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Rock Hall nominations? No, it's time to start kicking people out
Cleveland Plain Dealer ^ | October 17, 2013 | By John Petkovic

Posted on 10/19/2013 5:06:13 PM PDT by a fool in paradise

Enough of this arguing over who deserves to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

It's time to look at those already inducted and issue some indictments.

Darwin would call it thinning the herd. You could also call it correcting un-natural selection -- as in, evicting those acts and artists undeserving of being in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

It'€™s time to vote people OUT of the Rock Hall. Feel free to choose from the following list of 15 names -- or add your own.

It's time to storm the Bastille, er, I mean, that glass house known as the Rock Hall. It'€™s time for a rock 'n' roll peasants rebellion against the aristocracy that has installed Billy Joel and others on a pedestal.

It's time to make your voice known. It's time to cause trouble.

Jimmy Cliff: Reggae is a tricky one, they say. And Jimmy is great. But if we'€™re going down this road, doesn't King Tubby belong more than him?

The Eagles: They commercialized the vibrant California rock sound and put a nail in it. They sold tons of records and broke new ground when it came to ticket prices and arrogance. But it comes down to this: Anyone even remotely affiliated with "All She Wants to Do is Dance"€ must be punished.

Earth, Wind & Fire: Somewhere, buried on Wikileaks, is the secret reason why these guys are in the Rock Hall. The world is still waiting on the release of that secret.

The Flamingos: It is highly unlikely that even Wikileaks has the secret reason why this 1950s doo-wop group is in the Rock Hall.

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five: Yes, the arguments about whether hip-hop belongs get old. But these guys were more influential on hip-hop and rap than on rock. All that aside, they only had one album. And as Cleveland musician and "Get Them Out of the Rock Hall" board member Dave Swanson says, "They didn't write any of the songs, and obviously play none of the music on the album."€œ

Billy Joel: "Glass Houses" shows him throwing a rock through, well, you guessed it. A career of schmaltz says it's time he gets thrown out of the big glass house.

Dr. John: The best case for him being out is that there is in no one in the world that can make a case for him being in.

Madonna: "€œGet Them Out of the Rock Hall" board member Dave Swanson said it best: "€œA con artist who only got into music to get attention. If movies had worked out, you think she'd still be making records?"

John Mellencamp: Contrary to rumors, he is not in the Rock Hall three times -- as John Cougar, John Cougar Mellencamp and John Mellencamp. Regarding the latter . . . Little pink houses, fine. The porch in front of the Rock Hall, cool. But all of our love for heartland still cannot justify this one.

Randy Newman: There are people who think that he'€™s a genius. They should not be running the induction process because while he'™s had ties to rock '€˜n'€™ roll as a songwriter, there is little evidence that he has ever rocked.

Red Hot Chili Peppers: Every jock that loves to chest-thump to music will argue otherwise, but all the horny white devil stunts of this band can't obscure the fact that it'€™s RHCP’s music that is really the sideshow.

Bonnie Raitt: We are all for this singer-songwriter taking her cool voice into the blues, country or folk hall of fames. She does not rock.

Rush: Passionate fans demanding that the Canadian trio be inducted have provided the best side story to the Rock Hall. We miss that story, even if Geddy and Alex and Neil are the cat'€™s meow. We want to see that passion again€“ and would love to see some drama, like a diplomatic row or maybe even Canada seceding from the United States. Full disclosure: This one is all about causing trouble.

Paul Simon: What is the definition of redundant and repetitious? Paul Simon being in the Rock Hall twice. Hello darkness, my old friend, it's time for you to leave the Rock Hall. Memories of the stellar Simon and Garfunkel must not cloud a nonrocking solo career.

James Taylor: Yes, he sang about being a handyman. But you can search day and night and still not find rock 'n' roll in his tool shed.


TOPICS: History; Music/Entertainment
KEYWORDS: discohalloffame; rnrhof; rockandroll; rockmusic
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To: mfish13
Dang it, put in Slim Whitman.

After all, he saved us from the Martians.

21 posted on 10/19/2013 5:38:58 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: dfwgator
What about Karel? Clapton is Gott? Nein, Karel ist!


22 posted on 10/19/2013 5:39:47 PM PDT by Revolting cat! (Bad things are wrong! Ice cream is delicious!)
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To: a fool in paradise

Why is there a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Whole thing is ludicrous.

Therefore, it really matters nothing who is in it.


23 posted on 10/19/2013 5:40:13 PM PDT by ifinnegan
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To: Nifster

People are still playing bridge even after they built that giant one in San Francisco.


24 posted on 10/19/2013 5:40:24 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (America 2013 - STUCK ON STUPID)
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To: dfwgator; Revolting cat!

IN PERSON: SLIM WHITMAN

with Billy Walker, Ellis Presley and many others

25 posted on 10/19/2013 5:42:53 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (America 2013 - STUCK ON STUPID)
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To: a fool in paradise
with Billy Walker, Ellis Presley and many others

.....and time permitting.....Frank Sinatra.

26 posted on 10/19/2013 5:44:18 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: a fool in paradise
Somebody needs to work on getting rid of the "redskins" or taking the Indian out of Indianapolis, Indiana (where the NCAA lives to get rid of Indian "mascots".
27 posted on 10/19/2013 5:44:19 PM PDT by Paladin2
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To: a fool in paradise

Just change the name to the Pop Music Hall of Fame, and then even more acts can get in.


28 posted on 10/19/2013 5:45:51 PM PDT by yawningotter
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To: RichInOC

ABBA is highly respected and influential.


29 posted on 10/19/2013 5:46:22 PM PDT by Borges
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To: a fool in paradise
"Bonnie Raitt: We are all for this singer-songwriter taking her cool voice into the blues, country or folk hall of fames. She does not rock. "

BS, Bonnie can ROCK!

30 posted on 10/19/2013 5:46:49 PM PDT by Paladin2
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To: Paladin2

Where is the ACLU and Freedom From Religion foundation on changing the names of San Diego, Los Angeles, et al?


31 posted on 10/19/2013 5:47:06 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (America 2013 - STUCK ON STUPID)
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To: a fool in paradise

My complaint with this story is that it limits the ones who should be outed to 15.

The R&R Hall of Fame is a giant circle jerk anyway.


32 posted on 10/19/2013 5:48:53 PM PDT by ChildOfThe60s ((If you can remember the 60s.....you weren't really there)
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To: Borges

Oh, it’s a wonderful band. It’s just not a rock band.


33 posted on 10/19/2013 5:49:59 PM PDT by RichInOC (No! BAD Rich! (What'd I say?))
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To: dfwgator; Revolting cat!

Who needs to bother getting the names right?

“These guys are from England and who gives a $#!%?” Casey Kasen reading off the band member names in U2 on American Top 40.


34 posted on 10/19/2013 5:51:29 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (America 2013 - STUCK ON STUPID)
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To: a fool in paradise
“These guys are from England and who gives a $#!%?” Casey Kasen reading off the band member names in U2 on American Top 40.

What a putz, of course everyone knows U2 is from Scotland.

35 posted on 10/19/2013 5:52:46 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: a fool in paradise

Paul Simon (solo and S&G) defintely belongs, as does Billy Joel. The author of this hit piece is a moron for suggesting otherwise.

I don’t understand why people have such a need to be controversial that they let their judgment get so clouded. It’s so high school adolescent...


36 posted on 10/19/2013 5:53:19 PM PDT by be-baw (still seeking)
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To: ChildOfThe60s

The history of rock and roll has long been distorted anyway. It was (until more recent decades) controlled by Jann Wener’s Rolling Stone (from San Francisco and centered on bands and promoters in his burg). Myopic in the extreme and neglecting of the LA scene, let alone other cities and states. Also Dick Clark and Bill Graham’s commercial interests.

Woodstock made everything worse as the industry focused on filling massive arenas, spectacle, hype, and inflated ticket prices. Talent and song craft was a secondary consideration.

Bill Graham in the 1970s appeared on the Tomorrow Show and poo pooed bands like the Runaways and the Jam because they could “only” draw 3,000 people at a venue. And didn’t have politically minded social justice lyrics.

I haven’t liked the bands on commercial radio at most stages of my existence. But that isn’t to say I haven’t listened to or seen bands on major labels. The hype machine was always on other acts in the stable.


37 posted on 10/19/2013 5:58:20 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (America 2013 - STUCK ON STUPID)
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To: a fool in paradise
It's pretty funny that this is from the Plain Dealer. The HOF has become a world onto itself, so now even the local newspaper is getting into the criticisms.

The Rock and Roll HOF is a mess, and it gets worse every year. They've never really defined Rock, and their selections bring them further from classic rock and oldies every year.

The first thing they should do to fix up the mess is to define rock and roll. Any influences that contributed to the development of rock should be in a hall "the ancestors of rock" or whatever.

Groups in the rock hall should have criteria like (1) meeting the definition, (2)having contributed something unique to rock and (3) been involved in rock live performances or recordings of exceptional and historically lasting value.

Anything that follows rock should not be in the hall if it isn't rock. I'd like it if they chose some year, like about 1990, and said anyone inducted had have performed before that time. As of now, the hall is a mess with rap, pop, show music, country, you name it. I think it's an attempt to increase their appeal; it does just the opposite. I would keep the Eagles (of course), but the other 14 should go, along with about 20 others. I have no idea why the Moody Blues have never even been nominated.....and members constantly bring that up.

Should fans of Rock go to the HOF at least once? Absolutely. There's some real good information there, especially about the blues and other early influences. There are a lot of interesting artifacts. And if you're lucky, it won't be a day when some HS band (etc) is performing in the lobby as part of community outreach!

38 posted on 10/19/2013 6:00:15 PM PDT by grania
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Rush: Passionate fans demanding that the Canadian trio be inducted have provided the best side story to the Rock Hall. We miss that story, even if Geddy and Alex and Neil are the cat'€™s meow. We want to see that passion again€“ and would love to see some drama, like a diplomatic row or maybe even Canada seceding from the United States. Full disclosure: This one is all about causing trouble.

Really? From a Cleavland newspaper? IIRC, Cleavland was where Rush broke into the US music scene, with "Working Man."

Rush definitely belongs in the R&R HoF. There's no denying that Rush plays R&R. With nearly no radio air-play support, Rush has consitantly sold out concerts all over the world since "2112" was released (1976). And the fact that they're masters of their instruments has influenced tens of thousands of young musicians. I suspect that this is also the reason that Rush is hated by so many critics. I think that music critics, much like movie critics, are frustrated, failed musicians who hate the musicians in Rush for their talent.

Mark

39 posted on 10/19/2013 6:00:22 PM PDT by MarkL (Do I really look like a guy with a plan?)
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To: ChildOfThe60s

I can’t believe there are still fans of bands or even the bands themselves who are ticked off that they haven’t gotten in yet.

I mean, at some point it has to become ‘Thank God we never got in, just look at this list of complete stiffs who are in but shouldn’t be...”

Freegards


40 posted on 10/19/2013 6:01:07 PM PDT by Ransomed
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