Who should be in the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame?

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By DJ Funktual

The usual criteria is you have to be an original artist who brought something new to the table to help expand the definition of what Rock-n-Roll is. Golden Rule though is that you are not eligible until 25 years after your debut album. Another key to getting inducted is to be prolific, but not at the expense of quality. You can get inducted even if you've had a very brief career as long as you were an influential artist on Rock-n-Roll's future.

 

My Question is WHO SHOULD BE NEXT??

We'll start with the MOST deserving first..

The DJ FUNKTUAL Top 5 Most Deserving are...

1 ~~Cat Stevens

Prolific British songwriter who has been covered almost as much as Bob Dylan. But not for the same reason. Whereas Dylan's voice needed replacing, Cat could sing lullabies with such earnestness that you almost feel uncomfortable around such complicit vulnerablility. (See: MORNING HAS BROKEN)

Cat's songs are covered because he has made a religious choice not perform them anymore. He felt the idolatry that came with being a rock star was too close to the worship his views did not allow for. He was, of course, immediately demonized by the Christian elements of media and for awhile was percieved as a radical. He is not. Not even close.

He is in fact so generous that the people who once ignorantly ostracized him have long since recanted upon hearing the facts. He didn't just turn Muslim after reading a book. He had a near-fatal drowning episode and vowed to God that if his life was spared that he would search for a life servitude and charity. After a spiritual journey that lasted almost two years while still touring and recording, he finally decided to give it all up. No one in his immediate circle was surprised, considering that they had all prolonged his career the best they could but he was a man of conviction.

The evidence in song form are..........WILD WORLD, THE WIND, DON'T BE SHY, I LOVE MY DOG, IF YOU WANT TO SING OUT SING OUT, MOON SHADOW, OH VERY YOUNG, ANOTHER SATURDAY NIGHT and the amazing TROUBLE.

2 ~~The Meters

New Orleans jazz legends who's music is as timeless as music can be. How can you prove that? It was the funky blueprint for hip-hop producers worldwide. Kids are dancing to the Meters without even knowing it.

3 ~~Squeeze

This British duo (which originally called themselves UK SQUEEZE because of a confusion with an American band named TIGHT SQUEEZE) consisted of Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook. And sometimes that MIKE & THE MECHANICS singer Paul Carrack as well. Their Londonese New Wave ditties were all the rave at the pub.

They are awesome! Sorry....I just lost all objectivity there for a second.

The evidence in song are the classics TEMPTED and BLACK COFFEE IN BED. They also have about a dozen more hits but the ones that matter are...UP THE JUNCTION, COOL FOR CATS, HOURGLASS and, lest we forget PULLING MUSSELS (FROM A SHELL).

Their somewhat premature greatest hits package entitled Singles 45 & Under is a staple at most classic rock radio stations throughout the US.

4 ~~Stevie Ray Vaughan

Stevie Ray was equal parts Blues and Rock-n-Roll. His blues revival sound of the late 80s was a nice welcome from the norm. His big break came when David Bowie asked him to play guitar on his LET'S DANCE album He did incredible covers of not one but two classic Jimi Hendrix tracks. He and his trio Double Trouble had been jamming with Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy and Robert Cray is Wisconsin right before the 1990 planecrash that took his life along with several from Clapton's entourage. The album TEXAS FLOOD is a true classic but it doesn't contain the the one true hit he had become known for - "Pride & Joy"

5 ~~Toots & The Maytals

The most talented and prolific REGGAE artist not named Bob Marley. Toots & the boys were actually around long before Bob Marley. They spread a mellow cool vibe that has influenced such acts as SUBLIME and JACK JOHNSON.

His biggest hits are: FUNKY KINGSTON, PRESSURE DROP, 5446-THAT'S MY NUMBER, MONKEY MAN & the John Denver cover of TAKE ME HOME, COUNTRY ROADS.

T. Rex is the unofficial #6 in case you wondered..

***singifies not yet eligible because of 25 year rule.

Beastie Boys

Jeff Buckley***

The Cars

Cheap Trick

Chicago

Joe Cocker

Deep Purple

Donovan

Steve Earle

Eurythmics

Peter Gabriel

Herbie Hancock

Jane's Addiction***

King Crimson

Nirvana

The Notorious B.I.G.***

Ozzy Osbourne

Maceo Parker

Iggy Pop

Public Enemy***

Rage Against The Machine***

Rush

Steppenwolf

T. Rex

Tom Waits

War

Barry White

Bill Withers

Warren Zevon

********************************************************************************************

then after those are in we can talk about..

*******************************************************************************************

Afrika Bambaataa & Soul Sonic Force

Alice In Chains***

The B-52's

Bad Company

Beck***

Big Star

Boston

The Buzzcocks

Canned Heat

Tracy Chapman***

Coldplay***

The Commodores

The Cure

Def Leppard

Depeche Mode

Doobie Brothers

Green Day***

Guns N Roses***

Heart

John Hiatt

INXS

Iron Maiden

Joe Jackson

The Jam

Kiss

LL Cool J

Steve Miller Band

Motorhead

Mott The Hoople

New York Dolls

Harry Nilsson

Nine Inch Nails***

OutKast***

Pearl Jam***

Phish***

The Pixies***

Radiohead***

Red Hot Chili Peppers***

Lou Reed

The Replacements***

Roxy Music

Rufus w/ Chaka Khan

Gil Scott-Heron

The Smiths

The Specials

Sonic Youth

sublime***

Donna Summer

System of a Down***

Tool***

2Pac***

The White Stripes***

Yes

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Who's in your Top 5?

Please Talk To Me.....I'm oh so lonely.

SweetiePie profile image

SweetiePie Level 6 Commenter 4 years ago

Yes the Moody Blues should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  I decided to stop by and add this since you stopped by my hub.  Foreigner and many others should be there also. When will the Rock and Roll Hall fo Fame catch up! This is a really good hub by the way.  I always learn something new about music when I read your hubs!

DJ Funktual profile image

DJ Funktual Hub Author 4 years ago

Thank You Ms. Aptly named msuci lover.  Sweetie Pie has taught me a lot about The Moody Blues.

THE TOP 5 MOST LIKELY TO BE INDUCTED NEXT HEAR ARE:

1)  The (Funky) Meters

2)  Genesis

3)  Donovan

4)  Stevie Ray Vaughan

5)  The Moody Blues 

Possibly Warren Zevon too.

jboland profile image

jboland 4 years ago

Here's Mine:

1) Tom Waits - Best songwriter not named Bob Dylan.

2) LL Cool J - Talk about longitivity.

3) The Meters - Funkiest grooves ever.

4) 2 Pac and Biggie - They break the 25 year rule but who cares? and they get inducted together.

5) Run DMC - G.O.A.T

DJ Funktual profile image

DJ Funktual Hub Author 4 years ago

jboland thanks for the much needed infusion of opinion!

tigerlewis 3 years ago

my top five for induction include: neil diamond, moody blues, connie francis, brenda lee and johnny rivers.

Kosmo profile image

Kosmo Level 6 Commenter 3 years ago

Thanks for the Hall of Fame data! You seem to know more about rock bands than anybody I know!

kimberly 3 years ago

Its so aggrivating how many amazing bands arent in the hall yet! Allthough this will never happen... but for me one band that has been elligable for a few years and i cant believe is overlooked would be...Def Leppard however so overlooked in the 90s still had amazing music and completely with metallica and a few other controled the 80's scene...not to mention they have some of the best melodies and rhythems around they havent left my car tape player =).Look at what this band has came through, first with rick allen losing his arm and still coming back and playing the drums like no ones businees and the death of steve clark who was not only one of there most influencial songwriters but there best friend...however there still rockin and putting amazing material out there at allmost 50 so my appreciation goes out to them and they should deffinately get a nod.

DJ Funktual profile image

DJ Funktual Hub Author 3 years ago

It's better to burn out....THEN FADE AWAY!

John V 3 years ago

I think the atrist from the 1950's have been overshadowed through all this. Why? No respect for the great music they contribued. Alot of the Doo Wop artist did not make it Why? cause today they call it Doo Wop back then it was simply Rock-n-Roll. Here is my pics on why should be there. Agree or disagree these artist are very important to the saound of Rock-n-Roll.

1.Willie Winfeld and The Harptones (Life is but a dream)

2. The Five Kays (Glory of love)

3.Connie Francis (Many top 10 hits)

4.Neil Sedaka (Same and wrote all of them)

5.Paul Anka (Same and wrote all of them)

6.The Cardinals (Come back my love and others)

7.The cadillacs (Speedoo and others)

8.Bobby Rydell (Many top10 hits)

9.Lee Andrews and The Hearts (Long lonely Nights and others)

10.The Penguins (Earth angel/A R-n-R classic)

11.The Marcels (Blue Moon and others)

12Johnny Maestro and The Crest (Sixteen Candles/Step by step and others)

13.The Ravens (For their contribution to the begining of R-n-R)

14.The Dells (Oh what a night/Stay in my corner and others)

15.Jay Black and The Americans(Cara mia/Come a little bit closer and others)

16.Otis Williams and The Charms (Hearts of stone/Ivory tower and others)

*17. Jesse Belvin (Goodnight my love/Writer of Earth Angel Died in 1960/Near and dear to Many Rock and Rollers)

18.Larry Williams (Short fat fanny/Bonnie Maronie)

19.Big Bopper (Chantilly Lace/ Why not February 3 1959 was very important and Buddy and Ritchie are there)

20.The Chantels (He's Gone/Maybe one of the first female groups of R-n-R with big hits)

I don't understand them. How do you nominate people who should be there but forget the others who also made a big contribution to R-n-R. Heck Janis Joplin is not there yet also. Just my opinion. What do you think.

DJ Funktual profile image

DJ Funktual Hub Author 3 years ago

What do I think? I think the Hall is filled with DooWop artists of Longevity and that having all these artists would make for a pretty boring ceremony!

P.S.

JANIS JOPLIN ~ iNDUCTED IN 1995

THE DELLS ~ INDUCTED IN 2006

vinny 3 years ago

How can KISS not be in the Hall! it is an outrage

marcus 18 months ago

earl lewis and the channel should be in the rock&roll hall of frame

Rickmasters07 profile image

Rickmasters07 Level 1 Commenter 9 months ago

I totally AGREE with the above...Doo Wop IS neglected....(but Kiss should DEFINITELY be in) and I'd like to give a quick mention to one of the above singers...Johnny Maestro....Now, I know a little bit about this guy, being his NEPHEW (thru marriage) for 47 YEARS....and I can TELL you...EVERYONE that has ever WORKED with or HEARD Johnny sing live, will TELL you how much he DESERVES to be in the RRHOF.....EVERYONE...and I mean EVERYONE in that corner of the industry, if you mention the name "Johnny Maestro"...they say "Awww...whatta VOICE!!" so much so that back in the DAY, his compadres in the industry NICKNAMED him "The Voice"!!...Johnny was THE premiere vocalist of his TIME!!...He was one of the original ARCHITECTS of Rock!!....WHY is he NOT in The Hall?!!?

ASIDE from his INCREDIBLE talent...everyone will TELL you what a "gentleman and GREAT guy" he was....AND he never lost his voice even at the age of 70, with cancer RAVAGING his body along with heart problems, he "BROUGHT IT", to EVERY show and worked right up to a MONTH before his death....THAT'S an ENTERTAINER, loyal to his craft, my friends and to NOT have him as a member in The Rock n Roll Hall of Fame....is a TRAVESTY!!

Terri Meredith profile image

Terri Meredith Level 4 Commenter 9 months ago

There's one thing you forgot about Uncle Johnny Rick...He was the first white boy to sing in an integrated band. The Crests were the FIRST!!! There were none before them! One more reason for induction, considering the sound that laid the foundations for so many more who followed.

Rickmasters07 profile image

Rickmasters07 Level 1 Commenter 9 months ago

I didn't forget, but John didn't think in those terms....it's a great point, but irrelevant to include in criteria for music......Music should bring us TOGETHER...not point out our DIFFERENCES...I DO note, however, the fact that Pat Vandross (that's RIGHT...Luther's older SISTER) was in The Crests for awhile ( she couldn't do gigs because she was too young to get into the clubs), BUT....the point is...male or female....black or white...or PURPLE for that matter...Johnny and those guys cared about ONE thing...."how GOOD can we sound?"...and I think for MOST singers and musicians, THAT'S where it begins and ENDS!

Terri Meredith profile image

Terri Meredith Level 4 Commenter 9 months ago

Yes, but the fact I stated had a huge impact on the music industry. We're not talking about pointing out differences, we're talking about contributions to the music industry. The Crests are given credit for bridging the gap. The gentleman who organized and produced the show Donnie did at the Forum, used to book Johnny and the Crests around Philly. He was the one who pointed out that particular contribution to me. I hadn't realized it before that. :)

jimmyd05 8 months ago

It is criminal that a rock n roll artist whose work has not only been covered many times by future artists but whose original recordings were huge hits continues to be ignored year after year for political reasons. I am talking about Cat Stevens, the #1 choice on this list. His ties to Islam and the Rushdie incident (a tempest in a teapot about out of context remarks he made to British tabloids (Rupert Murdoch anyone???!!!) regarding the fatwa on Rushdie) have made him a pariah among the politically correct a-holes involved in the HOF. Seven of his albums reached the Top Ten in sales in America! This guy wrote songs that have been major hits for Rod Stewart, Sheryl Crowe, 10,000 Maniacs, Dolly Parton, The Mavericks, The Tremeloes, etc... His music was a centerpiece to a little movie called "Harold & Maude" which ended up becoming a huge cult hit in the '70s long before such things became commonplace. His tour in 1976 sold out major venues for multiple nights. How can songs like "Peace Train", "Moonshadow", "Wild World" and "Morning Has Broken" not conjure up a whole time and place of early 70s singer/songwriters. What is the HOF so afraid of that they can't submit this artist who so deserves this recognition?

Dibz69 8 months ago

Stevie Ray Vaugh died in a helicopter crash - into the side of the ski hill at Alpine Valley after performing there...

Chioke Hassan 8 weeks ago

I think patti lebelle and barry white, Luther, MC Hammer

hayley hayward 6 weeks ago

naturally with a last name like mine , i want the moody blues inducted also hall and oates. aftreall, they are the most famous rock duo in history and the moodies... well what can be said but shame on you rrhof...

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