2011 Rock HOF Nominees - 10/03/10 12:30 PM
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
**********
I passed on the list of nominees and wrote-in a vote for Rush.
Dave
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
**********
I passed on the list of nominees and wrote-in a vote for Rush.
Dave