We have now arrived to the final category of my blog series.  This category will focus on Female Pop and R&B artists, mostly of the 1980’s and 1990’s, but with some pre-1980’s artists thrown in for good measure.  What exactly is this type of artist?  Well, look to artists such as Donna Summer, Madonna, and Janet Jackson and you’ll begin to get the picture of what I’m trying to categorize here.  Now while Pop and R&B are technically different genres, both are commonly linked by dance music, as artists of both genres often have work that can be classified as dance music.  The other reason I’m linking both together is because artists of both genres are severely neglected by the Hall and both generally lack respect among music critics and fans, with big reasons being sexism and racism.  For decades, the narrative in music has been that female artists that don’t either play rock music of some sort (classic rock, metal, punk, alternative, indie, etc.) or are true powerhouse vocalists of soul music (ala Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, etc) are not artists to be taken seriously, and that has been the prevailing view and narrative for a very long time.  Even female artists in rap were not taken very seriously for quite some time.  But female artists that play pop, R&B, and dance music rooted in 70’s disco have long gotten the shaft from music critics and fans.

Read More

For our next category we are going to cover Electronic music.  Now, as shown in the new wave/synth-pop category, I did not include artists of the synth-pop genre with the electronic category, even though the music they played was generally electronic music as well.  However, I don’t quite consider both to be the same as synth-pop is much more influenced by pop music and new wave and rock.  Pure electronica, as highlighted by the artists we’ll discuss in this section, is a much more sophisticated and diverse style of music.  Electronica music, to me, is the modern-day jazz and classical music.  Highly sophisticated works of art highlighted by improvisation, extremely long songs, mostly instrumental where words cannot express the moods and emotions behind a song in a literal sense, and mixtures of styles and sound.  This genre will include only 10 artists, with the majority all being 90’s artists (the peak of the genre in my view), but with two majorly important pioneers to kick things off.  So, let’s get to it.  Here’s how the Hall should approach the genre of Electronic music over the next 15 years to get more representation.

 

2020/21/22

Kraftwerk:

The unique thing about this genre is that unlike all the genres, there is literally not a single artist of this genre presently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Sure, there are artists that have experimented with electronic instruments presently inducted in the HOF, but no acts that are categorized as pure electronic music acts have been inducted.  So, for this genre we can start from scratch.   For the first 3-year period, the Hall should focus on, IMO, the two most important pioneers of the genre, the first one of course being Kraftwerk.  Now in this case, the Hall and I are on the same page as the Hall has repeatedly tried to get Kraftwerk inducted into the Hall throughout the decade, but to no avail.  Kraftwerk has been nominated 4 times during the 2010’s decade, so the Hall is well aware of how important it is to get Kraftwerk inducted to get the genre going.  And honestly, for credibility sakes, it has to be this way.  No electronic group should get inducted before Kraftwerk.  As they are the “Grandfathers of Electronic music.”  So, with my recommendations, obviously the Hall should stick down the path they’re going and keep pushing for Kraftwerk, like they’ve been in real life.

Giorgio Moroder:

Once Kraftwerk gets inducted, the other major pioneer that should be inducted is Giorgio Moroder.  Giorgio is best known for his production work with Donna Summer as well as his disco and proto-techno soundtracks and scores for a number of Hollywood movies throughout the late 1970’s and early 1980’s (Midnight Express, American Gigolo, The Neverending Story, Scarface, etc.).  But Giorgio wasn’t just a producer/studio wizard.  He was a performer as well, releasing his own official albums, and thus to me that makes him qualify for the Performers category, though he could just as easily be inducted as a Non-Performer, or the Musical Excellence if the Hall isn’t sure exactly where to put him.  In my eyes, he belongs in the Performers category.  No matter which category you feel he’s better suited for, no one can deny how important he is to electronic music, and thus modern popular music and he clearly is a worthy candidate for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Once Kraftwerk is in, the Hall should focus on Giorgio Moroder.

 

2023/24/25

Daft Punk:

Daft Punk is officially eligible this year for the first time and thus could appear on the ballot as they’re eligible.  That would be a mistake in my view, however, as I don’t think they should be inducted before Kraftwerk or Giorgio Moroder.  There are other pioneering groups (Tangerine Dream, Silver Apples, Wendy Carlos, Vangelis, etc) of electronic music, but I don’t think any of those acts are at the level of Kraftwerk or Giorgio Moroder.  So, I am comfortable with the Hall bypassing those acts so they can start getting the major electronic groups of the 90’s and beyond inducted.  There are even peers of Daft Punk that pre-dated them that you could also argue should go in first (more on them shortly).  However, Daft Punk of all the 90’s electronic groups proved to be the most enduring and popular and have their imprints on modern popular music more than anyone (auto-tune anyone?).  Even though it is important to get major pioneers inducted, preferably first, you can’t also just completely ignore the big name acts of a genre to make way for every pioneer in existence, so I think once you get Kraftwerk and Giorgio in, it’s time for the Hall to move to the 90’s, and to do that you have to start with Daft Punk.

Moby:

The next electronic artist that should go in is Moby, who in a way, was the most successful electronic act of the 90’s from a commercial standpoint.  His 1999 album, Play, was a major breakthrough for the genre as its singles were everywhere on MTV, the radio, and tv (through commercials) between 1999-2001, and thus Moby broke through and became the most unlikely rock star since Phil Collins in the mid 80’s.  But before that, Moby was one of electronic music’s greatest innovators, as he was an artist that could perform any type of electronic music.  Dance and club music.  Check.  Moody ambient music?  Check.  Techno?  Check.  Heavy rock and guitar-infused electro?  Check.  Music that sounds like it was created in Heaven or the ocean? (“My Weakness” and “First Cool Hive” for example) Check.  Few artists in the genre made music that brought out so many emotions and feelings to the listener as Moby did.  Moby was also arguably the most prolific of all the major electronic stars during the decade as he released numerous singles, remix albums, 5 official studio albums, as well as a vast amount of soundtrack and score work.  Moby was one of the earliest artists to take advantage of film, tv shows, and commercials in getting his music to the masses, and thus he helped bring electronic music to mass forms of media beyond music, in the process helping pave the way for the genre to become accepted in mainstream culture more than any other electronic artist of the time.  For his importance in establishing electronic music in mainstream culture, his run of amazing work, and his general popularity, he has to be considered one of the elite electronic music acts of all-time, and a must-have inductee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  His music is not quite as enduring and influential on modern music as Daft Punk.  Thus, Daft Punk should be first, but right after them, Moby should be the next artist the HOF goes for.

 

2026/27/28

Bjork:

The lone female artist on this list, Bjork is a true musical original and one of the most unique artists in all of music.  Seriously, there is absolutely no one like her.  The fact that she enjoyed commercial success during the 1990’s shows how great that decade was when it came to embracing unique artists and taking a chance on them (in all mediums not just music).  Those days are long gone unfortunately.  But that’s another rant for another time.  Even though many in the Rock Hall community have been saying she should’ve been inducted almost a decade ago because she actually released her first recordings in the late 70’s as a child musician, I’m sorry I just can’t go along with that thinking.  She was as obscure as it gets in the late 70’s outside of her native Iceland.  It’s her work in the 90’s that she will be best remembered for.  But we’ve gotten to the point where 90’s artists should be looked at by the Hall, so the time is right for Bjork to get her due.  I think once Daft Punk and Moby goes into the Hall (go for a couple of mainstream acts with mass appeal first), Bjork is the next logical choice.  My one worry is that she will set the genre back, because she is such a unique artist, that many will not vote for her and thus put a logjam on the genre.  But the Hall can play around with that if need be and try others.  But for this exercise, let’s go with Bjork as the next artist for the Hall to try to induct after Daft Punk and Moby.

Aphex Twin:

Now we start getting to the major innovators of the genre during the 1990’s.  There’s probably no act in 90’s electronica that was more groundbreaking and innovative than Richard D. James, better known as Aphex Twin.  Aphex Twin could be considered  the defining artist for the electronic sub-genre known as IDM (Intelligent Dance Music), as their music was initially not geared to club and dance music and was instead much more cerebral and intricate in its creation.  But Aphex Twin didn’t just do one style of electronic music.  Like Moby, James was a master of all styles, creating some of the most beautiful ambient electronic music ever made, and even had arguably his biggest hit in the U.S. simply by creating a parody of death metal music (“Come to Daddy”).  Moby’s music was much more accessible and mainstream.  Aphex Twin’s was much more challenging and adventurous and edgy.  When it comes to innovating in the genre, there’s probably no one bigger than Aphex Twin.  Thus, he is an artist the Hall must look at down the road, particularly around this time in our pretend timeline of things.

 

2029/30/31

The Chemical Brothers:

Now we get to two acts that defined the electronic style known as “Big Beat.”  I liken this genre to being the “Heavy Metal” of electronic music.  The genre is defined by its use of heavy “breakbeats,” loud and distorted production, and heavy use of synthesized loops and patterns.  The style is very much like punk rock or heavy metal in its intensity.  And the first act to represent this genre is the Chemical Brothers.  The Chemical Brothers released their first recording (album and single) in 1995 and they quickly became one of the defining groups of the genre and by the late 90’s had become one of the absolute most popular and well-known groups in all of electronic music.  Their debut album, Exit Planet Dust, released in 1995, and their follow up album, 1997’s Dig Your Own Hole are two of the greatest electronic albums ever conceived and serve as absolute hallmarks of the big beat sub-genre and the overall popularity of electronic music during the late 90’s.  Their run didn’t end there though, as they continued to have hit songs into the 2000’s and 2010’s and they’ve become one of the most enduring and prolific groups in all of electronic music as they continue to release acclaimed albums to this day.  After inducting two major pioneers, two of the biggest mainstream electronic acts, and two of it’s most unique and innovative artists, it would make sense for the Hall to next embrace electronic acts that are most closely linked with actual rock music.

The Prodigy:

And now we get to the second act to represent the “Big Beat” sub-genre.  Much like the Chemical Brothers, the Prodigy debuted in the early 90’s, and enjoyed major mainstream success in the late 90’s.  Their 1997 album, The Fat of the Land, was a watershed moment for electronic music, as it became the first album by an electronic music group to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart (to the best of my knowledge).  Their music was intense and catchy, and with their charismatic frontman, Keith Flint, in tow, the group helped bring a punk rock image to electronic music, helping to bridge the two musical worlds in the process.  The Prodigy’s peak popularity was not as long lasting and enduring as the Chemical Brothers, however, though the Prodigy’s mass popularity at their peak was bigger I’d say.  Overall, I feel the Chemical Brothers are the greater group, so I think it would be best for the Hall to focus on them first.  However, the Hall should definitely attempt to induct the Prodigy afterwards.  Both groups are two of the most important in the genre’s history and both serve as leading examples of the genre’s mass popularity and appeal.

 

2032/33/34

Underworld:

And now we will round out the category with two groups that admittedly did not have quite the level of mass popularity of Daft Punk, the Chemical Brothers, Moby, and the Prodigy, nor the level of critical acclaim of Aphex Twin and Bjork, but were still two of the very best acts in the history of electronic music.  The first group to round out the category will be Underworld.  The group started out as a standard synth-pop group in the late 1980’s before evolving into one of the defining bands of techno and house music throughout the 1990’s.  The group crafted one of the defining songs of 90’s electronic music, “Born Slippy. NUXX” most famously used in the 1996 film Trainspotting, in addition to classic albums like 1994’s dubnobasswithmyheadman and 1996’s Second Toughest in the Infants.  The band has recorded tons of music over the decades that has been used in films and television.  Underworld is not an instantly recognizable group, but almost everyone has likely heard their music at some point in time, whether they realized it or not.  Underworld is one of the most important bands in electronic music history, and they absolutely deserve a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to represent electronic music as a whole.

Orbital:

Our final group to represent electronic music is a group whose stature in electronic music history is very similar to Underworld.  Orbital is another group that didn’t ever quite break through to the mainstream.  However, much like Underworld, their music is all over pop culture thanks to its inclusion in many movies and tv shows.  Earlier in this entry I referred to electronic music being the closest modern-day music has come to the level of jazz and classical music in sophistication and level of pure musical genius.  When making that statement, Orbital is the band I had in mind.  Orbital is very well known for their improvisation in it’s live shows and performing, much like how jazz music is created.  In addition, few artists evoke specific moods, thoughts, and themes in their all instrumental music like what Orbital does.  Had Orbital existed in the days of jazz and classical music, they would be in the same category with the Mozarts, Bachs, Davis’s, and Coltrane’s of their day.  Orbital is one of the only electronic groups whose music was inspired by political ideas and themes, and they often crafted their music to represent these ideas and themes.  There might not be a more creative and artistically inspired group in electronic music than Orbital.  Orbital absolutely deserves a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a representative of electronic music.

 

So, in short here is the breakdown of the path the Rock Hall should go down to get more electronic music artists inducted over the next 15 years:

2020/21/22: Kraftwerk/Giorgio Moroder

2023/24/25: Daft Punk/Moby

2026/27/28: Bjork/Aphex Twin

2029/30/31: The Chemical Brothers/The Prodigy

2032/33/34: Underworld/Orbital

 

Now here’s a list of other artists I considered for this category but didn’t make the final cut.

Currently Eligible Artists: Brian Eno, Derrick May, Jean Michel Jarre, Juan Atkins, Leftfield, Massive Attack, Tangerine Dream, The Art of Noise, The KLF, The Orb

Future Eligible Artists: Air (2021 class); Boards of Canada (2021 class); Basement Jaxx (2022 class); Fatboy Slim (2022 class); Deadmau5 (2031 class)

A special note on Brian Eno, who is undoubtedly one of the most important musicians in the history of electronic music.  Brian was inducted with Roxy Music for the 2019 class, and that is ultimately why I did not include him in this section.  His solo work on his own is of course worthy of induction, but I wanted to use this section to focus on the major electronic acts of the 90’s as well as Kraftwerk and Giorgio Morodor who have zero recognition from the Hall at this point.  If Roxy Music had not been inducted by now, then I likely would’ve included Brian Eno.

With that, thanks for reading and be sure to let me know your thoughts on the electronic music genre and what acts should be inducted by the Hall of Fame in the future!

Here we go with our next category, that being mainstream alternative rock of the 1990’s.  The key word here is “mainstream.”  I am not including indie rock as to me that is its own separate category, and overall a much more modern genre.  Though the genre definitely has its roots in 90’s music as there were a number of 90’s acts that helped pioneer the genre.  Acts like Pavement, PJ Harvey, Liz Phair, Jeff Buckley, Wilco, The Flaming Lips, Neutral Milk Hotel, Elliott Smith, etc. come to mind.  But again, the focus here will be on mainstream 90’s alternative rock.  I should also point out there are a number of popular and important “alternative rock” bands that I didn’t include as I consider them to be more metal/hard rock.  Namely bands like Tool, White Zombie, Pantera, Marilyn Manson, and KoRn.  I believe all 5 of those bands are worthy of the HOF, but they’ll be considered for the metal/hard rock category I’ll do in the future instead of this category.

Read More

We’re now onto the 3rd part of my series on the future of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Thank you to everyone that has read the series thus far and I hope you are enjoying this look at future inductees that should be on the Hall’s radar.  With that, let’s get to the third entry where I’ll be discussing rap music.

Rap music, in the long run, has proven to be the dominant genre of popular music from 2000 and beyond.  While other genres are still successful and popular, rap music has become what rock music was for the last half of the 20^th century.  Thus, it only makes sense for future classes to be centered around inductees of the rap genre.  Rap has it’s worthwhile beginnings in the 1980’s, thus the rap backlog is only growing.  Over the next 5-7 years, some of rap’s most iconic acts will become eligible for the Hall, thus it’s gonna be harder for lesser known, but influential and pioneering acts of the genre, to get their due.  There is still a heavy bias towards rap from the mostly white, male, Baby-Boom-centric Voting Committee who still foolishly believe rap is a fad or is not as relevant.  That’s simply because they don’t understand it, as it’s music that does not speak to them.  Much like how rock music didn’t speak to their parents and grandparents.  But I digress.  Like it or not, rap is going to become the centerpiece of the Hall’s classes within the next decade, at least if the Hall wants to continue to be relevant to modern, younger music fans.

Read More

Thank you to those that read the previous edition of my blog series on the Future of the Rock Hall where I covered new wave and synth pop of the 1980’s.  Now it’s time to look at another important genre of the 1980’s: alternative rock.

While the Hall has somewhat addressed 1990’s alternative rock (inductions for Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Radiohead thus far), the Hall still has a long way to go to accurately represent the story of 1990’s rock as will be highlighted in a future blog entry.  For as big as the hole of 90’s rock is currently in the Hall, the hole for 80’s alternative rock is even bigger.  Many of the most important alternative groups of the 1980’s never quite reached the level of mainstream success that their 90’s counterparts did, and thus that has proven to be a detriment to those 80’s groups’ chances of induction.  The Voting Committee is still filled with Baby-Boomers that stopped paying attention to music once MTV came to prominence and thus only the very biggest names of the 80’s and 90’s will get a look by these voters.  That’s led to a major logjam of 80’s alternative.  Outside of groups that got their start in the late 70’s new wave scene, only two true 1980’s alternative rock bands have been inducted.  R.E.M. was inducted back in 2007, which showed promise that 80’s alt would get some representation earlier than expected.  That turned out to not be the case as it would take another 12 years for another 80’s alt rock band to receive induction with the Cure finally breaking through in the 2019 class.  The biggest reason for this is likely the number of younger voters that been brought on by the Hall to help ensure more modern acts can get the votes to be inducted.  Because of that, the future for 80’s alternative is brighter than it’s been in the Hall’s history.  Multiple 80’s alt rock bands have received nominations over the last decade: including the Smiths, the Replacements, Jane’s Addiction, Kate Bush, as well as new wave/electronic-based alternative acts like Depeche Mode, Devo, and Eurythmics.  With the Cure breaking through this past year, the time seems ripe for the Hall to focus on 80’s alternative while also having success in that field.  Here is how the Hall should approach 80’s alternative rock over the next 15 years…

 

2020/21/22

Joy Division:

If you had to pick one band that truly paved the way for 1980’s alternative rock, Joy Division would be about as good a pick as you could make.  Their career consisted of two albums and about a dozen singles, but their 2-3 years as an active band proved to be the start of the post-punk and goth rock movements, thus making them one of the most influential bands of the last 40 years.  The band never achieved any commercial success in America but were commercially successful in Britain.  The group’s run was cut short upon the suicide of lead singer, Ian Curtis in 1980, just before the band was about to embark on their first American tour.  The remaining members would form the band New Order (whom I covered in the previous blog entry for new wave/synth-pop), who would prove to be an important, influential, and great band in their own right.  Joy Division, however, would prove to be the Fathers of Indie Rock, so they are clearly a HOF band.  Similar to Kraftwerk, their influence on the artists that followed them was so immense, it simply doesn’t feel right passing them over for bigger name groups.  The Hall has not yet nominated them, instead going for bigger name groups of the 80’s alternative scene, but in reality, none should go in before Joy Division.

Many in the Rock Hall Watcher community subscribe to the idea that the Hall should nominate Joy Division and New Order jointly.  Based on my previous blog entry and this one, I obviously do not believe in that idea AT ALL.  The groups are different in name, sound, and legacy.  Both bands should be inducted on their own IMO.

Kate Bush:

Kate Bush is a unique artist in that she is not “alternative” per se but her influence on future alternative artists is massive, almost as big as Joy Division’s.  I consider Kate Bush to be the heir apparent to Laura Nyro, the artistic-Indie female singer-songwriter.  Laura Nyro was the “Godmother” of those types of artists, and Kate Bush would be the “mother” of those types of artists.  Artists like PJ Harvey, Tori Amos, Fiona Apple, Sinead O’Connor, Bjork, Poe, Sarah McLachlan, Allison Goldfrapp, St. Vincent, Lorde, etc.  Thus, that to me makes Kate Bush one of the most important artists on the beginning of alternative and indie rock and thus makes her a prime candidate to be one of the first of this genre/era to be inducted.  Unlike Joy Division, the Hall has previously nominated Kate Bush, so it is likely that Kate Bush will appear on the ballot again soon.  Thus, not only is she an ideal early choice, she’s a realistic one at that.

 

2023/24/25

The Smiths: 

After the Hall inducts two pioneers of 80’s alternative rock, it’s time for the Hall to move to the mid 80’s and induct two of the absolute best.  That brings us to the Smiths who were as influential on British-based alternative rock as R.E.M. was to American-based alternative rock.  The Smiths were one of the biggest bands in Britain during the mid-80’s and their guitar-based approach to rock music served as a sharp contrast to the more synth and electronic-based rock music that was dominating the British scene at the time.  In the process, the Smiths helped pioneer not only Britpop, but also emo music for their heavily depressing and emotional subject matter that also was quite the contrast from music at the time.  The Smiths would prove to be one of the most critically acclaimed and influential rock groups of the 80’s and alternative rock as a whole.  The Hall has nominated the Smiths two times prior, so it seems likely the Smiths will be back on the ballot at some point.  Once Joy Division and Kate Bush are inducted, it makes sense for the Hall to then focus on the Smiths.

The Replacements:

The Replacements were one of the great American rock bands of the 1980’s, a more punk-influenced group than R.E.M.  The Replacements were at the center of the emerging alternative rock scene in Minnesota (along with peers Husker Du, more on them later).  Unlike a lot of the more experimental groups of the 80’s alternative scene, the Replacements’ sound was very basic guitar-rock based that would’ve fit at home on 70’s rock radio if not for leader singer Paul Westerberg’s raw and “uncommercial” vocal style.  In many ways, however, that why they were able to break through to more older fans of rock music and critics who could hear the passion behind their music.  That also allowed them to have a more enduring legacy on rock music fans than many of their peers.  They were also among the earliest alternative bands to sign with a major label and get video play on MTV, though mainstream commercial success did not come their way as the mainstream scene was still not quite ready for alternative rock.  Nonetheless, the Replacements serve as hallmarks of 80’s alternative rock, and their music and spirit has endured thanks to it’s use in countless films over the last 30 years (Say Anything, Feeling Minnesota, Can’t Hardly Wait, Adventureland, etc.).  The Replacements would be a perfect candidate for the HOF.

 

2026/27/28

Sonic Youth:

At this point, I would say the Hall should then move to getting the two biggest alternative rock groups of the late 80’s inducted; first with Sonic Youth.  Sonic Youth were the defining “noise rock” group of the American alternative scene and thus one of the most important and influential of the era.  Their 1988 album, Daydream Nation is a candidate for the greatest alternative rock album of all-time and they would go on to serve as a mentor for many of the alternative rock bands that emerged in the 90’s (Nirvana being the most famous).  In the process, the group would enjoy their own success and be one of the few pioneering 80’s alt rock bands that also got to enjoy the benefits of alternative rock’s mainstream success in the 90’s.  The group were seen as living legends during alternative rock’s heyday in the 90’s.  But the band didn’t rest on their laurels, as the group continued to experiment and push boundaries with their sound and performances throughout the remainder of the career.  There aren’t many bands in the history of alternative rock that are more HOF worthy than Sonic Youth.

Pixies:

If there is one 80’s alternative rock band that was more influential on the overall sound of 90’s alternative rock than any other, that band would likely be Pixies. Their “loud-quite” sound shifts in their songs proved to be massively influential on alternative rock of the 90’s as many of it’s greatest bands adopted this format, the most famous example being Nirvana.  As time went along, Pixies have emerged as one of the most beloved 80’s alt rock groups, as many of their songs such as “Where is My Mind?,” “Gigantic,” “Debaser,” “Here Comes Your Man,” and “Monkey Gone to Heaven,” have become much bigger hits than when they were originally released thanks to their uses in movies and commercials.  Pixies are one of the prime examples of a band that was ahead of their time and not as appreciated when they were around as they would be later on.  Much like Sonic Youth, Pixies are one of the cornerstone bands of American alternative rock and are an absolutely essential inductee for the HOF.

 

2029/30/31

Husker Du:

While it might seem illogical for the Hall to skip over Husker Du for bands that were at their peak at a later time (Sonic Youth and Pixies), I feel that Husker Du is not quite at the level of the Replacements, and thus Sonic Youth and Pixies are bigger priorities.  That being said, in this timeline, beings all of those bands are now inducted, the Hall should undoubtedly move to Husker Du next.  Husker Du, like the Replacements, were one of the key bands of American alternative rock of the 1980’s.  Husker Du were influenced by punk but were much more experimental with their overall style.  The group defined the Minnesota alternative scene in the mid 80’s and proved to be one of the key bands who made punk rock more melodic and pop-friendly, thus paving the way for indie rock in the process.  The band is cited as one of the greatest by many of the most prominent alternative musicians of the 90’s and beyond.  Husker Du is an essential alternative band for the HOF.

Jane’s Addiction:

Some might argue that Jane’s Addiction belongs more in the 90’s Alternative category as their most successful album came out in 1990, and they launched the Lollapalooza festival in 1991, and they were such an influence on 90’s alternative.  However, I’m gonna categorize them as an 80’s group as they built their legend in the late 80’s.  Jane’s Addiction was in many ways the first band to emerge of all the bands associated with 90’s alternative.  Jane’s Addiction unique sound of surf rock, heavy metal, and one of a kind vocal style from lead singer Perry Farrell showed off a sound unlike any other in rock.  A sound with the potential to finally cause alternative rock to break through to the mainstream.  It didn’t quite happen, but Jane’s Addiction quickly gained a reputation as one of the leading bands of the alternative rock movement and it would culminate in 1991 with the founding of the Lollapalooza festival, which served as a place to show off all the latest bands of alternative rock and other alternative forms of music (rap being another example).  Just about every great alternative band of the 90’s got their first notice from playing Lollapalooza, and it became one of the defining moments of alternative rock.  It was the beginning of alternative rock breaking through to the mainstream.  Thus, Jane’s Addiction importance is among the biggest of any 90’s rock band.  In addition, their two official studio albums are both among the greatest alternative rock albums ever made.  The band is clearly a HOF level band.

 

2032/33/34

The Jesus and Mary Chain:

The Jesus and Mary Chain would be the first non-American and Non-British alternative rock act to come up in this discussion.  Hailing from Scotland, the band helped pioneer the shoegaze genre and produced one of the greatest alternative rock albums of the 1980’s, their debut album from 1985, Psychocandy.  They didn’t stop there though, as they were one of the few alternative rock bands in general to break through to the American Rock charts, having a number of hit songs on those charts in the late 80’s.  Thus, the band was instrumental in further bringing alternative rock to the mainstream in the late 80’s.  Their music has appeared in numerous films and tv shows including Lost in Translation, The Crow, Adventureland, Pet Sematary, and the Walking Dead.  The Jesus and Mary Chain were one of the most innovative bands of the 1980’s and helped pave the way for alternative rock to break through to the mainstream, thus they certainly warrant a spot in the HOF.

Sinead O’Connor:

A choice that may be controversial, Sinead O’Connor is another non-American and non-British alternative artist who proved to be a major influence on female musicians.  Sinead generated much controversy at the height of her fame when she appeared on Saturday Night Live in 1992, ripped up a picture of Pope John Paul II and stated, “fight the real enemy.”  The action was meant to be a protest of the Catholic Church and the allegations of sexual abuse that the Catholic Church engaged in.  This move was seen as highly obscene at the time and she generated an insane amount of controversy that ultimately killer her career.  She was negatively spoken about by just about everyone in the entertainment industry at the time and she was largely blackballed afterwards.  She was ahead of her time with that action as she ultimately was proven to be right, as the allegations of sexual abuse would be discovered as being true a decade later.  Had she come along even 15 years later and done it, her career would likely not have been blackballed.

Before that controversial incident, however, Sinead was seen as one of the most promising artists of the late 80’s/early 90’s as her 1987 debut album The Lion and the Cobra was one of the most acclaimed albums of the late 80’s, and the single, “Mandinka” became a massive hit on MTV, one of the first alternative rock singles to do so.  She became an even bigger star with her 1990 album, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, and it’s iconic single, “Nothing Compares 2 U.”  It was the biggest hit of the year, and she quickly grew to being one of the biggest rising young stars in the entire music industry.

Though her career in the spotlight was cut short due to the SNL incident, her influence on female artists, human rights, and feminism was profound and still influences female artists today.  Sinead’s story, IMO, is one of the saddest in modern music history, as she was an immense talent whose career was destroyed due to archaic societal views of female artists and religion in general. If a male artist had done what she done, his career would likely not have suffered as much.  Nonetheless, she’s an example of a female artist that was very brave and courageous in expressing her beliefs at a time when it proved to be a major risk to her career.  She deserves to be in the HOF.

 

To break it down, here is how the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame should approach 1980’s alternative rock over the next 15 years…

2020/21/22: Joy Division/Kate Bush

2023/24/25: The Smiths/The Replacements

2026/27/28: Sonic Youth/Pixies

2029/30/31: Husker Du/Jane’s Addiction

2032/33/34: The Jesus and Mary Chain/Sinead O’Connor

 

And here is the list of artists I considered, but ultimately didn’t make the final cut…

Currently Eligible Artists: Bauhaus, Cocteau Twins, Dinosaur Jr., Echo & the Bunnymen, Fishbone, Green River, Killing Joke, Midnight Oil, Mission of Burma, Mudhoney, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Fall, The Minutemen, The Stone Roses, They Might Be Giants, Violent Femmes, XTC

Well, that will do it for this edition.  Stay tuned for the next edition where we will cover rap music.  Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

 

Hello everyone, I have had this series of blogs in mind for quite some time.  It came out earlier this afternoon that the 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees will be announced on Tuesday, October 15.  Which is 6 days away.  So, if I want to get going with this series of blogs I need to start right now!

I am referring to this series as “The Future of the Rock Hall.”  Each blog will cover a specific genre of artists and the path towards more representation of said genre that the Rock Hall should go down towards.  I ultimately had 12 genres/categories in mind for this blog series, but due to the short deadline I have to get these out, I have stuck with 6 genres, which also happen to be among the most under-represented genres of the Hall and their biggest “areas of opportunity” for more inductions.  Each genre/category represents 80’s and 90’s music, areas the Hall is shorter on inductions for as well as areas the Hall will need to and more than likely will be focusing heavier on in the future.

Each entry will cover the next 15 years (2020-2034) and in most cases I am going to highlight 10 artists of a particular genre.  Those 10 artists will be divided into two artists for the Hall to focus on over a 3-year period.  Basically, I will list two artists for the Hall to focus on for 2020,21, and 22, then 2023,24, and 25, and so on with the series concluding in the year 2034.  Hopefully in that 3-year period the two named artists will be inducted and then the Hall can move onto the next two.  Each band/artist is listed in the order that I feel the Hall should prioritize for induction.  So yes, the lists are 100% biased.  This is basically the order that I would induct said artists for a genre.  The idea here is to give the Hall a road-map for some of the most under-represented genres and how to best address them over the next 15 years.  By the end, 10 artists from each genre will be inducted.  Some of the later genres I will be adding more artists to, particularly genres with newly eligible acts that are “obvious immediate inductions.”  I will explain those more when the time comes.

Read More