Opinion: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Fails Rock Music
Source: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. (Photo by: John Greim/Loop Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
On Saturday, Oct. 19, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will induct another class into its hallowed halls during its annual induction ceremony in Cleveland. While several fantastic artists will become part of a collection of legendary artists in the music industry, even the most casual of rock music fans could look at this list and ask “why has it taken so long for them to get in?”
It’s because the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has failed rock music for decades.
Now I want to make this perfectly clear: I love many genres of music outside of rock and the artists of those genres, including some of the non-rock artists set to be inducted. This article takes nothing away from those who will be inducted come Saturday night, but rather taking aim at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame itself. How can this hall of fame bear the name “rock,” yet feature and prioritize figures completely outside of the genre over actual rock musicians and groups?
Source: Ozzy Osbourne sings and performs at halftime of Los Angeles Rams vs. Buffalo Bills game at SoFi Stadium Inglewood, CA 9/8/2022. (Kohjiro Kinno /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
For reference, here’s a list of this year’s inductees:
Performer award:
- Mary J. Blige
- Cher
- Dave Matthews Band
- Foreigner
- Peter Frampton
- Kool & The Gang
- Ozzy Osbourne (as a solo artist)
- A Tribe Called Quest
Musical Excellence award:
- Jimmy Buffett
- MC5
- Dionne Warwick
- Norman Whitfield
Musical Influence award:
- Alexis Korner
- John Mayall
- Big Mama Thornton
Ahmet Ertegün award:
- Suzanne De Passe
The Performer award, according to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, goes to “artists who have created music whose originality, impact, and influence has changed the course of rock ‘n’ roll.”
Source: Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Phife Dawg (aka Malik Izaak Taylor) and Q-Tip (aka Kamaal Ibn John Fareed) of the hip hop group “A Tribe Called Quest” pose for a portrait session on September 1, 1993 in New York . (Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
I love A Tribe Called Quest: What have they done to “change the course of rock ‘n’ roll?” I’m not here to pick on A Tribe Called Quest, a group that changed the direction of hip-hop and rap music in the late 20th Century. I’m here to shine a spotlight on the fact that these groups and other artists completely unrelated to rock or “rock ‘n’ roll” have led to extremely long delays for artists that had an actual impact on the genre the hall shares a name with.
Foreigner’s first record, Foreigner, was released in 1977. Frampton’s first, Wind of Change, was released in 1972. Osbourne’s first, Blizzard of Ozz, was released in 1980. That means they were all eligible in 2002, 1997 and 2005, respectively. It shouldn’t have taken until 2024 for these absolute rock legends to end up in the hall of fame. It shows a clear failure by the hall in regard to the genre of music it supposedly represents and celebrates.
Source: Peter Frampton performs at the City Parks Foundation 2024 Dinner & Concert Benefit at SummerStage at Rumsey Playfield, Central Park on September 26, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Valerie Terranova/Getty Images)
These delayed inductions have also come at the cost of members and contributors to these artists being unable to attend because they’re no longer with us. Former Foreigner bassist Ed Gagliardi and drummer Ian McDonald passed away in 2014 and 2022, respectively. Their band should’ve been inducted during their lifetimes. The hall failed them.
Mary J. Blige, Kool & The Gang and A Tribe Called Quest (Cher had some rock elements in her music, so I won’t spend time arguing her inclusion) all deserve recognition and entrance into a relevant music hall of fame fitting of their contributions to music and their genres, but they shouldn’t be nominated for induction into a rock hall of fame. They’re not the first non-rock artists to make it in, and they’re more than likely not going to be the last.
At this point I’m convinced continued inclusions of non-rock-related artists are made to keep the hall relevant to their standards. Maybe it’s because the hall is in Cleveland (sorry, I’m from Chicagoland, couldn’t resist). If that’s the case, then why doesn’t the hall do something noble and aid the genre, as the current state of rock music far from the mainstream compared to its heyday 30+ years ago.
Source: Lou Gramm performs at Pine Knob Music Theatre on August 23, 2024 in Clarkston, Michigan. (Scott Legato/Getty Images)
At this point the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame needs to accept the reality that it’s not a rock and roll hall of fame; it’s a general music one. Foreigner, Frampton and Osbourne should’ve been in decades ago, along with several more rock artists that have yet to even be nominated or thrown on a ballot.
Put REO Speedwagon in already dammit!
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s induction of the Class of 2024 takes place at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. It will be broadcasted live on Disney+ at 6 p.m.
