gold star for USAHOF

The Rock and Roll Futures (248)

As we intend to make this website a constant work in process, we though it would be useful to discuss the future bands/artists who will become eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Many of these artists are still recording and/or performing and thus adding to their impending legacy. They will be in our future lists so please feel free to vote so that we can rank them accordingly when they become eligible.
In the first few years of the new Millenium, Starsailor was a major player in the post Brit-Pop musical landscape in the United Kingdom.  The critics loved them, they put on a decent live show, and they had a series of hits.  The problem for this discussion, and my God, we are getting tired of typing this; they did not make it in the United States,…
One of the best bands to ever come out of Wales, Stereophonics captured the U.K. market with their straight ahead attack of Rock and Roll. They have (and as of this writing continue to have) a long list of hit albums and singles but again, this is the case of another band of the United kingdom that failed to become a commercially viable entity in the…
Founded as a side project by Slipknot’s Corey Taylor and Jim Root, Stone Sour is arguably a softer version of the latter band, in that Taylor’s vocals aren’t nearly as aggressive.  This does not take away that this was a very good Alternative Band in its time, but Slipknot members are not going to get inducted twice, if they do at all!
Sugar Ray started out as a Funk Metal/Alternative Metal Band, but their true success was when they created a slickly produced Alternative blend of Pop.  Their songs were a little gimmicky, but it worked for them.  Sugar Ray had enough Alt appeal to work for some of that group, and the pretty boy good looks of lead singer Mark McGrath gave them an instant female fan…
Initially a contemporary Christian Rock band, Switchfoot transitioned into a very solid Rock band with a lot of mainstream appeal. As they hit it bigger a few years after the Grunge/Alternative boom was over, the band did not face the backlash that other bands with a similar sound faced only a half-decade before did, and with other Christian Rock bands who had successfully crossed over before,…
Whether or not you think T.I. should be in the Rock and Roll of Fame, or any Hip Hop Hall of Fame for that matter should be noted as like it or not, this is a man who had a five year stretch on top of the charts.  Now what that means to the generations coming up remains to be seen, but he should not be…
There are bands that we have discussed that are painted with an Emo brush and it isn’t exactly the case.  With Taking Back Sunday, there is no doubt that this is an Emo Band. 
Perhaps known best for being one half of Black Star with Mos Def, Talib Kweli is one of the most cerebral rapper of the modern era.  Kweli was exceptionally skilled, socially aware and critically beloved, though not necessarily commercially successful.  The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will not come calling, though the Hip Hop Hall of Fame might, though that might be a long shot…
Comprised of Jack Black and Kyle Gass, the Comedy/Metal duo of Tenacious D may have been considered a joke in some circles, but to others they were not just funny, but they were damned good.  Unlike other comedian/musicians, Tenacious D had musical chops, and could their own in the musical spectrum with their operatic style approach to Metal.
The All-American Rejects were one of many bands in the 2000’s to capitalize on the pop-punk sound, and had three top ten hits (Dirty Little Secret, Gives You Hell & It Ends Tonight), while doing it.  While they were a successful and fun band, they were not exactly innovative, even by their own admission.  Any chance that the All-American Rejects will depend on how well their…
Kim Deal should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in some capacity, though we do not think that her post Breeders project, The Amps, will be the way in which she enters Cleveland. With only one album, which although was very good, the Amps were a nice footnote to her stellar career, but not much more than that. 
Virtually impossible to categorize, The Avalanches were a virtual smorgasbord of Electronic based music out of an unlikely place (Australia). Although they had one very critically respected album, they did not do much else and one acclaimed (yet relatively unpurchased) album does not a Hall of Fame career make.
The Ben Folds Five called themselves “Punk Rock for Sissies”.  As funny as that self deprecating comment was, the Ben Folds Five were a solid entry to the Alternative Pop genre.  They performed without a lead guitar and showcased Jazz influenced music.  They were an exceptional live band, and often the true power of their music failed to capture itself in the recording studio.  Despite their…
Named after the 1947 death of Elizabeth Smart (nicknamed the Black Dahlia), the Black Dahlia Murder describes their musical style as Melodic Death Metal. That sounds pretty accurate, and though this genre has proven to have a place in the musical landscape, it is not one that has shown it has a place in Cleveland.
The Black Keys are often labeled as an Alternative Band, but the duo comprising the band from Akron, Ohio have so much blues influence in their sound that in some ways seems like the natural evolution from blues influenced rockers form the early 60’s.
The ongoing muddled history of the Brian Jonestown Massacre (so named in homage to Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones), saw forty different members pass through their ranks.  The BJM usually implores a Garage based Neo-Psychedelic sound though their penchant for experimentation has always shown through.  They had no trouble showing a fascination for the dark side of humanity as many of their music does show…
The Coral helped bring back Brit-Pop to the forefront, but for a band commonly labeled with guitars and drums, they put out a catalogue of music that showed much more than that. The Coral were a well enough respected outfit, but they fell behind on the success ratio of many of their peers and to some extent, those they helped expired.
You would initially think that the Crystal Method were British as they had a very similar sound to the Big Beat Rock styled Electronica that was popular in the U.K. in the late 90’s, but this was an American born outfit from Las Vegas. As such, they could very well be one of the most successful American groups of that genre for that time period, but…
As evidenced by their name (and many other things) the Dandy Warhols were clearly influenced by the Velvet Underground.  With that said, they were also happy to embrace current Alternative trends and Power Pop sounds.  They had a lot of respect within the musical community and they were college radio staples.  With a few flirtations with mainstream success they got themselves on a few people’s radars…
Mostly known worldwide for their hit, “I Believe in a Thing Called Love”, British band, The Darkness, were a throwback to the late 1970’s power ballad bands and carved themselves a brief international niche.  While some view The Darkness as a one hit wonder, they did well in England and are more successful than the casual fan understands.