Stacking up: the 2025 nominees.

 As is the custom, it is now time to rank the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame's 2025 nominees by merits.  This is an attempt to be objective, take our heart off our sleeve and put it back in the ribcage, and use our thinking brain to gauge the nominees, and determine who's the most worthy.  How do we do that?  By having metrics by which we try to measure each of the nominees, applying the same standard all around.  What standards might those be?  Those who've been reading long enough know we're catching the on ramp to my I-5:  Innovation, Influence, Impact, Intangibles, and Issues.  The first four are the positive aspects to a nominee's candidacy, and the last one is the other side of the coin, the negative side that might detract, because we need to give as well-balanced an analysis as you can.

So we're about to rank the nominees by order of merit according to these metrics.  As a reminder, in case you're tempted to get your dander up, just because an artist lingers down near the bottom of this list, that doesn't mean they're not worthy.  You can't only compare them to the other nominees, but you have to remember that they stick out from among thousands upon thousands of musical acts that are never going to be on the ballot.  So if they're worthy of the Hall, why bother ranking them?  Two reasons: one, a voter can only vote for seven, so there theoretically should be reasons why or why not; two, making lists is fun.  So let's do this.

1. MARIAH CAREY

Innovation:  It's both musical and industry innovation and influence the way she helped infuse the world of hip-hop into the style of pop-R&B.

Influence:  In addition to setting a new pop-R&B template, she has been incredibly influential as a singer and interpreter of songs in her own right, inspiring a legion of female singers in her wake.

Impact:  The first, and possibly only to date, singer to land a number one Billboard Pop Chart hit in every year for an entire decade.  Second most #1 pop singles of the rock era, and far and away the most commercially successful singles artist on this ballot.  

Intangibles:  An underrated songwriter and creative controller in the direction of her music and affected change in the industry, as mentioned above.

Issues:  Allllllll I waaaannnn--Ow!  Ow!  Stop hitting m--Ow!  Seriously though, the kneejerk rage and hateful memes that one song has spawned on social media could fool a less knowledgeable person into thinking she's a one-trick pony, not to mention the hatred of that song itself because of its artery-clogging saturation in the public consciousness between Halloween and Martin Luther King Day (it takes time for it to abate completely).  Additionally, her music got very adult contemporary palatable really quickly, and if there's one format that is almost universally not considered rock and roll in the slightest... well, it's Contemporary Christian, but if there's a second one, it's Adult Contemporary.  Lastly, her personal life was at one point a veritable source of cheesy tabloid fodder that somehow has a way of damaging credibility for palpable reasons I can't fully articulate.

2. OUTKAST

Innovation:  They made hip-hop that sounded like neither East Coast nor West Coast.  There was an originality to what they did.  

Influence:  Massively influential, they influenced Janelle Monae, Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, and Lil' Wayne, just to name a few.

Impact:  They were extremely successful in terms of sales with hit singles and albums, and furthermore, college radio played them back in the day.  Also, they made hip-hop that was accessible to White people over thirty, completing the canvas of American cultural ubiquity.

Intangibles:  Their talents are unique, both individually and collectively, they were lauded by critics, and their image of an oil-and-vinegar type of combination all add to making an indelible impression.

Issues:  In a somewhat self-contradictory twist, there's some sense that they need to reunite and put out new stuff before folks should be willing to vote for them.  As much as everyone loved Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, they're equally unhappy that they didn't give the public another album like that, and Idlewild is an unsatisfying closing chapter.  Some may not want to enshrine them until they get another top flight album.

3. JOY DIVISION / NEW ORDER

Innovation: Early post-punk band that helped define the style and on the ground floor for a lot of the synth-pop dance sounds of the '80s.

Influence: Both incarnations were influential in their respective styles that they helped pioneer, often namechecked as influences.

Impact: Two major albums from Joy Division, more from New Order, whereas New Order had more albums and a few charted singles on the pop charts, and much more a force to be reckoned with on the dance charts.

Intangibles: The ubiquity of the album cover for Unknown Pleasures gives them a cultural presence outside of the music itself.  

Issues: They've got a few. The infamy of Ian Curtis's death almost outstrips the legacy of Joy Division's music. The stylistic differences between Joy Division's catalog and New Order's are pretty significant, and New Order formed too quickly, relatively speaking, for that difference in styles to be a natural evolution of Joy Division's sound--when put together, it speaks to argue against the joint nomination. Additionally, the fact that both band names have had to be repeatedly defended against allegations of ties to white nationalism doesn't help all that much.

4. SOUNDGARDEN

Innovation: Despite spending more years paying their dues, they were one of the first on the scene to help define the sound of grunge.

Influence: While not as big as a few of the major grunge bands, they were an incredibly influential band, due in part to their being among the first grunge acts.

Impact: They had a serious string of hits on the Album/Mainstream Rock and Modern/Alternative Rock charts.

Intangibles: As another band with a mythos surrounding their lead singer, it helps elevate their legacy.

Issues: They're not Nirvana. Or Pearl Jam. They will always pale in comparison to those two, and maybe even next to Alice In Chains, and that will make them look less worthy, perhaps unfairly.

5. CHUBBY CHECKER

Innovation:  He might want to take credit for innovating "dancing apart from the beat," but sonically, I gotta call this one a goose egg.

Influence:  He was massively influential for a short period of time, that being in the wake of the twist as a dance craze.  So many records about the twist itself, in addition to the entire fad of different dance records that lasted until about the arrival of the Beatles.  Additionally, some of his early '60s dance records were remixed by EDM producers and deejays during the '00s, so a brief resurgence in his reach of influence.

Impact:  The name is universally known, and he had a strong string of hit singles through the early '60s, including two #1 hits, one of which was Billboard's biggest single of all-time (by their metrics) for nearly fifty years.  Additionally, the first rock and roller to play the Superbowl halftime show, which is now one of the biggest events in American music culture, and something of a dream gig to land.  Plus, he's the only African-American musician worthy of mention in Billy Joel's musical synopsis of the cultural zeitgeist of the Cold War, "We Didn't Start The Fire."

Intangibles:  Respected by a lot of the rock and roll community, including his contemporaries and the immediate generation following him, he is held in high esteem by most inside players, seemingly.  Even rockists who don't think rock and roll TRULY existed before the Beatles or Rolling Stones are willing to give a hat tip to Chubby Checker as an early, quasi-foundational figure.  And as John Sykes frames rock and roll music as a matter of youth culture, Chubby is a strong symbol for youth culture in the early 1960s, especially considering those twisting teenagers grew up to be the first wave of Rolling Stone readers as late teens and early twenty-somethings who wanted to fight the power and change the world, which is what Sykes typically means when he talks about youth culture.

Issues:  When I tried to tell a good friend of mine that Chubby was a lot more than "The Twist," he responded, "No, he's less than 'The Twist.'"  Considered a one-trick pony who beat that horse to death, his talent and skill are greatly downplayed by some.  It doesn't help much either that the in-house songwriters of the Cameo-Parkway empire were frequently derivative at best, plagiaristic at worst, and the results tend to get laid at the artists' feet.  Lastly, with his stunts in campaigning to get in the Hall, he comes off as a bit "thirsty" for it, which may turn some voters off.

6. MANA

Innovation:  Admittedly, I'm way outside my ken here, but I do hear some fusion of reggae and other Latin American rhythms and rhythmic structures that feels like it must have been novel at the time.

Influence:  Again, not something I'm having a ton of luck finding stuff on, but in a spaghetti-on-the-wall kind of way, one would have to imagine that they can't be that huge without having some modicum of influence in their wake.

Impact:  This band is huge in the parts of the Western Hemisphere south of the Rio Grande.  And even as far as U.S. penetration goes, on the U.S. Latin charts, their string of hits is bigger than on the Pop charts in Mexico or Spain, charting high over the course of nearly thirty years.  They even apparently made the Billboard Hot 100 twice.  And it's probably not an overstatement to say they're a sizeable part of some SoCal subculture and scene.

Intangibles:  They generate a little cred by having drawn influence themselves from reggae, which the Hall has recognized in a couple inductions.  Additionally, they are deeply immersed in charitable causes and humanitarian efforts, which is part of the rock and roll spirit and the emblem of youth culture that Sykes wants to bind rock and roll to: the youth movement that is enraged at injustice and takes down the establishment by using their powers of being young and being rockin'.  

Issues:  If you don't speak Spanish, their being announced as a nominee is very likely the first time you've heard of them.  Additionally, some are wondering why Mana instead of Los Lobos, Selena, or Gloria Estefan And The Miami Sound Machine.  Furthermore, much of their catalog has a more "cool" feel than "edgy" with the distortion pedals and vocals that push boundaries.  There's a very ambient, background feel for many of their songs.

7. THE WHITE STRIPES

Innovation: While rock and roll is itself most predominantly based in the blues, they upped the bluesy level into a distortion-driven alternative rock style.

Influence: Their credit as one of the last great rock bands is partially due to the number of alternative-rock bands that took cues from them.

Impact: Three Top Ten albums and eleven charted singles on the Alternative Rock Charts (in the States)

Intangibles: Jack's continued career as a producer and solo artist has only heightened the production values and musicianship of the duo's catalog.

Issues: Relatively limited catalog, due to breaking up near the height of their powers, so not a lot of longevity.

8. BILLY IDOL

Innovation:  A unique combination of punk-rock moorings and synth-pop that was contemporary at the time.

Influence:  His influence was stunted by the arrival of grunge, but as some, like Miley Cyrus, are discovering him, he's had some influence.

Impact:  A dozen or so pop hits, most of them making the Top 40, and a fair amount of album sales as well.

Intangibles:  The sneer, the image of a bad boy and tough guy.  The punk-rock cred from his time in Generation X.

Issues:  His image and sound are really only seeing a resurgence recently, and most would say they overall didn't survive, period.  The slower and more synth-laden songs have a production style that is timestamped and is hit or miss with how well it's aged.  Additionally, some would probably protest it should be Generation X instead of Billy Idol getting nominated.

9. BAD COMPANY

Innovation:  Like a lot of the arena rock bands, they started about at the same time and had a big part of defining what that sound and movement would be.

Influence:  This is hard to parse out because, again, those bands all came out about the same time, so maybe it's a matter of them being part of something that was synergistically influential, which in turn lets them claim credit as a band themselves.  But Paul Rodgers does stand out as an influential vocalist, so they have that in their arsenal.

Impact:  They perform remarkably well in this, with several hits still in classic rock rotation, and even continued to make the Album/Mainstream Rock charts until the end of the twentieth century.

Intangibles:  Paul Rodgers is the secret weapon, being one of the most highly regarded rock vocalists, especially of the 1970s.  

Issues:  "Sex, drugs, and rock and roll" may be the unofficial motto of rock and roll, but it's also the depth and breadth of Bad Company's catalog, in terms of subject matter.  And because they were one of several bands to emerge in that lane at that time, they are sometimes considered generic-sounding. Also, there's the whole "Should it be Bad Company, or should it be Free that is how we encase Paul Rodgers in amber?" discussion.

10. OASIS

Innovation:  They were one of the acts leading the charge for the Britpop movement.

Influence:  Leading the charge, they influenced a lot of British bands that came after them, and not just in Britpop, but rock bands in general that followed.

Impact:  A fair amount of commercial success here in the States, and immensely popular in the UK to the point of creating factions in the Britpop fandom circles.

Intangibles:  They have a bit of longevity, releasing albums over a course of fifteen years, and a bit of critical acclaim to go with it.

Issues:  The sibling drama.  You're either here for it or really not here for it, but either way, it distracts and maybe even detracts from the music.  I mean, how many members can you name that don't have the surname "Gallagher" without looking it up?  Also, while no one denies how important the Beatles were, some hold it against Oasis for sounding a little too derivative of the Beatles.

11. CYNDI LAUPER

Innovation:  Not a strong category for her.

Influence:  More so for her style than the music, perhaps, but her brand of pop has had ripples that still continue to reach.

Impact:  Several Top Ten hits, with some additional hits on top of that.  Plus, she's a name that keeps coming up, whether it's her songwriting or her part in Cosentyx commercials, she keeps resurfacing.

Intangibles:  Her songs have aged better than a lot of songs from the '80s, she is a heavily awarded artist, and some may have even forgotten that she duetted with none other than Frank Sinatra.  Even if it is a Christmas song, that's not a gig one could have landed without being incredibly talented.

Issues:  Those less prone to carefully compare and contrast might dismiss her as a K-Mart brand Madonna. Additionally, there's a difference between being a song interpreter and being a songbook interpreter, and some may feel she became the latter after having too short-lived a prime period.

12. JOE COCKER

Innovation:  As a vocal stylist, he's a unique blend of the blue-eyed soul reminiscent of the Righteous Brothers and working-class rock and roll such as Bob Seger.

Influence:  Maybe it's just me, but I can kind of hear his singing style as being influential to singers ranging from Bruce Springsteen to Michael Bolton.

Impact:  He doesn't have a ton of hits, but they are spread and spackled out enough to where he has name recognition to multiple generations.

Intangibles:  His recordings, both live and studio, have a palpable concert energy that can really draw an audience in.  Plus, he has stylistic versatility to rock out as well as croon.  Lastly, his iconic status achieved by his presence at Woodstock solidifies him as a symbol of that point in history.

Issues:  He was kind of an inconsistent performer, in terms of output and also reliability in the studio, which resulted in an inability to steadily maintain momentum at any point of his career.  Some of that was his alcoholism, and some of that was his seemingly low social battery he had as a humble introvert.  Unfortunately, the result remains the same.

13. PHISH

Innovation:  I heard one musician comment about their sound being a blend of Grateful Dead-styled jamming and prog rock.  I can't argue against that, so... sure!

Influence:  I would say Phish, more than the Dave Matthews Band, really helped whet the appetite of Gen X (the demographic, not the band) for jam bands, which helped spawn a league of said outfits.

Impact:  In terms of hits, they had very few, virtually none. But they are a name that every college student has heard of, and their music, while not a staple, was semi-regularly rotated in college radio programming.

Intangibles:  This band garnered a lot of respect and credibility for the level of success and name recognition that they have achieved despite not being with a major label for a large part of their history.  Even when they were signed with Elektra, the business model still remained much the same, and that level of grassroots growth is both authentic to their brand and amazing that they were able to become successful enough that they are now nominees for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.  Their musicianship and live shows are noteworthy, even getting a genuine shout-out from Drew Carey when he appeared on "After Midnight."  And I'll also give them props for their "Phish Food" ice cream with Ben & Jerry's.  On a personal note, and mostly non-sequitur, I'm mildly disgruntled that virtually every flavor that Ben & Jerry's churns out now almost HAS to have fudge flakes/chunks/swirls and/or bits of brownie, like they're just making new variants of "Half-Baked," which is their most popular flavor, but one of my absolute least favorites.  I think the only one I *HATE* more than Half-Baked is "New York Super Fudge Chunk."  Phish Food has the fish-shaped fudge chunks in it, and is a chocolatey ice cream to boot, but I actually like that one.  It might be in my top twenty all-time flavors of Ben & Jerry's.  So that's a plus for the band in this category, in my opinion.  But I really miss "Red Velvet Cake."

Issues:  Most people have heard of Phish because... they've heard of Phish.  Unless you're a really big fan of the band, you probably can't name a song, or certainly not more than three.  Their songs just don't have widespread recognition, and their concerts are lauded more for the experiences while in attendance--the people you meet and bond with, the strains of weed you partake, the overall vibe, and even the demonstrations of musical virtuosity when they "open a song up" and jam--than the actual songs themselves.  That's what has made them successful, but it doesn't help them play in Peoria.  If the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is about the music, Phish definitely suffers for not having their songs being widely recognizable.

14. THE BLACK CROWES

Innovation:  Very little, one might give them a little credit for modernizing the classic rock sound.

Influence:  Hard to find, but they may have been an influence on the likes of Kings Of Leon and the Black Keys.

Impact: The Black Crowes perform surprisingly well in this category.  Though they only had a half dozen songs on the Billboard Hot 100, they've had almost thirty hits on the Mainstream Rock Charts, including six #1s that spent a combined half year in the top spot on that chart.  

Intangibles:  Despite the drama between the brothers, the revolving door of membership, and the multiple breakups; when they get back together, stow the drama, and get back into the music and into the studio, it's like riding a bicycle almost.  They just seem to pick up where they left off and get right back to work.  There's something to be said for that level of journeyman consistency that has proved efficacious for them.

Issues:  Despite their string of hits on the Mainstream Rock charts, they're mostly remembered for one or two hits, one of them being an Otis Redding cover.  Additionally, "modernizing the classic rock sound" could be an epaulet worn by any number of non-grunge rock bands that came out of the '90s, including other Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees like Foo Fighters.  Lastly, their imperial phase occurred during the same time as another rock band with an ornithologically similar name.  With both being a kind of alternative rock at the same time, it's very easy for the general public to conflate the two.  It's not necessarily or entirely either band's fault if the general populace made no effort to differentiate the two, but being essentially in the same lane does hurt their abilities to establish separate identities.   I simply can't help but wonder how many people left a Black Crowes concert upset that they didn't play "Mr. Jones," or left a Counting Crows concert upset that "Hard To Handle" wasn't in the set.

And with that, I will once again remind you, dear readers, that finishing low on this list is not the same as calling them unworthy of induction.  Names on a ballot are not the same as proposals on a ballot, where you can vote to approve each one and possibly have fourteen inductees.  Voters are only allowed to vote for seven, and the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame won't induct all fourteen this year.  So, decisions have to be made, and reasons why you vote for one and not another have to be determined.  And this list I've just given provides some of those reasons.  However, this is not a definitive list of reasons.  Tune in for the next chapter, where I'll be ranking reasons that come from the connection between the ears and the heart, instead of the ears and the head.  I'll be ranking the nominees based solely on my personal tastes.  

And then there were 14: the Ballot of 2025

Today, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame announced their ballot for the Class Of 2025.  There are fourteen nominees, which is a little on the smaller side, but not too small, well within the statistical standard deviation of the past decade or so.  So far, I've only heard two podcast episodes about this ballot, and awaiting at least one more.  In a weird way, I feel a little underwhelmed by what's on the plate here.  There's a lot of good stuff.  Once again, it's a ballot where I don't really take exception to any single nominee, but that the sum of its parts doesn't exactly look like the mighty Megazord.  But there's really nothing wrong with the nominees themselves, except my own lack of familiarity with most of their discographies at large.  That's something I will rectify over the next several weeks and will hopefully have a better understanding of what a good class we could potentially have.  

Starting first with the fact that I correctly predicted six names, and even that deserves an asterisk.  I also predicted eighteen nominees, so when you do the math to figure out the proportions, you could argue that I should only be credited with 4.67 correct names predicted.  Or not.  This isn't a math class.  I've got six names on the board, but it's kind of telling that the furthest left-field pick of mine to make it is Bad Company.  It means I'm really bad at guessing where new ground will be broken.  Really though, I'm more relieved than excited at their nomination.  If they get in, it means we can finally stop hearing about Paul Rodgers needing category treatment or just about this band being a huge snub.  Nothing will ever mollify the classic rock crowd until every artist that was ever played in the format has been inducted, but at least this is one that makes sense to put up for nomination.  Seriously, I'm already seeing whining about Mariah's nomination, as she's "not rock," also complaining about Whitney Houston's induction in 2020.  I--I just... ugh.  The groundhog came out and saw its shadow, which means six more years of bellyaching about R&B and hip-hop being considered rock.  That said, I'm excited for Mariah Carey to be back, even though I didn't predict her but almost did, as it hopefully means she was on the bubble last year, or at least near it.  

Speaking of hip-hop, I did predict Outkast and am breathing a sigh of relief.  Top flight artistry, it's ridiculous they had to wait, but I refuse to be mad about it.  They're on the ballot, and I love it.  The rest of my correct predictions I'm not as personally thrilled about.  Billy Idol is an artist that was ruined for me during my radio days, partially by drunken or literally mentally handicapped callers, and partially by the fact that the songs of his we played tended to be "long" for me, which in this case meant over four minutes.  Oasis is a band that last year, I said I could enjoy in small doses, but that binging them made me sick of them.  We'll see if I still feel that way this time around.  Cyndi Lauper is an artist I like, and even enjoyed playing her songs when I worked in radio, but not one whose music I'm in love with necessarily.  Much the same can be said about the return of the White Stripes, though I really did discover a lot of great music that I appreciate.  But they too are a band that I don't get the whim to throw on randomly.

In fact, the only artist on this ballot whose music I'm a huge fan of and even had in my CD collection prior to them even being on the "Previously Considered" list (other than Outkast) is Chubby Checker.  I love his music, I'm excited by his nomination, and I love what his nomination potentially could represent.  There's a lot more than meets the ear upon first listen.  I really hope people take the time to explore his music further.  Yes, he did get stuck in that "American Bandstand dancing music" niche, but I do think that small pond is big enough to warrant enshrining this big fish for it, especially given the epoch of the rock era it looms large in.  But I'm meandering.  Speaking of meandering and big fish, nearly on the opposite end of the spectrum is jam band Phish, whose music I'm honestly not familiar with at all.  I'm not opposed to jam bands being enshrined, but if my experience in exploring Phish's catalog runs a parallel course to my first deep dive into the Dave Matthews Band back in 2019 for the Class Of 2020, I'm bracing myself to be simultaneously bored and irritated.  Hopefully not though, but being from farm country, being the fourth of five children in a middle class family whose parents taught that thrill-seeking and pleasure is not the end-all-be-all in life, live music experiences were always viewed as a luxury at best and a frivolity at worst; I will literally be fighting my nurturing environment to make space to appreciate what Phish represents.

But they probably won't be the toughest act on the ballot for me to relate to.  Seeing as I don't speak Spanish, that honor will probably go to Mana, starting with the fact that I want to same the name twice to get that Muppets song stuck in your head, because I'm still five years old sometimes.  Also, I'm too lazy to pull up the special character that is the letter "a" with the accentuation mark over it to spell it technically correctly.  But don't worry, I also won't be doing that for Husker Du or Queensryche either.  Deal with it.  But if music is a universal language, then maybe I'll enjoy the melodies without necessarily understanding the lyrics, much in the same way "Macarena" took over the USA in the mid-'90s.  But this is a curious nomination, and I have two conspiracy theories about their nomination, probably neither of them are true.  One is a woke hypothesis, and the other is cynical.  One suggests that the NomComm put a band from Mexico on the ballot in protest Trump's renaming the Gulf Of Mexico, and also to piss off the MAGA faithful.  The other hypothesis is that this is bait to drive up traffic from the primarily Spanish-speaking world to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame's website to drive up the numbers in the fan vote for them, much in the way the website's traffic boomed when African people flocked to the website to vote for Fela Kuti on his first nomination, thinking that 110,000 votes on the fan vote equaled 110,000 votes in the tallying office, instead of just being the one fan vote that it actually was.  It might be that this is just bait to drive up those clicks to the website to make them seem bigger and more relevant.  Again, the truth is probably neither of those scenarios, but it's sometimes fun to harmlessly stir up irrelevant shit.

Moving on from there, we also have a nomination for Joe Cocker, a name that many in the hobbyist community have been crying out for for a long time.  Chubby Checker famously said he wants his flowers while he's still alive, but in Cocker's case, there's nothing wrong with placing some fresh ones on his grave, to let the world know he's still a beloved figure.  We also have a nomination for the Black Crowes, a band I'm currently not stoked about, but also admit that I only know the one song by them, a song that I think is okay.  Definitely one I'll need to research, but I'm willing to do it.  We also have a return of Joy Division/New Order to the ballot.  Last time they were nominated, I did what I thought was a fair amount of work in listening to their catalogs, trying to find the evolutionary missing link that made the transition between the eras that each name represented more seamless.  I don't think I found it last time.  I hope I'll find it this time.  Maybe it doesn't exist.  Maybe Ian Curtis was so singularly in control of the creative process that when the others had to move on without him and bring Gillian Gilbert aboard, it was inevitable that the New Order releases would sound vastly different.  

The last nominee is the most nominated artist on the ballot, this being the third time, and it is Soundgarden.  This is going to be an interesting one for me to watch for a particular reason.  And if you want to know what that reason is, become a Patreon subscriber for "Who Cares About The Rock Hall?" and check out the exclusive episode that I did as part of the listener takeover series.  Hint: I'm mildly bummed at Phil Collins not being nominated as a solo artist on this ballot.

So there we have it, a brief rundown of the nominees for this year's class.  And like Joe & Kristen, and also Mary & Eric have noted, this is a very homogeneous ballot.  There may be some stylistic diversity, but in terms of demographics and representation... yikes.  But as someone who has taken part in parliamentary procedures, I can also attest that when individuals and individual interests all coalesce to collectively fight for those individual interests, it's often a natural result that the needle is not greatly moved, if at all.  Hopefully, we'll get some balancing out in the categories.  But until then, I hope you all avail yourselves of the chance to research the nominees too. Enjoy the tunes.

Predicting the 2025 Ballot

 Time to play some parlor games.  Time to predict the ballot for the Class Of 2025 for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

To be honest, I really debate posting this at all.  I really don't see myself having any unique bent on how the ballot will shape up that hasn't already been shared by other bloggers including Tom Lane and Michelle Bourg, or by others on Facebook, or on the Rock In Retrospect episode drafting this class.  Also, big shout out to both the Hall Watchers podcast and Michelle Bourg for their commentary on the shadier side of this past ceremony.  I was mostly zeroed on trying to understand their rationale, but not actually concluding whether or not that point of view is justifiable or valid.  I failed tremendously on that front, whereas Eric, Mary, and Michelle came through.  I cared more about actually acknowledging the symbolism, and also saying how awful some of the performances sounded and maybe why.  That's really on me.  

Either way, this post feels like one of those cooking competition shows, where we're all trying to make the tastiest dishes, even though we're all being forced to use mostly the same ingredients.  So here is my presentation of Turducken Flambe.  And in my defense, the recipe said to first "clean the birds," and the oven I was using had a "clean" button on it.  Shut up, that's why.

First, let's recognize those who played ball with the Hall.  That absolute shill of a segment of the ceremony advertising the museum has to mean a return to the ballot for Cyndi Lauper.  Not just the segment itself, but the very fact that it made it to the ABC broadcast of the ceremony.  We can't show Tom Morello's speech for the MC5 or give any dignity to Suzanne DePasse's induction on ABC, but we have to have this commercial... sorry, promotion.  If it's relatively in-house, it's a promotion.  But given how much of DePasse's career was in television and especially music-based television specials, her segment being clipped out entirely feels somewhat ironic.  

Also playing ball was Billy Idol, performing a very British version of "No More Tears" during the Ozzy Osbourne segment.  And despite the lack of heavy hitters from the Golden Age of MTV in this past class, I think there'll be at least two.  The tribute to A Tribe Called Quest offered at least two eligible and feasible possibilities.  But unfortunately, I don't see Queen Latifah getting nominated for two reasons: one, the Hall still has a problem with recognizing induction-worthy women in many aspects of the rock and roll diaspora; two, the other possibility has at least been Previously Considered, and she hasn't.  That other possibility is De La Soul, who is more similar to A Tribe Called Quest in style and approach.  I'm predicting them to make the ballot, but a lot of depends on how well Eric B. & Rakim fared on this past ballot.  

On the tails of A Tribe Called Quest though, we also may see Outkast finally get nominated, and since the NomComm has no problem putting two hip-hop acts on the ballot, I think we could see those two together.  The fact that both members have been part of the past couple ceremonies, one way or another, doesn't hurt either, as Andre 3000 was in a video package this last time.  Speaking of '90s acts that have been involved in video packages, I have to confess my befuddlement regarding the hold up in nominating No Doubt to the ballot.  This one may be my Iron Maiden or Devo, where I keep predicting them every year until they finally make it.  They might be a little lower in the order of consideration for various members of the committee, but I have to imagine that if they were actually submitted, there'd be some nodding along by others in the room as a distinct possibility of getting supported.    And speaking of Iron Maiden and Devo, there's always a chance that one of those two could show up, even though the hobbyist community has widely agreed that neither one of them is getting in via the ballot.

Looking at the list of newly eligible artists, there are several that I think have a shot at getting inducted: P!nk, Nelly, Linkin Park, Joe Bonamassa, Gorillaz, and maybe Regina Spektor.  Ryan Adams might have been feasible if he hadn't gotten canceled.  But none of those are going to be high priority.  Nelly might have been if Tribe could've gotten in on their first nomination.  P!nk has played ball with the Hall, but I think she'll still have to wait.  Joe Bonamassa is a blues legend already, but this isn't the NomComm or voting body that held the door wide open for Buddy Guy or Albert King.  Of all those, the one with the best chance of getting on this year would be Gorillaz, but they might be a little too indie, and also too kitschy with their whole avatars shtick.  So dialing back over some acts that recently became eligible, I'll opt to predict Coldplay to get their first nomination, and also for the White Stripes to return.

Combing back over the recently passed over nominees, I'll select a return for the likes of Warren Zevon and Oasis.  The optics are better for the latter, and the former fills a singer-songwriter spot that is hit or miss for nominations.   And if this class taught us anything, it's that the only way the lanes will be crowded for classic rock artists is if you have more of them than a person can vote for.  I don't think there'll be eight of them, but Zevon already has one of those spots, and you can never rule out Thin Lizzy returning to the ballot, and I think that it really is a matter of time for Bad Company to be nominated.

But with all the names I've put in bold so far, I have almost no women.  Cyndi, plus the Gwen-fronted band, and the Meg-backed duo.  That's it.  Even the Hall isn't that pitiful, at least not anymore.  So, let's include The Pointer Sisters, because they're a logical successor to Kool And The Gang, and the demand is really getting to echo chamber levels at this point.  With Sheryl Crow on the Nominating Committee now, there's a chance she could get Melissa Etheridge on the ballot, though I'm less sure of her chances of getting in.  And even though the Hall is almost a year late to the party, that also tends to be par for the course for them, so I think there's every possibility that Tracy Chapman gets put on as well, even if the moment has passed.  Lastly, with two women and LGBTQ+ representation, plus just so much fun to listen to, I'm gonna say Joe Kwaczala will go two for two with The B-52's getting nominated.  And since I have yet to have picked anyone that hasn't already been predicted or drafted, I'll go all the way to eighteen names and go somewhat left field with Huey Lewis And The News.  Huey's health decline is also well-known, they're part of that golden age of MTV, and are pretty much Disney approved; so, let's make them a left field pick, even if it is only shallow left field.

And with those eighteen names, I'm gonna put a bow on my predictions and present it to the critics, and wait to see what actually comes out in February.  There are a lot of excellent names that there could have been, but this isn't like the Hall in 1986 or 1987 with nearly thirty-ish names.  That's what I'll go with, and that's how silly I"ll look when I get maybe only four names correct.  Until then, we wait.

Eine kleine Fanfic 4: Obliteration

 That's right, Chris and Josh, I named a season (year) of something "Obliteration," because it's a cool title!

Okay, so since that line crosses two sections of my personal interests, almost literally no one will get that joke.  And that's fine; it's one for me.  Anyway, it's a quick turnaround from revealing the previous list, and to be honest, I wasn't sure I would keep posting them.  In the previous entry, I said there were a couple reasons, but I only gave one: that "Playlist Wars" was officially done.  Another reason is that I didn't love the 2023 playlist, at least not as much as I loved the previous two.  I think it's because I'm trying my hand more and more at this whole "curation" thing, where I try to make it seem as naturally flowing as possible, with as few hard pivots as possible.  Unfortunately, that leads to halves being more themed, but the halves themselves feel like opposite sides of the coin rather than layers of a culinary masterpiece.  I ended up doing that again with this year's list, because this class kind of felt like a two-sided balance as well.  I think next year, I may just avoid the curation thing altogether and go with what feels like it shouldn't work but ends up working, like following Foo Fighters with Gil Scott-Heron.  

Which brings us to this year, and even though this has been the case for the past few years, what's really noticeable is the use of the categories to induct artists that could have been Performer inductees.  Even Alexis Korner was "Previously Considered" to be nominated, as part of his Blues Incorporated group.  Aside from the two Motown people, all the inductees were recording artists that could have been Performer inductees, even Big Mama Thornton, considering John Lee Hooker and Ruth Brown are Performer inductees.  So how do we pick this apart?  Well, obviously, the eight who got in via the ballot must be included, per my rules, but this class had ten nominees, either from this ballot or past ones, that were inducted.  Ten, the magic number.  No hints of mystery to this one really.  The artists present themselves naturally.  So, let's competitively celebrate this class.  Ding ding.

Track 01: "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osbourne

So, yes, this was the "Honorable Mention" candidate from the 2021 list for Randy Rhoads, but on "Playlist Wars," from one episode to another, songs got reused a fair bit.  So, a Metallica song could be on the Metallica episode as well as the episode dedicated to road trip playlists.  No rule against reusing songs, so in that vein, I'm bringing this one back.  There were a few songs that really could have kicked this one off, but I just couldn't resist getting things started with that iconic "All aboard!  Hahahahahaha!"  It's iconic, gets everyone's attention, and starts the party in spectacular fashion.  So, here's to reusing songs now and maybe later, depending on who gets inducted in the future.

Track 02:  "I Did It" by the Dave Matthews Band

First off, apologies to all the Firedancers or Daveheads, or whatever they call themselves.  Apologies to the Warehouse.  I understand this particular track is among the least favorite for the diehard fans.  Supposedly, this is basically the Dave Matthews Band's song for people who don't like the Dave Matthews Band.  Admittedly, that is me, and this is one of the more palatable ones for my taste.  But that's not the reason I chose it.  Of all the "traditional rock" acts in this class, this is the one whose overall sound blends in the least with the other said acts.  But this track isn't a complete sore thumb.  It's a little more rhythmic in places, but the overall style of guitars for "I Did It" is more similar to that of Foreigner and Ozzy, and I believe this flows out of "Crazy Train" relatively smoothly, as both give off a vibe of "Something ain't right, and that's what's right about it," whereas the former's protagonist is a little off mentally and the latter's protagonist is a little off relationally, possibly socially, maybe even legally.  So, with that explanation, I hope the fanbase will graciously understand my choosing this song for the first follow-up slot, because I sure as shit wasn't using "Ants Marching"... I don't need that earworm stuck in my head for three and a half weeks again.

Track 03:  "I Can Only Give You Everything" by the MC5

The most nominated act in this year's class, and the only nominated act to not get a performance of any kind at the ceremony.  And a track that wasn't on any of their original albums.  This is a track from the vault and was released in the '80s.  Because this is one of the more obscure songs from this obscure band, it's an odder choice to fit into this playlist, but it does have a nice rhythm to it, almost to the point of being a groove.  It's a little on the brash side, which is part of what lends itself well to lead out of "I Did It."  The hard ending with the guitar sting gives a sense of finality and closure, which helps allow for the playlist to pivot after it, which in this case proves to be useful.

Track 04:  "Hot Blooded" by Foreigner

Up until two days ago of my writing this, Foreigner was track five with "Feels Like The First Time" and what is now the fifth song was here.  But I had a change of heart, feeling like the pivot wasn't necessary  Apologies to Kristen, using the song that is the soundtrack to a catcall, but at least there's some lyrics about it needing to feel alright, and leaving the ball in her court by offering her a key.  Okay, that's weak.  I was looking for something, but even that's cringe.  But the song is so darn catchy, and it follows the MC5 selection pretty well, both being about bold and bawdy men trying to attract women, which admittedly could be any number of classic rock songs.  But with the heavy guitar sounds, it leads out of the MC5.  And yet, the higher guitar line has a traveling smoothness to it that allows for a more melodic song to follow it up.  A last-minute switch, I feel this one works well in this slot.

Track 05:  "Baby (Somethin's Happening)" by Peter Frampton

To date, I don't believe I've used a live track; it's all been studio recordings.  That trend continues here, but if there were to be an artist where that trend would be bucked, this would be that artist.  But since Peter performed this when he was inducted, I felt a slight sense of amusement at finding a way to work this song into the playlist.  That subtle sound that I described as "traveling" in the previous selection continues on this song, with the help of some piano.  Not a lot else to say about this song.  The fading at the end kind of wraps up the first half pretty well, the post-British Invasion connotation of rock driving this half.

Track 06:  "Hollywood Swinging" by Kool And The Gang

But now we need to switch it up a bit.  I wanted to save Kool And The Gang for Track 07, but if we're pivoting and making a clean break, this song announces that change in direction brilliantly with its fanfare right from the jump.  It brings back the raucous party, but takes it in a smoother direction.  One of the all-time classics by this band, there's not much to say that hasn't been said.  But in addition to simply having a nasty, funky groove, for the purposes of this playlist, it's a hidden asset the way this song dissolves at the end as it does.  It has that lingering effect that maybe we don't want the party to end, and we're hanging out to try to keep it going, kind of like a Midwestern goodbye.  So slap your lap and say, "Welp," because it's gonna be a spell before we actually wrap things up here.

Track 07:  "Electric Relaxation" by A Tribe Called Quest

Slipping in the seven slot is the inductee that was the most difficult to choose a song for and curate a spot.  But I decided that the dissolving crowd feel at the end of the previous track works as a good segue to the main pulsating sample of this song.  One of the songs that was a hit for the group, but wasn't a part of the tribute performance at the induction ceremony, this mellower track serves as a bridge for what's coming.  Admittedly, this is a song that isn't going to get stuck in my head, but it helps set the mood or change the mood.  One of the really underrated parts of this song is the way Phife Dawg adapts to the samples.  The more hype rapper manages to find the pocket where his flow can still elevate the song.  

Track 08:  "Not Gon' Cry" by Mary J. Blige

Not as easy as a transition, but we now go from hip-hop to hip-hop-soul.  And this one definitely focuses more on the soul aspect, but there's a solid beat behind that story of sadness that Mary sings about.  It's time we got things slowed down and bring a little dramatic flair to it.  This song is strangely catchy in a way that isn't so obvious the way a song like "Family Affair" is.  But it's absolutely catchy, and eventually, even the stoniest grinch is swaying back and forth and sympathizing with the other woman that Mary's character is in this tune.  People kind of forget about that part, but it doesn't diminish the humanity.  In fact, Mary's singing enhances it.  But it's also a stark reminder that once you've done something wrong, setting things back to right is almost certainly also going to involve someone getting hurt.

Track 09:  "I'll Never Love This Way Again" by Dionne Warwick

Even though Dionne was technically an optional choice for this exercise, like the MC5, she was a Past Nominee, so I made that the theme of this playlist.  And because Dionne was going to be an artist on this list, that almost guaranteed that there would be a slower song, a ballad, on the list.  So that's another place where the Mary J. Blige song made good sense.  This song is the big ballad number before we get to the finale, and it's a song about love that will never be supplanted, not fully.  Whether it's the first love that is special because it's the first, or it's the one that lasted the longest, or was the most fiery, or maybe all of the above, this one stands out in the narrator's mind.  Complete with a pearl of wisdom that love teaches about life, the lyrics are a lingering farewell that capture that moment when you've simultaneously let go and decided to never let go.  As a big production ballad, this showcases Warwick's musical excellence, but maybe also depicts why some may have had a difficult time checking a box for her on the ballot.  Nevertheless, as a piece of the playlist, this really sets the stage to bring the official close of the playlist on deck.

Track 10:  "If I Could Turn Back Time" by Cher

On paper, without any knowledge or input of the fan vote, Cher is the headliner of this year's class, end of discussion.  Piggybacking off the previous song, this takes the idea of never being able to love quite the same way again and amps it up by wishing to have the Time Stone and choose an alternate path.  This song has closing energy on top of that.  "I'll Never Love This Way Again" has show-stopping energy, but this song has show-ending energy, from an artist who needs no introduction.  It's also an extremely well-known song, so it closes on a familiar note.  As a point of personal commentary, this song came out when my age was still in single digits, and I grew up without MTV.  So, this wasn't and doesn't represent any kind of awakening for me; I just think it's a pretty awesome song about wanting someone back that they let go, as a good way to officially close the playlist of inductees who had been nominated at some point or another.

Hidden bonus track:  "Come Monday" by Jimmy Buffett

And there's the one that could have been a Performer, and would have done well on the ballot had they been nominated.  The whole case with Jimmy Buffett is curious, to put it generously.  As I said in my review of the past ceremony, based on the cases by the speeches, it almost would have made more sense to induct Jimmy Buffett as a Performer and Peter Frampton in Award For Musical Excellence.  But given that the ten official tracks are all by inductees that were nominated at one point, and that Jimmy never was but could have or should have been nominated, this is where he is best qualified to serve.  And I chose to use this song as the hidden bonus track for a couple reasons.  First, it has a subdued feel to it, in stark contrast to the big vibes of "If I Could Turn Back Time."  The other reason is that this song actually pairs quite well with the Cher song.  Both songs are about missing someone.  The Cher song is definitely about a breakup, while this song is a case where Buffett's writing leaves room for ambiguity, but it's almost certainly about a breakup, and not about missing someone on a business trip or serving a tour of duty.  I've taken the approach that this song is about a breakup that was so sad and tough on the narrator, that they're processing it incorrectly by deluding themselves that the loved one will be back after the weekend.  In fact, between this and the Cher song, the only real incongruity is who actually walked out the door.  Maybe he did, and in her remorse, she left, but then he came back and waits for her to return.  In any event, I felt this was a good afterthought and bonus track.

Honorable mention:  "Get Off My Cloud" by Alexis Korner

The reason why Alexis Korner gets this make-believe honorable mention spot and not Big Mama Thornton or John Mayall is because Alexis Korner had been "Previously Considered," or at least Blues Incorporated had been.  It's more thematically congruous to have Korner than either of them.  I really have nothing glowing to say.  When I listen to these fanfic playlists on YouTube, I don't include the honorable mentions.  The bonus hidden tracks are included, but not these.  But the honorable mention was a part of the Playlist Wars gestalt, so I tip my hat to them by throwing one on here.  Given the love that both Brian and Gomez have for the Rolling Stones, and how much Brian especially loves blues-rock and cover songs, it's not outside the realm of possibility that this little nugget might have cropped on one of their lists.  And with guest vocals from the improbably alive Keith Richards, it's even more fun of a reimagining for that reason.

And that wraps up this edition of "Playlist Wars: The Rock Hall Fanfic 'Episodes'."  What are your thoughts?  Would you have done this class as intentional as I did?  What directions would you have taken it?  Depending on what we get for the Class Of 2025, I may abandon such careful curation and be more sonically stochastic.  It almost feels more fun when it is, and sometimes, you just come across a song you know has to be on there, and maybe even where on the list it has to go.  That didn't quite happen this time, but I still think this is a coherent playlist.  Until next time, enjoy the tunes.

Eine Kleine Fanfic 3: Live Free And Fanfic

In the lull of the downtime between the inductions announcement and the ceremony, I've taken to creating a playlist of songs by the inductees that is different from the Songs Of Proof, at least mostly.  I wasn't sure if I was going to be sharing this or even undertaking this task again, for a couple reasons.  One, with Brian Colburn firmly established in his new podcast, My Weekly Mixtape, where he is without a co-host, and Gomez on his Sleevie G Show, the sun has officially set on Playlist Wars.  But I decided to keep doing it because it's fun to do, and besides which, we wouldn't be following the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame if we weren't music lovers, right?  That applies to me as well.  So having another curated playlist is just part of the music lover side that I imagine most everyone who reads this blog has to them.  So even though Playlist Wars has been goodnighted, I've decided to keep doing this as an additional celebration of the music of each of the subsequent classes for the foreseeable future, as long as we have at least ten inductees to celebrate.

So just to remind everyone, Playlist Wars celebrated music in a competitive manner; so while there was an objective to win the votes of the listeners, the truth is, winning is truly secondary to having a great list of songs that folks can enjoy, and even maybe remind people of some true gems.  Put together a list of ten songs on an artist or theme, and having a sense of flow or curation for the process really helps.  And one other rule I have for these playlists: every Performer inductee must be on the list.  No shorting any Performer inductee you don't like.  The Performers are prerequisite; the other categories are elective.  That's the gist of it.  So what creation would I bring to the rumble?  Ding ding.

Track 01:  "Get Ur Freak On" by Missy Elliott

Kicking if off big, with big attitude.  This song sets a mood.  As soon as that opening riff starts, the spell is cast and a mood overtakes the room.  And everyone knows this song too, so no one is exempt.  It's not necessarily bold, but it is in your face.  You know what's going on.  But it sets a high bar because you have to maintain the energy after kicking it off with the Misdemeanor.  She had the energy to close down the induction ceremony, and we need that same energy to kick off a playlist.

Track 02:  "Rumble" by Link Wray

There are a few marked differences between this song and the leadoff track.  This song is a little slower, albeit slightly, and is bereft of vocals, which is the primary driving force of the previous song's energy.  But this instrumental has attitude.  Admittedly, having the title "Rumble" probably has a big part of the attitude.  If the song had been titled "Tire Change" or "Dentist's Drill" the imagery evoked by the music would probably be very different, and it also wouldn't have been flagged for aggressive lyrical content.  But it's "Rumble," and for me, the imagery is approaching the scene, slowly sizing up one's foe, displaying an unwillingness to back down, and getting ready to throw down.  It maintains an attitude, but shifts the vehicle for that attitude to a more guitar driven sound.

Track 03:  "A Change Would Do You Good" by Sheryl Crow

The transition between tracks two, three, and four is that sense of guitar phrasing.  "Rumble" had attitude, and the guitar line has remnants of that attitude in the lingering of the jangle of the guitar on this song.  It doesn't linger like Wray's guitar does, but the rhythmic structure of this song keeps that sense of attitude going.  Plus, the lyrics corroborate that attitude with the insistence that getting away from the rat race would be beneficial, and it's coming from a place of being fed up.  Nowhere is this more evident than in the lyric, "If you'd like to reach me, leave me alone!"  The song is still a little bit playful, though, and has a fun spirit mixed in with that sense of being fed up.  Works well in this slot.

Track 04:  "Shotgun Willie" by Willie Nelson

I thought about killing two birds with one stone and using one of the many duets of Sheryl Crow and Willie Nelson, and create an extra space for the one inductee who was a recording artist also that I did not get to include.  However, given that they're both inductees in the Performer category, I figured I'd better give them each a slot of their own.  I chose this song to follow "A Change Would Do You Good" based on the guitars' rhythm lines of the two.  They're not identical, obviously, but they do carry over well and segue well.  This is a fun ditty musically, although the lyrics are obviously not so whimsical.  Nevertheless, I liked the overall feel of this song, and was a chance to dig a little deeper and remind everyone that Willie Nelson has decades of music to his name, and not just a few hit songs and a legacy of weed.

Track 05:  "Know Your Enemy" by Rage Against The Machine

Well, I did say that the defining feature for the first stretch of the playlist was attitude, and what better depicts attitude than Rage Against the Machine?  Musically, this doesn't flow out of the Willie Nelson track well, but aside from attitude, I had another reason for placing this particular song here.  Back when "Playlist Wars" was active, they frequently referred to how if the playlists were mixtapes or vinyl records, the fifth track would be the end of the first side.  I wanted to end this potential first side with this song because of the song's ending.  Imagine the needle on the vinyl or the spools of the cassette stopping just after you've heard Zack De La Rocha screaming "All of which are American dreams" repeatedly.  It's just the most beautifully jarring and puzzling way to end a side.  After that, where do you go?

Track 06:  "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)" by Kate Bush

Where do you go?  Running up that hill, of course!  Duh!  Because of the wonderful diversity of styles that the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame tries to have in their classes, at some point, you're going to have some pivots.  This seemed like a pretty good place to make that pivot.  By this point, everyone knows this song.  There's not much left to say about why I would use this song.  If I were playing this topic competitively, you need a couple of solid slam dunk big hits, especially if it's a topical episode.  Actually, in a topical episodes, having any deep cuts is borderline suicidal, as I found out on the Motown episode I crashed and burned on.  But yeah, to start a clean slate, let's go to Kate Bush.

Track 07:  "I'm Every Woman" by Chaka Khan

Speaking of slam dunk songs, this has to be the lynchpin of the entire playlist.  This is just such a jam, and it kind of continues a theme of strong pride that I wasn't intentionally building.  Though Kate Bush's song lyrics don't explicitly say it, it can be interpreted as having a hubris that she could do a better job of running the universe than the Almighty.  This song proudly declares that she's every woman and that she can in fact do it all.  She takes pride in all her abilities, and she rattles them off in front of an absolutely danceable beat that no one can ignore.  Chaka belts it out, and it's simply amazing.

Track 08:  "Citizen Jane" by Bernie Taupin

And in a weird, yet congruous twist, we keep the theme of femininity in play, going from women being acknowledged for their strength to women being objectified.  This was the only charted hit for him as an artist, to the best of my knowledge.  I could be mistaken, but either way, it fits pretty well here.  The glamour and fashion industry, presenting a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional person, and making feminine beauty cutthroat and narrowly defined.  Since Bernie Taupin is remembered primarily as a songwriter, and rightfully so, it's understandable if you've never heard this song.  I only knew of its existence thanks to the Record Research books.  Much smoother than the rest of the tracks on this side, or the rest of the playlist, for that matter.  Nevertheless, I feel it works well thematically, and in the eighth slot, it's a good place to put an emotional nadir of a song so that we can pick it back up.

Track 09:  "Faith" by George Michael

With all the Performer inductees being the prerequisites, the last two slots are at least revealed in terms of who they could be, which means there's not much ability to segue gracefully if it has to be to one of those two.  That said, this playlist does go from objectifying women that we don't know to respecting one that we do so much, that even going with the flow feels wrong despite feeling so right.  Stylistically, it is a pivot once again, and it's even a little more fitting maybe on Side A with its beat.  However, the cathedral organ opening is probably a better lead-out of "Citizen Jane" than even I might be giving it credit for.  But this is a tight little song that's kind of fun and takes us to an even more fun official closer.

Track 10:  "The Rubberband Man" by the Spinners

Admittedly, when first organizing this list, I thought I might use "One Of A Kind (Love Affair)" as Track 07 because I love that song so much.  However, I quickly realized this track had the energy to close things out on an upbeat note.  Just like ending the proverbial Side A with "Know Your Enemy" might leave the listener with a perplexed look before flipping the tape or record, "The Rubberband Man" closes definitively and positively and sends the listener away satisfied and in a good mood.  It's pretty much impossible to be unhappy after hearing this at the end of a ten-song streak.  You won't need any further happiness.

Hidden Bonus Track:  "Happiness" by Mr. Green narrated by Kool Herc

But in case you do need more happiness, here we go.  So, I forget which podcast it was, but someone mentioned that DJ Kool Herc put out one or two albums late in his career.  Despite my best, albeit fledgling, efforts to track it down, I couldn't find what I was looking for.  What I did find, though, the Mr. Green's album, The Last Of The "Classic Beats."  It credits Kool Herc with narration.  Go listen to this whole album on whatever streaming service you have.  Released in 2019, it's a short album of ten cuts, all of which include interview clips with DJ Kool Herc and then short little musical pieces that feel somewhere between hip-hop instrumental and ambient electronica.  Love the whole album, and this track closes it.  With it opening and closing with interview clips with Herc, it has the perfect feel to be the bonus track after twenty to thirty seconds of silence while the physical medium keeps going round upon completion of the Spinners' "The Rubberband Man."  

Potential Honorable Mention:  "I Stand Alone" by Al Kooper

And of course, there needs to be an honorable mention.  Since Don Cornelius didn't really put out records himself (I don't think), that means there's one person left who could be that honorable mention.  Nothing really against Al Kooper.  The Blues Project and Blood, Sweat, And Tears were both Previously Considered, but neither could sneak onto the ballot.  Had either of those gotten in years ago, I doubt he'd have been inducted this way in 2023.  But it's almost fitting too, since the Blues Project just couldn't break through and since he was gone from Blood, Sweat, And Tears before they finally broke big.  Missing out on the brass ring, he also fails to make it as a canonical part of this playlist.  But had this actually been an episode, I could see Brian's musical nerdiness wanting to sneak something by Kooper, perhaps in lieu of Bernie Taupin.  Who knows?  As is, though, yes, Al, you do indeed stand alone.

And that wraps up my fanfic for Playlist Wars regarding the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Class Of 2023.  As I said, I'm gonna keep doing this for now, for the foreseeable future.  It's another celebration of amazing music, and making playlists is fun, at least for me.  If you have a song you would have had to include in your version of such a playlist, comment below!  We may even let the other readers vote on it, in true Playlist Wars fashion.  Meanwhile, good night, and thanks for listening.

Recapping the 2024 Ceremony

Last year, I combined my thoughts on the induction ceremony at the same time as I revealed the Songs Of Proof.  I've decided not to do that this time and just do a separate post for the ceremony.  Listening to a couple podcasts, there is noticeably, again, a marked difference between being there and watching it on Disney+, especially in terms of performances.  So, let's break it down.

Starting with the Cher induction, I admit I only knew it was Dua Lipa who came onstage because she was announced as one of the performers for this segment.  I'm not a Dua Lipa fan by any stretch (also not a hater, I'm just not in her target demographic, and she'd probably have a worse night's sleep if I were a rabid fan and she knew that).  Despite a couple missed notes, the only thing I can really say is that this probably wasn't in her key, because they were playing for Cher to join her onstage.  In which event, I think they could've done a key change, possibly.  Maybe it wouldn't have worked well, because they would have had to modulate downward, which wouldn't have been a good sonic aesthetic.  I do think the moment between them though was supposed to symbolize a passing of the torch, or at least a shared hold on it, Cher giving her blessing to Dua Lipa.  Zendaya was a curious choice.  The speech was fine, but it didn't answer the question of why she was inducting Cher.  There was no personal connection to the music or even the image.  It was cosplay.  I think they were trying to call attention to the breadth of her talent, that she was just as importantly influential to female actors as she was to female musicians.  In this case, I think they were just trying to do too much.  This is a music award and a music award show.  They should have just stayed in their lane.  The video package did a great job of addressing both the Sonny aspect, as well as autotune elephant while taking nothing away from Cher's immense talent.  As far as "If I Could Turn Back Time"... well she's not as young as she used to be.  Had it been a smaller class, we would have probably gotten a third song, one from her Sonny And Cher era.  I'm sad that we're never gonna see a Sonny And Cher induction, because that incarnation should be inducted and Cher should be a double inductee.  Good speech from Cher; it didn't feel long.

Alexis Korner... I don't know if I really learned anything about him that wasn't said in the class reveal episodes on the podcasts.  It's another weird induction into the Musical Influence category, because he's not really being inducted for his music, but more for what he did.  Like yes, he played the blues in England at a time when it wasn't hip in England to do so... but what songs is he known for, his renditions of?  At least he had a catalog, unlike DJ Kool Herc, so putting him in this category is at least justifiable.  I have to admit, I almost wish they would have made it an induction for the Blues Project instead, just to clean up the Previously Considered list.  They could have inducted the band with Korner being the only inducted member of the group.  Also, contrary to what others have said, I'm glad they separated the inductions of Korner and John Mayall.  To combine them, or play the video induction packages simultaneously would have diminished the inductions of both of them.  Even though their inductions are both pretty much for the same reason, and clearly championed by the same person in the room, they are separate inductees, and they deserved their individual moments, because they were not going to get one inductor who would be given extra floor time to do justice to each inductee, the way Carole King was given in 2010 for all the songwriters, or Smokey Robinson was given in 2012 to address the importance of each of the retconned groups.  If you paint yourself into the corner with that big a class that you can't give an inductor extra time to wax eloquent on Korner and also wax eloquent on Mayall, then at least separate the inductions so people don't think they're a duo.  The Hall got this one right.  That's my hot take.  

Onto Kool And The Gang, Chuck D's speech was awesome.  The metrically loose rhyming poetry of his speech was clearly well-rehearsed and well delivered, the video package was okay but fell a little short.  I think that's just because the Kool And The Gang story and impact is simply too big for the amount of time they had to cram it in.  But the performance... they should have been the headliner.  Kool and JT absolutely slayed, as did the band behind them.  Also, someone should have started a train in the audience during "Celebration."  Maybe that would have been too White, but honestly, who would have blamed them?  Great moment from Kool to say the names of all the inducted members.  That was important to do.  JT's speech was tight, and it was appropriate for him to also read the names of the band who are no longer with us.  Beautiful.  

Dionne Warwick's induction is when the technical issues really came to head.  The microphone at the stand was clearly fixed for shorter people.  There didn't seem to be any problems with Zendaya or Cher.  But Teyana Taylor was a little too tall for the microphone to pick her up without her being bent down a little while also reading a teleprompter.  And no, apparently the teleprompter team still hasn't been to class.  Put your speech on your phone or on paper.  And that really detracted from Teyana's speech.  I feel the video package made a better argument, talking about the crossover appeal, which really is what made rock and roll so culturally relevant.  Taylor's speech at least made it clear that you needed to put some respect on her name.  No issue with Jennifer Hudson's performance for me.  Seeing Dionne perform though, was something.  I've made it abundantly clear I'm not a fan of hers, but seeing her perform those two songs, it was made abundantly clear why Gen Z and Gen Alpha are absolutely bonkers for her.  With really no choreography, except for some walking on "Walk On By," she commanded the stage by just being a sweet old lady who exuded so much positivity that it's impossible to not want to grab a pillow and afghan and just curl up and listen to her tell stories.

If there's going to be a presenter speech, there should be a tribute performance.  That's most of what I have to say about the induction for the MC5.  I still maintain that Patti Smith would have been the absolute best choice to do a tribute performance. Thanks for your service Tom.  If nothing else, that did do some justice for their six nominations.  But I really wish he would have talked about at least one or two other songs of theirs.  And even though the museum is in Cleveland, there's still something wrong about telling a Michigan band "Welcome home" to Ohio.  Toledo War, all I'm saying.  Video package kicked ass though, and that closing quote about "being young, but we were right" is exactly what Sykes means when he says "rock and roll" is an attitude and the music of youth culture.

Foreigner... Sammy Hagar's speech was okay.  I really didn't like how he started by trying to make induction a numbers game, that induction should be more quantifiable than not.  Even though I do that with my I-5 system, that's just more the list-making side of me that also is about comparing nominees because we can't vote for everyone.  Ultimately, it's not and shouldn't be solely or even primarily a numbers game.  That's unfortunately what seems to be the guiding force behind this populist turn of the past few years.  The pendulum will swing eventually, and we'll probably be complaining that there's no big name to really latch onto for the public.  Or not.  The video package was okay, but probably rightly focused on punching the audience in the face with all the big hits.  All killer, no filler kind of things.  It didn't make me any bigger of a fan, but not like they need my validation either.  The performance was serviceable, which again, is probably high praise from a non-fan like me.  Also, I think Sammy was just trying to ask Slash to go out drinking with him later when he looked right at him while singing that line.  Just my theory.  I will give props to Lou though, for still being able to hit the notes while duetting with Kelly Clarkson.  Mick Jones's daughter gave a great speech, and I'm glad the other two members up there who weren't Lou were up there too to say a quick piece without mugging and milking too much.

With Norman Whitfield, I'm hoping the lack of almost any mention of Barrett Strong means his induction is coming one of these years.  That really should be a thing.  The only real guff I'll give about the package is using "Just My Imagination" to exemplify the first era of the Temptations, when truthfully, that hit #1 well after the Temptations were into their funk era, after songs like "Cloud 9" and "Psychedelic Shack."  Unforced error.  Also, Jimmy Jam sounded like Barack Obama.  Just an observation.

Roger Daltrey made the right move using the handheld microphone, if for no other reason than the fact he was too animated to stand behind the podium.  The problem with his speech for Peter Frampton wasn't that it was long though.  Like the song "American Pie," I think people will be pretty forgiving about length as long as it's entertaining and on point.  Roger was for most of the speech.  No, the problem with the speech was that it really made a better argument for Musical Excellence than Performer, by talking about the entire breadth of his career with equal weight, for the most part.  Like, maybe he and Buffett should have swapped categories.  Kudos to Peter for playing the one song of his that I've heard on classic rock stations that wasn't from "Frampton Comes Alive," also, with "Baby (Somethin's Happening)."  As far as Peter's speech, it was good, but asking for Humble Pie's induction was a bit of a reach, although I have seen others post on the Future Rock Legends forum in favor of it too.  Just don't think it's gonna happen though.  Also, if I had been planning the ceremony, Frampton wouldn't have been the headliner, but "Do You Feel Like We Do" would have been the all-star jam: just give all the inductees, presenters, and even people who pitched for inductees to have a moment on the talk box.  Just get everyone involved, since the talk box just allows a little fun, and even Suzanne DePasse could have given a quick moment to speak into the mic during the jam.  Missed opportunity for maximum possible inclusivity.  But given how long it ran, maybe for the better.

Big Mama's video package was great.  It certainly called attention to "Hound Dog" and "Ball And Chain," but it made certain you knew those weren't the only important songs of hers.  I knew there'd be no tribute performance for her, just based on the opening credits that listed her under "Also celebrating."  Yeah...

Someone with better historical knowledge can correct me, but I think Dave Matthews is the first person to be both an inductee and a tribute performer (all-star jams not included) for another inductee in the same ceremony.  It was odd, and I felt it was unnecessary too.  White James Taylor (as opposed to JT from Kool And The Gang) gave a fabulous speech, although I somewhat question how well it spoke to the musical legacy aspect of Jimmy Buffett.  The video package is what it was.  But the tribute performances were both sweet and disingenuous.  "Come Monday" and "A Pirate Looks At Forty" both were touching in their solemnity and celebrated his skill as a songwriter.  But it's also disingenuous because they ignored his fun side.  It's that fun side of his music that made him an empire.  It's why Parrotheads are a thing.  But Parrotheads are also probably a big part of the reason Jimmy was snubbed by the Hall for so long.  They're the "great unwashed" whose musical taste the Hall desperately does not want to validate by enshrining their beloved artist.  It's both authentic of the Hall and disingenuous of the induction of Jimmy Buffett to do only those two songs specifically.  And it's further proof that this induction was a reactionary attempt to jump on the bandwagon as it was pulling away.  For us in the hobbyist community, the result was a faceplant on the ground, just missing the wagon; for the Parrotheads, it's probably good enough.  We'll call it a draw.

As with Korner and Mayall, I think putting space between the inductions of Whitfield and Suzanne DePasse was the smart move so that the casual observer who was there to see the Dave Matthews Band wouldn't assume those two inductees were joined at the hip, a duo of sorts.  I wish the video package did more.  But I think this is more an issue of my bias.  When it comes to this category, the Non-Performer category, I like to be able to draw that straight line that screams volumes about the inductee's merits.  Suzanne discovered the Jackson 5, although she kind of shared credit on that with Bobby Taylor in her speech, and also the Commodores.  They showed pictures of other artists, and played a little more music, including Rick James, and Lionel Richie said she made and saved careers... but didn't give more detail.  I'd have liked to have more on who and how she made and saved.  The Motown TV special doesn't mean a whole lot to me, nor does the "Lady Sings The Blues" movie, except for whatever hand she had in the soundrack.  A slight bobble from her in her speech in saying Jackie twice and missing Jermaine, but we can attribute that to nerves.  She maybe could have trimmed a little, but her speech didn't drag, I thought.  

Dave Chappelle's speech for A Tribe Called Quest was probably the greatest, in my opinion, really talking about how they changed music and culture.  He came off as reverent and even humble, even when calling out the crew for a crappy mic.  The video did its job.  Jarobi's speech was mostly tight, Q-Tip's was not.  He knew he was rambling on and kept going anyway.  It started out well, acknowledging the other inductees.  While a couple of the speeches went a little long, his was the one that really made you feel conscious about the passage of time.  I do have to give him credit for showing the connection between doo-wop and hip-hop, showing why hip-hop is a part of rock and roll from a musical perspective.  I have tried to explain it saying that hip-hop is doo-wop turned inside out, making it part of the rock and roll diaspora, and I feel very validated by Q-Tip's comment there.  Phife's dad talking was sweet at first.  Could've done without the dad jokes that came off as flirting with Cher and Dionne.  The tribute performance crushed though.  

The commercial for the museum was cute, but the big takeaway was Cyndi Lauper stumping to get on next year's ballot and in the class.

I didn't have much of a problem with two inductors for Mary J. Blige.  Dre clearly had teleprompter issues.  Jordan The Stallion... I mean Method Man was definitely much better rehearsed and gave a more enjoyable speech, albeit a little longer, as he really emphasized her strength as an artist, her uniqueness as a talent, and her merits as an inductee.  In terms of performance and induction speech, I think Mary J. Blige was a victim of following Tribe and a commercial no one asked for, but everyone begrudgingly accepted.  Had she been slotted earlier in the evening, I don't think anyone would be complaining about her set.  Well, maybe the speech could have been two or three minutes shorter, but a lot of that was because of either the fans cheering or her being winded.  The only quibble I have, and it's very minor, is with the hat on during her performance and speech, you couldn't really see her eyes.  You only got to see both of them when they briefly cut to her waiting backstage, and when she got up from her crouch concluding the performance.  I really wanted to see the emotion on her face and in her eyes, especially during her speech, and we didn't get that.  At least she didn't struggle unnecessarily because of her headwear, like Sia last year.  Other than that, I had no problem with it.  She was stylish and slayed the performance.  And yeah, they should've gotten her that water immediately when she asked for it.  I guess maybe someone had to run to the closed concession stand to get one?  But given how winded and dehydrated she was at the moment, the pace of her speech was understandable.

Once again, the In Memoriam was fantastic in its breadth of musicians covered, regardless of style, and those involved in the business, from executives, to journalists, to jockeys.  Really a great job done.  Just a missed opportunity to segue into John Mayall's induction.  But again, it might have been better, to not confuse people that the In Memoriam segment was just really, really long on this one guy.  Eh, whatever.  

For the little I post on Twitter, I did comment about one of the inductors who was announced.  I loathe Jack Black.  I don't think he's funny.  His persona is that of an annoying man-child, who uses profanity as half of his jokes' punchlines.  He's what Seth Rogen would be if Seth shotgunned RedBull instead of wake-and-baked-and-baked-and-baked-and-baked.  Jack Black is what Peter Pan syndrome would be named if Barrie had chosen a different career path.  But enough about Tenacious D-bag.  The video package did a great job of showing how Ozzy is, or at least was a persona for John Osbourne, as well as really focusing on his talent and contributions as a solo artist.  The tribute performance was apparently significantly different in the room than on the tube.  At one point, I sang along with "Mama, I'm Coming Home" just to make sure I wasn't being unfair in being underwhelmed with Jelly Roll's performance, though it was really only on the tagline where he fell short.  Maynard rocked; Billy Idol was passable, given he's no spring chicken either.  I'm not a Billy Idol fan either.  But he'll probably get on the ballot after this.

John Mayall really should have been earlier in the night. probably after Suzanne DePasse's speech.  Again, like Alexis Korner, the video induction wasn't all that revelatory, except for maybe drawing attention to the Bluesbreakers' song "Crocodile Rock" and calling attention to one album in particular.  But overall it wasn't as educational as I'd hoped.  This is where I could've used a episode from Joe and Kristen, though I don't blame them for not wanting to exert the energy, either.  The only acceptable "two birds with one stone" way to do the British blues guys' inductions justice would have been to have Jack Bruce there in Cleveland as their presenter, as he was see in both video packages. 

Okay, so we have a class with Cher, Ozzy Osbourne, Kool And The Gang, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, and our headliner is... the Dave Matthews Band?  Is it because the others had to go to bed?  Sorry, having DMB as the closer just feels wrong.  Just in terms of legend status, it feels wrong.  I get that the place was crowded with their fans, but really?  Even Dave acknowledged it, saying he felt like they were swimming in deep waters.  Julia's speech maybe could have lost the story of her online research.  Sometimes it's amusing, but this time it wasn't.  Other than that, it was on point.  The video package didn't sell me, but I wasn't looking to buy, either.  The performance was tight, even if not my thing.  Smart move letting Dave speak for the whole band.  But what a change it is for Dave to go from inducting or paying tribute to being the honoree.  The toe-in-the-sand, "Oh willikers!" veneer was gone, and he was an ebullient man eager to speak.  I didn't like his humor, but I did appreciate the grace with which he spoke about those who couldn't be there, even letting Boyd off easy, even wishing him the best in this cancel culture.  The Talking Heads tribute would have been better with other inductees there, but at this point, I don't think anyone was that invested.  

But that's a wrap on the ceremony from my armchair perspective.  Very stream of consciousness, and hopefully not too rambling.  Thanks for reading.  More to come soon as we go forward and look back.