It's been three years since I have done my (now not so) annual post about Rock and Roll Hall of Fame snubs. I'm not sure what the hell I was doing in January 2018 and 2019, but I'm back on the wagon (blog-wise, not booze-wise).
A couple weeks ago, the 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees were announced, and for the fifth year in a row, I think the Rock Hall nailed it. Getting the nod this time around were Depeche Mode, The Doobie Brothers, Whitney Houston, Nine Inch Nails, Notorious B.I.G., and T. Rex. I'm really hoping Foo Fighters get a serious look next year, which will be their first year of eligibility, but for that's Next January GMYH's problem. For now, here are my quick thoughts on each of the inductees, in alphabetical order:
Depeche Mode: Depeche Mode started as a new wave, synth pop band in the early '80s, and while they maintained the synth sound, their subject matter moved to darker and more serious places, making their legacy much more lasting -- and giving them much more staying power -- than many of their new wave contemporaries. Overall, the band has had 8 Top 10 albums in the US (including one #1, 1993's Songs of Faith and Devotion), and all 14 of their studio albums have made the Top 10 in the UK (including two #1s). They had six Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and and incredible 43 Top 40 hits in the UK (including 14 Top 10s).
The Doobie Brothers: Perhaps its because I grew up listening to a lot of classic rock radio, but I can't believe it's taken this long for The Doobie Brothers to be inducted. The band went through several notable lineup changes, including switching lead singers in 1976 from Tom Johnston to Michael McDonald. However, they enjoyed success throughout the '70s and early '80s, first with a more traditional rock sound with Johnston and then with a more "blue-eyed soul" and jazzy sound with McDonald. I prefer the former, but that's neither here nor there. The band scored seven Top 10 studio albums in a row in the US between 1973 and 1980, as well as 16 Top 40 hits in the U.S., including two #1s -- 1974's "Black Water" and 1979's "What a Fool Believes."
Whitney Houston: Crack may be whack, but there is no arguing with Whitney Houston's induction. She is one of the most successful artists ever, and she had one of the greatest voices of the '80s and '90s. Check out these stats:
-Over 200 million albums sold worldwide, including three albums that have been certified diamond by the RIAA (1985's self-titled debut, 1987's Whitney, and 1992's The Bodyguard soundtrack
-Eight Top 10 albums in the U.S., including four #1s
-30 Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including 11 #1s
-Between 1985 and 1990, she released twelve singles in the U.S. The worst-charting one hit #9 on the Billboard Hot 100, and nine went to #1, including a ridiculous seven in a row.
Nine Inch Nails: Trent Reznor didn't invent industrial rock, but he took it to the mainstream in the late '80s and early '90s with albums like Pretty Hate Machine (1989) and The Downward Spiral (1994) -- well, as much as you can go mainstream with songs like "Head Like a Hole" and "Closer," the latter of which famously indicates a desire to "fuck you like an animal." While not necessarily one of the highest-selling acts of the '90s, NIN definitely had critical acclaim and influence, and Reznor has continued to make thought-provoking music for the last several decades.
Notorious B.I.G.: Biggie Smalls is one of the most successful and influential hip hop artists of all-time. Forever linked with 2Pac because of their East Coast-West Coast feud that escalated from music to real life -- with both being murdered six months apart in September 1996 and March 1997 -- Notorious B.I.G. didn't leave behind quite as large a catalog as 2Pac did, but there's no doubt that his two albums were two of the most important and influential albums in rap history. 1994's Ready to Die was a breath of fresh air for East Coast rappers, as West Coast rap had dominated the genre for the previous five to six years. And the posthumously (and aptly titled) Life After Death, released two weeks after he died, was another masterpiece.
T. Rex: More than any other of this year's inductees, I was thrilled that T. Rex was inducted, not only because I think they deserve it, but also because what it could mean for some other bands that maybe weren't quite as popular (in the States, anyway), but were hugely influential, like Thin Lizzy, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest. It was a good sign for glam when Roxy Music was inducted in 2019, and in my opinion, T. Rex probably deserved to be inducted first. For those who don't know, T. Rex essentially invented glam rock in the early '70s, and they were hugely popular in their native UK, raking in 20 Top 40 hits in the UK (including a string of ten Top 5 singles in a row between 1970 and 1973). More importantly, they influenced a number of bands across a variety of genres other than glam rock, including punk, hair bands, post-punk, Britpop, and others. Without T. Rex, there is no Ziggy Stardust.
A couple weeks ago, the 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees were announced, and for the fifth year in a row, I think the Rock Hall nailed it. Getting the nod this time around were Depeche Mode, The Doobie Brothers, Whitney Houston, Nine Inch Nails, Notorious B.I.G., and T. Rex. I'm really hoping Foo Fighters get a serious look next year, which will be their first year of eligibility, but for that's Next January GMYH's problem. For now, here are my quick thoughts on each of the inductees, in alphabetical order:
Depeche Mode: Depeche Mode started as a new wave, synth pop band in the early '80s, and while they maintained the synth sound, their subject matter moved to darker and more serious places, making their legacy much more lasting -- and giving them much more staying power -- than many of their new wave contemporaries. Overall, the band has had 8 Top 10 albums in the US (including one #1, 1993's Songs of Faith and Devotion), and all 14 of their studio albums have made the Top 10 in the UK (including two #1s). They had six Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and and incredible 43 Top 40 hits in the UK (including 14 Top 10s).
The Doobie Brothers: Perhaps its because I grew up listening to a lot of classic rock radio, but I can't believe it's taken this long for The Doobie Brothers to be inducted. The band went through several notable lineup changes, including switching lead singers in 1976 from Tom Johnston to Michael McDonald. However, they enjoyed success throughout the '70s and early '80s, first with a more traditional rock sound with Johnston and then with a more "blue-eyed soul" and jazzy sound with McDonald. I prefer the former, but that's neither here nor there. The band scored seven Top 10 studio albums in a row in the US between 1973 and 1980, as well as 16 Top 40 hits in the U.S., including two #1s -- 1974's "Black Water" and 1979's "What a Fool Believes."
Whitney Houston: Crack may be whack, but there is no arguing with Whitney Houston's induction. She is one of the most successful artists ever, and she had one of the greatest voices of the '80s and '90s. Check out these stats:
-Over 200 million albums sold worldwide, including three albums that have been certified diamond by the RIAA (1985's self-titled debut, 1987's Whitney, and 1992's The Bodyguard soundtrack
-Eight Top 10 albums in the U.S., including four #1s
-30 Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including 11 #1s
-Between 1985 and 1990, she released twelve singles in the U.S. The worst-charting one hit #9 on the Billboard Hot 100, and nine went to #1, including a ridiculous seven in a row.
Nine Inch Nails: Trent Reznor didn't invent industrial rock, but he took it to the mainstream in the late '80s and early '90s with albums like Pretty Hate Machine (1989) and The Downward Spiral (1994) -- well, as much as you can go mainstream with songs like "Head Like a Hole" and "Closer," the latter of which famously indicates a desire to "fuck you like an animal." While not necessarily one of the highest-selling acts of the '90s, NIN definitely had critical acclaim and influence, and Reznor has continued to make thought-provoking music for the last several decades.
Notorious B.I.G.: Biggie Smalls is one of the most successful and influential hip hop artists of all-time. Forever linked with 2Pac because of their East Coast-West Coast feud that escalated from music to real life -- with both being murdered six months apart in September 1996 and March 1997 -- Notorious B.I.G. didn't leave behind quite as large a catalog as 2Pac did, but there's no doubt that his two albums were two of the most important and influential albums in rap history. 1994's Ready to Die was a breath of fresh air for East Coast rappers, as West Coast rap had dominated the genre for the previous five to six years. And the posthumously (and aptly titled) Life After Death, released two weeks after he died, was another masterpiece.
T. Rex: More than any other of this year's inductees, I was thrilled that T. Rex was inducted, not only because I think they deserve it, but also because what it could mean for some other bands that maybe weren't quite as popular (in the States, anyway), but were hugely influential, like Thin Lizzy, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest. It was a good sign for glam when Roxy Music was inducted in 2019, and in my opinion, T. Rex probably deserved to be inducted first. For those who don't know, T. Rex essentially invented glam rock in the early '70s, and they were hugely popular in their native UK, raking in 20 Top 40 hits in the UK (including a string of ten Top 5 singles in a row between 1970 and 1973). More importantly, they influenced a number of bands across a variety of genres other than glam rock, including punk, hair bands, post-punk, Britpop, and others. Without T. Rex, there is no Ziggy Stardust.
I'd like to once again thank the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame voters for their selections over the last three years, as they have clearly taken my musings to heart, inducting Bon Jovi (2018), The Cars (2018), The Cure (2019), Def Leppard (2019), The Doobie Brothers (2020), Janet Jackson (2019), The Moody Blues (2018), and Nine Inch Nails (2020) -- all of whom were on my list of snubs, either in the Top 10 or the "other snubs" category. More importantly, I'd like to thank the Rock Hall voters for not bowing to popularity, as Dave Matthews Band won the fan vote, thanks to a big internet campaign by the band to get its fans to vote for them -- making DMB the first fan vote winner since fan voting began in 2012 not to be inducted. Fuck Dave Matthews Band. (And just so all the whiny DMB fans can pipe down a little, the five bands and artists that receive the most fan votes make up one ballot of the more than 1,000 ballots that are cast by musicians, music writers, and other industry professionals.)
Without further ado, here is my list of the top ten Rock and Roll Hall of Fame snubs, in alphabetical order, with the year of the band's first album in parentheses. I have, for the most part, just copied and pasted what I have already said about them, so deal with that.
Other snubs (in alphabetical order): Beck, Boston, Jimmy Buffett, Joe Cocker, The Guess Who, Jethro Tull, Kraftwerk, The MC5, The Monkees, Motörhead, Willie Nelson, New York Dolls, Ted Nugent, Ozzy Osbourne solo, The Pixies, Rage Against the Machine, The Replacements, Todd Rundgren, The Smiths, Sonic Youth, Steppenwolf, Styx, Weezer
1. Pat Benatar (1979)
I feel like she really got the shaft this year. She finished second in the fan voting, which has historically been a good omen, but alas, the Rock Hall voters didn't share the same enthusiasm as the fans. As I have said in years past, there is a noticeable shortage of rocking females in the Rock Hall, and Pat Benatar is the glaring omission. A mainstay of the early MTV era, she has 6 platinum albums, 9 Top 40 albums in the US, including 6 that hit #14 or better, three Top 5 albums, and one #1 (1981's Precious Time). Between 1979 and 1988, she had a pretty solid run of singles, with 15 Top 40 hits in the US, including four that cracked the Top 10. Songs like "Heartbreaker," "Hit Me With Your Best Shot," "Love is a Battlefield," and "We Belong" were not only big hits, but also songs that have held up pretty well. She has unquestionably influenced female rockers over the past three decades.
2. Duran Duran (1981)
Now that bands like The Cure and Depeche Mode have kind of paved the way for '80s new wave and synth pop groups, it seems like Duran Duran should be next up. Unquestionably one of the biggest bands of the '80s and early '90s, Duran Duran was at the forefront of music and fashion during their heyday. They compiled ten Top 10 albums in the UK and six in the U.S. Every one of the 20 singles they released in the UK in the '80s went to the Top 40 of the UK pop charts, including 12 Top 10s and two #1s. All told, they have had 30 Top 40 songs in the UK (including 14 Top 10s and two #1s) and 15 Top 40 songs in the U.S. (including 11 Top 10s and two #1s). Also, there is a noticeable lack of bands with multiple Simons in the Rock Hall.
Now that bands like The Cure and Depeche Mode have kind of paved the way for '80s new wave and synth pop groups, it seems like Duran Duran should be next up. Unquestionably one of the biggest bands of the '80s and early '90s, Duran Duran was at the forefront of music and fashion during their heyday. They compiled ten Top 10 albums in the UK and six in the U.S. Every one of the 20 singles they released in the UK in the '80s went to the Top 40 of the UK pop charts, including 12 Top 10s and two #1s. All told, they have had 30 Top 40 songs in the UK (including 14 Top 10s and two #1s) and 15 Top 40 songs in the U.S. (including 11 Top 10s and two #1s). Also, there is a noticeable lack of bands with multiple Simons in the Rock Hall.
3 and 4 (tie). Iron Maiden (1980) and Judas Priest (1974)
You can't in good conscience induct one without the other, so I am including both. Maiden and Priest are two of the most influential bands in heavy metal history, hands down. Iron Maiden is a tour de force, with over 100 million albums sold worldwide and a rabidly loyal following across the globe, selling out stadiums and arenas for nearly 40 years. They define the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Despite having virtually no airplay in the US, they have 8 gold or platinum albums, 14 Top 40 albums, and 3 Top 10 albums in the US. In the UK, they have 29 Top 40 albums, 15 Top 10 albums, 5 #1 albums, and 35 of the 41 songs they have released as singles have hit the UK Top 40, with 17 Top 10 hits and one #1. This year, Judas Priest was nominated for the second time (also in 2018) and finished fifth in the fan voting. They are the band that gave metal its black leather and pushed metal from the early sounds of Black Sabbath and Deep Purple towards the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, thrash, and hair bands. With their twin lead guitar attack and soaring vocals, Priest, like Maiden, achieved huge success with little airplay in the States. They have 12 Top 40 albums in the US. As with Iron Maiden, they achieved more success in their native UK, with 15 Top 40 albums, 3 Top 10 albums, and 5 Top 40 hits. There aren't too many hard rock or metal bands since these two came along that don't list them as major influences. Of course, the Rock Hall has been behind the curve when it comes to heavy metal, but recent years give me hope that the tide is turning.
5. LL Cool J (1984)
LL Cool J is one of the most successful and enduring hip hop artists of all-time, and I think with the induction in the last ten years of Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, 2Pac, and Notorious B.I.G., LL should be given some more serious consideration. Between 1997 and 2008, he had nine Top 10 albums in the U.S., including on #1 (2000's G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time)). He's had 13 Top 40 hits in the U.S., including six Top 10s, as well as another two Top 10s that he was featured on. And who didn't pull one leg of their track pants halfway up at some point because of him?
5. LL Cool J (1984)
LL Cool J is one of the most successful and enduring hip hop artists of all-time, and I think with the induction in the last ten years of Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, 2Pac, and Notorious B.I.G., LL should be given some more serious consideration. Between 1997 and 2008, he had nine Top 10 albums in the U.S., including on #1 (2000's G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time)). He's had 13 Top 40 hits in the U.S., including six Top 10s, as well as another two Top 10s that he was featured on. And who didn't pull one leg of their track pants halfway up at some point because of him?
6. Mötley Crüe (1981)
Thanks in part to the success of the Netflix biopic The Dirt, Mötley Crüe has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity that prompted them to rip up their agreement never to tour again. They're hitting the road with Def Leppard and Poison this summer for a stadium tour, and selling out massive venues in the process. They are probably the most successful and enduring of the Sunset Strip glam metal bands. Of their 9 studio albums, only two didn't crack the Top 10 on Billboard's album charts, and 6 were Top 10, with one #1 (Dr. Feelgood). All in all, including studio, live, and compilation albums, they have nine platinum albums. They also had 7 Top 40 hits on the Billboard charts, and they were a mainstay on MTV. For better or worse, with "Home Sweet Home," they invented the hair band power ballad, and the video to the song was the first big "on tour" video on MTV. It was so popular on MTV's daily request countdown (#1 for three months) that MTV had to institute a "Crüe Rule" that limited videos to 30 days on the daily request line. For me, Mötley Crüe deserves to be in the Rock Hall because they represented the attitude of rock and roll more than probably any other band from the '80s. They fucked more women, did more drugs, smoked more cigarettes, and gave fewer shits than anyone else.
7. OutKast (1993)
OutKast is arguably the best hip hop group of the last 25 years. 2003's double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below is one of the ten best albums of this century, and Big Boi and Andre 3000 have shown that their talents and musical abilities can transcend genres and cross over. Of their six studio albums, only their 1994 debut album, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, charted lower than #2 on the Billboard album charts (and it still hit #20). They also have nine Top 40 hits in the U.S., including four Top 10s and three #1s ("Ms. Jackson," "Hey Ya!," and "The Way You Move").
7. OutKast (1993)
OutKast is arguably the best hip hop group of the last 25 years. 2003's double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below is one of the ten best albums of this century, and Big Boi and Andre 3000 have shown that their talents and musical abilities can transcend genres and cross over. Of their six studio albums, only their 1994 debut album, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, charted lower than #2 on the Billboard album charts (and it still hit #20). They also have nine Top 40 hits in the U.S., including four Top 10s and three #1s ("Ms. Jackson," "Hey Ya!," and "The Way You Move").
8. The Runaways (1976)
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is full of bands that didn't necessarily have chart success, but were highly influential. Okay, maybe not full of bands like that, but there are several. The Velvet Underground, The Stooges, Frank Zappa, The Ramones, Sex Pistols, Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, and Leonard Cohen come to mind. The Runaways -- the late '70s all-girl hard rock group that spawned Joan Jett and Lita Ford -- never had a song that cracked the Billboard Hot 100 and never had an album that got higher than #172 in the US, but they were massively influential on female hard rockers for decades to come, from The Go Gos to L7 to Courtney Love to The Donnas to The Pretty Reckless's Taylor Momsen.9. Soundgarden (1987)
If you're looking at a Mount Rushmore of Seattle grunge, there's Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains. The first two are already in the Rock Hall. I'm not sure Alice in Chains is worthy, but Soundgarden certainly is. This was the band's first year of being nominated, and they finished fourth in the fan voting. They got their start a few years before the other three bands I mentioned, and they had a more straightforward rock sound than the others, thanks to Chris Cornell's amazing voice that could not be shackled by the doldrums of grunge.
10. Thin Lizzy (1970)
Thin Lizzy is one of my favorite bands, so I'm admittedly biased, but their influence on generations of rockers cannot be understated. Like Soundgarden, this was the band's first year being nominated for the Rock Hall, and they finished eighth in fan voting, which is pretty respectable, considering they haven't released an album in 37 years and their lead singer, Phil Lynott, has been dead for 34. Lynott was a fantastic songwriter, writing interesting stories in the Irish tradition. The band's use of twin lead guitars (for most of their existence, anyway) was both revolutionary and influential, especially in the hard rock and metal world (see Iron Maiden and Judas Priest). In the UK, the band had 9 Top 10 albums (including live albums and compilations), to go along with 13 UK Top 40 hits (including 4 Top 10), as well as 12 Top 20, 6 Top 5, and 2 #1 songs in their native Ireland. However, as a result of some bad luck and illness while touring the States back in the '70s, the band never made it as big here as they should have. As Henry Rollins (a huge Thin Lizzy fan) once said, "If you like big rock music with great vocals and tremendous guitar, there's at least five Thin Lizzy albums which you need to run out and get, like right now." With T. Rex -- another hugely influential band from across the pond that didn't have a lot of chart success in the U.S. -- getting in this year, I'm really hoping that opens the door for Thin Lizzy.
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