After last year’s…interesting… inductees (Dolly Parton asked not to be inducted since she’s made no contributions to Rock, but was anyways), the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame seems more on track in 2023. The nominees are:
A Tribe Called Quest. I can support this. They definitely are one of the most important hiphop groups of the 1990s, and deserve a spot in the Hall alongside legends like the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, and Notorious BIG.
Kate Bush. Overdue, really.
Sheryl Crow. Eh. I mean, like Dolly Parton last year – when is it no longer Rock, but Country? There is no R&B, or Hiphop, Hall of Fame, so I’m more comfortable with them being inducted into the Rock Hall than I am with Country music, which does have it’s own. If she gets in I won’t be mad, though. Just disappointed.
Missy Elliott. Sure, absolutely.
Iron Maiden. It’s a travesty metal is so neglected by the RRHoF. So far there’s only Metallica, Guns n Roses, Def Leppard, and…Bon Jovi? KISS? Iron Maiden should totally be in there. (They totally copped out when they put Judas Priest in a subcategory instead of Performers last year.)
Joy Division/New Order. I’ve been arguing this one for ages – yes!
Cyndi Lauper. I think this is fair, especially in light of her late-career renaissance. I mean, if we’re inducting one-album wonders (looking at you, The Go-Go’s, The Zombies...), then there’s no reason Lauper shouldn’t be included.
George Michael. Eh. I won’t be mad if he gets in, but there are many, many more deserving artists.
Willie Nelson. Like Sheryl Crow, but more so, I think Nelson is firmly in the world of Country music.
Rage Against the Machine. They’re not my cup of tea, but I respect their sound, and what they’ve done for Rock history. They keep being nominated – they should be inducted.
Soundgarden.
Maybe? They were Grunge pioneers, but never got the acclaim of Nirvana or Pearl
Jam (both inductees). I wouldn’t mind them getting in. More deserving than
George Michael.
The Spinners. I mean, they are lovable – I can think of three catchy songs by them off the top of my head (“I’ll Be Around”, “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love”, “Working My Way Back to You”). They’re sort of like Three Dog Night – a few really great tracks, but not a whole lot of innovation or legacy. But, again, I certainly wouldn’t mind them being inducted.
The White Stripes. Absolutely – arguably (for now) one of the last great rock bands.
Warren
Zevon. WEREWOLVES! I mean, Zevon is nice, but, no, I don’t think he really
deserves a spot.
Top Picks:
Kate
Bush
Missy
Elliott
Iron
Maiden
Joy
Division/New Order
Rage
Against the Machine
The
White Stripes
Good Alternatives:
A Tribe
Called Quest
Cyndi
Lauper
Soundgarden
The
Spinners
Not Great, but Fine:
Sheryl
Crow
George
Michael
Best Not:
Willie
Nelson
Warren
Zevon
And
since we’re talking about Rock and Roll, here is an alphabetical list of the 101
Essential Rock Songs - according to me. Note: this list does not include
R&B, Soul, Country, Doowop, and mostly avoids Pop (with a few high profile exceptions
for pop and disco artists in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame). Singer-songwriters
are included. It also limits entries to one song per artist/band.
Without further ado:
All
Along the Watchtower – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
American
Idiot – Green Day
Anarchy
in the UK – The Sex Pistols
Baba
O’Reilly – The Who
Barracuda
– Heart
Be My
Baby – The Ronettes
Billie
Jean – Michael Jackson
Blitzkrieg
Bop – Ramones
Bo
Diddley – Bo Diddley
Bohemian
Rhapsody – Queen
Born to
Run – Bruce Springsteen
Both
Sides Now – Joni Mitchell
Brown
Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
California
Dreaming – The Mamas and the Papas
Cathy’s
Clown – The Everly Brothers
Comfortably
Numb – Pink Floyd
Crazy
Train – Ozzy Osbourne
Crying
– Roy Orbison
Dancing
Queen – ABBA
Don’t
Fear the Reaper – Blue Oyster Cult
Don’t
Stop Believing – Journey
Dream
On – Aerosmith
Dreams
– Fleetwood Mac
Eight
Miles High – The Byrds
Enter
Sandman – Metallica
Eruption
– Van Halen
Everyday
People – Sly and the Family Stone
Fire
and Rain – James Taylor
Fortunate
Son – Creedence Clearwater Revival
For
What It’s Worth – Buffalo Springfield
Friend
of the Devil – The Grateful Dead
Gloria
– Patti Smith
God
Only Knows – The Beach Boys
Great
Balls of Fire – Jerry Lee Lewis
Hallelujah
– Leonard Cohen
Heart
of Glass – Blondie
Heart
of Gold – Neil Young
Heroes
– David Bowie
Hit Me
with Your Best Shot – Pat Benatar
Hotel
California – The Eagles
(I
Can’t Get No) Satisfaction – The Rolling Stones
I Feel
the Earth Move – Carole King
I Feel
Love – Donna Summer
I Love
Rock n’ Roll – Joan Jett
Imagine
– John Lennon
I’m
Waiting for the Man – The Velvet Underground
In the
Air Tonight – Phil Collins
Jailhouse
Rock – Elvis Presley
Johnny
B. Goode – Chuck Berry
Just
What I Needed – The Cars
La
Bamba – Ritchie Valens
Last
Night – The Strokes
Layla –
Derek and the Dominos
Light
My Fire – The Doors
Like a
Prayer – Madonna
Like a
Rolling Stone – Bob Dylan
Livin’
on a Prayer – Bon Jovi
London
Calling – The Clash
Losing
My Religion – R.E.M.
Louie,
Louie – The Kingsmen
Maps –
Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs
Maybe
I’m Amazed – Paul McCartney
More
Than a Feeling – Boston
Once in
a Lifetime – The Talking Heads
One –
U2
Oye
Como Va – Santana
Paranoid
Android – Radiohead
Pour
Some Sugar on Me – Def Leppard
Refugee
– Tom Petty
Roadrunner
– The Modern Lovers
Rock
and Roll All Nite – Kiss
Rock
Around the Clock – Bill Haley
Roxanne
– The Police
Running
Up That Hill – Kate Bush
Search
and Destroy – The Stooges
September
– Earth, Wind, and Fire
Seven
Nation Army – The White Stripes
Shoot
to Thrill – AC/DC
Smells
Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana
Smoke
on the Water – Deep Purple
Sound
of Silence – Simon and Garfunkel
Stairway
to Heaven – Led Zeppelin
Suite:
Judy Blue Eyes – Crosby, Stills, and Nash
Sweet
Caroline – Neil Diamond
Sweet
Child o’ Mine – Guns n Roses
Sweet
Dreams – The Eurythmics
Sweet
Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd
Stayin’
Alive – The Bee Gees
That’ll
Be the Day – Buddy Holly
Tiny
Dancer – Elton John
Turn
the Page – Bob Seger
Tutti
Frutti – Little Richard
Walk on
the Wild Side – Lou Reed
Waterloo
Sunset – The Kinks
The Weight
– The Band
We’re
Not Gonna Take It – Twisted Sister
When
Doves Cry – Prince
Yesterday
– The Beatles
You
Oughta Know – Alanis Morrissette
You’re
So Vain – Carly Simon
You’ve Lost That Loving Feelin’ – The Righteous Brothers
