Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2013 nominees

            It took a while for the Hall to announce the nominees for next year but here they are: 15 artists have been nominated. Five of them will be inducted in a ceremony that will take place in April of next year. For the first time ever, the Hall is letting the public have their say in who they want in. The Hall will then take the top five on December 5 in the fans’ ballot and take it into consideration with the big heads. I must say this year’s list of nominees: pretty good. Like I do as usual, I will split the fifteen artists into separate categories.

Get them in!: My ballot

Deep Purple- The British hard rock legends have finally been nominated. Formed in 1968, Deep Purple are considered one of the pioneering acts in the genre of heavy metal. The band hit their peak in the early 1970’s with albums such as Deep Purple In Rock, Fireball, and Machine Head. The latter featured the hit single, “Smoke on the Water”. Deep Purple were also one of those bands that went through several line-up changes. Of the line-ups, the best of them was Mark II: singer Ian Gillian, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, bassist Roger Glover, drummer Ian Paice, and keyboardist Jon Lord. The band split in 1976, but reunited in 1984. Since then, the band is still going on strong. As to which members the Hall will choose to induct, I think they’ll induct just the Mark II line-up. Sadly, a full-blown reunion is not possible since Lord passed earlier this year from cancer. The question is if Blackmore (who doesn’t perform rock music anymore) will be willing to join Gillian, Glover, and Paice for a one-off performance. We’ll have to wait and see.

Rush- I’m pleasantly surprised that the Hall has finally nominated the Canadian prog-rock trio. Formed in 1968, Rush have been together for a long time. While never a huge mainstream chart-topping act, Rush have managed to build a very loyal fan base as well as a cult following. The band have released 19 albums (their most recent being Clockwork Angels from this year). Albums such as 2112 and Moving Pictures are considered classics. Another thing to note is that since their second album in 1974 Fly By Night, the line-up in the band hasn’t changed. Rush consist of guitarist Alex Lifeson, bassist/singer Geddy Lee, and drummer Neil Peart. If inducted, it’ll obviously be those three getting in. The band also had bassist Jeff Jones (he was a member for a week, according to sources) and drummer John Rutsey (R.I.P.), who played on the band’s debut album.

Joan Jett and the Black Hearts- The Hall doesn’t have enough female artists in there. Joan Jett deserves to be in. After the split of the Runaways, Jett quickly got a new band together and found her own success as a solo artist. I still think the Runaways should be inducted first but if they can’t get in, Joan should.

Heart- Fronted by sisters Nancy and Ann Wilson, Heart found success in the mid-1970’s as one of the most successful rock groups of that time. The band made a comeback in the mid to late 1980’s with songs such as “Alone” and “Never”. They are still going today and deserve a place in the Hall.

Paul Butterfield Blues Band- I know very little about the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. I know that they were extremely influential and that they were one of the first rock acts on Elektra Records. Just for seniority alone, they should be in.

Okay

Procol Harum- I’m surprised that the Hall decided to pick not one but TWO progressive rock acts. In all honesty, I’m not too familiar with Procol Harum’s work but they should’ve been in a long time ago.

Kraftwerk- The experimental kautrock band has finally received a nod from the Hall. Much like Procol Harum, I know very little but I wouldn’t mind seeing them get in.

Randy Newman- I’m surprised Randy Newman isn’t in yet. He’s a great songwriter. The guy has been teased about the sound of his voice but the guy is a pro.

If you must…

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Donna Summer- It’s pretty much official: Donna is getting in this year. With all of her previous nominations and her death earlier this year, she’ll get in without any trouble. Still, I’m not too crazy about her music. In my previous times evaluating the Hall’s nods, I didn’t want Donna Summer in there. I don’t consider her as rock music. Still I’m going to admit it now (and I’m not just saying this just because she died): I’ve always liked “She Works Hard For the Money”. I remember at the time of her death Slash said he liked some of her music even though he doesn’t like disco. I’ll be very surprised if she doesn’t get in.

Owl convention (Who?)

Albert King, Chic, The Marvelettes, The Meters- Listen: I’ve heard of these people before and I don’t really have a problem with R&B acts getting in the Hall. Still, I feel like the Hall goes a bit gaga over the R&B acts. I mean, I think they’re at the bottom of the barrel here. The Hall should focus more on the ROCK acts that aren’t in.

PISS OFF!

Public Enemy and NWA- You all know my feeling on rap music: I hate it. Don’t preach to me about genre politics and say “Oh, well rap is rock music because of this and that”. PU-LEASE! I know what I said about R&B and whatnot. I know that Grandmaster Flash, Run DMC, and the Beastie Boys are in already but I don’t want any more rap or hip hop in the Hall. It annoys the hell out of me. Please stop.