Here's a chance to help a Hall of Fame voter

Folks, I've been one of the people with a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame vote for the past few years. Today I received my ballot. Of the 15 people, I have to vote for 8 of them, in rank order. Alas, no write-ins are allowed.

Here are this year's nominees, alphabetically:

Abba
AC/DC
Black Sabbath
Chic
The Clash
Elvis Costello & the Attractions
The Dells
Kraftwerk
Lynyrd Skynyrd
MC5
The Police
The Righteous Brothers
Sex Pistols
The Patti Smith Group
Steve Winwood

I'm interested in any feedback from the group. I'll tell you that my ballot is my own, so I will make my own decisions in the end. But I'd appreciate any feedback to help me in my decisions.

Please, do NOT turn this into a rant about who ISN'T in the Hall of Fame yet, unless it's about one of the 15 artists above. I have no say as to who actually gets on the ballot; I only have this small voice as to who gets in.

 

not a real great group from which to choose this year.

definitely:

rightous bros
clash
black sabbatrh
police

posssibly;

ac/dc
elvis costello


the one that confuses me is steve winwood, where is traffic/

renny

 

The Police

 

Tim

Let me start by paying you a long overdue compliment. Your books are simply the best. thank you for all the hard work you put into them.

IMO the ones that are clearly a cut above if I were to divide this group in two would be....

Abba for sheer volume and impact on a nation
Black Sabbath for staying power and impact on a genre
Elvis Costello and the Attractions for excellence and innovation in their era
The Police for sheer popularity and obvious excellence in their craft (I'm not a fan of theirs)
The Righteous Bros. For some of the greatest most memorable songs in the history of radio
Steve Winwood for a long diverse career and for being one of the great voices of Rock and Roll.

The Clash are on the border for me on this one. I'm pretty indifferent about their music but they did have an impact.

 

Well, it's a crime that Sabbath hasn't made it in yet. Long overdue.

And the Hall would be rather empty without The Police & Skynyrd.

I know these are the no-brainer choices, but if that were so, Sabbath & Skynyrd would be in by now!

 

My humble opinion:

The Clash
Black Sabbath
Elvis Costello
Skynyrd
The Police
AC/DC

While ABBA was great, I don't consider them a rock n' roll band. Maybe the Pop Hall Of Fame would be a better fit.

Jeff

 

Chic - are you sure that's not Chic-ago. We wish! It looks like it's going to be another crappy year with many deserving artists left out, but hopefully not as bad as last year.

 

My choices in rank order:
Black Sabbath
Steve Winwood
Righteous Brothers
Elvis Costello
MC5

Possibly
The Clash
Sex Pistols, big influence but can you make the hall on the basis of only one album.

Kind of funny with MC5 and Patty Smith up in the same year.

 

Abba Yes
AC/DC No
Black Sabbath Yes
Chic No
The Clash Yes
Elvis Costello & the Attractions NO
The Dells No
Kraftwerk No
Lynyrd Skynyrd No
MC5 NO
The Police Yes
The Righteous Brothers No
Sex Pistols No
The Patti Smith Group No
Steve Winwood No

Thanks,
Aaron

 

Yep, and the provincial Detroiter and indie/punk fan in me would dearly love to see both get elected, but I have to admit they wouldn't be my top choices if I were voting.

I'd go with...

1. Elvis Costello
2. The Clash
3. AC/DC
4. Steve Winwood
5. Black Sabbath
6. Righteous Brothers
7. MC5
8. Patti Smith

 

Here are my choices (not ranked):

AC/DC
Black Sabbath
The Clash
Elvis Costello & the Attractions
Lynyrd Skynyrd
The Righteous Brothers
The Patti Smith Group
Steve Winwood

The rest I didn't choose because of a lack of a sustaining career (Pistols, MC5), little impact on rock & roll per se (Abba, Chic, Dells [might be wrong on the latter], Kraftwerk), or indifference on my part (Police).

Isn't Winwood in as part of Traffic? I know individuals from groups can also be selected (I think Clapton is in three times (Yardbirds, Cream, solo). I prefer Winwood's work with Spencer Davis and Traffic more than his solo work, but as someone already pointed out, you gotta have that voice in the Hall Of Fame.

 

My choice would be:

1. The Police
2. Elvis Costello

The others are great but these 2 have been major influences in what I listen to in Rock. Funny how they are both British bands (not counting Stewart Copeland; American drummer).

 

correct me if i am wrong, but i don't think traffic is in.


renny

 

Quick question, Tim: are they still counting Patti Smith and the Patti Smith Group as separate candidates? I guess my answer would still be the same, but I'm still curious.

You can make a good case for all 15, but here's the 8 I would put in first:

 

If only eight are allowed

4. Abba
1. AC/DC
2. Black Sabbath
5. Kraftwerk
6. Lynyrd Skynyrd
3. The Police
7. The Righteous Brothers
8. Steve Winwood

All the best - Andrew

 

I understand Ozzy has requested, in writing, not to have Black Sabbath inducted.

If this is true for all members of this particular group, then I would say that one should honor his request.

It's more a matter of whether an artist has such a choice than whether I, or anyone else, thinks he deserves to be inducted. And I certainly do.

I just think there's a place for those who follow such a course.

As far as the list goes, I am always pleased and disappointed by the process and the result.

For me, anyone who can get a record contract (even independently), be considered part of rock 'n' roll and get on the charts deserves some sort of recognition.

But here goes:

1. Elvis Costello & the Attractions
2. Abba
3. The Clash
4. AC/DC
5. The Police
6. Sex Pistols
7. Chic
8. The Righteous Brothers
9. Kraftwerk
10. The Patti Smith Group
11. MC5
12. The Dells
13. Lynyrd Skynyrd
14. Steve Winwood
15. Black Sabbath (by choice?)

 

AC/DC
The Clash
Elvis Costello & the Attractions
Lynyrd Skynyrd
MC5
The Police
The Righteous Brothers
The Patti Smith Group

Ozzy keeps asking that Black Sabbath be left off the ballot, so I'll honor that request. Otherwise, they'd go in rather than AC/DC.

Abba? Chic? Seriously? Good records, hardly hall of fame material. Hell, if we're going to induct Abba, why not The Monkees, too?

Sex Pistols are way over-rated and over-hyped. The Clash deserve it.

Skynyrd's induction should only include pre-crash line-ups (obvious, I'd hope).

Winwood should be in with Traffic. His solo career doesn't warrant induction.

The Attractions have gotta go in with Costello. Let's not repeat that whole E-Street Band fiasco.

Don't let Sting's ego-fueled decent into lameness fool you. The Police deserve induction.

Wouldn't it be nice to see Patti Smith and Fred "Sonic" Smith go into the hall together?

 

In:

Black Sabbath
The Clash
Lynyrd Skynyrd
The Righteous Brothers


On the bubble:

Elvis Costello
AC/DC
Sex Pistols
MC5

 

1. Black Sabbath - this one is a no-brainer. They started a long-lasting genre, which continues till today. They should be at the top of this list, or any list - by leaps and bounds. I'm not the biggest fan; but I'm no dummy either.

2. MC5 - albeit less popular than the Pistols, they laid the groundwork where all other punk artists walked. Again, I'm not the biggest fan.

3. The Police - the most musically gifted musicians of their generation. I'd dare say underrated, or at least their mastery wasn't taken as seriously as it should have been. Love these guys to death.

4. AC/DC - it's AC/DC for God's sake! AC/DC!

5. The Clash - in their short time, they had a profound affect on music. They were idealists, accessible without ever becoming sell-outs - a real feat amongst an audience of hardened cynics. The highest quality punk rock output ever. If any blueprint was followed more in the late 90's/early 00's, it was the book of Clash.

6. Lynyrd Skynyrd - if Southern rock is to be acknowledged, than Skynyrd is synonymous with it - no doubt.

7. Steve Winwood - a long, varied, and pronounced career deserves merit.

8. Elvis Costello & the Attractions - real artistry and song-crafting should be held at a premium.

-----------------------------------

9. The Sex Pistols - they had a profound and deep impact. They also gave rock an infusion of angst/anger when it was greatly needed. They burned out too soon, but then it wouldn't have been punk if they had lasted.

Abba - Would love to have picked them, but they weren't a rock group - ditto for the amazing electronica of Kraftwerk.

The Patti Smith Group - just missed it, for me.

And even though rock has its roots in r&b, the Dells were more of a pop-soul/r&b group. At least that's how I hear it.

Chic? They were the antithesis of everything rock. There should be a Disco Hall of Fame; but I'm just not sure where they should place it. But it had better not be Detroit

The Righteous Brothers - had a few memorable moments, but little lasting influence or impact. I apologize to all of the Hall & Oates fans out there.

Josh

 

not that I'm a hall of fame kinda guy....

...since you asked.

Abba - Vocal Group Hall Of Fame certainly.
AC/DC - little too early.
Black Sabbath - certainly, lasting influence over several generations.
Chic - no, I don't get the rock n roll connection with this one.
Clash - no objections
Costello - really faded for me after the first album, no.
Dells - sure, Oh What A Night will be heard forever.
Kraftwerk - see the Chic line.
Skynyrd - Southern Rock icons, a natural here(although I'm not a fan).
MC5 - a garage rock novelty act.
Police - yes, have to go with this one.
Righteous Brothers - yes, even though I choke on Unchained Melody.
Sex Pistols - Johnny Rotten!
Patti Smith - what real lasting impact is there here?
Steve Winwood - yes, he's earned his place.

Best!

 

Black Sabbath - The all time Grandfathers of Metal

Kraftwerk - Good or Bad the goup that got the whole electronic dance thing going

MC5 - between them and the Stooges Punk was invented

The Patti Smith Group - The goddess of beatnik rock

 

Lynyrd Skynyrd
AC/DC
Black Sabbath

 

If it were my say...

1. Steve Winwood
2. MC5
3. Black Sabbath
4. The Police
5. Abba
6. The Clash
7. Sex Pistols
8. The Patti Smith Group
9. AC/DC
10. Lynyrd Skynyrd
11. Kraftwerk
12. Elvis Costello & the Attractions
13. Chic
14. The Dells