seems like a huge gap to bridge.

That said, if any DJ deserved the first spot it’s Oakenfold. Born in London in 1963, Oakenfold started deejaying as a 17-year-old and decided that the place to build his career was New York City. He moved in 1981 and immediately began sneaking into clubs, such as Studio 54, on a fake ID and met many big names within the music industry. He moved back to London and actually started as an A&R Man for Champion Records and signed both DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince and Salt-N-Pepa. 

He continued DJing and in 1987 threw his first acid house party in a London club. It was successful and led to him beginning to focus on his DJ career. He began producing records with several friends under the name of Electra and while they released many popular songs, Electra really rose to prominence in 1992 when their remix of U2’s Even Better than the Real Thing, charted higher than U2’s original. This pushed Oakenfold to release his own tracks to a wider audience. His first release, The Goa Mix, is legendary within the trance community and its popularity catapulted him to being the first ever DJ to get a spot on the main stage of the Glastonberry Festival. Where he spun in front of 90,000 people in 1995. 

Oakenfold was voted world’s best techno DJ in 1999 and best trance DJ in both 2000 and 2004. And while he has only released three total albums, the first Bunkkacoming in 2002, he is perhaps the best known DJ in the world. As I said, that may not count for much with the Rock Hall however. On importance within the music industry he should be much higher on this list. But Kraftwerk, the creators of electronic music have been eligible for 23 years and nominated for the Hall four times and haven’t been able to get in. Other technological music innovators like Herbie Hancock, Tangerine Dream, and Can haven’t been close to the nomination process. And while this is the first artist I can imagine getting nominated on this list, it is still a 50-1 longshot that it ever happens.  

39. Portishead

Hometown:Bristol, England
Date formed:1991
Eligible Based on:Debut Album Dummy (1994)
Top Selling Record:Dummy (1994)UK 3x Platinum, Portishead (1997)UK Platinum
Top Hits:Seein’ Red (#1 Alternative, 2002), Save Me (Wake Up Call) (#5 Alternative, 2005)
Underrated Track: Only You (1998)
In Line Behind:Nine Inch Nails, Bjork, Massive Attack, Chemical Brothers 
Induction would Help:Sneaker Pimps, The Wiseguys, Dido, Everything But the Girl
Odds of Nomination This Year:0%
Odds of Nomination Ever:2%
Will they Be a Rock Hall of Famer?:No

 

Facts:

Now we go from one of the forefathers of trance music to one of the developers of trip hop, England’s sexiest sounding band Portishead. Founded in 1991 in Bristol, England, Portishead is a trio of musical mad scientists named Geoff Barrow, Beth Gibbons, and Adrian Utley. Gibbons does the lyrics and singing and the rest of the instrumentation is a mashup of the geniuses of Barrow, Utley, and (at least with their first record) engineer Dave McDonald.

Barrow and Gibbons met in 1991 at a UK government sponsored small business start up meeting. They recorded a song together at Utley’s recording studio and the trio started bouncing musical ideas off of one another. The result was the incredible album Dummy (1994). To be honest, Dummysounds like the soundtrack to a Bond film I wish they had made. There is nothing quite like it. So good in fact, that in 2003 Rolling Stone named it one of the Top 500 albums of all time. And the band became wildly successful both in the UK and US without really wanting to. It would go Gold in the US and 3x Platinum in the UK. 

Portishead’s follow up, 1997’s eponymous Portishead, is darker, trippier, and honestly takes you to a place mentally where you are enjoying the music, but are vaguely concerned that you might be in physical danger the whole time you are listening to it. It is hard to explain if you haven’t heard it. I recommend you all go find the album and do so. If you can’t smell whiskey and cigarette smoke around you while listening, you need to go watch more noir films.

Unfortunately, Portishead would take a six year hiatus after Portisheadand wouldn’t release another album until 2008, appropriately titled Third. This album would not perform as well, only going Gold in the UK, and to this point has been the bands last release (though they are still together and have been threatening to release another album for a decade at this point). And that lack of production combined with the fact that there is NO ONE like them who has ever been considered for the Hall, let alone getting in is why they are this low. I love this band and everything they do and for that reason I can see them being someone’s pet project some day. But that is likely the only way they will be getting in. 

38. Supergrass
    

Hometown:Oxford, England
Date formed:1993
Eligible Based on:Debut Singles Caught By the Fuzz and Mansize Rooster (1994)
Top Selling Record:I Should Coco (1995) and In It For the Money (1997)Both Platinum
Top Hits:Alright/Time (#2 UK, 1995), Richard III (#2 UK, 1997), Going Out (#6 UK, 1996), Moving (#9 UK, 1999)
Underrated Track:I’ll always love their breakthrough hit Caught by the Fuzz, but the mellowness of St. Petersburg (2005)can’t be overlooked.
In Line Behind:Brit Pop has had a tough time getting in, so Oasis, Blur, Pulp, Elastica, Lush, The La’s and others would probably have to go first
Induction would Help:Ash, The Kooks, Dandy Warhols, Super Furry Animals
Odds of Nomination This Year:0%
Odds of Nomination Ever:2%
Will they Be a Rock Hall of Famer?:No

Facts:

And now we come to the first of the Brit Pop bands, Oxford’s power quartet Supergrass. Supergrass was originally founded as the shoegazing band The Jennifers in 1991 with singer Gaz Coombes, bass player Andy Davies, and brothers Nic and Danny Goffey (sons of Top Gear presenter Chris Goffey) playing guitar and drums respectively. They performed together for two years before Davies went off to college and Nic Goffey decided to go into video production (he would later produce many of Supergrass’ music videos). 

Meanwhile Gaz and Danny continued playing together and supported themselves with other jobs. It was on one of these jobs where Gaz met fellow waiter Mick Quinn, and they started performing originally as Theodore Supergrass before dropping the Theodore part and sticking with just Supergrass. The fourth member of the group, keyboardist and Gaz’s brother Rob Coombes, would start playing with them but wouldn’t be an official member of the band for another 10 years.

Their debut single Caught by the Fuzz (1994) was a limited release, with only 500 copies printed. But it hit hard in the UK, being both NME and Melody Maker “Single of the Week”, which is a rarity in England. Their second single Mansize Rooster (1994) would hit #20 on the UK Charts and their third single Alright(1995) would go all the way to #10 in the UK. They would cut their first album, 1995’s I Should Coco, with all three songs and unsurprisingly hit #1 and would go Platinum. 

Their follow up album In It For the Money(1997) has a much more punky/alternative feel, particularly lead single Richard III (#2, 1997). But it is a fabulous record as well and was described by NME as “more fun than watching a wombat in a washing machine”, which is not just great alliteration, but perhaps the most British review I have ever heard. It would also go Platinum in the UK and spawn to more top 10 hits for the band Going Outand Sun Hits the Sky. 

Their third album, the self-titled Supergrass(1999) would also go platinum and features the muppety videoed Pumping Up Your Stereo(which you should see if you haven’t before). They would release six albums in total before breaking up in 2008. Fortunately for us, they reformed earlier this year and actually played together earlier this month. And while they aren’t making new music at the moment (they have a unfinished album Release the Dronesthat’s been on hiatus for years), they are focused on touring and just enjoying being a band again.

When it comes to the Rock Hall, you’d think that a band that has charted more than 20 times would be a serious contender. Unfortunately for them, almost all of their charting has been overseas with only 1997’s Cheapstakehitting any chart in the US (#35 on the Rock Chart). And that has been an issue for many Brit Pop bands. Elastica, The La’s, Suede, Pulp and others have just gotten no traction. So there is some hope for them based on their UK popularity, but it is a sliver of a chance at this point. Still as Robert Erlewine of AllMusic once said “the world is a better place for having Supergrass in it.” I quite agree.

38. Paula Cole

Hometown:Rockport, MA
Date started:1992
Eligible Based on:Debut Album Harbinger (1994)
Top Selling Record:This Fire (1996)
Top Hits:Where Have All the Cowboys Gone (#8, 1997), I Don’t Want to Wait (#11, #1 Adult, 1997)
Underrated Track:It’s My Life(2005)
In Line Behind:Melissa Etheridge, Sarah McLaughlin, Tori Amos, Lisa Loeb 
Induction would Help:Meredith Brooks, Jennifer Paige, Natalie Imbruglia, The Pierces
Odds of Nomination This Year:0%
Odds of Nomination Ever:2%
Will they Be a Rock Hall of Famer?:No

Facts:

Finally we get to an artist from the world’s greatest place for music, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and native daughter of Rockport (nominee for New England’s cutest town), Paula Cole. Born in April of 1968, Cole was mostly a locally known singer when she got a huge opportunity come her way. In 1993, Sinead O’Connor was touring with Peter Gabriel and left the tour during the last two legs. Needing someone to fill in, Cole, despite being a relative unknown, was selected and finished the European, Austalian, and Asian parts of the tour. She would subsequently be chosen to perform a duet with Melissa Etheridge on VH1, which raised her profile even more.

This led to her signing a contract with Imago Records, with whom she released her first album Harbingerin 1994. This album wasn’t a huge success, possibly hindered by the fact that Imago Records folded within a year of its release. She was signed to Warner Bros., which rereleased Harbinger, and went to work on her second album This Fire(1996). This Fire, which was entirely self-produced, was significantly better received and represents the pinnacle of her popularity. 

Its two main singles Where Have All the Cowboys Gone? (#8) and I Don’t Want to Wait (#11), would both hit the Top 20 and the latter would serve as the theme song for the popular show Dawson’s Creek. She would continue to collaborate with Peter Gabriel, tour with Lilith Fair, and be nominated for multiple Grammys including Best Producer (a category for which she was the third woman ever nominated) and Best New Artist, which she would win.

Then she dropped out of sight for a couple of years to raise her daughter, reemerging with a new album with the Paula Cole Band called Amenin 1999. The feature single on this album, I Believe in Love, would be remixed as a dance single and would be her last charting hit, topping out at #18 on the dance chart in 1999. Despite the relative lack of recent commercial success, she has continued to make albums, with her ninth album Revolutioncoming out earlier this month.

When it comes to the Hall, I feel a sea change has come with Jann Wenner stepping down from the Chairmanship. He in many ways ran the Rock Hall as a patronage position for his friends and as a result the Hall has become quite skewed. One of the biggest things is that only around 7% of all inductees are female. I think with him gone that is going to change. And some of the biggest beneficiaries of that will be the Lilith Fair ladies, none of whom have even been nominated as of yet. A move in that direction would certainly benefit Cole (though she is well down the list) as would having Peter Gabriel as a major supporter in her corner. Ultimately, it is hard to see her being selected just because of the backlog of women the Hall needs to induct, but there is a chance. Still she may not want to wait, but will likely have to. 

36. Warren G

Hometown:Long Beach, CA
Date started:1992
Eligible Based on:Debut Album Regulate… The G Funk Era (1994) 
Top Selling Record:Regulate… The G Funk Era (1994, 3x Platinum), Take a Look Over Your Shoulder (1997, Gold)
Top Hits:Regulate (#2, 1994, 2x Platinum), What’s Love Got to Do With It (#20, 1996, Platinum), I Shot the Sheriff (#20, 1997, Gold), I Want it All (#23, 1999, Gold)
Underrated Track: Smoking Me Out (1997)
In Line Behind: Notorious B.I.G., Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, ICE-T 
Induction would Help:Xzibit, Nate Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Skee-Lo
Odds of Nomination This Year:0%
Odds of Nomination Ever:2%
Will they Be a Rock Hall of Famer?:No

Facts:

Born Warren Griffin III in Long Beach, California in 1970 Warren G burst onto the West Coast hip hop scene in 1991 as part of trio 213. Together with the Doggs, Nate and Snoop, 213 was Warren G’s first foray into the music world, although the group didn’t stay together long due to Snoop’s break out in 1993 with Doggystyle. 

With Snoop off on his own, Warren G went solo and after providing the song Indo Smokefor the late, great John Singleton’s film Poetic Justice, he was signed by Def Jam records. His first single, Regulate(which featured old 213 partner the late Nate Dogg) was used for the 1994 film Above the Rimand dominated the airwaves of the summer of 1994, peaking at #2 and becoming the biggest single for Def Jam Records. It would also be included on the main single of his debut album Regulate… The G Funk Era, which would go 3x Platinum, and would also have charting singles This DJand Do You See. 

His next movie track single, a collaboration with Adina Howard covering Tina Turner’s What’s Love Got to Do With It from the Supercop soundtrack, would also go Platinum in 1996. He would include this song on his second album Take a Look Over Your Shoulder, which would also have singles Smokin’ Me Out and a cover of I Shot the Sheriffhit the Top 40. This album would go Gold and would further establish his hip hop credentials. 

At this point, Warren G started heading more into production and his third album I Want it All(1999) had most of the vocals provided by other artists including old pal Nate Dogg. One song, I Want It All with Mack 10 on vocals, would go Gold and hit #23 on the Hip Hop charts. He would go on to release three more albums, 2001’s Return of the Regulator, 2005’s In The Mid-Nite Hour, and 2009’s The G-Files, but none of them have hit the heights of his earlier releases.

Warren G is certainly a major important piece in development of the West Coast Hip Hop scene, but that may not be enough when it comes to the Rock Hall. The inclusion of rap has been controversial for many rock purists, but that ship has long since sailed. The Rock Hall has become much more a collection of popular music since the late 50’s that simply a place for Rock and Roll artists. And the Rock Hall has done a decent job at this point in putting in some of the major artists in rap and hip hop in the Hall, including Run DMC, Grand Master Flash, Public Enemy, N.W.A., and Tupac. 

Warren G’s issue is that the wave of rap and hip hop is about to hit full force there are just too many artists at once. Snoop and Wu Tang Clan were eligible last year. Biggie, Nas, and Outkast are eligible this year. He is likely to get buried with too much competition. And there may be just too many folks to regulate for him to ever get in.   

35. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

Hometown:Ventura, CA
Date formed:1989
Eligible Based on:Debut Album Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (1994) 
Top Selling Record:Americana Deluxe (1998), though honestly it is probably the Swingerssoundtrack (1996)
Top Hits: You and Me and the Bottle Makes Three (1996), Go Daddy-O (1996), Mr. Pinstripe Suit (1998)
Underrated Track:Why Me (2012)
In Line Behind:No bands, but swing revival would need to be considered by the Hall.
Induction would Help:Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, Brian Setzer Orchestra, Squirrel Nut Zippers
Odds of Nomination This Year:4%
Odds of Nomination Ever:1%
Will they Be a Rock Hall of Famer?:No

Facts:

I can hear you all now… Big Bad Voodoo Daddy? Really? But if swing revival ever gets considered there is only one band that would walk through that door. And that band is the one started by singer Scotty Morris and drummer Kurt Sodergren in Ventura, California back in 1989. 

Morris went to a concert of late blues legend Albert Collins and had Collins sign a poster afterwards. Collins signed the poster “To Scotty, my big bad voodoo daddy.” So once Morris decided to form a band, he felt there was no way of beating Collins’ statement. Morris and Sodergren started playing together and then built the band around them with Dirk Schumaker on bass, Andy Rowley on saxophone, Glen Marhevka on trumpet, Karl Hunter on clarinet, and Joshua Levy on piano.

They began with the first wave of swing revival in 1989 but didn’t release their first album until 1994’s Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Their big breakthrough however, came with the release of the 1996 film Swingers. The album was very swing heavy and featured three Big Bad Voodoo Daddy songs including You & Me & Bottle Makes 3, I Wanna Be Like You,andGo Daddy-O. The first and third of which ended up on their second album Americana Deluxein 1998. 

This was the height of their popularity as well as the height of the swing revival movement. They appeared on Party of Fiveand Ally McBeal. They even played half time of Superbowl XXXIII with Gloria Estefan and Stevie Wonder. And while their profile hasn’t been as high since the late 90s they have released seven more albums and are currently recording another album as we speak.

So is this all enough to get into the Rock Hall? No, probably not. But the rest of their swing revival brethren (Squirrel Nut Zippers, Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, and Brian Setzer Orchestra (also eligible this year for the first time) chief among them) didn’t have either as high a peak or as long of a sustained career. So when you are the main band of a genre that had an impact on popular music, and continues to with the increase in popularity of electroswing, you have to be considered. I just don’t think it will ever be enough to get them in the Hall. 

34. Machine Head

Hometown:Oakland, CA
Date formed:1991
Eligible Based on:Debut Album Burn My Eyes (1994) 
Top Selling Record:Burn My Eyes (1994), The Burning Red (1996), Through the Ashes of Empires (2003), The Blackening (2007) (All Silver)
Top Hits:From This Day (#1 UK Rock, 1999), Take My Scars (#2 UK Rock, 1997), Old (#2 UK Rock, 1995), Days Turn Blue to Gray (#3 UK Rock, 2004)
Underrated Track: Locust (2011)
In Line Behind:Motorhead, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Tool 
Induction would Help:Disturbed, System of a Down, Killswitch Engage, Drowning Pool
Odds of Nomination This Year:5%
Odds of Nomination Ever:5%
Will they Be a Rock Hall of Famer?:No

Facts:

Machine Head is a metal band that has gone through several iterations to become one of the most influential bands in thrash metal’s second wave. Founded in 1991 in Oakland, California by lead singer Robb Flynn and bassist Adam Duce, Machine Head is a case study on how being good at both music and, perhaps more importantly, self-promotion can get you incredibly far in the music industry. 

Machine Head, contrary to popular belief, was not named after the Deep Purple album but was chosen because Flynn thought the name sounded cool. Machine Head is a band that has had a lot of turnover, but the first iteration had Flynn on the mic and guitar, Duce on bass, Logan Mader on guitar, and Tony Costanza on drums. Their debut album, 1994’s Burn My Eyes, is an album that just continues to punch you in the face with its musicianship, lyrics, and energy. And it got them noticed quickly, as they opened for Slayer on a European tour in support of the album (with Costanza being replaced on drums by Chris Kontos). And they absolutely killed it. So much so that when the tour was over, they went back on tour at the same venues they had opened for Slayer at, this time as the headliner. 

They would replace both Kontos (with Dave McLain) and Mader (with Ahrue Luster) and would release two more albums in the 1990s, 1997’s The More Things Change and 1999’s Burning Red. Burning Redin particular is a sign of the band’s development with rap being incorporated into their sound for the first time. Burning Redwould hit #88 on the Billboard charts in the US but would be pretty divisive amongst fans and critics who accused the band of selling out to sell more records. At this point, Machine Head was an incredibly popular band in Europe but hadn’t really made a mark in the U.S.

Then came their big controversy. In support of their fourth album, 2001’s Supercharger, they released a video for their single Crashing Around Youin late September 2001. The video, which honestly is fairly tame by their standards, features images of falling buildings and closes with a shot of fire on a backdrop of a city. With the mood in the country surrounding the 9/11 attacks, the backlash was enough that their label stopped promoting them and MTV banned the video from their airwaves. Supercharger was their worst selling album but strangely marks the beginning of their increase in popularity in the states.

This newfound US success would crest with their 2007 album The Blackening, which features the single Aesthetics of Hate, a response to an article William Grim had written for Iconoclastpraising the murder of Dimebag Darrell. The song was angry and amazing and would earn Machine Head a Grammy Nomination. The Blackeningwould also take Machine Head away from the rap metal band they had become and fully embracing their new iteration as a thrash metal band.

In all Machine Head has released nine albums, most recently 2018’s Catharsis.And while Flynn is still leading the band, everyone else has rotated around and through and out and back again. Still they have been relevant for 25 years at this point without stop and are one of the top metal bands out there still. Their issue in getting in is that metal has had a terrible time getting in. Judas Priest FINALLYgot nominated for the first time last year after being eligible since 2000. And if the Priest can’t get in, that makes it difficult for any other metal band to get through. Still, if they continue to make quality music at the pace they have for the past quarter century there is a chance (albeit a small one) that the relentless beating on the door of the Hall may pay off some day. It just won’t be any time soon.       

33. Ash

Hometown:Downpatrick, Northern Ireland
Date formed:1989
Eligible Based on:Debut Album Trailer (1994) 
Top Selling Record:1977 (1996), Free All Angels (2001) (Both UK Platinum)
Top Hits:Goldfinger (#5 UK, 1996), Oh Yeah (#6 UK, 1996),Shining Light(#8 UK, 2001), A Life Less Ordinary (#10 UK, 1997), Never charted in US
Underrated Track:Numbskull (1998)
In Line Behind:Blur, Suede, Stone Roses, Elastica, other UK Bands that never quite made it in US 
Induction would Help:Robbie Williams, The Jam, Kaiser Chiefs, other UK Bands that never quite made it in US
Odds of Nomination This Year:5%
Odds of Nomination Ever:5%
Will they Be a Rock Hall of Famer?:No

Facts:

And now we come to our second and final Brit Pop band (although they would probably chafe at that label) on the list, alternative rockers Ash. Founded in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland in 1989, Ash was originally a three piece band with Tim Wheeler on lead guitar and lead vocals, Mark Hamilton on bass, and Rick McMurray on drums. While in many ways they are associated with Brit Pop, they are a) a bit more on the alternative than the poppy side; and b) are from Northern Ireland where being associated with anything too British is a bit of a touchy subject. 

They released their first album Trailerin 1994. Though calling it a full album is a bit of a stretch as it has only seven tracks and runs slightly over 20 minutes in total. Their second album 1977was significantly more album like and significantly more successful. It would both go to #1 in 1996 and go platinum in the UK. Singles Kung Fu, Girl from Mars, Angel Interceptor, Goldfinger, and Oh Yeahwould all hit the UK charts, with the latter two topping out at #5 and #6 respectively. NME would rank1977as one of the 500 greatest albums of all time. 

They were touring in support of this album as the opening act for Weezer and felt that the band was missing an element with only three members. So they decided to bring in a fourth member, Charlotte Hatherley (formerly of Nightnurse) on guitar and vocals. Their first single with Hatherley was A Life Less Ordinaryfrom the soundtrack of the identically named Cameron Diaz/Ewan McGregor flick of 1997. Unfortunately, their third album Nu-Clear Soundswas not as successful and the band both nearly went broke and broke up.

Fortunately, they got everything straightened out in Tim Wheeler’s garage where the band first got together and in 2001 released their best selling album Release All Angelswhich would also go to #1 and Platinum in the UK. Five singles would chart in the UK, the first of which Guiding Lightwould hit #8 and would later be very memorably covered by goddess Annie Lennox. They would release one more album with Hatherley, 2004’s Meltdownwhich would go gold and I know best for providing two songs Meltdownand Orpheusfor the first movie of the Cornetto Trilogy Shawn of the Dead.After MeltdownHatherley and the band would part ways amicably with Hatherley leaving for her own solo career.

Since then they have released three more albums, each with the three original members and each with diminishing success. However, Ash is a band that has charted nearly 25 times in the UK and Ireland. But you will notice, there is no American crossover. Like their countrymen and fellow first time eligibles Supergrass, they have never made a dent over here and that is going to be an issue when it comes to the Hall. Being incredibly successful in one region of the world has almost never translated into success in getting into the Hall (unless of course that one region is the US). And that will hurt them. Is there a possibility they could have a champion? Yes, but that is a remote one as we currently sit here. Still, they have had a 25 year career with the same three guys plugging away and making music together. And that truly is a life less ordinary.     

32. Jimmy Eat World

Hometown:Mesa, Arizona
Date formed:1993
Eligible Based on:Debut Album Jimmy Eat World (1994) 
Top Selling Record:Bleed American (#31, Platinum, 2001), Futures (#6, Gold, 2004)
Top Hits:The Middle (#5, #1 Alt Rock, Gold, 2001), Pain (#1 Alt Rock, 2004), Sweetness (#2 Alt Rock, 2002), My Best Theory (#2, Alt Rock, 2010), Big Casino (#3 Alt Rock, 2007) 
Underrated Track:I know it is right above, but Sweetness is such a good track
In Line Behind:Foo Fighters, Blink-182, Weezer, Sunny Day Real Estate
Induction would Help:All-American Rejects, Plain White Ts, Dashboard Confessional, Christie Front Drive
Odds of Nomination This Year:5%
Odds of Nomination Ever:5%
Will they Be a Rock Hall of Famer?:No

Facts:

This is the band I struggled to place on this list more than any other, but since they are one of the most popular emo pop bands and the king of the emos is next I figured this would be the best place for them. Named after the caption on a drawing that guitar player Tim Linton’s younger brother did of another of his younger brothers, Jimmy Eat World started as a punk band in Mesa, Arizona in 1993. Linton and bassist Mitch Porter joined up with singer Jim Adkins and drummer Zach Lind, who had been friends since pre-school. They would release their first demo tape later that same year.

Their first album, the eponymous Jimmy Eat World, would come out in 1994 on Wooden Blue Records. The album didn’t garner that much attention and the band began to drift away from the punk scene towards the growing emo scene which would dominate much of the first decade of 2000s. Porter would leave the band and be replaced by Rick Burch (thus completing the lineup they have kept for nearly a quarter century) shortly before they took their new sound to Capital Records. In away they were out ahead of where music was going and they would record two more albums in the late 90s, 1996’s Static Prevailsand 1999’s Clarity, before the music world caught up to them.

Because it was their fourth record, 2001’s Bleed Americanthat would launch them into mainstream consciousness. The breakout for them was their first single, The Middle, which would top out at #5 of the Billboard charts and stay on the radio throughout the summer and fall of 2001. A second single Sweetness, which may be my favorite of their songs, would hit #2 on the Alternative Rock charts that same year and the album would go Platinum. 

They would ride the crest of the emo takeover of alternative music for the rest of the decade, releasing Futures(which would go Gold on the strength of Alt Rock #1 Pain) in 2004 and Chase This Lightin 2007. They would go on to release four more albums and actually have a fifth coming out later this month and would hit the Alternative Charts a total of thirteen times, (most recently with 2016’s Sure and Certain). Their popularity has waned a bit with the slow decline of emo on the radio, but they are still out there pumping out music all these years later.

The question is what to do with them. The fact that The Cure finally hit the Hall last year (and I expect Depeche Mode will follow them in the near future) is good news for the emos. It means that the Hall is moving a bit more in their direction, albeit they have a long way to go before they get to Jimmy Eat World. And as we go along, more and more emo bands with bigger profiles, such as Panic! At the Disco, The All-American Rejects, Fall Out Boy, and My Chemical Romance will be becoming eligible. So it almost seems as though the sooner Jimmy Eat World gets considered, the better their chances will be. I am not sure that the Hall will get there in time. But with the nominating committee (finally) getting younger, their chances may improve. Ultimately, once emo gets its due they may be just stuck in the middle, considered without ever being nominated. Seems appropriate for them. 

31. Sunny Day Real Estate

Hometown:Seattle, Washington
Date formed:1992
Eligible Based on:Debut Album Diary (1994) 
Top Selling Record:How It Feels to Be Something On (1998)
Top Hits:Seven (1994)
Underrated Track:In Circles (1994)
In Line Behind:Emo being recognized
Induction would Help:They are the most important Emo Band of all time, so all Emos who follow
Odds of Nomination This Year:5%
Odds of Nomination Ever:7%
Will they Be a Rock Hall of Famer?:No

Facts:

The center of the music world in the late 1980’s and into the early 90’s was Seattle, Washington. Of that there can be no doubt. And while Seattle’s most famous contribution is grunge, you cannot overlook the power of the emo scene and one of the movement’s principal founders (along with the Jawbreakers) Sunny Day Real Estate. 

Sunny Day Real Estate’s origins begin when University of Washington housemates Dan Hoerner (guitars) and Nate Mendel (bass) began having jam sessions and decided to look for a drummer, who ended up being William Goldsmith. They released a couple of demos as a three piece instrumental band first under the name Empty Set and later the incredible awesome (but probably not kosher with Lucas Films) Chebacca Kaboom. After another name change to the incredibly pretentious One Day I Stopped Breathing, Mendel had a brainwave after listening to the Talking Heads song Nothing But Flowersthat everything would eventually be for sale, even Sunny Days. And someone would have to sell them. Hence the name of the band.

Having not had any traction as an instrumental band, the group decided to add a singer and after tryouts decided that Hoerner would take on the lead. They would release a single called Flatland Spiderthat sounds a lot like the angrier hardcore music you would expect to hear coming out of Seattle in the early 90s. The members took breaks to work on some side projects and Goldsmith invited high school buddy Jeremy Enigk to play with him on one. Eventually Enigk and his much mellower vocals would take over as lead singer of Sunny Day Real Estate. The rest was 15 plus years of music history. 

They would release their debut album Diaryin 1994 with the headlining song Seven, and would go on to tour with Shudder to Think and fellow first time eligible this year Soul Coughing in support of the album. Upon finishing the tour, they immediately got back in the studio and recorded their second album Sunny Day Real Estate(1995), commonly called the Pink Album as they had a pink cover with the bands name and no other art for the album. To say this was a weird album is an understatement. The songs, when they have lyrics, are slapdash as the band was fighting and wanted to get the album out of the way. Upon completion of the album they immediately broke up. There was some thought that it was due to Enigk becoming a born again Christian, but the band downplayed that angle.

During the breakup, Goldsmith and Mendel would go on to help Dave Grohl in his goal to fight as many foos as possible (though Goldsmith would leave after the Foo Fighters’ second album), Enigk would start a solo career and Hoerner would move to a farm in rural Washington to find himself. They would eventually get back together, sans Mendel who was still busy with the Foo Fighters, and get along well enough to release two more albums How It Feels To Be Something On(1998) and The Rising Tide(2000) before breaking up again. They would never actually hit the charts with any song.

So how does a band that released four albums without a hit and were in many ways as well known for their disfunction and weirdness as their music end up ahead of a bunch of much more commercially successful artists on this list? Easy, the Hall loves originality and the combination of the Seattle sound with Enigk’s downbeat vocals essentially created a genre which would dominate the airwaves for a decade and a half. And I do think that gives them a bit of a leg up on any of the bands behind them. Honestly, I may be underrating their chances here, but it seems like a longer term project for them to get in. Particularly with the Foo Fighters not yet eligible and fellow Emos Weezer eligible for the first time this year. But the shear force of the numbers of their disciples who follow may get them in some sunny day. 

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s incoming chairman, John Sykes, has stated that he intends to see the 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony live on HBO.

This came from an interview that Sykes did with the L.A. Times.  In the piece, he also said that he was looking for the Rock Hall to have more a presence in Los Angeles, and he also promised to connect more with young people.

Sykes was a former executive at MTV and VH1 and he will officially take over on January 1 from Jann Wenner. 

We hope that this comes to fruition as we will certainly be watching!

So begins my annual sojourn through all of the bands first eligible for the Rock Hall for the coming year. Usually, this is a list of 30, sometimes 40 at the outside. But 1994, the year that all of these bands had their first major release was a banner year for music. As a result there were nearly 90 bands that I considered before making this countdown. Ultimately, I thought 50 was the appropriate number for this year (and hopefully this year only). 

To show you how hard the cuts were, here is a partial list of some of the bands that did not make this countdown:

At the Drive In, Braid, Brian Setzer Orchestra, Christie Front Drive, Converge, Cradle of Filth, Deadeye Dick, Econoline Crush, Fu Manchu, Fuzzy, Gogoroth, Grandaddy, Harvey Milk, Ida, In Flames, Jaime Walters, John Digweed, Knapsack, Low, MK Ultra, Mouse on Mars, MxPx, Orphaned Land, Paul van Dyk, Refused, Robbie Fulks, Sasha, Shellac, Soul Coughing, Symphony X, The Mountain Goats, The Van Pelt, Tortoise, and Vitreous Humor. 

Once again, this is not a ranking of how much I like these bands. This is an attempt to create a ranking of how much the Hall and nominating committee will like these bands based off of what the bands have accomplished and what the Hall seems to value in their nominees. All opinions are my own and if your favorite band isn’t high enough for your liking, know that it is that I have always harbored a deep seated hatred for you in particular, random person I will never meet reading this somewhere I will never be. 

Now that that is all settled… On to part 1 of 5 of the list. 50 through 41, “The Thought Of, But Not Getting In Ever”. 

50. The Wrens

Hometown:Seacaucus, New Jersey
Date formed:1989
Eligible Based on:Debut Album Silver (1994) 
Top Selling Record:The Meadowlands (2003)
Top Hits:None
Underrated Track:Everything they ever did. Just listen to The Meadowlandsalbum
In Line Behind:Many, many other bands
Induction would Help:Forgotten 90s indie bands
Odds of Nomination This Year:0%
Odds of Nomination Ever:0%
Will they Be a Rock Hall of Famer?:No

Facts:

The pride of Seacaucus, New Jersey, The Wrens are both one of the best live bands ever and also a tale as to how hard it is to make money in the music business. Founded in the late 1980s by brothers Greg and Kevin Whelan, guitarist Charles Bissell, and drummer Jerry McDonald. They originally started performing under the name Low, but found there was a Canadian slow core band (who also are eligible this year and just missed out on making my countdown) by the same name and changed to The Wrens in 1994.

Their first two albums Silver (1994) and Seacaucus(1996) were released by Grass Records to critical acclaim. Despite their fans and positive critical feedback, their Indie Rock musical style had limited radio airplay. When a new CEO came into Grass Records, the band was offered a $1 million contract provided that they change their music to a more “radio friendly” sound. The band balked and was essentially blackballed from getting another contract.

They ended up trying to make their living without a record deal while simultaneously fighting the record companies to get the rights to their first two albums. Fortunately, they were able to stick together long enough to produce 2005’s Meadowlands, which is one of the best albums you have most likely never heard of. That whole album is fabulous and I have posted a link to it below so you can enjoy it for yourself. 

Meadowlandsleft fans hopeful that the band had finally been able to breakthrough on their own and the band promised more music on the horizon. Unfortunately, the fourth album was not finished until 2014 and as of this point has not been released (except for one song Three Types of Ambiguity, released in November 2015).

So how does a band with three albums, no real commercial success, and well real jobs outside of music make the list? Honestly, based on the strength and love for Meadowlandsand the overall acclaim and place in the New York music scene that may give them some love within the voting block. Will they get in, no. But they’ve never really fit into the system anyway, so that’s probably fine with them. 

49. Bouncing Souls

Hometown:New Brunswick, NJ
Date formed:1989
Eligible Based on:Debut Album The Good, the Bad, and the Argyle (1994) 
Top Selling Record:Comet (2012)
Top Hits:Never charted
Underrated Tracks:Lean on Sheena (2007), Gone (2001)
In Line Behind:Tons, although they have a lot of good will for the work they have done for other bands
Induction would Help:East Coast Indy Bands
Odds of Nomination This Year:0%
Odds of Nomination Ever:0%
Will they Be a Rock Hall of Famer?:No

Facts:

Two bands into the list and already two bands from New Jersey. Unlike the softer sound of The Wrens however, the Bouncing Souls are a much more upbeat band with a power pop/punk sound that just makes you want to dance. 

Founded in 1989 in the shadows of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey by vocalist Greg Attonito, guitarist Pete Steinkopf, bassist Bryan Keinlen, and drummer Shal Khichi. They were four kids who had no interest in college, but figured they’d need a college town if they ever were going to make it in music. They took their names from the Doc Martens they (and the rest of the punk scene) wore, which advertised that they had “bouncing soles”.

The Bouncing Souls have been one of the most prodigious bands of their era. Starting with their wonderfully lo-fi first album The Good, the Bad, and the Argyle(1994), the band has released 10 albums in the past 25 years. Among these are their third album, and first on Epitaph Records, the eponymous Bouncing Souls(1997) which contains three of their best known songs Cracked, Kate is Great, and East Coast F*ck You!, all of which are widely considered staples of the East Coast punk scene. Other albums, including their two most recent 2012’s Comet, and 2016’s Simplicitywould chart at #1 and #2 respectively on the Heatseekers list, but the band has not yet hit the Billboard chart with any single.

While there was a falling out between the band and Khichi around 2000, which led to his being replaced by former Skinnerbox drummer Michael McDermott (who was replaced in 2013 by George Rebelo), the band has been incredibly consistent in creating music and performing and touring at a near constant rate. More important than that, however, is what they have done for the music community, particularly in New Jersey, opening as many clubs and venues as they could to give other up and coming bands places to perform. 

It has not been easy for punk bands to get into the Hall and even less so those bands that have never charted. That said, there are a lot of Bouncing Souls fans up and down the East Coast and all over the world. And they seemingly have made a lot of friends on the way, who might help them get some consideration. Unfortunately, there are just too many folks between them and the Hall for them to ever get in. Still, they are awesome.

48. Jamie Foxx

Hometown:Terrell, TX
Date formed:1989
Eligible Based on:Debut Album Peep This (1994) 
Top Selling Record:Unpredictable (2x Platinum, 2005), Intuition (Platinum, 2008)
Top Hits:Blame It (#2, 2009), Unpredictable (#8, 2005), Fall for Your Type (#1 R&B, 2010), She Got Her Own (#2 R&B, 2008); As Featured Artist Slow Jamz (#1, 2003), Gold Digger (#1, 2005)
Underrated Track: Don’t Let the Sun Go Down (1994)
In Line Behind:If he wasn’t an actor first, it would be a lot shorter. But most major R&B artists
Induction would Help:Don Johnson, Anna Kendrick, Adam Sandler, Bruce Willis, Patrick Swayze and every other actor with a Top 40 hit
Odds of Nomination This Year:0%
Odds of Nomination Ever:0%
Will they Be a Rock Hall of Famer?:No

Facts:

Don’t laugh about this one. Jamie Foxx is an immensely talented dude. Born Eric Marlon Bishop in 1967, Foxx has won an Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA, SAG, MTV Movie, BET, American Music, Critics Choice, Image, and Soul Train Award among many others. Oh, and he has also won a Grammy. He is certainly the most decorated actor in music history and probably the most talented.

When it comes to music, Foxx released his first album Peep Thisin 1994, recorded while he was in the cast of In Living Color. And while that album had limited commercial success, it was his greatest personal success, his role of Ray Charles in 2005’s biopic Raythat catapulted both his acting and singing career. 

Because also in 2005, Foxx had two major things happen. First, in July he was featured in a little song called Gold Diggerwith Kanye West. That song would go 5x platinum and remain at #1 for 10 weeks, pretty much the entire summer of 2005. He would follow that up with an album of his own in December 2005, Unpredictable, which would go 2x platinum and whose title track would hit #8 on the charts. His follow up album, 2008’s Intuition, would also go platinum as would it’s biggest hit Blame It(feat. T-Pain), which would hit #2 on the charts and be a club staple for the next decade. 

In terms of accolades, he has them despite only releasing five albums. He also has the industry clout having worked with Kanye, T-Pain, Drake, Ludacris, T.I., Chris Brown, NeYo, 2 Chainz, Wiz Khalifa, Justin Timberlake, Rick Ross, Ludacris, and the Black Eyed Peas among others. But he is an actor first and the voters of the Hall take their job far too seriously to ever let an actor in (Tom Waits being the notable exception, though he was more counter culture than movie star).

So there is almost no chance he gets in. But there’s nothing wrong with that. He has so much going on for him already he doesn’t need yet another accolade. Although it would be amazing if he solidly dedicated himself to music for a while, just to see what else he could do. My guess is he can do pretty much anything.

47. Bowling for Soup

Hometown:Wichita Falls, Texas
Date formed:1994
Eligible Based on:Debut Album Bowling for Soup (1994), self-released. First major label release was 2000’s Let’s Do it for Johnny!!
Top Selling Record:A Hangover You Don’t Deserve (2004) (Gold)
Top Hits:1985 (#24, 2004), Almost (#46, 2005), Girl All the Bad Guys Want(#64, 2002), Highschool Never Ends(#97, 2006)
Underrated Track:Ohio (Come Back to Texas) (2005)
In Line Behind:Sublime, Madness, No Doubt, Bad Brains, Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Killing Joke, etc.
Induction would Help:Other Punk, Ska, and Hardcore Bands
Odds of Nomination This Year:0%
Odds of Nomination Ever:0%
Will they Be a Rock Hall of Famer?:No

Facts:

Named after a Steve Martin comedy spot, the members of Bowling for Soup met growing up in Wichita Falls, Texas in the mid 1980s. Four local kids: Jaret Reddick (vocals, guitar), Chris Burney (guitar, backing vocals, Erik Chandler (bass, backing vocals), and Lance Morrill (drums) originally formed a group called Rubberneck, before changing it in 1994. They released their first album later that year, the eponymous Bowling for Soup. Shortly thereafter Morrill left the band and was replaced by Gary Wiseman, making up the classic Bowling for Soup lineup.

Bowling for Soup is a band that kind of lands at the intersection of a whole bunch of genres. From punk to pop and ska to hardcore it’s all in there. It’s a upbeat, guitar driven sound combined with a whole bunch of irreverent lyrics. Take their top selling album, 2004’s A Hangover You Don’t Deserve.It’s top two tracks, which coincidentally are their top 2 hits, the platinum 1985and gold Almostare incredibly upbeat and farcical takes on love and the way people wish their lives had turned out. I’m not going to lie, I particularly love both the music and humor of this band and that album. In fact, my favorite song from that album is an incredible love song for Texas, which of course is named Ohio.

In all they’ve released ten albums and charted four times. And they are still touring (although Erik Chandler left the band earlier this reason for personal reasons) and incredibly popular wherever they go. However, it is incredibly hard to imagine them ever getting in with how many other people and bands would have to get in first. And while ska has had a few bites at induction now (Bad Brains for example), there is no sign that they will be breaking through any time soon.

So like they say in Ohiothey really love Drew Carey and they’d love to see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but it is likely they are going to need a ticket to see either. Still, they are an awesome band to listen to when you need a pick me up and that has to be worth something.

46. Bloodhound Gang 

Hometown:King of Prussia, PA
Date formed:1988
Eligible Based on:Debut EP Dingleberry Haze (1994)on Cheese Factory Records
Top Selling Record:Hooray for Boobies (1999) (Platinum)
Top Hits:The Bad Touch (#6, Platinum, 1999), Fire Water Burn (Gold, 1997), Along Comes Mary (Gold, 1999)
Underrated Track:If you like them, then FoxtrotUniform Charlie Kilois most likely your jam
In Line Behind:The Rock Hall having a particular sense of humor
Induction would Help:Cypress Hill, Limp Bizkit, Faith No More, Everlast
Odds of Nomination This Year:0%
Odds of Nomination Ever:0%
Will they Be a Rock Hall of Famer?:No

Facts:

Oh the Bloodhound Gang, a band that when my wife saw they made this countdown caused her to say “you don’t actually have to include them you know.” True, but there is something irresistible about these oversexed weirdos that requires memorialization.

James Moyer Franks (Jimmy Pop) and Michael Bowe (Daddy Long Legs) were friends at Perkiomen Valley High School in Central Pennsylvania who decided to form an alternative rock band. They originally called themselves Bang Chamber 8 and with a rotating cast of characters around them released a demo tape on their own. In 1991 they changed their name to the Bloodhound Gang (after the fictional detectives on the PBS Show 3-2-1 Contact) and would release a second demo tape, which got them signed by Cheese Factory Records. Their debut EP Dingleberry Hazewould come out in 1994. 

In 1995, they would sign a bigger deal with Columbia Records and release their first album Use Your Fingers, but a disagreement with Columbia would lead to a complete reshuffling of the band, most notably the departure of Daddy Long Legs to form a new group. The reconstructed group, consisting of Jimmy Pop, Evil Jared Hasselhoff on bass, Lupus Thunder on lead guitar, Spanky G on drums, and DJ Q-Ball on turntables and as a hype man would be the group responsible for their biggest hit in 1999.

And what a hit that is. What can you say about The Bad Touchexcept that there has never really been a song like it? It uses euphemisms for sexual intercourse that somehow seem dirtier than if they have used the original terms themselves. And they are not subtle about it, everything is a single entendre for doing the deed (which honestly is a common theme in pretty much any song they had that got popular). Plus, that video of the band in monkey suits capturing people in Paris to put on display is one of the most iconic ones of the 90s. The song itself would go platinum and would vault their third album Hooray for Boobiesto platinum status as well. 

They would release two more albums, the better of which, 2004’s Hefty Fine, would give them their last two mini hits with Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo andUhn Tiss Uhn Tiss Uhn Tiss, before maybe breaking up for good in 2015. I say maybe, because while the band doesn’t play together any more, they never actually called it quits. They just kind of drifted apart after an incident in the Ukraine where they peed on the Ukrainian and Russian flags on stage and were subsequently booed out of Kiev and banned from Russia. Which honestly, seems pretty par for the course for these guys. 

Still, they were one of the best-known rap rock bands of the 90s and have some degree on influence on those who have come after them. I just don’t think there is anyway that gets them anywhere near the hall.  

45. Martin Page

Hometown:Southampton, England
Date formed:1981
Eligible Based on:Debut Album In theHouse of Stone and Light (1994)
Top Selling Record:In theHouse of Stone and Light (1994)
Top Hits:In theHouse of Stone and Light (#14, 1994), Keeper of the Flame (#19 Contemporary, 1995)
Underrated Track:Blessed (2008)
In Line Behind:A huge line of songwriters who have been ignored
Induction would Help:Songwriters in general
Odds of Nomination This Year:0%
Odds of Nomination Ever:0%
Will they Be a Rock Hall of Famer?:No

Facts:

An army brat and former member of Southampton FC’s juniors teams, Martin Page started playing bass with various bands as a sideman starting in the 1980s, mainly with British synthpop group Q-Feel (with whom he would finish 6^thin the Eurovision competition) and later with Earth, Wind, and Fire. 

It wasn’t until a trip to the Grand Canyon that he was inspired to write his own music. The result is one of the most loved mid-90s contemporary pop hits In the House of Stone and Light (1994). A second single Keeper of the Flameoff of that album would also chart. He began work on his second album, when he suffered a series of deaths of people close to him in rapid succession, this included both of his parents.

Unable to cope, he took a hiatus for 14 years before finally finishing his second album In the Temple of the Muse(which includes Mi Morena, later covered by Josh Groban) in 2008. He has since put out four more albums, including an ambient music album in 2018 called The Amber of Memory. 

While he had one huge high surrounded by minimal other commercial successes, Page still resonates with many people he worked with in the industry before setting off on his own. That, plus the deference that the Hall tends to give to “songwriters”, is enough that he is on the Hall’s radar. It is just a long, long way down the list. 

44. Seven Mary Three

Hometown:Williamsburg, VA
Date formed:1991
Eligible Based on:Debut Album Churn (1994)
Top Selling Record:American Standard (1995)Platinum
Top Hits:Cumbersome (#39, #1 Main, 1996), Water’s Edge (#1 Main, 1996), Over Your Shoulder (#7 Main, 1998)
Wait (#7 Main, 2001), 
Underrated Track:RockCrown (1997)
In Line Behind:Bush, Collective Soul, Candlebox, Sponge
Induction would Help:Audioslave, Creed, Fuel, Godsmack, Nickelback
Odds of Nomination This Year:0%
Odds of Nomination Ever:0%
Will they Be a Rock Hall of Famer?:No

 

Facts:

Originally a college band from William & Mary, Seven Mary Three is definitely the best band named after the show CHiPs (7 Mary 3 being main character Officer Jon Baker’s call sign). It began when students Jason Ross and Jason Pollock met and started writing songs together. Ross took lead vocals and rhythm guitar, with Pollock taking lead guitar and back up vocals. They added bass player Casey Daniel and drummer Giti Khalsa and started playing clubs in the Northern Virginia/DC area. 

Their original album Churnwas self-produced, but their song Cumbersomegot the attention of a radio station in Orlando which played the song on regular rotation. The band decided to pack up and head to Orlando to build on this success and was successful, landing a record deal with Mammoth Records. The band rerecorded much of Churnand added a few more songs to come up with their second album American Standard (1995). Cumbersomeexploded with it’s major record release and became the band’s biggest hit. 

The band would release two more albums in rapid succession, 1997’s RockCrownand 1998’s Orange Ave.Neither had the success of American Standardand it began to wear on the band. In 1999, feeling burnt out, Pollock left the band and was replaced by Thomas Juliano. They would release another album in 2001, The Economy of Sound, the lead single of which Waitserved as the lead single for the Crazy/Beautifulsoundtrack. The band would release two more albums before suddenly breaking up without warning in 2012. 

Seven Mary Three is solidly in that Post Grunge era of groups that produced some great music with slightly less flannel than what came before it. Unfortunately for them when it comes to the Hall, none of those bands are in the Hall yet and there seem to be a good number of them to get through before 7M3 is going to even get into consideration, including a couple of the bands yet to come in this countdown. That said, a college band that makes it 20 years and sells a couple of million records is a pretty damn good result.   

43. Sister Hazel

Hometown:Gainesville, FL
Date formed:1993
Eligible Based on:Debut Album Sister Hazel (1994)
Top Selling Record:… Somewhere More Familiar (1997)Platinum, Fortress (2000) Gold
Top Hits:All for You (#11, #1 Adult 40, 1997), Change Your Mind (#59, #5 Adult 40, 2000)
Underrated Track: Mandolin Moon (2006)
In Line Behind:Dave Matthews Band, Barenaked Ladies, Pantera, Doobie Brothers
Induction would Help:Fleet Foxes, Mumford and Sons, Old Crow Medicine Show, Drive By Truckers
Odds of Nomination This Year:0%
Odds of Nomination Ever:0%
Will they Be a Rock Hall of Famer?:No

Facts:

The second greatest band to come out of Gainesville, Florida (after some dudes named Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers), Sister Hazel rides that line between alternative and southern rock. Sister Hazel was founded in 1993 by Ken Block (vocals & acoustic guitar), Andrew Copeland (rhythm guitar), and Jett Beres (Bass). They would pick up drummer Mark Trojanowski and lead guitarist Ryan Newell in 1994 afer releasing their self-titled album Sister Hazel. The band was named after a local Catholic nun who ran a homeless shelter in Gainesville. 

Their second album was also released through their own label, Croakin’ Poets, and sold 30,000 copies with its initial pressing. This caused Universal to sign the band and rerelease the album, which would go platinum for them in 1997. This was on the strength their single All For You, which was ubiquitous in the spring of my senior year of high school (and honestly always sounded to me like my old a capella group member Chris Maddox was on lead vocals).

They have released seven more albums since then with a moderate success. While several hit the Adult Top 40, they’ve never made the Top 40 chart again. They did have a few interesting twists and turns along the way including being the official band of the Ford Motor Company in 2009 when they released their sync drive. 

And while they never reached the heights of that hit again, they have some of the most devoted fans in the industry the “Hazelnuts”. If they ever were going to get into the Hall, those Hazelnuts are what is going to do it. The Hall cares more than ever about the popular movements behind bands than they ever have before. That’s why KISS and Bon Jovi and Rush finally got into the Hall. I don’t think all the Hazelnuts in the world are actually going to make a difference for a band that is widely considered a one hit wonder, but they sure are going to try.

            42.Unwritten Law

Hometown:Poway, CA
Date formed:1990
Eligible Based on:Debut Album Blue Room (1994)
Top Selling Record:Elva (2002)
Top Hits:Seein’ Red (#1 Alternative, 2002), Save Me (Wake Up Call) (#5 Alternative, 2005)
Underrated Track: Denied (1994)
In Line Behind:Blink-182, Jimmy Eat World, Weezer, Lemonheads
Induction would Help:Eve 6, Get Up Kids, Paramore, NO FX
Odds of Nomination This Year:0%
Odds of Nomination Ever:0%
Will they Be a Rock Hall of Famer?:No

Facts:

Part of the early 1990s San Diego music scene, the beginnings of Unwritten Law are kind of murky. The band started with drummer Wade Youman backing a rotating cast of characters over several months before settling on a more stable lineup in 1990 with Scott Russo (vocals), Steve Morris (Lead Guitar), Rob Brewer (Rhythm Guitar), and Jeff Brehm on bass. I say fairly stable, because Brehm was gone by 1992 to be replaced by John Bell, who himself was replaced in 1997 by Pat Kimm. 

Unwritten Law started as a punk rock band and has always had the typical punk rock sound and issues working their way through the band. The lineup has been in constant flux due to what can politely be called physical altercations between the members of the band. Their first two albums Blue Room (1994)and Oz Factor (1996)have a prototypical mid-90s punk sound with Russo’s mellow singing style over the top. 

By their fourth album, the band decided they needed a change of direction and 2002’s Elvamoved in a much more prototypical rock direction. This is where they saw their greatest success. The lead single Seein’ Redwould hit #1 on the Modern Rock charts. The success of Elvawould also lead to recording a live album for VH1’s Music in High Placesseries, which would feature Rest of My Life, which would hit #14 on the Alternative charts in 2003. They would go on to make two more albums and are still touring today (with a remade lineup around Russo’s vocals)

All in all, they have been an incredibly talented constantly changing band who has been a major part of the development of the pop/punk and alternative/punk sound. And while they certainly haven’t had the success of their San Diego music scene and former touring partners Blink-182, they have made quite a name for themselves and are incredibly respected within the industry. Do I think that will be enough to get them through the door? No, I don’t. But they will at least come up in discussion.


            41. The Cardigans

Hometown:Jönköping, Sweden
Date formed:1992
Eligible Based on:Debut Album Emmerdale (1994)
Top Selling Record:First Band on the Moon (1996)Platinum, Gran Turismo (1998)Platinum
Top Hits:Love Fool (Gold, Alternative #9, 1997), My Favorite Game (Gold, Alternative #16, 1998)
Underrated Track: Erase/Rewind (1999)
In Line Behind:The Cranberries, 10,000 Maniacs, Pulp, Everything But the Girl
Induction would Help:Natalie Imbruglia, Belle and Sebastian, Super Furry Animals, The Postmarks
Odds of Nomination This Year:0%
Odds of Nomination Ever:0%
Will they Be a Rock Hall of Famer?:No

Facts:

Did you know that this band was Swedish? I did not before I started doing research on this. I just presumed that they were another alternative pop band from the UK. But in actuality, The Cardigans were formed in Jönköping, Sweden in 1992 by five roommates with Nina Persson as lead singer, Peter Svensson on lead guitar, Magnus Sveningsson on bass, Bengt Lagerberg on drums, and Lars-Olof Johansson on keyboards. Looking at those names I feel like a complete moron for not realizing they were likely not from Leeds. 

Their first album Emmerdale (1994)was largely a hit in their home country and Japan. It was their second album however, 1995’s Lifewhich had four charting singles in the UK, that raised their profile throughout Europe. And it took them to album three, 1996’s First Band on the Moon, for them to truly conquer America. The push for this was the success of Love Fool, which was featured in both Romeo + Julietand later in Cruel Intentions, and would chart in ten countries. First Band on the Moonwould go Platinum. 

Their follow up to First Band on the Moon, 1998’s Gran Turismo, would also go Platinum on the strength ofMy Favorite Game, another ten country charting hit. And perhaps most importantly, they would play themselves as the band at the graduation for Donna Martin and her classmates in Beverly Hills, 90210. They would release two more albums, including 2003’s Long Gone Before Daylightwhich is much more a Country Pop record and quite a departure from their pop origins, before taking a six-year hiatus starting in 2006.

The Cardigans have been back making music together since 2012 (although they haven’t released in album in almost 15 years). And continuing to be a working band helps generally when it comes to the Hall. Honestly, to get in you either want to be still touring or dead, those things help you more than pretty much anything else. But there are just too many other bands between them and the Hall. Particularly since most people think of them for just one song. That song is great, but unlikely to get them into the Hall. No fooling on that one. 

 

 

 

 

In an interview with 95.7 (The Hog in Daytona, Florida), Kiss frontman, Paul Stanley recalled his experiences in entering the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. Stanley had this to say: “It was validation for our fans, who it meant the world to. It was vindication in the sense that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame kept us out for 17 years, and were really left with no choice but to begrudgingly let us in.” They treated us like crap, even that night. We had trouble – how about this? – getting into the arena. We had no idea about the rundown of the show or when we were getting on stage. It was disgraceful what they did, but we won. It’s the story of Kiss from the beginning – that people who believed in themselves and who were told that what they were doing wasn’t worth anything and wouldn’t succeed came out on top.” There is a lot of validity to what Stanley had said. Considering the profile of the band, whether you think they are talented are not, this was one of the most popular bands for nearly a decade and sold out hundreds of arenas around the world. Jann Wenner, who was the co-founder of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, said at one point that they would never get in as long as “he had something to say about it”. The 2014 induction on Kiss’ part was not exactly smooth from their part either. Stanley and Simmons lobbied for the current members (Bruce Kulick and Eric Singer) to be part of the induction and they were not open to performing with former members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss. Something tells us that we have not heard the last of members of Kiss, both past and present, in regards to their experience and thoughts on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

One day…

One day we will attend the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony as it was a bar discussion about inductees (more so who wasn’t in) that was the genesis for Notinhalloffame.com in the first place.  But that day wasn’t yesterday and from multiple sources here is what we know transpired at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  

The show kicked off with Stevie Nicks performing “Stand Back”, which got the crowd on their feet only for their jaws to drop at that level when Don Henley came out on stage where the duo sang “Leather and Lace”.  One duet followed another as her inductor, Harry Styles joined her to take the late Tom Petty’s role in “Stop Dragging My Heart Around”.  Nicks closed off her set with, what else?  “Edge of Seventeen”.  After her set, Styles would then officially induct Nicks who is now officially the only female to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. 

While the electricity was in the air for the first inductee it was impossible for that emotion to carry over for the night’s second inductee, Radiohead.  David Byrne inducted them and only Ed O’Brien and Phil Selway were on hand to accept.  There was no performance by the two.

Next up were Simon LeBon and John Taylor of Duran Duran who were on hand to induct Roxy Music. Taylor extolled the coolness of Roxy Music and described them as a genre on to itself.  Bryan Ferry would do all the talking for the group as they accepted the induction.  They would then go into a six song set of “In Every Dream Home a Heartache”, “Out of the Blue”, “Love is the Drug”, “More Than This”, “Avalon” and “Editions of You”.

Stevie Van Zandt came out to honor this year’s Rock and Roll singles, which were chosen based on their influence on Rock and Roll.  This was created last year and it is just as confusing this year as seemingly nobody knew ahead of time what the songs would be nor was there anyone on hand who performed the songs to accept this honor.  

The songs were “Maybe” by The Chantels, “Tequila” by The Champs, “Money (That’s What I Want)” by Barrett Strong, “Twist & Shout” by the Isley Brothers, “Leader of the Pack” by the Shangri-Las and “Gloria” by Shadows of the Night”.

Maybe they will explain this in better detail next year.

Trent Reznor came up next to induct The Cure.  Only lead singer Robert Smith spoke on the band’s behalf.  They then went on to perform five songs, “Shake Dog Shake”, “A Forest”, “Lovesong”, “Just Like Heaven” and “Boys Don’t Cry”.  

Up next was Janelle Monae who inducted Janet Jackson.  Jackson’s speech focused on her family and referenced often her brothers who were inducted some time ago.  Janet did not perform and it was speculated that since HBO has the rights to show the ceremony later and the just aired “Leaving Neverland”, an expose on her brother Michael was the reason she did not sing.  

Susanna Hoffs then inducted The Zombies who played the exact four songs you expected (wanted) them to with “Time of the Season”, “This Will Be Our Year”, “Tell Her No” and “She’s Not There”.

Following an In Memoriam section, Brian May of Queen came out to induct the evening’s final inductee, Def Leppard.  Only Joe Elliott spoke during the acceptance speech.  They launched into their set of “Hysteria”, “Rock of Ages”, “Photograph” and they finished with the perfect rock and roll fun choice of “Pour Some Sugar On Me”.

The inductors and inductees finished the night on stage with a jam session punctuated by singing “All The Young Dudes”.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to again congratulate the 2019 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class!

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony is rapidly approaching and it remains the biggest Hall of Fame where many people who are considered for or are already in openly trash.  As such it is news to us when a musician who we think has a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame worthy resume has an opinion as to whether they should be in or whether they even care is news to us.  The latest person to have to discuss their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame credentials is RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan, who in an interview with Rolling Stone feels that his original group belongs in Cleveland.

He had this to say:

“I think we should [get in], and I do care.  It may take some time to get in there. I think it’s good for us and I think it’s good for rock & roll, because hip-hop is a form of music that grabs from every genre, but definitely grabs from rock & roll.

 Rock & roll has a certain spirit; it was the spirit of the Sixties and Seventies youth,” he says. “Hip-hop is the Eighties, Nineties, up to now, the youth. It’s called hip-hop, but it’s in the same spirit of rock & roll at the end of the day. Lyrical, stories, music, unorthodox, dissonant sometimes, energetic, all the things that rock is and was, hip-hop embodies. 

Listening to a song like ‘Bring da Ruckus,’ I thought I was making hip-hop, but shit, it has a motherfuckin’ rock & roll groove like a motherfucker. I don’t know how the fuck I did that. I go back and listen to some of the Beatles progressions and some of [Led] Zeppelin’s progressions and movements, like, okay, I was on some shit, though.”

The first take away for us is that we are happy that RZA expresses that he wants to see the Wu-Tang Clan accepted in that institution and that it means something to him. The second is that we here at Notinhalloffame.com have always question just what the meaning of rock and roll is at this stage and have often stated that the name was more of a spirit than an actual style.

The Wu-Tang Clan have been eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 2017 and have not been nominated as of yet.  As of this writing, they are ranked #20on our list of those to consider for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony will happen this Friday and there is a minor announcement to mention in regards to those in attendance.

Roxy Music will be inducted and will be performing but it will not be a true reunion as Brian Eno and Paul Thompson will not be in attendance leaving Brian Ferry, Andy Mackay and Phil Manzanera to represent the band.  

The group will be inducted by Simon LeBon and John Taylor of Duran Duran.

It took them a while but the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced the full lineup of inductors for their ceremony on March 29.  

The inductors are:

Harry Styles will induct Stevie Nicks

Brian May will induct Def Leppard

Trent Reznor will induct the Cure.

Janelle Monae will induct Janet Jackson.

David Byrne will induct Radiohead.

Susanna Hoffs will induct the Zombies

John Taylor and Simon LeBon will induct Roxy Music.

The selection of Reznor is curious considering how Reznor recently trashed the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Thom Yorke of Radiohead had already previously announced that he won’t be there due to a piano piece he wrote debuting at the Paris Philharmonic the same evening.

As of this time the list of performances has not been announced, but we here at Notinhalloffame.com will be paying attention! 

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced one of their inductors for the upcoming ceremony on March 29 and that will be members of Duran Duran, Simon LeBon and John Taylor who will be enshrining Roxy Music.  

Duran Duran always pushed the video medium and the artistic side of music, which was the textbook of Roxy Music.  In countless interviews the members of Duran Duran (especially LeBon and Taylor) have put Roxy Music on a pedestal and we think this is an excellent choice as a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductor.

We will certainly be watching!

We have a major update on Notinhalloffame.com as our annual list of those to consider for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The first thing we did was remove the artists who were chosen for the Hall in the latest class. That group consisted of Radiohead (#1), Roxy Music (#5), The Cure (#11), Janet Jackson (#18), Def Leppard (#41), The Zombies (#85) and Stevie Nicks (#122).

The second thing we did is input the new artists who are eligible.  As they were already listed on our site on the Future Rock and Roll Hall of Fame eligible section, we took your existing votes and comments into consideration.

That segues perfectly into the third thing that we did, which was to look at the votes and comments that you made on the existing entrants on the list.  This matters to us and we adjusted accordingly.

As such, we are proud to present our new Top 10:

For the fourth time Kraftwerk returns to the #1 spot.  They have been nominated five times including last year.  They were ranked #2 last year and have never been lower than #3 since we started this website.

Oasis makes their debut at #2 making them the highest new artist on our list.  The British group are certainly Hall of Fame worthy however it is unlikely that the Gallagher brothers will show up should they be chosen.

Jethro Tull returns at #3.  To date, they have yet to be nominated for the Rock Hall despite being eligible since 1993.

The Smiths also hold steady at their same position at #4.  The Smiths have been nominated in 2015 and 2016 and have been eligible since 2008.

MC5 moved up one spot from #6 to #5.  The proto-punk group have been eligible since 1991 and have been nominated four times and the last three years.

The highest hip-hop act is now the Notorious B.I.G. who debuts at #6.  Like Oasis, there is an excellent chance that he could enter on his first year of eligibility.

Gram Parsons hold his position at #7.  Parsons has been eligible since 1992 and he has been nominated three times the last occurring in 2005.

Willie Nelson also remains with the same rank at #8.  Nelson has been eligible since 1986 and has never been nominated.

Judas Priest climbed one rung from #10 to #9.  The Heavy Metal outfit from the United Kingdom have been eligible since 1999 and were nominated once in 2018.

New Order swapped spots with Judas Priest and dropped to #10.  They have been eligible since 2006 and have never been nominated.

Weezer debuts at a high profile spot at #40 and Korn also joins them in the Top 50 with a debut at #49.  The Top 100 showcases Outkast at #59, Daft Punk at #71 and Marilyn Manson at #79.

The other new entries are Elliott Smith (#127), Jeff Buckley (#157), Nas (#174), Portishead (#215), The Fugees (#245), Usher (#293), Godspeed! You Black Emperor (#355). Aaliyah (#361), At the Drive-In (#375), Cake (#403), Supergrass (#413), Bush (#425), Ben Harper (#443), Tricky (#506) and Brandy (#534).

The entire list can be found here.

At present we are ranking 588 acts.  Longtime visitors know that when we began this a decade ago we only ranked 100 acts, grew it to 250 and eventually 500.  We have a long term goal of reaching 1,000 hence why when there are new entries we did not remove any to keep at an even 500.

For those wondering about our other list revisions we will have the Baseball and Football ones done shortly.

As always we thank you for your support and we encourage you to cast your votes and offer your opinions!

Last year we speculated that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame did not induct Radiohead on their first year of eligibility due to the band stating that they would not attend due the ceremony (if chosen) due to having a prior commitment (a concert in South America).  The band had been quiet leading up to the announcement of the Class of 2019 in regards to whether they would attend if inducted this year, but we now know that at least one member will not be attending.

In an interview with Variety, Radiohead frontman said that he personally would not be at the ceremony due to a scheduling conflict:

“I know I can’t, because of these piano pieces that I’ve written”

 That may seem like a lame excuse but Yorke wrote a piano piece of Katia and Marielle Lebeque of the Paris Philharmonic.  The premier is the same day of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony.  Yorke continued on in regards to his opinion of the Rock and Roll Hall itself.

“We’ve always been very blasé about that stuff. We just think that we just don’t quite understand it. We’ve had it explained to us, so it’s cool.  But we don’t really understand it as English people. I think our problem is essentially that every awards ceremony in the U.K. stinks. We grew up with the Brits, which is like this sort of drunken car crash that you don’t want to get involved with. So, yeah, we don’t really know what to make of it.”

This does not mean that other members of Radiohead won’t be in attendance although previous comments from the band indicate that they likely won’t attend.

Notably, Yorke did say that he would attend the Oscars if nominated.  His song, “Suspirium” from the film “Suspiria” has been shortlisted for the Best Original Song category.

Ah, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame controversy…please never change!