Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

I live in a Cleveland suburb as well.  The rock hall has plenty of stuff from prog bands, but few have been inducted. 

PINK FLOYD

ZAPPA

TRAFFIC

QUEEN

this is about it.  The Rock Hall features stuff such as Ian Anderson's flute, Keith Emerson's organ (of some nature), Some stuff from Rush, and some other things, but that's about it. 

If you've ever heard WNCX in Cleveland, you always hear Yes, Rush, Kansas, King Crimson (to a lesser extent), and Pink Floyd. 

I don't pay attention to the rock hall.

Sacred 22 wrote: stonebeard wrote: It's a truly dispicable institution. They had to induct Zappa because he was probably the single most amazing, widely-recognized musician in America. Jethro Tull should be inducted and it's a damn shame that Rush haven't been yet. I agree with you, but like all of those institutions, corruption rears it's ugly head time and time again. The dumming down of America.................................................

The world (And America) has always been "Stupid". Life will appear to be a little bit more dim or dumb in America because stupid people are now able to come to power. I wish we had qualified people deciding who gets into the Hall of Fame, but we don't, America is as smart as it always was, and so is every other country to be fair.

The idea is a good one: honor those who made a difference to the direction of music throughout the years.

When you look at the first three classes of inductees, I would not argue with a single one: Elvis, Beatles, Chuck Berry, Bill Haley, etc.  Each of these artists was influential in changing the music of the time.  So the first three classes got it right.

As the hall got more popular, it became more politicized.  I remember living in Akron at the time, and there was a tremendous debate as to why the induction ceremony took place in NYC instead of Cleveland.  There was also debate as to whether there was racism in the inductions, because there were not enough non-Caucasian artists.

So now the induction process becomes a process of political correctness.  One of the reasons that Black Sabbath was kept out of the hall so long was due to the mention of Satan and other occult subjects in their music.  Can't offend anyone!

While all of us agree that Genesis, Yes, King Crimson, etc. were influential in creating a new form of music, they are the victims of the politics of the hall.  Which brings me to my point.

The same thing would happen if we started a prog rock hall. Or a prog rock site.  We all agree on the founders: Genesis, Yes, Crimson, Tull, GG, VdGG, PF, etc.  But over time... think Radiohead, Queen, etc.

The Wizard wrote: Not even the inventors of Heavy Metal are in the hall of fame (Black Sabbath, Deep Purple).

have a look at the list, BLACK SABBATH were included this year..

 I am sorry, but I have to agree with most of the choices that the Hall of fame has chosen. If you look back at how some of those songs by these artists have changed peoples lifes, its the nostalgia that inducts them. Most people just do not listen to prog, not beacause they are "stupid" or do not appreciate "good music" it is because they like music that reflects thier lifes and has a different veiw of songcraft. Most people are just not immpressed by prog, and niether should they be if they look at the world from a different point of view. Alot of the (true) Pop and Rock on the list has so much more emotional and cultural importance(not to mention emotional and cultural complexity) than anything that prog has to offer. I love prog but some people have to lighten up and stop being fanboys all the time or no one will take us seriously! Come on, prog is good but it is not the saviour of music. 

Who should be on the list?

Elp... Are you kidding me

Jethro Tull... no

Rush... yes (they grew out of being just a genre band)

King crimson.. yes (Where most so called prog is not respected by music critics they are\were)

Yes... Mabye but no

Genesis (same comment as King Crimson)  

This post does not apply to the PA bands already inducted. They deserve to be where they are.

Awards like this mean squat, the judges are just a hand full of people who pick pick bands not on quality of music but how much attention was drawn on them in pop culture, in some cases some musicians fit both eg Zappa. But take alook at the Doors they were nothing revolutionary, their music was very much of the time not too different from the Kinks, but because Jim Morrison was a pretty boy lived wild and died young (b4 wrinkles would ruin the chance of him being a legend).

Its all about the rock and roll image, I guarantee that Nirvana (if it hasn't all ready) will get in because Kurt Cobain was a pretty boy who died young.

 When these awards talk about music they're really talking about the image and pop culture, how many kids wear tee-shirts or purchase posters with their hero on them. Its about idols not musicians. Also the hall of fame rock idols are too recent to judge, seriously whos going to remember the Jackson five in a 100 years time?, while, for example, in contrast Vincent Van Gogh only sold one painting in his lifetime but 100 years after his death he is one of the most celebrated artists. While in a newspaper I remember reading in 1999 a  top ten poll of the publics choice of what were the greatist band in the 20th century on the top of the poll were the Spice girls and Oasis, whose going to remeber them, Stravinsky and Mike Oldfield got only one vote each. This goes to show people are just uneducated about music and only consider those who contributed the most to music the ones with the most press, and this is reflected in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

If you're all unhappy about invent your own awards, after all the judges of the hall of fame are just human beings like us (and obviously) know no better than us its just the pomp and glamour that surrounds it that makes it seem more important than it reallly is,the same goes for the oscars and the grammys. Its just one group of peoples opinions that have a lot of media attention. By the way who or what sponsers it?

Anyway this is my 20th - 21st century  music hall of fame:

THE CHEESECAKEMOUSETRAP MUSIC HALL OF FAME (no idols just musicians, all genres examined, 100% honest no bribes taken)

Stravinsky

Miles Davis

Frank Zappa

Yes

GENESIS

MAGMA

Stockhausen

John Mclougchlin and Mahavisnu Orchestra

King Crimson

Mike Oldfield

Can

BRIAN ENO

Soon to be inducted: VAN DER GRAFT GENERATOR,Ray Charles, Muddy Waters, Johnny Cash and perhaps the Beatles

Ghandi 2 wrote: Sacred 22 wrote: I agree with you, but like all of those institutions, corruption rears it's ugly head time and time again. The dumming down of America................................................. I find it incredibly ironic that you misused "it's" (the possessive of "it" is "its") and misspelled "dumbing" in your post. As a group, people are just as stupid in America as they are in any other country. Just look at the French riots (which, I believe, are still going on). People's stupidity bothers me too, but I hate it when people from other countries look down their noses and say "Oh, you stupid Americans." *cough*Greenday*cough* It wasn't any better in the past either; people never like to think for themselves or have to bother to pay attention to the world around them. zappaholic wrote: Pink Floyd is the only "prog" band that I'm aware of that has made the cut.  Why did you put prog in quotes? Pink Floyd is prog, no ifs ands or buts. The Wizard wrote: Not even the inventors of Heavy Metal are in the hall of fame (Black Sabbath, Deep Purple). That's where you're wrong--Black Sabbath are being inducted this year.

OK, the dumbing down of human civilization, whether it be in America, Canada, or wherever.

The point I am trying to make is that all too often talent is over-looked when it comes to deciding who will be inducted into this particular institution. So I ask, what is the criteria to get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

If the people running the entertainment business decide what you will hear on mainsteam radio etc., then I get the feelling they are also the same people who decide who gets into these institutions.

Sacred 22 wrote: The point I am trying to make is that all too often talent is over-looked when it comes to deciding who will be inducted into this particular institution. So I ask, what is the criteria to get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? If the people running the entertainment business decide what you will hear on mainsteam radio etc., then I get the feelling they are also the same people who decide who gets into these institutions.

As far as I know, the only hard-and-fast criterion is that it has to be at least 25 years since the artist or band's first commercially available recording.  After that it's more or less up to the whim of the Rock Hall honchos.

Another bias is that basically all artists come from English-speaking countries. When we talk about rock, many artists in several corners of the globe sold greatly and gave tremendous profits to the US recording industry but they aren't recognized.

So the queue is longer:

1. Prog-rock bands
2. Non-English speaking (singing) artists