Billy Corgan feels that Smashing Pumpkins are RRHOF worthy
Mar 16, 2016
Published in
Not in Hall of Fame News
The Smashing Pumpkins are eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and if you ask Billy Corgan, the lead singer and founding member, they are definitely worthy of a spot in Cleveland.
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Corgan was asked about that and had the following to say:
I get asked about that a lot. If it's a meritocracy, I think my band belongs in there because we were one of the prime bands of our era and we continue to be a top band. Next year will be, technically, our 30th year. So the fact that I've been in this band, you know, essentially 25 of the last 30 years, I think that says something.
Whole genres of music get overlooked and people don't get put in because somebody's mad at somebody from 30 years ago, I'm only speaking as a fan, but it's hard to trust the institution as a meritocracy when you have people in there who weren't very influential, didn’t sell a lot of records but because somebody somewhere was a fan, they're in. And then you have other people who were hugely influential and they go, 'Well, you know…”
Corgan is right, in that Smashing Pumpkins were a major part of the Alternative music boom of the early 1990’s, but realistically they have not been a relevant band for years.
Should the band get in, it is likely that only the classic lineup would be included and not the ones that are in now. Corgan is the only founding member left and he is not on the best of terms with his former bandmates.
He was asked that very question:
“I can't answer those kinds of questions," he says. "What if I say I will come and then 17 years later, when I'm in a wheelchair, they finally bring me in? I don't fucking know. I just saw Rick Nielsen from Cheap Trick and I said, 'It’s about fucking time they put you in. What the fuck?' And Rick being Rick, he laughed. He said, 'I don’t give a shit. I’m in now.' I think at the end of the day you hope that it's fair and you get in on your accomplishment and it’s not a political thing. But I don't know what to think about any of that anymore."
At present, we have Smashing Pumpkins ranked relative high, at 48, but with the arrival of Pearl Jam to the newly eligible list, we are thinking they will get that “spot”.
Any thoughts on Corgan’s Hall of Fame stance?
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Corgan was asked about that and had the following to say:
I get asked about that a lot. If it's a meritocracy, I think my band belongs in there because we were one of the prime bands of our era and we continue to be a top band. Next year will be, technically, our 30th year. So the fact that I've been in this band, you know, essentially 25 of the last 30 years, I think that says something.
Whole genres of music get overlooked and people don't get put in because somebody's mad at somebody from 30 years ago, I'm only speaking as a fan, but it's hard to trust the institution as a meritocracy when you have people in there who weren't very influential, didn’t sell a lot of records but because somebody somewhere was a fan, they're in. And then you have other people who were hugely influential and they go, 'Well, you know…”
Corgan is right, in that Smashing Pumpkins were a major part of the Alternative music boom of the early 1990’s, but realistically they have not been a relevant band for years.
Should the band get in, it is likely that only the classic lineup would be included and not the ones that are in now. Corgan is the only founding member left and he is not on the best of terms with his former bandmates.
He was asked that very question:
“I can't answer those kinds of questions," he says. "What if I say I will come and then 17 years later, when I'm in a wheelchair, they finally bring me in? I don't fucking know. I just saw Rick Nielsen from Cheap Trick and I said, 'It’s about fucking time they put you in. What the fuck?' And Rick being Rick, he laughed. He said, 'I don’t give a shit. I’m in now.' I think at the end of the day you hope that it's fair and you get in on your accomplishment and it’s not a political thing. But I don't know what to think about any of that anymore."
At present, we have Smashing Pumpkins ranked relative high, at 48, but with the arrival of Pearl Jam to the newly eligible list, we are thinking they will get that “spot”.
Any thoughts on Corgan’s Hall of Fame stance?
17. Smashing Pumpkins
Jan 09, 2016
Published in
Rock and Roll
Easily one of the most important Alternative bands of the 1990’s, the Smashing Pumpkins were able to become Alternative stars without sounding like the Grunge stars that they were often lumped in with. The Pumpkins could master varying emotions effortlessly easily delivering songs with unparalleled sorrow to tunes of blistering rage. They delivered these skills to the video medium, and their overall videos of the 90’s are on par with any other band that could be named. Billy Corgan and company may not get in on the first year of eligibility, but for a few years they were right there at the top. This could be anywhere from a quick induction to a twenty year wait.