Listening And Liking The 2022 Nominees

 Time now to take a quick look at the nominees for the Class Of 2022 in terms of how much I enjoy listening to them.  Some I really enjoyed, some I can only enjoy when I'm in the right mood or doing something as opposed to something else.  It's not the most objective way to be subjective, but I have a blue-collar life to live that includes dozing off in my recliner if I try to relax.  But the uptick of this ballot is this: whatever artist I was diving into that day was my favorite.  Mostly.  Some days were just rough though.  Even so, the music is always a highlight, and that's why I do this.  I love music, these nominations give me both an excuse and a helpful direction to go in when expanding my horizons, and it's great discussion fodder. 

The ballot-filling episodes of "Who Cares About The Rock Hall" show that it certainly is often a combination of merit and personal tastes.  And those that score high in both regards get the checkmark.  Usually.  The Dolly Parton situation notwithstanding.  So let's rank the artists by how much I enjoy them, list a favorite song, and average out the ranks.

1. Eminem

His more immature songs are sometimes the epitome of a haunted house with a very cheery paintjob on the exterior.  Some of his hooks and samples are so bouncy and catchy, it's hard to take the lyrical horror seriously, like an eight-year old boy spouting things he doesn't actually understand.  Although I gotta admit, I do think the line "God sent me to piss the world off" is pretty funny.  I think we all have days when we feel that is our cosmic purpose in this creation.

Favorite song: "We Made You"
Merits rank: 8
Average of ranks: 4.5

2. Dolly Parton

I once read a Cracked.com article that included the statement, "Nobody doesn't like Johnny Cash."  There are those who don't like Elvis.  Some who don't like the Beatles.  Some who don't like U2.  Crazy as it sounds, some who don't like the Four Seasons.  I myself have a slight Led Zeppelin allergy.  But nobody doesn't like Johnny Cash.  The same can be said about Dolly Parton, pretty much.  You don't have to like every song, but you get to.  Heck, she's even enough to have Tennessee made the spokesman for the Southern States in one of comedian Ben Brainard's videos.

Favorite song: "Tennessee Homesick Blues"
Merits rank: 1
Average of ranks: 1.5 

3. Devo

I don't love every song, especially their covers of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" or "Working In A Coal Mine," but admitting to not liking those two songs seems sacrilegious to the Devo fans.  But the weirdness and reimagination is part of their overall charm.

Favorite song: "March On"
Merits rank:  16
Average of ranks:  9.5 

4. Pat Benatar

It's a little tricky.  I like a lot of her songs, and I don't like a few of them.  And ones I don't like are some of the big crowd pleasers.  But overall, I like her music.

Favorite song: "All Fired Up"
Merits rank:  9
Average of ranks:  6.5

5. Beck

I'm not a huge indie guy, but Beck certainly knows how to make it interesting.  Even some of the less celebrated stuff was pleasant to listen to.  And hey, the episode of Futurama he was on was pretty awesome.

Favorite song:  "Mixed Bizness"
Merits rank: 4
Average of ranks:  4.5

6. Eurythmics

I have to admit, if you're basing it off of "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)" or "Here Comes The Rain Again," you really haven't listened to their music.  This is an artist I like a lot more than my work on Retro Weekends at the lite rock station would have had me believe.  And big thanks to Nick Bambach for mentioning my favorite song by them among the playlist tracks on his "Rock In Retrospect" podcast.

Favorite song:  "When Tomorrow Comes"
Merits rank:  10
Average of ranks:  8

7. Judas Priest

Admittedly, my first day of binge-listening was a disaster.  I think I may have even exited Spotify and decided to socialize with my coworkers, to their chagrin.  But we all have bad days.  The second day went a lot better, as did the third, as evidenced by their ranking this high.

Favorite song:  "Nightcrawler"
Merits rank:  5
Average of ranks:  6

8. Duran Duran

Duran Duran is a group that my ability to appreciate was badly damaged during my fast food days by off-key coworkers who changed all the lyrics to be about either boobs or weed.  And not even cleverly.  Haphazardly, not even trying to make them rhyme,  Outright butchery.  Fortunately, this band's quality of musicianship is good enough to eventually overcome that.  

Favorite song:  "Ordinary World"
Merits rank:  3
Average of ranks:  5.5

9.  Lionel Richie

Of the nominees whose catalogs might possibly be deemed "too schmaltzy," Lionel's is the one I enjoyed the most.  I could definitely hear some of the country flavors that were spoken of with regards to his solo work, but there were also some rhythmic underpinnings--both kept the experience of diving into his solo work from being too tedious.  Only tedious thing was hitting "Skip" on the Commondores' songs that were thrown into the mix.  Nothing against them, but they're not the nominee.

Favorite song:  "Angel"
Merits rank:  12
Average of ranks:  10.5

10. New York Dolls

This is not really music that works well while I'm working.  But while driving, they're a lot more fun to listen to.  However, the later stuff is not as good, in my opinion, partly because the lead singer is harder to understand on those later albums.

Favorite song:  "Personality Crisis"
Merits rank:  13
Average of ranks:  11.5

11. The MC5

This band actually drops a bit, mainly because Spotify kept shoving live albums (besides the first one) and Wayne Kramer MC50 tracks down my ears.  I get the catalog is limited, but this was just bad work by the algorithms.  Fortunately, I remembered and enjoyed a lot of the albums' tracks from the previous years' research.

Favorite song:  "American Ruse"
Merits rank:  17
Average of ranks:  14

12. Carly Simon

I have to admit, her albums of standards covers did next to nothing for me.  A few of the songs were pretty cool, but I almost got more excited when the songs from the Winnie-The-Pooh movies would come up.  Her originals are pretty solid though.  No denying that.

Favorite song:  "You're So Vain"
Merits rank:  15
Average of ranks:  13.5

13. Fela Kuti

As  I said last year, it's pretty much a cultural thing.  Enjoy the first few minutes of the introductory groove, mind wanders until the vocals kick in, struggle to understand the words with his African accent.  It's not a good system, and I do try to do better.  

Favorite song:  "It's Highlife Time"
Merits rank:  2
Average of ranks:  7.5

14. Kate Bush

If you want a working definition of "inconsistent," look no further.  Kate Bush ranked #4 on the personal taste list last year and has dropped below artists she was higher than last year.  I really can't explain it.  Last year, I guess I was really into the musical theatre feel of her music, and this year, not.  I like musical theatre, and her voice is beautiful.  But sometimes I just got annoyed listening to her.  I really don't know what to tell you or what happened.  Maybe the stress at work ruined her for me.  Maybe I'm just getting older and crankier.  Anyone's guess.

Favorite song:  "Love And Anger"
Merits rank:  14
Average of ranks:  14

15. Dionne Warwick

My appreciation for the Bacharach/David tunes that could easily have fit in the setlist for The Lawrence Welk Show has not grown.  (And I like The Lawrence Welk Show, by the way.)  My appreciation for her '70s songs though, has not diminished. So it balances out.

Favorite song:  "Once You Hit The Road"
Merits rank:  11
Average of ranks:  13

16. Rage Against The Machine

This has been a suprisingly pleasant listening experinece this year.  The stress of the workplace that may have hindered Kate Bush makes this group a lot of fun this time around, despite not really making any ground in relative rankings.  That said, I also feel the songs tend to be interchangeable to the point where if they did get inducted, they could just do a big-ass medley and no one would notice, like cobbling together segments from a bunch of James Swearingen's old compositions  Seriously, I have trouble matching Zach De La Rocha's repeated hooks and lines to the correct songs they come from.  

Favorite song:  "People Of The Sun"
Merits rank:  7
Average of ranks:  11.5

17.  A Tribe Called Quest

They're at the bottom of the list because an hour after listening to them, I can't audiate a single song of theirs, except the hook, "Can I kick it?  Yes you can!"  I'm listening to this group now while typing this entry, and I forgot that "Can I Kick It" sampled "Walk On The Wild Side."  Q-Tip's voice is like Teflon to me; nothing he says sticks in my brain.  I feel I gotta take responsibility for this one.  This is not an act to listen to while at work, or even casually.  You have to be able to take time and sit with it while you listen.  And if the COVID results I'm currently waiting on are positive, I'll at least have the time to do that for a few days.  As it is now, it's just not sticking in my brain, and I feel it's only fair then to place them at the bottom.

Favorite song:  "Can I Kick It"
Merits rank:  6
Average of ranks:  11.5

So by looking at the average ranks given, they average out and rank thus:

1. Dolly Parton
2. Beck
2. Eminem
4. Duran Duran
5. Judas Priest

6. Pat Benatar

7. Fela Kuti

8. Eurythmics

9. Devo

10. Lionel Richie

11. New York Dolls

11. Rage Against The Machine

11. A Tribe Called Quest

14. Dionne Warwick

15. Carly Simon

16. Kate Bush

16. The MC5

Looking at the top five averages, it stands to reason that my fan vote should be going to Beck, Duran Duran, Eminem, Judas Priest, and Dolly Parton.  And that's sixty percent accurate.  As a native Michigander, Eminem and the MC5 are on my ballot.  Pat Benatar is the only nominee who, if inducted, would extend my streak of getting names off my aggregate list of hopefuls that I wrote back 2004, before I really understood the Hall.  So, she gets my vote.  Judas Priest gets checked, because let's get the heavy metal in for crying out loud.  And the last vote is going to Dolly Parton.  I like Dolly Parton, but I don't worship and obey her blindly.  She deserves it, and the Hall absolutely makes room for artists who mostly stay in the lane of a parent genre, but include some pop sensibilities at some point in their careers.  Maybe she can smell the Hall trying to cash in on her cache just as clearly as the rest of us can, and she's diplomatically telling the Hall to go fornicate itself.  Or maybe she genuinely doesn't or didn't pay attention to how the Hall operates, since she didn't think she'd ever be nominated.  Either way, cache-grab aside, Dolly absolutely belongs in the conversation, and I'm still voting for her.

Coming soon, the official predictions.  And holy hell, it's a sloppier mess than my ten-day hold.  Stay tuned.

2022 Nominees' Merits

After taking much longer than expected, I've now taken it upon myself to rank this year's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame nominees by merits that make an attempt to be objective.  What makes an artist truly worthy?  Surely we can't simply stan an artist into the Hall, can we?  And yet if the fanbase is large, that does affect my category of Impact.  But is that fandom just a moment in time?  That's why we have the twenty-five year rule, right?  So that it's not just a matter of loving someone hard enough to get them inducted, like some sort of Care Bear stare, emitting love of an artist from our tummies, beaming them directly into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame?

Unfortunately, that is a part of the process, except you have to be one of the insiders shooting off that abdominal adoration arc.  That said, it is not completely unchecked; otherwise, the Singles category would have never happened, because Little Steven wouldn't have had to come up with a way to enshrine his temper tanrums.  So what keeps the bellicose bushwah at bay?  Standards.  Everyone has their standards, and that includes me.  When it comes to standards for the nominees, I use the I-5 system I created:  Innovation, Influence, Impact, Intangibles, and Issues.  What did they do that no one else had at the time?  Who took their leads from them?  How big a name are or were they?  What extraneous factors add that certain oomph to a nominee?  Why might some, especially members of the voting body, be against this act being nominated?  

It's a significant matter to figure out if an act deserves induction, but it's not a precise science.  Sometimes I have been noted to give too much weight to the Impact factor and not enough to Innovation or Influence.  I have tried to be a bit more careful, but I do see that some of the less popular pioneers still rank low. So, having done my best, let's look at the ranks of these nominees by merits.

1. DOLLY PARTON

Innovation:  Not s strong category for her, but the pop sensibilities she blended into her brand of country were a somewhat new creation.

Influence:  A massively influential star to country music, female artists, and even singer/songwriters of various genres.

Impact:  So massive.  So many records sold, both singles and albums, and name recognition that is through the roof.  If she started a cult, the membership would eclipse scientology within a year, easily.

Intangibles:  With all the awards she's received from within the recording industry, her status as a mutlitudinous talent is undeniable.  

Issues:  While country is recognized as a parent genre of rock 'n' roll, when an artist stays comfortably in the lane of a parent genre, never even considering themselves to have fused any rock elements into their music, it makes conversation about induction into the Rock Hall a tad bumpy.  Addtionally, while her agency over her image is a huge step forward, that image flirted with self-parody at times, and the Hall definitely takes itself very seriously and may not want that as part of the narrative they wish to create.

 2. FELA KUTI

Innovation:  His fusion of soul and funk with the music of his homeland Nigeria resulted in a musical and cultural explosion.

Influence:  Because he is credited with Afrobeat's creation, and its continued existence and relevance in the musical world, his influence is both massive and consequential.

Impact:  Though his sales in colonial cultures aren't nearly as impressive, his sales and name recognition in Nigeria and in fact all of Africa makes this a stronger category than some would expect.

Intangibles:  In addition to being a musical and political revolutionary, his songwriting displays a gift for words and analogies that would impress Emerson and Longfellow.  

Issues:  I wish I could sit here and tell you the chief objection to his nomination is that his band Africa 70 wasn't nominated with him.  I really wish I could tell you that.  Reggae was influenced by soul music, much like Afrobeat, and recognition of reggae as part of the rock and roll diaspora is an uphill battle.  How much more so a style that isn't well-known in the States.

3. DURAN DURAN

Innovation:  First forming in the late '70s, they are one of the first synth-rock bands to break big and solidify the sound.

Influence:  How many of the synth-pop bands that followed in the immediate wake were influenced by Duran Duran may be a little hard to tell, but their immediate influence was very palpable until Nirvana came along.

Impact:  They have Top Ten hits that could be called Forgotten 45s'; that's how successful they were.  You cannot discuss popular music of the 1980s and not mention this band at some point.

Intangibles:  Their mutualistic relationship with the budding MTV format saw them as one of the pioneers of the modern music video, in terms of concept and execution.

Issues:  Some of their songs haven't aged well, and the overall new wave style of their songs is, or at least was, a punchline for a spell there.

4. BECK

Innovation:  People talk about his music as if they're still trying to identify it with fitting nomenclature.  A miasma of paradoxes in styles that still manage to work together.

Influence:  In the immediate sense, he helped kick open a door that made the pathway for other artists possible.  Long term, he's pretty singular, but still inspirational.

Impact:  He has a handful of charted pop singles, and is much more successful on the modern rock charts.

Intangibles:  A critic's wet dream.  An artist's artist, but would still play in Peoria.

Issues:  Perhaps a bit too sporadic and inconsistent.  Following your own creative process schedule can be a liability as well as an asset.

5. JUDAS PRIEST

Innovation:  They weren't the first metal act, but they were from its formative years, and thus, they played a key part in shaping its sound and textures.

Influence:  They weren't Black Sabbath, but they were extremely influential in the field of metal, including a few inductees and nominees.

Impact:  Only one charted single, but a dozen or so charted albums and a back catalog that holds high esteem in the pantheons of heavy metal.

Intangibles:  While critics weren't kind to metal initially, they've revised their stances on formative acts like Judas Priest.  And for lovers of hard rock and heavy metal, this is one of the biggest names missing from the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Issues:  With limited commercial success in the singles category, plus the general uphill battle metal has had to get respected, they are sometimes held in lower esteem overall.

6. A TRIBE CALLED QUEST

Innovation:  When you talk about about formative acts of the sound of '90s hip-hop, this outfit is near the top of the list.

Influence:  Their influence on hip-hop and rappers to come, as well as on their contemporaries was massive.  Widely influential.

Impact:  A handful or two of charted singles.  Albums charts, four top ten albums with a fifth that is critically well-regarded.

Intangibles:  With their level of artistry, and renown of the individual members, they're a synergy, so much more than the sum of the parts.

Issues:  You've heard of them if you're a music lover, especially of hip-hop.  If you're a casual pop music fan, the name "A Tribe Called Quest" probably sounds like the name of a video game.

7. RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE

Innovation:  Among the pioneers of nu metal, combining punk, rap, metal, and even elements of reggae, and brought it as close to the mainstream as can reasonably be expected.

Influence:  Because their scene was more underground, it's a little harder to measure, but a lot of the nu metal bands took their lead from this band.

Impact:  A few charted songs on the Album and Modern Rock charts, and a couple charted albums.

Intangibles:  There is a sense of authenticity to them, and congruity with their name, their music, and their image offstage.

Issues:  Their lyrics are often incomprehensible, so you don't know what they're saying, only that they're angry.  Additionally, not big on longevity.

8. EMINEM

Innovation:  Nope, unless you count lyrical content that rappers didn't approach before him.

Influence:  Massive influence on the current generation of rappers.

Impact:  Immense.  Several Top Ten hits, over four dozen pop hits (including the Bubbling Under charts), and he's penetrated our vernacular, giving us the term "stan" that has since been watered down a little to be a hyperbole of fandom.  

Intangibles:  Despite breaking through later than a lot of rap royalty, he is still listed among them as one of the greatest, most skillful rappers of all time.

Issues:  When John Sykes and company talk about "youth culture" as it relates to rock and roll, they mean people who can have a driver's license but can't run for a seat in the U.S. House Of Representatives, and who are still figuring out their own sense of identity and what kind of impact they want to leave upon the world--not an eight year-old boy who doesn't know what he's saying but still carelessly slings naughty words, shocking statements, and violent threats around because it gets him the attention he craves and because he thinks it's funny to see the looks of shock and clutching of pearls from grown-ups.  In his songs, Eminem frequently comes off as exactly that.

9. PAT BENATAR

Innovation:  Not so much, though hers are some of the earlier "power ballads."

Influence:  As a successful rock star who wrote most of her own songs, she proved influential for other rocking women to follow in her wake.

Impact:  Several charted albums, and a solid string of hit singles from the late '70's, including two in the top 5 of the Hot 100.

Intangibles:  She's an icon as a "rocking" woman who plays the boys' game as well as they do, almost to the point of tokenism.

Issues:  There aren't any really glaring issues with her, except maybe the softer stuff being a bit on the schmaltzy side.  Perhaps her lacking in the Innovation category hurts her.

10. EURYTHMICS

Innovation:  A lot of the synth-rock acts came up together around the same time; so who pioneered what is hard to say.  But Eurythmics were definitely unique in their version of it, with the dominant pulsations through many of their songs.

Influence:  With Annie Lennox at the helm, Eurythmics were highly influential to many female and female-led acts to come, as well as a lot of dance music acts.

Impact:  They had a solid run of pop hits, some dance chart hits, and a handful of charted albums.

Intangibles:  Annie Lennox is a solid feminist figure, and Dave Stewart is a producton wizard.

Issues:  Not everyone is on board with the legitimacy of synth-pop and synth-rock; plus, Annie Lennox's solo career may detract votes from the "Small Hall" thinkers.

11. DIONNE WARWICK

Innovation:  Some might call her '60s records a kind of prototype of the "Quiet Storm" style of music that Roberta Flack and Sade would later grow and popularize.

Influence:  In addition to being influential to her inducted cousin, a number of songs she first recorded were later covered by soul singers and groups.

Impact: Just a huge list of charting singles and albums, top ten hits in three consecutive decades.

Intangibles:  The songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David are heavily respected, despite not being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame either, and Dionne's legacy is strongly entwined with theirs.

Issues:  She's the Black artist your racist granny liked, and used her fandom as evidence that she therefore couldn't possibly be racist.  The Rock Hall may not want to inadvertently validate the latent audience.

12. LIONEL RICHIE

Innovation:  As a songwriter, his style helped smooth soul in its transition from the disco era into the style that was popular in the '80s.

Influence:  He has been an influence to a wide and diverse swath of singers from different genres and genders.

Impact:  Five number one hits as a solo artist.  Several top tens in consecutive fashion in a short time span, and is a name you still know.

Intangibles:  Partially in his Influence column, he has a huge amount of respect from fellow musicians, ranging from R&B to country and beyond.

Issues:  The primary issue is that he's jumping his former group, the Commodores, and that an induction here will snuff out any chance of their induction ever.  Issues with his solo career itself is that some may find his smooth R&B a little too soft and schlocky to be credible.

13. THE NEW YORK DOLLS

Innovation:  One of the foundational acts of punk rock, shaping its simplicity and catchiness.

Influence:  They influenced a lot of punk bands, especially in the New York scene.

Impact:  A few charted albums, but nothing in the upper half.  No charted singles.

Intangibles:  They were also influential in terms of image, and critics loved them.

Issues:  Those they influenced surpassed them in terms of influence, commercial success, legacy, and possibly even image.  In short, even bigger giants are standing on their shoulders.

14. KATE BUSH

Innovation:  Her sound is incredibly unique to her that it cannot be called anything but groundbreaking.  Her infusion of Celtic, Bohemian, and so many other influences is just staggering.

Influence:  Big Boi from Outkast is a noted fan who took songwriting cues from her, as do a lot of singers and songwriters.  The most direct descendants of her sounds would be artists like Tori Amos, Dido, and Annie Lennox.

Impact:  She's much more commercially successful in her native United Kingdom, but even in the States, she had several charted albums and songs on the Mainstream Rock charts.

Intangibles:  Her performances pioneered the usage of headset microphones.  More importantly, her overall level of artistry, particularly by Western standards, is extremely high.

Issues:  Her self-imposed decisions regarding her output and public appearances in general, let alone touring, have diminished her ability to reach larger audiences and reach superstar level.

15. CARLY SIMON

Innovation:  Ehhhhh.....

Influence:  Influential to fellow singer/songwriters and to artists in the general adult contemporary arena.

Impact:  Five top ten pop singles and five top ten pop albums; twenty-five pop hit singles (including the Bubbling Under charts) and twenty-five charted albums on the Billboard 200.

Intangibles:  She's an esteemed singer/songwriter from the '70s, and has picked up a few awards along the way, including the Best New Artist Grammy.

Issues:  History has not been kind to her legacy, as oldies radio and other "blast from the past" formats often reduce her contributions to a single song, while the rest of it is dismissed as too easy listening to receive commercial airplay.

16. DEVO

Innovation:  They were them.  They were around at the genesis of post-punk and constantly pushed the sonic envelope with a style that was still considered ahead of the times twenty years later.

Influence:  Not the most widely cited of the post-punk bands, but due in part to their innovation, they were always in the conversation of highly influential bands of that ilk.

Impact:  Folks might be shocked to discover that they actually had several hits across the various trade publications, included multiple entries on Billboard's dance music charts.  They also charrted several albums.

Intangibles:  They're a highly respected band among musicians for their artistry, both visual and sonic.

Issues:  "Oh yeah, they had that one song, didn't they?  Did they do other stuff too?"--the general public  

17. THE MC5

Innovation:  Arguably the first to intentionally and regularly use distortion as an identifying part of their sound.  Also widely credited as one of the first punk rock acts, or at least a progenitor of punk rock.

Influence:  The entire world of punk rock recognizes the MC5 and claims them as an influence, as do other artists from bands that punk evolved into, including acts like Rage Against The Machine, and fellow nominee Motorhead.

Impact:  One charted single, two charted albums, both of which were once on Rolling Stone's list of most important albums of all time.

Intangibles:  Those who argue that rock and roll is more of an attitude than a musical format can point to this band's tireless live performance at the Democratic National Convention as proof of what rock and roll should seek to accomplish.  Their origins in Detroit may give them additional credibility as rockers.

Issues:  Limited name recognition outside the world of music, plus occasionally indecipherable lyrics due to the distortion, they might not clear everyone's threshold for "Unquestionable musical excellence."

Despite the numerous failed attempts to get them into the Hall, I actually have a huge amount of respect for the MC5.  They may be the lowest ranked on this list, but they are still extremely worthy of enshrinement.  And that's the point.  That's how strong this ballot is.  When the list of nominees came out, and we heard a lot of familiar names trottled out again, people expressed dismay by saying, "Nothing against the artists themselves."  And I think that from reading this ranking, they would double down on that sentiment, only with a more positive tone of voice.   No doubt that my ranks ruffle feathers.  But no matter who ranks seventeenth on your list, there isn't a name you wouldn't at least begrudgingly admit is worthy of induction.  For me, I only am upset that the majority of these artists won't be inducted.  

They all deserve induction, but not all of them are my cup of tea, and soon, I'll be giving the list of personal tastes for these seventeen nominees.  Stay tuned.