After much lollygagging and procrastination, I'm finally getting around to revealing the Songs Of Proof for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame's Class Of 2024. This has been quite the interesting class, and a delightfully large one. Yes, it made for a long ceremony, but aside from a glut of anecdotes during the acceptance speeches, it was time very well spent. So, hopefully I can capture that idea of time being spent well with the songs that I'm choosing to honor all sixteen of these inductees. As always, feel free to chime in in the Comments section with the songs that you would have chosen if, as the premise of this project states, you had to make the cases with one song for each inductee. So here are my selections.
Mary J. Blige: Addressing the elephant in the room, I did not go with "Family Affair." I actually ruled that song ineligible, since a song with that title is already being used as a Song Of Proof. Admittedly, it's pretty ticky-tack as far as my rules go, but it also pushes me to be more creative and really explore an artist's catalog a bit further. Besides, this huge playlist was also originally conceived to be a terrestrial radio station's weekend special kind of deal, so you have to throw in the less obvious ones once in awhile to keep things interesting. "Family Affair" is a great song, and it will probably be the song she is most remembered for, but since she is the Queen Of Hip-Hop/Soul, I chose another song with a flow that is also melodic, somewhat similar to a recitative in a baroque oratorio (which is also my default comeback to the lame argument that rap isn't even music because of the way rappers perform). This song also has a much brighter feel that feels like it may have been more created with arrangements than samples, keeping it truer to the soul side of Blige's oeuvre. It's a bit lesser of a hit, just missing the Top 20, but still solidly in the Top 40, I'm going with "Just Fine."
Jimmy Buffett: For those who subscribe to the Patreon of the "Who Cares About The Rock Hall?" podcast, you'll recall that when I was the guest for a Patreon-exclusive episode back in 2024, I mentioned that I was still deciding some songs, and that I was working on Jimmy Buffett. The teaser I used was, "Does it have to be 'Margaritaville?'" At the end of the day, I have to conclude that yes, yes it does have to be "Margaritaville." This is partially a middle finger to the myopic approach the Rock Hall took when inducting Jimmy during the ceremony, focusing almost exclusively on the coffeehouse singer/songwriter stylings of "Come Monday" and "A Pirate Looks At Forty," while trying their hardest to bury the fun side of Buffett, the usages of humor and cheerfulness as coping mechanisms for dealing with the struggles and foibles of life, as seen in songs like "Cheeseburger In Paradise," "Fruitcakes," and "Fins." I ultimately have to conclude that "Margaritaville" is the middle ground for those two sides of the man's music. There's the introspection that forces the narrator to claim partial, if not total, responsibility for the mess that is his life, but is ultimately met with a determination to party that accountability away and have a good time anyway, or at least appear to. Plus, it's a crowd favorite. It's THE crowd favorite. It's the brand, and at the end of the day, it's a nearly perfect balance of silly and serious, between the complexity of the man and the simplicity of his persona that makes his music so accessible to his fans. Parenthetically, I'm not a huge fan of the cocktail myself. I seldom drink cocktails, but my faves include the Espresso Martini and the Adios Motherfucker.
Cher: With Cher inducted as a solo artist, we can pretty much rule out any chance of getting her inducted a second time as half of Sonny And Cher. Certainly the duo is a harder sell for induction in terms of merit as well as amount of time passed, but for their part of the cultural zeitgeist of the mid-to-late-'60s, I think there's a case to be made. And while I'm not really stumping for his inclusion, Sonny Bono was a member of the murderer's row of session musicians sometimes referred to as the "wrecking crew" that really helped shape Phil Spector's "wall of sound." So, you could make a couple different arguments for him. But this is about her, not him, and she eclipses him in terms of stature in the world of rock and roll. Controversial, yet beloved. Sexualized, yet respected. A fascinating person overall. Choosing a song was pretty tough. "Believe" would actually have been a decent choice, pioneering the use of Autotune, expanding her influence, and giving some representation of contemporary dance-pop into this playlist. Which means I absolutely did not go that route. I also could not go with "If I Could Turn Back Time." I don't hate that song; I just feel it's too indicative of a moment. It just feels very late '80s, and she was so much more than that era. While she didn't have a very lengthy imperial phase at any period, I feel like the '70s was the closest she came to having that. So, I'm going there, and I'm going to go with "Dark Lady," the story song with a misleading title and a cautionary tale. Even though it was a huge hit at the time, I also feel like it's underrated when assessing her musical historiography, and I want to call attention to this one again. So, that's the selection.
Suzanne DePasse: I have to admit, when her name was announced as an inductee, I had no idea who she was. I had to find out along with the rest of you. That's not too surprising. What is a little more surprising is that I wasn't fully sold on her credentials. Not that it mattered, of course, she was getting inducted regardless. However, the way she was presented in the press releases was underwhelming. Most of the focus was on the television specials she produced, but these specials were not the kind that introduced America or the world to fresh new talent. These were nostalgia specials, or more generously, historical retrospectives. Look, I love history, and I've argued for Joel Whitburn to be an inductee. But my argument for Whitburn was the amount of amazing or at least interesting music I've discovered just by randomly leafing through the pages of his books and discovering songs that the Oldies and classic rock stations abandoned. In that spirit, I'm hoping the specials that DePasse helped make possible provided the same illumination for prospective talents. Failing that, she at least also gets her credit as a talent scout. Now, THAT I can get behind. The two big names that kept getting mentioned as her big discoveries were the Jackson Five and the Commondores. I couldn't use a Jackson Five song though. Maybe it's some jumbled history, but I've also heard from syndicated Oldies programming back in the day that both Gladys Knight and Diana Ross have made claims to have discovered the Jackson Five. Granted, I haven't done a whole lot of cross-referencing, and it appears I don't have to, as DePasse's claim seems to be the most credible, especially coming from Berry Gordy, Jr. himself. But I had pretty much resolved to go with a Commodores' song instead. I'm ashamed to say the obvious choice didn't hit me in the face until I did a dive on the Commodores' catalog for the express purpose of finding a Song Of Proof for the lady who brought them up to stardom. It took way longer to realize than it should have, but the song must be "Lady (You Bring Me Up)."
Foreigner: If you recall the analyses I've done of the ballot for 2024, I really skewered Foreigner, both for merits and personal taste. Lou Gramm's voice really isn't my thing, and I overall find their music unimaginative. That said, I'm not upset at their induction either, both because they were a shoo-in and because of that episode of "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" that they had no involvement with, but were a big part of. So the trick of finding the right song to symbolize their contribution to rock and roll, it's going to be a big hit with a rock edge that showcases rock and roll as the backdrop and soundtrack of our lives, whatever subgenre of rock and roll raised you. Unfortunately, with Foreigner, that's not going to be a progressive sound or progressive set of lyrics. But, as I said about Foo Fighters back in 2021, evolution involves a lot of good old-fashioned grinding it out and creating a population of it. And Foreigner was a big part of that, hooks and lyrics that still hang around in the nooks and crannies of our skulls. So, it's gotta be an earworm that doesn't piss you off completely, and by "you," I mean "me," since this is my vanity project. That rules out a good chunk of the catalog, but what it doesn't rule out is "Hot Blooded." Admittedly, the annoying Hot Pockets commercial that parodied the song nearly disqualified it, but the song withstood, while the commercial did not. That's why Foreigner's in the Hall, and why that is the song for them.
Peter Frampton: It doesn't have to be one of the three from Frampton Comes Alive, but it's gotta be one of the three from Frampton Comes Alive. It's a little sad that it has to be that way, though. Some of his later work, especially years after "I'm In You," is pretty awesome, and his decision to remind them of other songs, such as "Baby (Somethin's Happening)" was an awesome move. But it would also be disingenuous to use either of those two songs in this playlist. Generally speaking, I'm not a big fan of using live cuts for the Song Of Proof, though I have done it before. Going to the big three, though, it's pretty obvious that I'm not going with "Baby I Love Your Way." Despite it having popular covers, it really doesn't speak to his influence as a musician, nor is it all that representative of his work. "Do You Feel Like We Do" is a monster track that captures a lot of the essence, but it is over fourteen minutes long. Unless it's a true disservice to not use the extremely long song, I try to keep them somewhat friendly to the hot clock, as a reminder that I once wanted this great playlist to be a special weekend long event on a commercial FM radio station. I did it for Kraftwerk because the album and the title track "Autobahn" were so important, and I'll end up doing it for Fela Kuti when he gets in through a category because Afrobeat is by nature a genre of longer songs. But for Peter Frampton, I don't think it's necessary. I think "Show Me The Way" shows off the talk box, is rockin', but also punchy and short enough to ably serve in the overall scheme of this playlist. So, that's the one I'm going with.
Kool And The Gang: Selecting the song for this group really isn't as easy as one might believe. No one was really thinking of using "Joanna," but it is worth acknowledging that it is ineligible because that is the group's Song Of Proof for the Vocal Group Hall Of Fame side project that I made. For the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame selection though, they had a ton of hits, but they also had a lot of lesser known songs, and an entire era where they weren't charting well, but putting out high quality jazz music. So how does one balance it out, honoring their jazzier era as well as their breakthrough era when they employed a lead singer? Ideally, it would be a big hit that has hints of jazz and funk in the mix. We actually have a large assortment of songs like that, although, I believe that rules out the big hit, "Celebration." There a lot of songs from the '70s that could fit the bill, but I'm feeling dragged by the heart that it just has to be "Get Down On It." As much as I love "Ladies Night," "Jungle Boogie," and "Hollywood Swinging," there's just that extra bit of pop sensibility while not abandoning the funk or jazz entirely, plus it stands out as a more unique track, in my humble opinion, while still remaining true to all the essentials that made this group worthy of induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
Alexis Korner: From a housekeeping standpoint, I kind of wish the Hall had just inducted Blues Incorporated in the Musical Influence with Korner being the only inducted member. I'm just saying, they did it for Steely Dan with just two people, they could have done that too here with one name. But that's more my minor hang-up. Blues Incorporated is on the Previously Considered list over at the Future Rock Legends site, and it would have been cleaner to just move that name from one column to another. After all, the project known as Blues Incorporated was the crux of Korner's legacy, as the bootcamp for a lot of British musicians who went on to be rock legends. As an aside, he was also quite into some of the folksier American records too, as he recorded versions of "Midnight Special" and other folk songs. Sadly, because I'm so rhadamanthine about these kind of things, I had to make the effort to distinguish between the two. This proved particularly difficult, though, as Spotify and compilation makers call it all "Alexis Korner," even if it was Blues Incorporated, CCS, Breakdown Group, or New Church. To color inside the lines, I'm going with a song from his 1975 album Get Off My Cloud. The song is going to be the album opener, "I Got Cha Number," as it has a bluesy feel, but imitates the styles that some of his proteges would blaze their own trails with.
The Dave Matthews Band: When "Who Cares About The Rock Hall?" reviewed the 2024 ceremony, they may have hit the nail on the head regarding why this band needed a second nomination to get in, despite running away with the fan ballot. When going over the band's performance, Ross had difficulty recalling songs by their titles, and Joe had to walk through the set by referring to each song as "the one that goes..." and then imitating the prevalent arrangement. Now, that can be said about any band when talking about their body of work with somebody who is not a huge fan. However, when that many songs have so few memorable lyrics for so many of their songs, that could be a problem. It may be a problem for Phish, and if so, Phish will have an even harder time because they're a band known for a being a live band, with studio albums one can ignore, and they never play a song the same way twice. Getting to the song for the Dave Matthews Band, though, it's not going to be the one that goes "Wah. Wahwah-Wah. Wahwah-Wah." I don't need to have "Ants Marching" stuck in my head for thirty-seven weeks every time I hear it. "I Did It" is a song that fans of the band generally hold in comparative mild disdain, so that's out. I think the appropriate choice is "Funny The Way It Is," as it has a jam feel that hints at the potential of sonic secret passageways that can explored when performed live. There's that moment moment of crowd involvement every time the title is sung, but still maintains a pop sensibility that a casual listener can still enjoy, too. Honorable mention to "What Would You Say," which was a serious contender.
John Mayall: I remember a lot of people thought it would be a savvy timesaver to induct John Mayall and Alexis Korner back to back, because of the commonalities of their cases for induction. I'm glad that they didn't do that. They showed respect to each of the inductees by showcasing them separately, despite their similar orbits and accomplishments. They also played different styles of the blues. Also, Mayall has a little more name recognition here in the States, because the name "John Mayall's Bluesbreakers" is slightly more known by American music lovers, even if they can't name a single song. But being the stickler for technicalities that I try to be, it can't be a song credited to the Bluesbreakers. But one final reason that Mayall is slightly better known here is that he had two songs that charted in the U.S., one on the Hot 100, and one on the Bubbling Under charts. The one that made the Hot 100 has a real good feel of down-on-the-farm blues, and really distinguishes him from Korner. In that reverent spirit, I'm going with "Don't Waste My Time."
The MC5: I don't think a single person will be surprised to know the Song Of Proof for the MC5 is going to be "Kick Out The Jams." As much as the Rock Hall tried to steer the narrative on this band towards their political activism, it's gotta come back to the music. The use of distortion as a feature and not a bug is innovative. They were pioneers of punk, their garage rock sound was hard and heavy, and not too many of their songs were really all that political. "American Ruse," absolutely, and also "Motor City Is Burning" too, and I think you could argue the same thing about "Kick Out The Jams." It's the same message of Woodstock, but played heavier, about celebrating who we are as a means to take down the system. It's when peace is loud, and the serenity is found after the cathartic, loud jam. In addition to being the hit song, it really has all the elements together in one punchy tune. So let's kick 'em out.
Ozzy Osbourne: Given that Ozzy only had about a half dozen hits on the Hot 100, I'm not as concerned as about having a crossover hit to represent him as I might for someone that had more pop presence. For Ozzy as a soloist, it's about the songs that distinguish his career and solo identity. In a similar vein, I'm also glad it only took one nomination to get him in, especially after it took eight to finally get Black Sabbath in. But also, the fact that Ozzy died within a year of being inducted, you know that if he didn't get in on that nomination, and then passed away, they'd never have nominated him again, and probably wouldn't have put him in a side category either. Just one and done and gone. For those who follow along, you know that I already use "Crazy Train" to represent Randy Rhoads, so that's off the table. But Blizzard Of Ozz was only one of the albums that he became really well-known for in his solo years. I'm going with a song from a different album, to really distinguish himself as having a Hall-worthy career. Black Sabbath took Ozzy to the heights of stardom, but with albums like Blizzard Of Ozz and Diary Of A Madman, Ozzy was indeed "Flying High Again." And I feel like his solo career really dealt frequently with the subject of the trappings of fame, or could be construed as such, so that also makes it a solid choice for the solo induction.
Big Mama Thornton: For those keeping track, "Hound Dog" is the Song Of Proof for Mike Stoller, one of the cowriters. But that was Elvis's cover. But for those who know the rules, I don't reuse a composition. So either pick a new song for Stoller, or pick a different song for Big Mama. I've chosen to go with the latter route, because for better or worse, Elvis's cover is an extremely important song that really made a seismic difference in the story of rock and roll. And it also helps to remind everyone that Thornton's importance isn't just one song alone. If it were, it would still be worth inducting her, but thankfully it wasn't. Thanks to Janis Joplin, we also know about the importance of "Ball And Chain," which also helped bring a greater awareness to this inductee's importance. But it's not "Ball And Chain" either. I'm choosing to go with a bluesy song that has a lot of the same attitude as "Hound Dog," but it's a different animal altogether, literally. "I Smell A Rat" is the blues record with the tasty guitar licks that shows the special importance of inducting Big Mama Thornton, as more than just the artist who first recorded a seminal Elvis record, into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
A Tribe Called Quest: Choosing the Song Of Proof for A Tribe Called Quest helps take this Songs Of Proof vanity project into new territory, possibly. "Can I Kick It?" might otherwise make a great choice, but it heavily samples another Song Of Proof, "Walk On The Wild Side." It raises questions for me I'm not sure I'll be happy with the results, regardless of how I answer. I suspect that if the Hall continues to induct hip-hop and rap artists, as they absolutely should, then it probably will be inevitable that one Song Of Proof samples another Song Of Proof. Additionally, A Tribe Called Quest also had celebrated songs that credited featured artists, and features culture is currently a big part of hip-hop. I'm not sure if there are too many Hall-worthy rappers who ever had a major hit where they're the only artist of credit, per my rules. It may also be inevitable to revise that standard practice of this project. Today is not that day though. We're gonna kick those cans down the road just a little further. One of this group's biggest hits was a song that had a smooth, but jazzy feel, and had lyrics that were smart, yet still accessible was from arguably their most venerated album, The Low End Theory. Check it out, it's "Check The Rhime."
Dionne Warwick: Somewhere, Future Rock Legends community member Bill G. is pointing at me and laughing, because Dionne Warwick is a Hall Of Famer, but I'm also laughing too, because it was a side category, an induction by fiat. It's a debate that will never be resolved, but will remain in complete suspension in perpetuity because the argument is now moot. This does, however, put a perplexing wrinkle in choosing a song for her. Maybe. It's somewhat funny though, because when I think of the sound of Dionne Warwick's records, at least of the Bacharach-David era, the song that first leaps to mind isn't even a Dionne Warwick record, though she did record a version of that song later on. When I think of a record that epitomized 1960's Dionne Warwick's sound, it's actually Jackie DeShannon's version of "What The World Needs Now Is Love" that springs to mind, and I hate that record. So this requires an honest wiping of the slate and reassessing her discography. It also potentially requires leaving some obvious suspects in the cold, as there aren't a whole mess of Bacharach-David songs that make a good argument for their inductions into the Rock Hall as songwriters. In my opinion, they're very MOR songwriters that happened to be very talented and wrote their best-known songs during the heyday of rock and roll's ascent, but weren't really part of the rock and roll movement. That said, I suspect their inductions will be inevitable, simply because inducting national treasures has been a trend lately, and even deceased, they certainly are that. As for Dionne Warwick, the song for her will do justice to her prime and to the two nominations to the ballot she received. A song that I was surprised to find out was her and not from a girl group of the early '60s, we're going all the way back to "Don't Make Me Over."
Norman Whitfield: Speaking of Bacharach and David, inductions like this are exactly why we have the "Mort Shuman" rule. The obvious dome-scratcher for all of us is trying to understand why they didn't induct Barrett Strong with Whitfield. Maybe in the near future, they can induct Strong and also Jerry Ragovoy, a frequent writing partner of Bert Berns, and oh yeah, Estelle Axton. I'm gonna go with "Psychedelic Shack" by the Temptations as the Song Of Proof for Norman Whitfield. The main reason for this is that the video package for Whitfield really focused on this aspect of his songwriting, especially for the Temptations. After Dennis Edwards replaced David Ruffin in the group, Whitfield is credited with steering the Temptations into this new creative direction. However, since "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" was the song that is historically remembered as being the song that really spurred the Temptations to leave Motown, I figured it would be inappropriate to use that track for him. Since his writing is considered a pioneering part of the psychedelic soul movement, it would be appropriate to call him an architect that built the psychedelic shack, so it's fitting and proper to use that song.
And with that, we put a ribbon and bow on this review of the inductees from the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame's Class Of 2024, through the songs chosen that represent and symbolize their contributions to rock and roll music as a whole. Some required a lot of thought, deliberation, and last minute changes. Some I knew as soon as I heard them would be the chosen ones. All of them are important and have expanded musical horizons for me and for all who listen. Given the time frame and how far behind I fell, the next you'll hear from me on this blog will be a prediction for the nominees for the 2026 ballot. Hopefully I'll also be starting a rough draft to get caught up on the Songs Of Proof for the Class Of 2025. As for this list, are there any songs you would have chosen instead? Let me know in the Comments or on social media. Recapping:
Jimmy Buffett: "Margaritaville"
Cher: "Dark Lady"
Suzanne DePasse: "Lady (You Bring Me Up)" by the Commodores
Foreigner: "Hot Blooded"
Peter Frampton: "Show Me The Way"
Kool And The Gang: "Get Down On It" (Vocal Group Hall Of Fame Song Of Proof: "Joanna")
Alexis Korner: "I Got Cha Number"
The Dave Matthews Band: "Funny The Way It Is"
John Mayall: "Don't Waste My Time"
The MC5: "Kick Out The Jams"
Ozzy Osbourne: "Flying High Again"
Big Mama Thornton: "I Smell A Rat"
A Tribe Called Quest: "Check The Rhime"
Dionne Warwick: "Don't Make Me Over"
Norman Whitfield: "Psychedelic Shack" by the Temptations
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