Judging by the 463 comments on our Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Most Egregious Snubs article, the Hall's picks for rock immortality -- or just an extra shiny piece of plastic to throw on the mantle -- perennially inspires hand-wringing, profanity-laced invective and bemused resignation.
Alice Cooper, Tom Waits, Neil Diamond, Darlene Love and Dr. John will all be entering the Hall at the Induction Ceremony next March. They're all worthy and deserving -- be objective, Diamond haters -- but here are five more of this year's nominees that should have made the cut along with possible reasons they didn't.
Beastie Boys
Why They Should've Made It: Along with Run-D.M.C., Beastie Boys vaunted hip-hop from an insularly respected yet derisively maligned genre into a national phenomenon. 'Licensed to Ill,' the band's 1986 debut album, was the first hip-hop album to reach Number One on the Billboard 200 and, with the ubiquity of 'Fight For Your Right,' 'Brass Monkey' and 'No Sleep Till Brooklyn,' turned every sleepy suburban Whitesnake fan into a hip-hop head. 'Paul's Boutique,' the group's landmark follow-up, is a cornerstone of sampling that influenced countless producers.
Why They Probably Didn't: Hip-hop has had a rough time gaining acceptance to Hall voters. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five became the first rap group inducted in 2007 and since then, what should have been a tidal wave of inductees has been reduced to a wading pool. You'd think the Hall would take baby steps and induct the most rock-influenced group of the genre, though, right? They're a fickle bunch.
Bon Jovi
Why They Should've Made It: If you were of a certain age in 1986, Bon Jovi's third album 'Slippery When Wet,' which sold more than 12 million copies in the U.S. alone, was an totemic anthem. 'You Give Love a Bad Name,' 'Wanted Dead or Alive' and 'Livin' On a Prayer' -- the latter inspiring more than one child to listen with awe as Richie Sambora "talked with his guitar" -- were stadium classics that can now be found in every karaoke songbook. 25 years later, the group continues touring to sell-out arenas.
Why They Probably Didn't: In retrospect, the group embodied nearly every cheesy stereotype of 1980s excess -- Big riffs! Big power ballads! Big hair! -- that the Hall has generally dismissed. Nothing new, though. The band has always been denounced by critics, so the Sayreville Chamber of Commerce may want to hold off on that "Congratulations" banner.
(We all know the original and this version's better anyway.)
Chic
Why They Should've Made It: The funk-heavy sound created by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards in the late 1970s soundtracked every club from Studio One to Studio 54 and became a leading template for 1980s funk, dance-pop and, in sampled form, hip-hop. The band's 1979 hit 'Good Times' provided the melody for 'Rapper's Delight,' one of the first commercially successful hip-hop songs. In the 1980s, Rodgers became a sought-after producer, working with everyone from Duran Duran and David Bowie to Madonna and Mick Jagger. Bottom line: No one touches Chic's bass lines. Not then. Not now. Not ever.
Why They Probably Didn't: No analysis here. We're as dumbfounded as anyone else. Maybe the voters just hate disco.
Donovan
Why He Should've Made It: With his optimistic worldview and psychedelic folk-pop tendencies, the Scottish singer-songwriter perfectly embodied the hippie movement of the 1960s and early '70s, fomenting a sound and image that made him a hero to a generation. His best albums -- 1966's 'Sunshine Superman' and 1967's 'Mellow Yellow' -- remain an indelible artifact of the movement.
Why He Probably Didn't: See last sentence above. Despite maintaining his career into the 1970s and beyond, the folkie was always shackled to the decade that made him a star. It didn't help that the "Poor man's Bob Dylan" tag never really went away. We can't say for sure what the singer was thinking three minutes into the below clip from 'Don't Look Back,' but we're guessing it's something along the lines of, "Thank you for recording the moment my soul exploded and Dylan turned me into the hippie Salieri."
Donna Summer
Why She Should've Made It: With electronic music and disco pioneer Giorgio Moroder (another Hall of Fame snub) by her side, disco chanteuse Donna Summer created sonic orgasms -- 'Love To Love You Baby' below is basically sex with a bass line -- that helped define the synth-driven, post-Bee Gees era of disco. 'Bad Girls' and 'On the Radio' were two of 1979's biggest songs and 1983's 'She Works Hard For the Money' became the first MTV video place in heavy rotation by an African-American female.
Why She Probably Didn't: Although now enshrined in quasi-urban legend lore, Summer's alleged anti-gay remarks in the 1980s spurred a widespread backlash that temporarily halted her career. Summer denied making the remarks, but the legend is always truer than the facts. Either that, or they just couldn't excuse the back-up dancing below.
What a travesty that Todd Rundgren wasnt inducted years ago. I'll never take that place seriously until that wrong is righted. Nor will I visit the Hall. Do the right thing vote casters.
OMG, get real. I can't believe they did not nominate KISS!!! Even Metallica who got into the R&R Hall said at their acceptance speach that KISS was an inspiration to them! And Bon Jovi should of been in there a long time ago!!
Heres another one Metallica says is an inspiration to them that have been snubbed consistantly eacyh year Ritchie Blackmore and/or Deep Purple!! Cmon now! He invented the most famous rock riff in history, inspired bands and guitarists since he began in 1968 and continues to today, created 3 ground breaking bands that rock! WTF!?!?!?
While I danced my feet raw to Chic and Donna Summer, neither would be considered Rock and Roll. So unless they made the rock charts at some point, I understand they're not being nominated. And yes, Bon Jovi should have been there a long time ago.
That Dylan YouTube clip is devastating. Check out the rest of the film, Don't Look Back.
Now as for Bon Jovi, where to begin?
Bragging about all the records and concert tickets you've sold ain't gonna cut it for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Mr. Businessman. You also have to be good. Really good.
It also doesn't help writing lyrics like:
"I'll be there for you These five words I swear to you," and
"Like Frankie says, I did it my way." (Frankie? Wonder what Sinatra would've done if he heard that while he was still alive.)
Eddie Trunk is right. It is the Rock N Roll Hall of Shame. Give me a break, Neil Diamond????? Where does the words Rock n Roll exisit in his music. We need people like Rush, Kiss, Megadeth, Anthrax, Slayer, Judas Priest, MOtley Crue, Iron Maiden. Those are rock bands.
Point taken about Eddie Trunk (Love That Metal Show). As for Neil Diamond, and at the risk of dating myself, he wrote and in some cases also sang these rockers:
"Cherry, Cherry" "Holly Holy" "I'm A Believer" (for the Monkees) "Kentucky Woman" (also recorded by Deep Purple) "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" (also for the Monkees) "Sweet Caroline"
What about Hall and Oates? Jann Wenner controls who is going to be named and who isn't...if he doesn't like a particular group, they're out. He has too much power.
The Hall is a joke, and everyone knows it.Time after time the snub RUSH, who were the primary inspiration for countless acts already inducted. Here's a band who have had the same line-up for over 30 years, have never been in the LIMELIGHT for arrests, scandals, or stints in rehab, and consistantly put out platinum disk after platinum disk. Every show on every tour is sold out, and by my estimation, "Tom Sawyer" is playing on the radio somewhere on the planet at any given moment of the day. Friggin' JACKSON BROWNE is in the Hall, but not RUSH? Puh-LEEEEZE.
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how about kiss, rush ,deep purple, judas preist, iron maiden the new york dolls, just name a few.
Reply
The N.Y. Dolls are already in...
What a travesty that Todd Rundgren wasnt inducted years ago. I'll never take that place seriously until that wrong is righted. Nor will I visit the Hall. Do the right thing vote casters.
Reply
OMG, get real. I can't believe they did not nominate KISS!!!
Even Metallica who got into the R&R Hall said at their acceptance speach that KISS was an inspiration to them!
And Bon Jovi should of been in there a long time ago!!
Reply
Heres another one Metallica says is an inspiration to them that have been snubbed consistantly eacyh year
Ritchie Blackmore
and/or Deep Purple!!
Cmon now! He invented the most famous rock riff in history, inspired bands and guitarists since he began in 1968 and continues to today, created 3 ground breaking bands that rock!
WTF!?!?!?
I think this was the first year that Bon Jovi was eligible. BUt, I agree they should have got in.
Dr. John should have been in years ago. Neil Diamond should be in Lake Erie not the Rock and roll Hall/
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good call pearson !! even though i'm 61 --there was never any jackets in my collection that even resembled "neil"
While I danced my feet raw to Chic and Donna Summer, neither would be considered Rock and Roll. So unless they made the rock charts at some point, I understand they're not being nominated. And yes, Bon Jovi should have been there a long time ago.
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How can it even be took serious, when they don't even consider Rush?
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That Dylan YouTube clip is devastating. Check out the rest of the film, Don't Look Back.
Now as for Bon Jovi, where to begin?
Bragging about all the records and concert tickets you've sold ain't gonna cut it for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Mr. Businessman. You also have to be good. Really good.
It also doesn't help writing lyrics like:
"I'll be there for you
These five words I swear to you," and
"Like Frankie says, I did it my way." (Frankie? Wonder what Sinatra would've done if he heard that while he was still alive.)
Reply
Eddie Trunk is right. It is the Rock N Roll Hall of Shame. Give me a break, Neil Diamond????? Where does the words Rock n Roll exisit in his music. We need people like Rush, Kiss, Megadeth, Anthrax, Slayer, Judas Priest, MOtley Crue, Iron Maiden. Those are rock bands.
Reply
Point taken about Eddie Trunk (Love That Metal Show). As for Neil Diamond, and at the risk of dating myself, he wrote and in some cases also sang these rockers:
"Cherry, Cherry"
"Holly Holy"
"I'm A Believer" (for the Monkees)
"Kentucky Woman" (also recorded by Deep Purple)
"A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" (also for the Monkees)
"Sweet Caroline"
They're cool. Check 'em out.
If anybody should be in r&r hall of fame it has to be CHICAGO!!!!
Reply
What about Hall and Oates? Jann Wenner controls who is going to be named and who isn't...if he doesn't like a particular group, they're out. He has too much power.
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J. GEILS?
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The Hall is a joke, and everyone knows it.Time after time the snub RUSH, who were the primary inspiration for countless acts already inducted. Here's a band who have had the same line-up for over 30 years, have never been in the LIMELIGHT for arrests, scandals, or stints in rehab, and consistantly put out platinum disk after platinum disk. Every show on every tour is sold out, and by my estimation, "Tom Sawyer" is playing on the radio somewhere on the planet at any given moment of the day. Friggin' JACKSON BROWNE is in the Hall, but not RUSH? Puh-LEEEEZE.
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What about Sonny and Cher? Huh?
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LAMB OF GOD????????
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This is a joke, right? Maybe in 20 or so years..maybe. I wouldn't count on it.