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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Cast your vote for the latest nominees

Sunday, October 03, 2010
John Soeder, The Plain Dealer

I've never seen the nation so deeply divided.

Neil Diamond or Donna Summer? Who is more deserving of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

And let's not even get started about Kiss and Rush, snubbed again on the latest ballot.

For the 11th consecutive year, we're asking all good citizens of the rock 'n' roll capital of the world to do their civic duty and weigh in on the latest slate of Rock Hall candidates.

The average fan is excluded from casting an official ballot, a privilege reserved for music-biz insiders and previous inductees. As always, though, your vote counts with us -- so be sure to take our Readers' Choice Poll, which you'll find at the end of this post. We welcome write-in candidates and comments, too.

We'll publish the results next month.

The Rock Hall will announce its Class of 2011 in December and induct the honorees Monday, March 14, at New York City's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.

In the meantime, here's my annual take on how the hopefuls measure up:


Safe bets

• Beastie Boys: Trendsetting hip-hop trio was nominated in 2007, only to be edged out by the likes of John Mellencamp and Madonna. I like their chances a lot better this time.

• Neil Diamond: First-time nominee is the closest thing to a lock in this bunch, riding a wave of pent-up demand to see him get his due. Between scoring hits for himself ("Sweet Caroline") and for others (the Monkees' "I'm a Believer"), Diamond has proven to be a 24-carat talent.

• Darlene Love: Producer Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" got a major boost from this gospel-influenced powerhouse, whose mighty voice can be heard on such classic oldies as "He's a Rebel" and "Da Doo Ron Ron." This is Love's third nomination.

• Donna Summer: The Queen of Disco, whose hits include "Last Dance" and "She Works Hard for the Money," is also a three-time nominee. You better treat her right, voters!

• Tom Waits: Rough-around-the-edges troubadour is a personal favorite of mine, although I'm honest enough to admit he might be a fringe candidate. Then again, I said the same thing about Leonard Cohen, who skated into the Rock Hall on his first try. Ergo, no wait for Waits, either.


Too close to call

• Bon Jovi: If the inductions are a popularity contest, then Jon Bon Jovi and his hard-rocking bandmates should get their tuxedoes dry-cleaned. If groundbreaking artistry is more important to the electorate, though, Bon Jovi is livin' on a prayer.

• Chic: After five previously unsuccessful nominations, will "Good Times" be deferred yet again for these R&B groove-meisters? It sure would make a great opening number for the gala.

• Alice Cooper: If you're not going to honor a guy who pioneered the boa constrictor as fashion accessory, who are you going to honor? I'm all in favor of enshrining this shock-rocker and his band. But where is Screamin' Jay Hawkins?

• Donovan: Psychedelic folkie didn't extend a very long shadow beyond the '60s, although he did move in the same circles as the Beatles and Bob Dylan.

• Joe Tex: Four-time nominee had a Top 5 hit in 1965 with "Hold What You've Got." If nothing else, the late soul man is no stranger to voters.


Long shots

• Dr. John: Interesting choice. But the New Orleans piano man faces some formidable competition.

• J. Geils Band: They rocked to No. 1 in 1981 with "Centerfold." A fun group, although two previous nominations led nowhere.

• LL Cool J: Belongs in the Rock Hall someday. All the same, the electorate hasn't been in a rush to embrace hip-hop artists. The Beastie Boys have a better shot this time.

• Laura Nyro: You're probably familiar with her work, albeit in the hands of other artists such as Blood, Sweat & Tears, who scored a Top 5 single with the Nyro-penned "And When I Die." Unfortunately, the singer-songwriter's name might not ring a bell (at least not a very loud bell) with many voters.

• Chuck Willis: It's unlikely that the Rock Hall will posthumously enshrine two semi-obscure R&B singers in the same class. Willis, aka "The King of the Stroll," probably won't stroll in before Tex.


The Plain Dealer's 11th annual Rock Hall Readers' Choice Poll

Whom do you think belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Cast your vote in The Plain Dealer's 11th annual Rock Hall Readers' Choice Poll. This is just for fun -- unless you've received an official Rock Hall ballot, your vote will only count with us.

Vote for up to five of the nominees below. We also welcome write-in nominees and comments, which you can leave in the comments section below. If you want us to consider you comments for publication, please include your full name and city of residence.

Deadline is Monday, Oct. 11. We'll publish the results next month.


© 2010 cleveland.com

Vote here:
http://www.cleveland.com/popmusic/index.ssf/2010/10/cast_your_vote_for_latest_rock.html

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I passed on the list of nominees and wrote-in a vote for Rush.

Dave

Donna Summer does not belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

If they start a Disco Hall of Fame ... she's a shoe in .... but she has never even had a single song that would qualify as rock and roll.

That, of course, doesn't seem to matter, as many acts in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame are nothing even approaching Rock acts. Madonna, Run DMC, ABBA, Grandmaster Flash, Herb Albert, Michael Jackson, and so on may be worthwhile acts to many ..... but they are NOT Rock and Roll. Doesn't matter ... they're in there .. even though it seems about as sensible as putting Babe Ruth in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

I've said before, and still think that they should change the name to "The Pop Music Hall Of Fame". That list of nominees is a joke.

I wonder if I can open my own. It will be done in reverse. Everyone will be inducted at first, then every day we'll throw someone OUT. Dismissed. See ya.

Donna Summer ? And no Kiss or Rush ?

This place is a joke.

Alice Cooper and Bon Jovi are the only two rockers, out of all those candidates.

**edit: Missed the J. Geils Band.

Whether anyone likes to admit it or not, LL Cool J had a very large impact on current music, and deserves to be there as much as anyone, IMO. He and a select few others are what helped rap cross into the mainstream... and I mean Rap, not that crap Gangsta Rap or Hip-Hip that is so prevalent today.

Is he Rock? I guess that depends on how broadly you define Rock. A simple argument is that he - and Rap - is just a sub-type of Rock, just as 50's Bubble-Gum Rock, 60's Acid Rock, 80's Big Hair Heavy Metal, Cynid Lauper, Flock of Seagulls, DEVO, Industrial, 90's Grunge, Swing, Jazz and whatever the hell Justin Bieber is, is.



Basically, Rock-n-Roll has morphed enough times over the last 5 decades that the term may as well loosely be synonymous with "music", because it can loosely encompass just about everything.

He would abso-freaking-lutely belong in a Pop Music HoF.

J Geils was a good party-band back in the 70's and 80's, but not HOF-good, imo. "Right Place, Wrong Time" was a good song by Dr John, but I couldn't name you another song by him (them?). The Rock Hall has spun out so far into the realm of "influence" that it wouldn't surprise me to see Bach, Beethoven, or Mozart get nominated ... but Donna Summers? Joe Tex? LL Kool J? Beastie Boys? Donovan? Even Neil Diamond, while having an impressive list of hits, is not Rock & Roll. If Neil Diamond gets in, can Wayne Newton, Cher, and Bubby Streisand be far behind?

Really, I wish they had just left Captain Frank's Seafood Restaurant there on the 9th Street Pier.

Still unimportant until Rush makes it in.

I'm not a huge KISS fan but it's amazing they aren't in.

It's not just Rush -- and I am a known Rush bigot -- there are plenty of artists that belong in there before some of these others do, and before some that are already in there. It's a joke.

The James Gang
Deep Purple
Chicago
The Doobie Brothers
Grand Funk Railroad
The Cars
Foreigner
Boston
Paul Revere and The Raiders
Blood, Sweat & Tears
The Association
Living Colour
The Guess Who
America
Foghat
Journey
Kansas
Poison
Steppenwolf

These are off the top of my head,....

That list is of people/bands that aren't in it? Wow, I'm really surprised by that. Even as a fairly young guy (27) I know and like almost all of those acts. I really don't see how KISS or Rush ever made a song anyone considered "good" but I do understand how important they were to music and they definitely deserve to be inducted.

Is it a political thing keeping them out perhaps?

Supposedly, KISS wants too big a cut of the peripheral pie. Who knows what other politics are or aren't in play.

I have been there and it just wasn't "worth" it to me in its strict sense; for example, if I had out of state guests here, I wouldn't take them there for something "to do."

There is one of Les Paul's original guitars there, and they have a great selection of CD's at their store -- funny, a lot of them for artists not even in the Hall.

Every band that goes out and puts the now standard,huge video screen,pyro,smoke,laser show owes it to KISS.
KISS was a pioneer in the making a rock show a visual and sonic expericance.
Funny how Bon Jovi gets in before KISS,but who gave Bon Jovi their big break?
KISS. They opened up for them in 1984.
Same for ACDC....Priest...Maiden..
oh well....

My understanding is they were also instrumental in getting Van Halen off the ground.

That is true.

jc..


Yes KISS should be in bases on their influence in RnR history.

But I think we all know how Gene Simmons wants to make a buck on everything, so I can see how when approached he put forth a list of demands, which in the end would keep them off the ballot. These acts all have to provide items for their display, some are donated, some are lent for a time period. Kiss I'm sure was willing to rent them out.

Normally, I come in these threads and tell people to calm down and explain that it all needs to be spread out and not get EVERY good rock band in there all at once. And you have to accept artists from hip-hop, disco and pop, as long as they continuously put out tons of albums and helped change the landscape.

However, this year, the list of actual ROCK choices is WEAK. I can't belive Rush isn't already in. And from AndraDavis4MVP's list, I can't BELIEVE Paul Revere and The Raiders, The Guess Who, Steppenwolf, and Deep Purple aren't in.

I've never really kept up with the debate on anything, really, but, IMO, I think the Rock Hall would be better if they had a "retirement" requirement like sports do.

I really have no idea why I feel that way or how it would make anything better. Just a personal preference, I guess.

That being said, I think the problem is, how do you define "rock n' roll"? As someone said above me, it seems like this HOF is more for "music" and not "rock n' roll".

I am not a KISS fan in the least (really can't stand their music, actually), but I don't see how ABBA can get in before KISS. Say what you will about KISS, I don't see how they can be classified as anything BUT Rock n' Roll.

I know that one of my favorite bands, Nirvana, will be a first ballot band. They were revolutionary in popularizing that type of music. But, does that qualify as Rock n' Roll. Does anyone now really fit into the Rock n' Roll genre?

Couldn't speak to that, because admittedly, I don't listen to any new stuff anymore. I enjoy all of the old classics, and that's what I listen to the most. Nearest I get to "new" would have been Alice In Chains. They rock pretty good,...

Yeah, I'm not sure I've really enjoyed a new song in a while. Every once in a while I hear one that's ok, but nothing like when I was listening to Nirvana, Rage Against the Machine, Alice in Chains (which I agree rocks), Smashing Pumpkins and System of A Down.

the last 'new' stuff I really go into was Audioslave.

then again, since it was just mixing Soundgarden with Rage, I'm not sure that even counts

Bad Company not in either,...