2019 Nominee Predictions

Here are the 19 artists/groups that I believe may be put on the 2019 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominees ballot:

----First-time eligibles: (they had to have released their first major-label debut in 1993)----

Beck-  Well, it has come to the point where Beck is newly-eligible to appear on the ballot. A lot of use were around when he burst onto the scene with "Loser". The song would later be selected to the Rock Hall's "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll"- and rightfully so - because at the time I had never heard anything like it. To me, it set a new tone. Anyway, Beck would almost be brushed off as a one-hit wonder, then came Odelay. The rest is history. Beck has the resume of a first-year-of-eligibility inductee, though he's not much of a superstar/icon compared to Nirvana, Madonna or U2. Beck's usual thing was experimental music, which made him stand out among the critics and music fans. Of the three I listed in this section, he would be the most likely to be inducted on first try.

Snoop Dogg-  I understand a lot of you will strongly disagree with me on this one. Let's face it: Snoop Dogg is an entertainment icon. Of course, that won't be enough to get him in the Rock Hall. Today he is best known as an actor, game-show host and of course, his activism on legalizing pot. But his jams "Gin and Juice" as well as his collaborations with Dr. Dre have cemented him in music history.

Dave Matthews Band-  Without question, they are one of the most popular touring acts of the last 20 years, and they have gained quite a following for those who are now under 40. Several hit albums and radio songs over the years have contributed to the band's image positively. Dave himself has been on the cover of Rolling Stone at least five times (3 of those with the band), so you know if Jann Wenner has his way he'll definitely make the ballot. Dave has also performed with Rock Hall inductees, so you know he may get some support here and there. However, this is now the "#metoo era", and longtime violinist Boyd Tinsley was recently accused of sexual misconduct. Though he's out of the band now, this may hurt things at the moment.

----Nominated before:----

Janet Jackson

Kraftwerk-  In my opinion, the most innovative act not in. They already have been on the waitlist for over 15 years now, off and on, but I guess in this case patience is key. Remember, a lot of legendary and innovative acts had to wait more than five times to get in.

War

Chaka Khan-  Not to be ignorant but I don't know why she's been popping up so much on the ballot over the years. This is not to say that she's not deserving, or that I don't like her music. But what about other ladies in her genre...like Patti LaBelle? I'm guessing she's one of those the NomCom will keep putting on the ballot until she gets in.

L.L. Cool J- To be honest I'm not even sure why I'm putting him on here. The voters have had many opportunities to get Mr. Smith in the Rock Hall, especially last year when he received Kennedy Center Honors. Luckily, he's had a lot of support from the Nominating Committee, and it may just be he will keep showing up on the ballot until he gets in. Like Kraftwerk, he may end up being one of those who will have to wait at least 5 nominations.

Jane's Addiction- They haven't really done much to get attention this year, or in previous ones. "Nothing's Shocking" just turned 30 and there were plenty of reasons to celebrate. But I'm positive they will get in sometime in the next three years.

Radiohead- No need to get into this one, as others have done well explaining it better than I would have

Eurythmics-  I'm sure there are people who would be like, "If it wasn't for MTV, there would be no George Michael, Culture Club, Duran Duran, Eurythmics...". They're probably right, but no matter. Annie Lennox has won many awards, possibly more than the bands that I have mentioned. With Aretha Franklin's recent passing, I'm betting that whether or not Lennox gets inducted, she'll be one of the performers that will participate in the tribute to her next spring.

The Zombies- To quote fellow Rock Hall watcher Alex Voltaire, "The Rock Hall loves the Zombies, the Zombies love the Rock Hall". And I sort of agree that if they don't make it one more time, they may just end up getting the "Singles" induction, which would make my blood boil because "She's Not There", "Tell Her No" and "Time of the Season" are all great songs and they're all worthy to get this band in.

----Never before nominated----

Bad Company- Every year in the last few years, there is that one act that has long been blackballed that would appear on the Nominations list and get inducted the next year. Two years ago, it was ELO. Last year it was the Moody Blues. This year, I was in a dilemma between Jethro Tull and The Monkees - two acts that most Rock Hall Watchers highly consider as the biggest snubs to date. In the end, I went with neither and settled on Bad Company. Seriously, after 25+ years of being eligible, you think they'll finally induct the Monkees??? For real. Then again, the jokes on me if it does happen. As for Jethro Tull, Ian may have to wait a bit - even if he's doing the 50th anniversary tour of his band.

Despite of Paul Rodger's recent criticism of the Rock Hall, I'm sure he'll get help from Little Stevie. Rodgers, who has made a name for himself thanks to his voice and involvements with several bands and musicians, is one of the most popular snubs today. He was ranked #55 on Rolling Stone's Singers list. There is a lot of debate, I'm sure, about how Rodgers should be inducted. He made his fame first with Free, but he was arguably the most successful with Bad Company, in which he still tours with (even though Rodgers toured with Jeff Beck this summer).

Def Leppard- What has nine arms and may get likely get in for the Fan Vote? Tasteless jokes aside, some Rock Hall watchers are making that prediction. This is the 2nd year in a row that I'm putting them on my predictions list. They've done the well-publicized stadium tour with Journey this summer. Not sure if that is a requirement to get in the Rock Hall, but I suppose every connection helps! This is the one group from the 80s hair metal/hard rock era that stands out in my mind, as far as who would likely get in next for the fan vote. But I don't think this will be the one Tom Morello will be pushing this year.

Stevie Nicks- I've put her on my predictions list many times in the past, and I'm glad to see many people are on the same page on this one. Even the machine at the Rock Hall for visitors to vote on has her at #1! (Or so I believe...) Her solo career was so-so, but several female singers today cite her as an influence, as far as style and image. As of right now, it looks like Stevie Nicks is on her way into being the first female member of the "Clyde McPhatter club", or two-time inductees club...this is assuming that Diana Ross and/or Tina Turner (as solo artists) don't get in before her.

Johnny Nash- Each year there's always that one "WTF" act on the ballot. In past years, there would be the J.B.'s, Los Lobos and Bad Brains. You also have surprise mentions like last year's Kate Bush. Well, I think this year it could be Johnny Nash. What are the chances of this one? No one knows. This one came to me recently out of nowhere. Bob Marley may have been the king of reggae music, but it was Johnny Nash that first brought it into the mainstream. Its been eight years since a reggae artist has been inducted in the Rock Hall. Unless you want to include The Police, there are only two reggae artists in. Nash put out several singles on the Pop chart, including three Billboard Top 20 hits. He hasn't done anything to attract attention in several years (or decades), but I'm sure at some point someone will bring his name to the table.

Phil Collins- I was afraid not a lot of Rock Hall watchers would take me seriously if I put Phil Collins on my list, until I saw someone else's list! I get it why a lot of people don't want him in. After all, Collins has been praised and damned by several artists, critics and others in the entertainment industry. But the numbers don't lie - Collins and Paul McCartney have the distinction of selling over 100 million records worldwide while being solo AND  being a principal member of a band. I'm sure his name will appear on a ballot sometime in the next five years. And if it does, I'm positive he'll get in right away with the amount of possible support. At this point, it would look good for Genesis to have two of its members inducted on their own. Phil, of all people, has also been cited as an influence in the rap/hip-hop community. He will be doing a North American tour this year, and of course he recently announced that he is open to a Genesis reunion as long as his son plays drums for them.

Lionel Richie -or- the Commodores-  It's a long mystery about the absence of several R&B/soul/funk acts over the years, and its time to induct more. I came up with the theory about maybe the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame being a reason, but apparently some people disagree or have not given it much thought. I really don't need to get into Richie's or the Commodores legacy - but Richie has gotten a lot of attention in the past ten months. He's got the Kennedy Center Honors, he's judged the revamped American Idol, and he's been performing, even headlining festivals. I would love for Richie to be a two-time inductee in the future, but as of now it's not very likely.

Gary U.S. Bonds- Truthfully, I gave up putting 50's and early 60's acts on my predictions list a while back. Then last year came the "Singles" category which brought back some of the songs during those eras and giving them new life in the Rock Hall. I don't know if my hopes should be raised into drawing more attention to those who peaked during that era. You know, the ones that won't get just a song induction. The names that crossed my mind were Bobby Rydell, Freddy Cannon and Bonds. Bonds was no major influence or innovator (imo), but he would get plenty of support from voters, especially The Boss. For the record, Bonds is still performing and making music. In fact, one of my friends recently saw him perform in, fittingly, New Orleans.


About the other newly-eligible acts:
1993 was a year where several major artists broke out. This is why I went with three newly-eligible acts on my list. But there are more who could be inducted in the future:

-Blink 182
-Sheryl Crow
-Jeff Buckley
-Liz Phair
-Outkast

This here is an article that analyzes 15 newly-eligible acts for this ballot year and talked about their pros and cons. The author, Troy Smith, explained it much better than I would.

Why I didn't include MC5, the Meters, Chuck Willis and some others: 
Its because of the "Singles" category, which I believe they will continue to do annually. If they don't, well, whatever. I don't want to dismiss any artist as a one-hit wonder. There are those, however, that are noted for their one big hit: MC5: Kick Out The Jams. Chuck Willis: What Am I Living For. The list goes on. Who knows, maybe Steppenwolf who was also known for songs like "Magic Carpet Ride," "Rock Me" and many others, may get nominated again. For now, we shall wait and see what happens as far as the "Singles" category goes.

Introduction

Hello, everyone in Internetland!

I'm Jason and I have been blogging off and on for more than a decade. Sometimes its hard to know if blogs are still the 'in' thing or not. I found out, depending on where your social circles and interests take you, blogging can still be a great way to reach out to others. I'll go ahead and share my stories about how I became one of the "followers" of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame institution.

HOW/WHY THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME INTERESTS ME

A lot of professions have some sort of thing where there is a way of remembering excellency for generations to come. Every sport has a Hall of Fame. The entertainment industry has its Walk of Fame. The aviation, agricultral and the science worlds all have at least one Hall of Fame. A lot of countries, states and cities have some way in remembering their citizens that have contributed positively in this world. People also get recognized with major industry awards, as well as statues, busts, among other things that cement their way to immortality.

Then we have the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which was created in 1983 by longtime record man Ahmet Ertugen (along with a team that included Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner). There were several intentions for making it what it was. It was to recognize the people who made the music of rock and roll, as well as the people behind the scenes and helped promote it. Rock and roll music can be defined in many ways. Here lies the controversy behind it. What is considered rock and roll? Rock and roll was created as a mixture of blues, country, rhythm, among other things. The genre has evolved into several sub-genres and along the way, has intermixed with disco, electronic and hip-hop through the decades.

I'm a longtime music lover. I don't play an instrument, but I do love how its a part of my life. It's art. I collect it, I play it on the radio as well as where I live, and I go out and see shows whenever I can. I promote it to my peers, in-person and online. I read the stories behind my favorite artists. I like pop, alternative, classic rock, R&B (all decades), rap/hip-hop, even disco. Sure, there are a few subgenres I don't care for, but that's no matter because millions of people out there love what I don't like. I like that several legends who have created the soundtrack of my life, as well as everyone else's, will be recognized for generations to come. And it is all being told by several publications, people, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

With every Hall of Fame always has its controversy. Why isn't Pete Rose in the Baseball Hall of Fame, especially with how the baseball industry has changed over the years? (Sure, he gambled, but at least he didn't get on the juice...) Why isn't Hank Williams Jr. in the Country Music Hall of Fame? I'm sure some chess historian/enthusiast is upset that their hero isn't in the World Chess Hall of Fame in St. Louis. A lot of Hall of Fames are known to be about favoritism, at least according to some people. Of course, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has had more than its share of criticism, from rock music lovers of all ages. I'm getting a little ahead of myself here, as I'll explain more on this in the coming paragraphs....

HISTORY OF ME AND THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME

It was 1995 and I was in junior high. Remember, the Internet was in its infancy and a lot of information was not at very much access to me at the time. I first found out about the Rock Hall as I was digging deep into my Joel Whitburn/Record Research books. (For those that aren't familiar with those books, they are mostly artist discographies with chart statistics and facts and so forth)  In some of the artists' notes - usually near the end of their short biographies, it would say "Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in (year)". I had no idea such institution existed, and I didn't give much thought at the time since I didn't have a list of inductees. It wasn't mentioned in the press hardly at all, at that time.

Late summer of that year, I was listening to Casey Kasem talking about the actual museum's opening in Cleveland on his Casey's Top 40 radio program. He went on to talk about how every band usually has a member that is a pack rat, and that person would donate their items and memorabilia to the museum. Everything from U2's early band shirts to Jim Morrison's Cub Scout uniform would be displayed there. I couldn't wait to visit a place like that! (Unfortunately it would take me more than 20 years to make it out there!)

For my 14th birthday that year, my oldest sister Jenny gave me a one-year membership to the Rock Hall. This would be the inaugural year, of course. Newsletters came in the mail, even an invite to the Hall of Fame dinner (of course, I couldn't afford it! lol). This would be my way of keeping tabs on the Hall of Fame for a bit, like with exhibits and inductees. My membership would expire in '96. I still have my membership card (they say it may be worth something in the future, who knows?). The only time I would keep up with the Hall would be through articles in Rolling Stone.

I felt that just about everyone who was in the Hall of Fame by the end of the 20th century was very deserving, and I couldn't wait to see who would be inducted in the future. Take a look at the first two classes (1986, 1987): you had the forefathers of rock and roll as well as the many important artists that rockers looked up to during the early years. In 1988 and 1989, the people behind the British Invasion as well as the Motown sound were given the honors. From the 90s, inductees included 60s greats Simon & Garfunkel and the Mamas and the Papas to the 70s titans, Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles. I thought, how can the Hall go wrong?

Sometime during the mid-2000s, I started questioning things about the RRHOF. Why isn't Chubby Checker, Chicago and so many hit-makers and superstars not in? How cool do they have to be to get into the Hall of Fame??? Why is Percy Sledge in and not Brook Benton? Why has Donna Summer been nominated but not her former labelmates KISS? I asked myself these kinds of questions numerous times. It got to a point where I felt so many were picked by favoritism and based on the picks of the so-called professional critics, experts and publishers.

ENTER FUTURE ROCK LEGENDS

I don't remember exactly how or when I found it, but it was the website, Future Rock Hall (now futurerocklegends.com) that provided some answers. I immediately started commenting on some of the pages and posts. The site had the same questions as I did, as well as some answers. As I educated myself through many of the articles posted on that site, I gained an impression of what the behind-the-scenes of the Rock Hall were about. There were also many regular users on the FRL site; in fact, some of them I have interacted with outside the site (mostly Twitter), and I have hung out with one at music festivals in the Midwest. So needless to say, I'm proud to be part of a circle of people who share the same interests with me (you know who you are!), at least on-line. For the record, I don't share very much about the Rock Hall on my personal Facebook page since a lot of my "friends" have told me over and over how much the HOF is a joke, in the comments.

Over the years, I have followed who gets inducted year-by-year. These days, its in small batches of who gets inducted, as opposed to larger groups in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s. Most of them are deserving, in my opinion. The good news is, the last few years, the Rock Hall has been open about putting former "blackballed" artists in there (ex. Quincy Jones, Moody Blues, etc.). Many bands from the classic rock era that fans have been longing to get in have also been nominated and inducted (Rush, ELO, Stevie Ray Vaughan, etc.). The Hall has also let the fans get involved with the "Fan Vote", which has been a success. Even though the Fan Vote counts as only one ballot, it has to this day helped bands get in 100% to this day.

But there is still a huge backlog of artists. This is where active and passive rock fans, armchair and professional critics and Rock Hall followers clash. Does Jethro Tull or Boston deserve to get in? Should the Monkees, who were created for a television show, be in? Does the Rock Hall need to induct more rap/hip-hop acts? When will the Rock Hall induct more electronic/techno/new wave groups? Several questions arise, and that's what keeps us on our toes, year-by-year. This is not to speak for all Rock Hall watchers, but I have a good feeling this is why they're all in it, too. It's kind of like fantasy football or any kind of sport.

The Rock Hall followers have come to a consensus on several issues facing the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as far as who's in, who's not):

1)  the small percentage of women in
2)  the 80s/early-MTV era
3)  the Soul/R&B acts, or in a non-PC way, black artists
4)  too many classic rock groups inducted in the last few years
5)  number of inductees inducted each year is too small
6)  the passing over of several 50s & 60s acts
7)  the non-inducted people who have the opportunity to vote who gets in the Hall of Fame
7)  back-door inductions

I'm sure there's plenty more that I'm missing, but I hope you get the idea.

Me and a lot of others have a shared vision of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We hope it continues to induct the many worthy artists that have long deserved recognition. I can't always be happy, and neither can anyone else. There are plenty of things that I wish would change, and most were listed in the "several issues" list above.


Does Joe Tex belong in the Rock Hall? He put out several hits on both the Pop/R&B chart in the 60s and early 70s but his legacy has arguably been forgotten by many. In fact, I don't think not many people under the age of 40 know what he was about.

Does T. Rex belong in the Rock Hall? They had one hit in the U.S. (more overseas) but are known to be iconic in the glam rock genre. Lead singer Marc Bolan, who has been gone for more than 40 years now, is seen as an influence in many genres.

Does Eddie Money belong in the Rock Hall? He put out several classic rock hits, many of them still played on the radio today, and he still regularly tours.

I don't have the answer to these questions, as time will tell if their influence and legacy is proven by the voters of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.


For now, Rock on.