Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - What Were They Thinking?

And now the followup to yesterday's celebratory post about the induction of Rush and Heart into the R&R HoF - groups that ought to be in and aren't, and groups that are in that shouldn't be.

We begin with a pair of questions that apply the KISS test:

How in the world did _______ get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame before KISS?

Why in the world is _______ in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame while KISS is not?

They don't look much different today than they did thirty years ago.

Disclaimer: Southern Man is not a KISS fan. Indeed, in his college days (Nazarene private college) KISS was often upheld as the exemplar of the satanic evil that was rock-and-roll. But, fan or not, you've got to admit that KISS had a substantial impact on rock, particularly on live performance where they were at the forefront of the "arena rock" wave.


Like 'em or not, this band can rock. At least when they're not playing Beth or I Was Made For Lovin' You. Hey, maybe that's what's holding them back.

Kiss usually sit atop lists of "bands that should be in the R&R HoF, but aren't."

Southern Man's favorite KISS story: First semester of freshman year, a good friend's roommate was a hard-core KISS fan. He had brought a fairly elaborate stereo and all of the band's albums and stayed up all night Sunday night listening to them through headphones.

Then he slept through the first day of classes.

Why, yes, he did flunk out first semester and Southern Man replaced him as friend's roommate second semester.

At any rate, Southern Man supposes that the complaints about the R&R HoF are two-fold: they induct acts that aren't rock (eg, Donna Summer this year), and haven't inducted some pretty obvious choices (Bad Company, Jethro Tull, Joan Jette, Judas Priest, KISS, The Moody Blues, T-Rex...). One argues that progressive bands like Kansas and Yes will never be inducted and Styx bears the double albatross of Babe and Kilroy Was Here (the KWH tour was an epic concert, by the way) but - Donna Summer? Run-DMC? Grandmaster Flash? Disco and hip-hop shouldn't be in the R&R HoF when bands like those listed above are still waiting in the wings.

A Joan Jett story: way back in the day when she was still relatively unknown and playing small venues a guy in the front row held up a sign saying "$100 for your panties after the show!" She saw it and mouthed back "I'm not wearing any!" That should put her in the R&R HoF, right there. She sure put on a good show earlier this year.

It's always dangerous for a little-read blog like this to solicit comments but what the hell - if you have an opinion on a band and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, post it.

Added later - wow, I'm still editing the post and we already have a nomination.


These guys can still rock!