Another year, another reminder that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is ridiculous.
The just-announced nominees for the March 2008 induction into the Hall are Madonna, the Beastie Boys, John Mellencamp, Donna Summer, Leonard Cohen, Afrika Bambaataa, the Dave Clark Five, the Ventures and Chic. Five will be chosen.
Madonna and the Beastie Boys, both first-time nominees, would appear to be shoo-ins. Mellencamp was previously on the 2004 and 2006 ballots, but maybe those Chevy truck ads will give him that extra corporate rock credibility so he can make the cut this time.
Not on this year’s ballot is the band that the non-affiliated Web site Future Rock Hall considered the heaviest favorite to be inducted in 2008: Metallica.
Metallica? They play loud guitars, don’t they? Why would the New York-based nominating committee want to consider a group like that?
Other first-time eligible groups this year that didn’t make the ballot: Sonic Youth, Violent Femmes, Janet Jackson, Marshall Crenshaw and, it must be noted, Wham!
Kiss fans may protest again, but, really, getting upset at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame rejection is silly. Rock ‘n’ roll is about inclusion, not exclusion, and if a club doesn’t accept the cool kids, then why would you want to be a part of it anyway?
If I were in a rock ‘n’ roll band, I would rather be in the non-club that includes XTC, Television, the Zombies, Tom Waits, Love, the Hollies, the Stooges, Fairport Convention/Richard Thompson, Squeeze, the Specials, Nick Lowe, Nick Drake, Graham Parker, Irma Thomas, Electric Light Orchestra, Genesis/Peter Gabriel, the Buzzcocks, Randy Newman, Roxy Music, Procol Harum, ABBA, Big Star, the Mekons, Yes, Rush, the Spinners, Gram Parsons, War and the Monkees.
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Pop Machine taking a break
With this column, Pop Machine takes off on a seven-month book leave. See you in May.
