Troy McClure
Suter will never be scratched
Not one act eligible for the first time was nominated because the Baby Boomer geriatrics who run the Hall hate newer music, so instead we get a bunch of acts previously nominated and a few third tier spares sprinkled in to round out this offering.
Here are the nominees for the 2019 class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with my perfect designations of who belongs and who has to buy a ticket to get in. Only five get in.
Devo - No. You could probably talk me into them on the influence side of things, but they were never really all that big.
Radiohead – Yes. I’m not a fan, but I can’t deny their fame, longevity, contribution, etc.
Roxy Music - No. Wikipedia tells me they were some Brit band who never made a splash in the US. Their biggest hit was #30 over here. Sorry, they can go apply to the British Music Hall of Fame.
Rage Against the Machine – Yes. No real debate here. Hit the trifecta of being innovative, super famous, and influential.
LL Cool J – Yes. Shame he’s the only rapper nominated, but he was one of those breakthrough acts who helped make rap mainstream. He almost lost his spot though because of I Need Love. What were you thinking, LL?
MC5 -- No. This is part of the annual appeal to the Baby Boomer donors by nominating some third tier spare bands from the 60s.
Janet Jackson – Yes. I’m not a fan of putting the pop/dance act in, but she was as big as they come for a pretty good run. She owned MTV for a few years. She also did an amazing job of distinguishing herself from her siblings.
Todd Rundgren - No. No way. This is all about dredging the bottom trying to find more acts from the 70s.
Kraftwerk - No, but you could talk me into them. They certainly meet the influence requirement. Generally, I'm going to say yes to a band who is credited with inventing a genre. In some ways they meet the fame requirement because everyone knows the Kraftwerk name, but where I struggle with them is they are a band everyone has heard of but no one listens to. When is the last time anyone sat down to listen to Kraftwerk?
The Cure - No. They would be a yes if there weren't five bigger bands or music media darlings already nominated in the class. Had a couple different runs of commercial success. Pretty darn influential. Their longevity doesn’t hurt.
The Zombies - No. It's time to be done with the 60s. That decade is done. It's been mined since the first day the Rock Hall opened. There is nothing left. Any band from then that hasn't made it in doesn't deserve it. The only reason leftovers like this gets nominated is to make the old donors happy. Stop nominating this B team band.
Rufus & Chaka Khan - No. This might be the third or fourth consecutive year they’ve nominated Chaka Khan. This time, they’re trying a slightly different iteration. The answer still should be no.
Def Leppard - Yes. Their run in the 80s was super impressive. They also wrote the most played strip club song of all time. It’s an impressive resume.
John Prine - No. Never heard of him.
Stevie Nicks – No. She’s already in for Fleetwood Mac. Her solo work isn’t good enough to deserve special recognition.
Radiohead, the Cure, Rage, Janet Jackson Nominated for Rock Hall of Fame 2019 | Pitchfork
Here are the nominees for the 2019 class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with my perfect designations of who belongs and who has to buy a ticket to get in. Only five get in.
Devo - No. You could probably talk me into them on the influence side of things, but they were never really all that big.
Radiohead – Yes. I’m not a fan, but I can’t deny their fame, longevity, contribution, etc.
Roxy Music - No. Wikipedia tells me they were some Brit band who never made a splash in the US. Their biggest hit was #30 over here. Sorry, they can go apply to the British Music Hall of Fame.
Rage Against the Machine – Yes. No real debate here. Hit the trifecta of being innovative, super famous, and influential.
LL Cool J – Yes. Shame he’s the only rapper nominated, but he was one of those breakthrough acts who helped make rap mainstream. He almost lost his spot though because of I Need Love. What were you thinking, LL?
MC5 -- No. This is part of the annual appeal to the Baby Boomer donors by nominating some third tier spare bands from the 60s.
Janet Jackson – Yes. I’m not a fan of putting the pop/dance act in, but she was as big as they come for a pretty good run. She owned MTV for a few years. She also did an amazing job of distinguishing herself from her siblings.
Todd Rundgren - No. No way. This is all about dredging the bottom trying to find more acts from the 70s.
Kraftwerk - No, but you could talk me into them. They certainly meet the influence requirement. Generally, I'm going to say yes to a band who is credited with inventing a genre. In some ways they meet the fame requirement because everyone knows the Kraftwerk name, but where I struggle with them is they are a band everyone has heard of but no one listens to. When is the last time anyone sat down to listen to Kraftwerk?
The Cure - No. They would be a yes if there weren't five bigger bands or music media darlings already nominated in the class. Had a couple different runs of commercial success. Pretty darn influential. Their longevity doesn’t hurt.
The Zombies - No. It's time to be done with the 60s. That decade is done. It's been mined since the first day the Rock Hall opened. There is nothing left. Any band from then that hasn't made it in doesn't deserve it. The only reason leftovers like this gets nominated is to make the old donors happy. Stop nominating this B team band.
Rufus & Chaka Khan - No. This might be the third or fourth consecutive year they’ve nominated Chaka Khan. This time, they’re trying a slightly different iteration. The answer still should be no.
Def Leppard - Yes. Their run in the 80s was super impressive. They also wrote the most played strip club song of all time. It’s an impressive resume.
John Prine - No. Never heard of him.
Stevie Nicks – No. She’s already in for Fleetwood Mac. Her solo work isn’t good enough to deserve special recognition.
Radiohead, the Cure, Rage, Janet Jackson Nominated for Rock Hall of Fame 2019 | Pitchfork