Author: ifmyalbumscouldtalk

It’s official. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2024 inductees. And how did they do it? No, it wasn’t on a live feed on YouTube, Facebook, X or some other 21st century technology. Nope, since the Hall is totally in touch with the tastes of the world, they had the audacity to announce their newest class on a television show that hasn’t been relevant in two decades, American Idol.

I kind of get it since Disney/ABC have the broadcasting rights to the induction ceremony. I mean, couldn’t they have done the announcement during an episode of Abbott Elementary or even Jimmy Kimmel Live! No, in an effort to tie in this class with a music television show that stars an actual Hall inductee in Lionel Richie in the hopes of boosting the ratings, the powers-that-be choose this manner in which to announce the Hall’s latest class in order to get the whole thing out to a broader audience.

No doubt about it, it’s worth a try. There’s a big reason: The Baby Boomers are now seniors just as Gen X-ers are beginning to join AARP. That means that it will be a scant twenty years in which the Hall will become even more insignificant as rock music currently seems to be. But, by attempting to appeal to the Millennials, Gen Z-ers and Gen Alpha members, the Hall is attempting to turn the institution into a living, breathing organism in which Jann Wenner initially envisioned. Unfortunately, his insistence on turning the Hall into some jazz museum only for the elite is what separated the people from the Hall. I honestly believe the current leaders of the Hall recognize this issue and are attempting to induct many of the important acts of the past sixty years before the current artists are eligible. Who besides me sees a problem with Wanda Jackson awaiting induction until AFTER Olivia Rodrigo’s induction in 2046, or something like that.

While I admire the Hall’s sudden 180 on induction class numbers, it is definitely twenty years too late. I believe that ten performers should be inducted each year for a decade to alleviate this major logjam of important artists for their proper place in rock and roll immortality.

In all honesty, I am not going to touch the induction of any honoree of the Ahmet Ertegun Award. This year, the award goes to a huge influence on the whole industry, Suzanne de Passe. That award is a great one for the insiders. I am more concerned about the performers, be it for Musical Excellence, Musical Influence or the traditional manner. I have been quite pleased over the past couple of years’ worth of inductees within Musical Excellence and Musical Influence.

This year we are inducting Jimmy Buffett, the MC5, Dionne Warwick and soul songwriter Norman Whitfield (he wrote many of the Temptations’ biggest songs of the late-Sixties and early-Seventies). With Buffett, we get a man who was a HUGE concert draw despite in relatively low record sales. But, he was savvy enough to take his one big hit, 1977’s “Margaritaville” and cashed it in for all it was worth with restaurants and the such. He also took a minor hit song, “Cheeseburger in Paradise” and franchised the hell out of it for burger joints across the country.

With the MC5, the Hall finally got the purveyors of political rhetoric and fiery music that influenced punks such as The Clash, Dead Kennedys and Rage Against the Machine. On the other hand, Dionne Warwick was also finding it a hard way to get into the Hall as a performer. But her smooth soul paved the way for acts like the 5th Dimension and eventually a whole homogenized genre affectionately known as Yacht Rock.

On the Musical Influence side, the very vocal contingency crying for Big Mama Thornton to FINALLY be inducted will now have to turn their attention to another deserving pre-rock & roll artist, maybe like Johnny Burnette’s Rock and Roll Trio or the aforementioned Wanda Jackson or Patsy Cline? Then, if you read the liner notes of albums like I do, especially of albums created in the Sixties and Seventies, you will have read the other two names often: Alexis Korner and John Mayall. These two gentlemen have had a large shadow cast over the music of those two decades and are much deserving.

Finally, this year the Hall is inducting EIGHT acts! They have been slowly inching upwards since Wenner’s 2020 ouster as president. First, they went to six, then seven and now eight inductees. I really believe they are working their way toward having big classes once again, like in the beginning before Wenner gave in to his elitist side. This year’s inductees, as announced by Lionel Richie and Ryan Seacrest are hip hop/R&B soul sister Mary J. Blige, the age-defying Cher, Nineties jamband Dave Matthews Band, Seventies and Eighties arena rock force Foreigner, guitarist and vocalist Peter Frampton, funk band-turned-R&B crooners Kool & the Gang, the legendary Ozzy Osbourne (FINALLY!) and innovative rap group A Tribe Called Quest.

Overall, I am satisfied with the class. Did we honestly need to induct Mary J. Blige or Dave Matthews Band before Mariah Carey or Soundgarden, The Smashing Pumpkins, Alice in Chains, Jane’s Addiction, The Smiths, Styx, etc.? Not at all! Yet, I understand why. Ratings for the induction ceremony to be streamed live on Disney+, then edited (you still can’t say the seven words on television George Carlin) and rebroadcast later on ABC. I do want to attend an induction ceremony, even if I have to sit in the “shitty seats.” But, I am waiting for Paul Weller to be inducted in one form or another, be it with The Jam, The Style Council, solo or all three! Or, if a class has more than two alternative acts from the Eighties and Nineties in order to celebrate my youth.

For years now, I have been on a one-man crusade to get former Cincinnati Reds shortstop Dave Concepcion inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. I may be a trained medical technologist/microbiologist and high school science teacher/track and field and basketball coach, but I was raised by a small coterie of teachers, most of whom were history teachers, that all drilled into my head the importance of history, no matter the subject.

This has led me to become something of a historian of various pandemics (my microbiology side), various sports (basketball, baseball and track & field) and, the subject upon which this blog is based, rock and roll. I was grabbed by the sounds of rock & roll early. According to my mom, who had a tendency to exaggerate stories, used to say that she remembered me dancing in my playpen to the sounds of artists on afternoon American TV shows like American Bandstand, Shindig! and Hullabaloo. That part of her story I don’t doubt. And she may be sticking to the facts when she said that I LOVED Paul Revere & the Raiders since I remember her buying me one of their albums when I was four years old.

And since my father was a principal after I turned six, I became a regular at the school’s middle school “sock hops,” dancing with the cheerleaders and other girls at those dances. Around that same time, I remember buying 45 singles on occasion, while getting many of the singles from the school jukebox whenever the guy came in to change the records in it. That was so cool that he was just giving me those old 45s just because I was interested in what he was doing. Unwittingly, since Dad made sure I was present for jukebox change days, he was feeding into my budding vinyl music affliction from which I still suffer today.

By the time I was in third grade, my mom was allowing me to add 8-Track tapes to my Christmas and birthday lists. That year I received the following tapes to begin my addiction: Carpenters’ Singles 1969-1973, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John and The Rolling Stones’ Goats Head Soup. Then came my first rock musician obsession: Alice Cooper. Back in fourth and fifth grade, I noticed that the high school kids loved Alice Cooper. So when I first heard “School’s Out” and “No More Mister Nice Guy,” I immediately became infatuated with this music. After much begging, I finally got the School’s Out album on 8-Track for my birthday, then I used my good behavior money and allowance of two months in order to purchase my first album, Alice’s Billion Dollar Babies. After sports, music became my way to deal with the world.

Slowly, through middle school and high school, I began to accumulate a small album collection. By the time I went to college, I had between 100 and 150 albums. After I had been in college for a couple of weeks, a couple of College Bowl team members from my dorm approached me to become their pop culture expert. At that time, I started reading not just Rolling Stone and Creem magazines but also trivia books and biographies. I was devouring this stuff nearly by the truckload over the next decade.

In the meantime, my record collection began to grow exponentially. As I neared 200 albums in my collection, a fraternity brother wanted to be the person to buy my 200th album. My album count became a weekly topic in our frat’s minutes from our weekly house meetings. When I announced that I finally picked up album number 199, this particular frat brother brought to me Neil Young’s Rust Never Sleeps to become my official two hundredth album in my collection.

As the information of seemingly useless rock and roll began to fill my head and my body was failing me, I needed something on which to focus I, through the encouragement of a couple of friends who were authors, started this blog. Then, over the course of the pandemic, my blog was picked up by some real rock journalists, podcasters and musicians that my reputation within the rock world modestly grew. At that time, I was invited into the world of Hall Watchers, a group of writers, DJs, podcasters, etc. who watched the nominations and inductions of artists into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. As more and more rock artists were being kept out of the Hall, people began to complain on social media. That’s when the Hall Watchers began a program to improve and reenact the voting for the Hall of Fame. When the final vote took place that ended with the most up to date artists in 2022, we had corrected nearly EVERYTHING that was wrong about the nomination and induction process currently in use. I am not sure if the result of our work is still online, but let’s just say that they would be fewer complaints about the Hall and its inductees if our rules had been implemented. The bottom line is that record, merchandise and concert ticket sales matter! Rock and roll has ALWAYS been about the people and their likes and dislikes. Rock and roll is no place for elitism, as former Hall direction and Rolling Stone magazine founder wanted it to be. Slowly, current Hall head and former head of MTV back in the music days John Sykes has been nudging the Hall toward a place being for the people, not the critics. I may not live to see all of our changes implemented, but they will come soon enough. Too many artists are being inducted well AFTER they have passed away. We should be celebrated the brilliance of these gifted people while they are alive and not giving their awards posthumously to their living kin.

I have created a list of artists who all should be inducted quickly. These people are all important to the history of rock and roll. Some were wildly popular during their heydays, while others were highly influential long after they left the industry. But, all of them share a common theme in that they all made an impact on their fans and the rock world in general. Remember, these rankings are based on MY opinion of the artists’ impact, in addition to their influence on my taste in music. I have ranked 100 artists, with an extra 15 artists named to my Honorable Mention section. I have added the ranking each artist has on the Not in the Hall of Fame website in order to give you an idea what the experts believe about these artists. If an artist has an asterisk (*) after their name, they have been nominated for induction in 2024. But, believe me when I say that I have AT LEAST 100 more artists who should be considered for induction.

Honorable Mention:

115. Jimmy Buffett (129) – Had one hit song, “Margaritaville.” Best known as a touring artist.

114. Muse (87) – One of the better rock artists of the 21st century.

113. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds (52) – Woefully underappreciated literary-type of artist who began in the Goth realm.

112. Scorpions (54) – Highly influential German metal band from the Eighties.

111. No Doubt (126) – Brought Eighties-styled ska and new wave into the Nineties and had many hit songs during their relatively short run in the spotlight; jumpstarted Gwen Stefani’s solo career.

110. PJ Harvey (36) – This Brit arrived on the alternative scene around the same time as American Liz Phair, bringing the angry young woman point of view to rock music.

109. Suede (89) – One of the first Britpop bands to make an impact on both sides of the Atlantic.

108. Mott the Hoople (95) – One of the great British Glam rock bands of the early Seventies; known for “All the Young Dudes.”

107. Los Lobos (109) – The rocking Mexicano rock band who brilliantly straddles the Latin and white American musical crowds.

106. Steppenwolf (42) – One of the great rock bands of the late-Sixties; known for their hits “Born to Be Wild” and “Magic Carpet Ride.”

105. Pantera (58) – Brought heavy metal into the Nineties, plain and simple.

104. X (101) – Broke out of L.A.’s hardcore scene, even though their form of rock and roll owes more to the Fifties and Americana.

103. Tool (82) – Highly influential alternative/progressive/heavy metal rock band that combined all that is dark about the Nineties into a heavy sound.

102. Three Dog Night (48) – A wildly successful trio from the early-Seventies who had many hits, including “Joy to the World.”

101. Faith No More (166) – One of the first artists who straddled the worlds of metal, art rock, alternative, hip hop and pop musics, combining all of their influences into an original stew of great rock music.

Keller’s Top 100

100. Dave Matthews Band* (53) – One of the premiere jam bands to emerge from the Nineties; nearly as successful on the album chart as their ticket sales would indicate.

99. XTC (68) – Although XTC came out of the UK during the punk era, this band was more of an updated take on the Beatles sound; I totally recommend their Skylarking album as their case for induction, but that’s not the only arrow in their quiver.

98. Squeeze (98) – Yet another Beatles-influenced pop/rock group to emerge during the UK punk scene of the Seventies; Americans will know them for the hit song “Tempted.”

97. Grand Funk Railroad (91) – These guys began as a highly successful album and concert band but ended up with some big hit songs by the mid-Seventies; known for “We’re an American Band,” a remake of “The Locomotion,” “Bad Time” and “Some Kind of Wonderful.”

96. Lauryn Hill (83) – If Ms. Hill had not retreated for the spotlight into family life at the turn of the century, she would have been immediately inducted upon her first year of eligibility; her work with Fugees and her debut album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, is a classic album.

95. Captain Beefheart (32) – This Frank Zappa-protégé never had a hit song or album and is not known for his live performances, but the  Captain’s “music” has been highly influential on many avant guard artists.

94. Blur (23) – We all know that the Hall has an American bias, but Blur are gods in the UK, right up there with Oasis in the Britpop sweepstakes.

93. The Shangri-La’s (104) – If the truth be told, The Shangri-La’s the models for many of the women from the punk/new wave scenes in New York City and London; their tough girl image was a deep well of influence upon the vocal styles and images of everyone from Blondie’s Debbie Harry to Cindy and Kate from The B-52’s to Pat Benatar.

92. The J. Geils Band (80) –  I don’t think time has been kind to the Geils Band; people have forgotten that they were one of the greatest party bands on vinyl and in concert; their hits from the early Eighties are just the tip of the iceberg of their career.

91. Badfinger (88) – This band is perhaps the unluckiest band in history; while they were signed to Apple Records by and taken under the wings of The Beatles, they never really live up to their great potential. They were part of the Big Three of the First Wave of Power Pop (along with Big Stars and The Raspberries).

90. Lenny Kravitz* (153) – Kravitz is a total rock & roll child as he seamlessly shifted through many genres, often on the same album, while making a sound that is totally his own; Lenny is to rock music as Prince was pop music as both are musical libraries with the ability to synthesize their sources into art.

89. Coldplay (10) – While I often enjoy Coldplay’s singles, their albums often run thin over time as I still think the band has not shaken its Radiohead Lite designation from earlier in their career.

88. Chubby Checker (293) – How has the creator of a dance record immortalizing a dance called The Twist that hit number one on TWO different occasions in separate years on the Billboard Hot 100 back when that never happened, unlike today with pop-based Christmas songs not be inducted? This travesty needs to end!

87. Brian Eno (31) – I understand that he was the member of Roxy Music whose sense of electronic music avant garde pushed the band into the experimental side of Glam Rock and that he is now considered to be one of the greatest producers of all-time. But, he really caused a long-term shift in rock music after his two commercial albums of Glam Rock followed by several albums of electronic music which gave rise to New Age music of the late-Eighties/early-Nineties. Then, throw in his 1980 collaboration with Talking Heads’ David Byrne that combined strands of funk and new wave with the sounds of world music. What a career!

86. Slade (81) – Ever since T. Rex was inducted, I thought the granddaddies of Glam Rock, Slade, would be a slam dunk for the Hall. During a time of dungeons and dragons lyrics being set to complicated blues-based rock, Slade brought stomp-based rock music back to the masses while dressed in some of the wildest clothes of all-time.

85. The Raspberries (292) – We recently lost lead Raspberry Eric Carmen and with him lost the ability to meld the sweetest pop lyrics and melodies to early Who-like power. They were the American side to Badfinger and nearly as commercially successful. Their influence continues to be felt as new power pop bands pop up all around the world.

84. Mary J. Blige* (225) – In the 90s, Ms. Blige was the alchemist who combined the vocals of a true diva with the beats of hip hop to bring the future in earlier than expected. I believe her work has been underappreciated by the masses, while the musical elite actually understands her contributions to the future of rock music.

83. REO Speedwagon (84) – After REO unexpectedly became hitmakers back with 1980’s Hi Infidelity, the band started chasing pop singles chart success leaving behind their roots as a hardworking, hard touring band that based its success on album sales while being one of the many bands who ushered in the  arena rock genre.

82. (The) Sweet (180) – In the UK, these Glam Rockers were known as The Sweet while here in the States they were marketed as Sweet. Regardless of how we name this band, they were essentially the missing link between Glam Rock and Power Pop. The band married simple, melodic rock music with good time lyrics and that stomp rhythm that was characteristic of Glam Rock. I believe this quartet was ground zero for the whole pop punk genre as popularized by Green Day, Blink-182, Sum 41 and the rest.

81. The Marvelettes (233) – Two Motown acts have been criminally overlooked nearly since the creation of the Rock Hall; The Marvelettes are one of them. Remember, this group scored Motown’s first number one song on Billboard’s Hot 100.

80. Phish (134) – For my money, the best Nineties jamband is Phish. They are the heir to the Grateful Dead’s throne of touring bands who never play the same set twice. While they have never had the commercial impact of Dave Matthews Band, their loyal Phish Heads have made the band a must-see concert draw. Perhaps Phish’s greatest attribute is to not only alchemize the sounds of their influences, but the band has been flawlessly recreating the sounds of various classic albums (from The Beatles’ White Album to Remain in Light by Talking Heads) every Halloween. These guys are brilliant both on the stage and in the studio.

79. The Guess Who (33) – Perhaps the Lester Bangs character in Cameron Crowe’s brilliant coming-of-age film Almost Famous got The Guess Who’s legacy best when he said, “Give me The Guess Who. They have the courage to be drunken buffoon, which makes them poetic.” I don’t know about the drunken buffoons part, but The Guess Who was one helluva band with hit songs.

78. Stone Temple Pilots (43) – This San Diego band immediately made inroads during the initial grunge band sweepstakes, but by their second album, STP proved they were much more diversified than the grunge labeled they earned upon the release of their debut. It’s a shame we lost lead singer Scott Weiland to drugs because this band lost its unique voice and vision.

77. Marilyn Manson (66) – Manson began his career by melding his shock-rock persona but has lately been branching into a more glam sound and image.

76. Kool & the Gang* (76) – This band started out in the Seventies as one of the greatest funk bands going, but as the times changed, they evolved from funk to disco and finally settling into a Quiet Storm sexy balladeers.

75. Sade* (403) – This model-turned-smooth jazz crooner rose to fame going against the grain in the mid-Eighties. She continues to periodic release albums that stick to the sound while the public continues to eat it up.

74. Tommy James & the Shondells (64) – This highly underrated psychedelic bubblegum/pop/rock group dominated the pop charts in the late-Sixties and early-Seventies. By the Eighties, the band’s hits were back on the charts thanks to a diverse group of artists such as Joan Jett, Billy Idol and teen singer Tiffany.

73. Procol Harum (34) – Either one of the last of the first British Invasion bands or the first of the progressive rock bands. Regardless, they pushed the boundaries of what rock and roll could do by incorporating classical musical into their sound.

72. War (69) – This interracial funk band from East L.A. was first discovered by former-Animals lead singer Eric Burdon, having the band briefly back him on his initial foray into a solo career. Shortly thereafter, War proved they were worthy on their own with a run of singles in the early Seventies, highlighted by “Why Can’t We Be Friends?,” “Low Rider” and “Cisco Kid.”

71. The Commodores (96) – Hey Hall! Remember that just because you inducted Lionel Richie that you can ignore the band who gave him his break. The Commodores were the premiere R&B band of the late-Seventies all the while dominating the pop chart.

70. Slayer (97) – With Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax, Slayer ruled the world of thrash metal as the Big Four. While all four deserve induction into the Hall and Metallica already in, Slayer would be the next logical thrash metal band due not just to their success but for the everlasting influence of current and future metal artists.

69. Korn (35) – In the late-Nineties, Korn was HUGE, bringing its hip hop-inflected metal sound to mainstream radio. Although they will always be associated as one of the first Nu Metal artists due to those hip hop touches, that label with always be a disservice to the band’s massive legacy.

68. Little Feat (38) – Will someone explain to me why this terrific band has been forgotten? I probably should have this band listed much higher and, in the future, will. This band, led by the late and former Frank Zappa sideman singer/guitarist Lowell George, was an innovator as they took country/southern rock and added tinges of jazz and soul to the mix for a sweet sound that was just beginning to catch on with Americans around the time of George’s death. Sure, the band regroup about a decade later, but the band was a shell of itself with their deceased leader.

67. Blue Öyster Cult (62) – The general public who casually listen to music probably believe that Blue Öyster Cult is a heavy metal, or at least a hard rock, act. But their two hits – “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” and “Burning for You” – are very misleading. BOC is a much more versatile band with literary lyrics who seem to attract a brotherhood of sci fi/D&D nerds who enjoy a variety of music. BOC is really a critic’s band dressed up as AOR/metal band. Dark? Yes. Brother of Black Sabbath? Lyrically, maybe, but definitely not musically. Musically, they are much more sophisticated. It can be jarring the first time you listen to them. To the uninitiated, give them several listens before giving up.

66. blink-182 (56) – These guys cornered the pop punk for middle school boys market in the late-Nineties. Sure, their lyrics are goofy and immature, but you cannot deny the hooks in their music. Blink truly is one of the best pop punk bands from around the turn of the century.

65. Dionne Warwick (317) – There is a reason that Warwick has been nominated for induction several times. She was the best interpreter of those classic smooth soul songs written by Burt Bacharach. Her understated manner was the blueprint for The Fifth Dimension and Sade’s entire careers. Then, throw in that she is Whitney Houston’s cousin, you will see that she has the lineage and credentials for induction.

64. Black Flag (78) – Although The Go-Go’s, X, the Germs’ Pat Smear and Dead Kennedys all outsold Black Flag while making a name for themselves, Henry Rollins’ first band were the kings of the L.A. hardcore scene. If one were drawing a family tree of American alternative music, one of the artists who make up the actual trunk of this tree, with all of the great artists following in their footsteps.

63. The Carpenters (186) – Stop snickering! The Carpenters are NOT Barry Manilow, Anne Murray or any of the others considered to be soft rock punchlines. No, The Carpenters are much deeper. Go back and listen to their classic greatest hits. Upon first listen, your hair might curl a little due to a flashback of how cheesy they could sound. But, as soon as Karen begins to sing, focus on her voice. Immediately, you should hear more than a simple interpretation of the lyrics like Manilow. As you listen, you will hear the actual pain from her soul inflecting those lyrics into her truth. At that moment, you begin to understand that the lightness of brother Richard’s arrangements lightens the darkness of Karen’s vocals to create a unique sound that is simultaneously soulful and soulless, thus keeping their music from going off into the deep end. The Carpenters just might have been the first lyricists that actually related to the lives of Generation X. When you realize all of this, The Carpenters suddenly become as radical and subversive as any punk or metal band.

62. Dead Kennedys (223) – Jello Biafra and his band are the quintessential American punk band. Along with Black Flag, the Kennedys ripped the band aid off the wounds of younger Boomers and older X-ers of their political views and anger. Back then, people were better at recognizing the threat of fascist views than people are today. Go back and listen to those early angry records of the Dead Kennedys and get a better political education than you did from your right wing teacher who is attempting to indoctrinate you (that’s where the TRUE indoctrination takes place – not from the left!).

61. Rick James (194) – When Dave Chappelle had his show on the air, he made a caricature out of James. I agree that James’ life had devolved into your typical rock star-turned-drug addict in the years leading up to his untimely death. Still, it should NEVER cast a shadow over his genius of a career. If you do not own his 1981 classic album Street Songs, you should immediately put it at the top of your purchase list. He called his sound punk funk as he was trying to incorporate more punk spins on his terrific funk rock sound in the late-Seventies. Listen carefully to those albums because you will hear the foundation upon which Prince built his empire. Interesting side note, James got his start by playing in a short-lived band with fellow Canadian Neil Young. Kind of makes you wonder “what if?”

60. Bad Company (26) – I will admit to a bias I have against Bad Company. Sorry, folks! I’ve never been a real fan, though I do love their 1979 hit “Rock and Roll Fantasy” but that’s about it. So I probably do have the band ranked higher than they should be. That’s why I have a comment section so you can tell me how much I don’t know about music. By the Seventies, “supergroups” were popping up everywhere; however, few had the commercial clout of Bad Company. Two members of this quartet came from the band Free (“All Right Now”), including lead singer Paul Rodgers, one from Mott the Hoople (see #108) and one from King Crimson (they are coming up) while their manager was Led Zeppelin’s manager, who signed Bad Company to record for Zeppelin’s label (that way the manager could double dip into their money). Bad Company had a great commercial run from their 1974 debut to their aforementioned 1979 hit. To this day, what remains of the band continues to be a big concert draw.

59. Mary Wells (128) – If you read most any unbiased book about Motown, you will learn that during the label’s early days, they were kept afloat by one bankable artist: Mary Wells. Ms. Wells was so successful that she left Motown for a bigger label in order to make more money and gain more control over her music. Motown founder and owner Barry Gordy Jr. was so mad that he blackballed Mary in an attempt to undermine her career. In the long run, Gordy was successful and factors into why she has yet to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. It’s complete BS!!!

58. KC & the Sunshine Band (NR) – Much like Rodney Dangerfield, disco artists get no respect for the subversive role in sexual identity and queer life politics let alone the musical talent and continued influence they have had over the DECADES since their commercial heyday. KC & the Sunshine were arguably The Beatles of disco, in that they were the band who could mesmerize the dance floor while creating one pop hit after another. These interracial Miami musicians led by Harry Casey changed the course of music by bringing a melting pot of Miami dance sounds to the masses via disco. Give these people their due!

57. Peter Frampton* (171) – When rock journeyman Peter Frampton released his landmark double live album Frampton Comes Alive, little did he know that he was about to change the direction of the music industry in the mid-Seventies. After the album completed its run Billboard‘s Top 200 Albums chart, he shown the world that (1) live albums could be blockbusters, and (2) there was an massive audience ready to purchase rock music albums. To prove the first part, look at the names of some famous live albums released in Frampton’s aftermath: Cheap Trick at Budokan, Thin Lizzy’s Live and Dangerous, All the World’s a Stage by Rush, Little Feat’s Waiting on Columbus, among hundreds of others. After the huge sales of Frampton Comes Alive, we seen Rumours, Thriller, Saturday Night Fever, Hotel California, Back in Black, Synchronicity, Born in the U.S.A. and Purple Rain all sold tens of millions of albums. Both outcomes changed the industry for a good 40 years, until the advent of Napster. Frampton is a terrific musician, but that one album is more than enough to elect him to the Hall.

56. Emerson, Lake & Palmer (19) – Once again, I have these lower than I probably should. At the beginning of one of their songs they sang, “Welcome to the show that never ends…”, and I took that as a warning back when I was younger and more into punk. So, I’ve got give them a chance the next time I go to the record store. But, no matter how gifted of musicians they are, they are spending their artistic time to meld classical music with rock I have found their sound a little pretentious. Still, they do constitute another under represented genre, progressive rock.

55. Buzzcocks (92) – For crying out loud! How can one of the founding fathers of pop punk be left out of the Hall?!?! They were part of the initial London punk explosion, combining sweet melodies with the energy of punk. They, along with The Jam, are to pop punk as Big Star, The Raspberries and Big Star are to power pop.

54. Barry White (191) – Barry White took disco, slowed it down and added his deep voice to pillow talk lyrics to create some of the sexiest music of the early-Seventies, if not ever. Once again, we have here a vastly underrated and somewhat forgotten artist who deserves recognition.

53. Beck (21) – In the aftermath of Prince in the Eighties, people were awaiting the next artist willing to go out on a limb to take the influences of the Eighties and earlier to create a sound for Gen X and Millennials. Into that vacuum came a new artist who was equal parts folkie, punk, hip hop aficionado, bluesman and rocker steeped in the new technology of the Nineties by the name of Beck. He burst onto the scene with a slacker anthem called “Loser,” only to shift through a variety of sounds in the aftermath. His mid-Nineties album Odelay is a bonafide classic. I probably have him ranked too low, but I am a young Boomer or an older X-er according to different sociologists so I have a different agenda.

52. Paul Revere & the Raiders (51) – I remember as a toddler that my parents had a Corvair and there was a song that was popular around the same time called “Corvair Baby” by Paul Revere & the Raiders. My parents used to call me their Corvair Baby, so that’s a nice memory. Fast-forward to my high school days in the late-Seventies and hearing recordings of the punk bands from both NYC and London covering Revere & the Raiders music. That immediately clued me in that this band was not merely a nice, entertaining band, but the forefathers of punk, new wave and a little power pop.

51. Tracy Chapman (157) – I had compiled this list LONG before Tracy made her stunning comeback during the 2024 Grammy Awards Show by duetting with Luke Coombs on their separate hit versions of her classic 1988 hit “Fast Car.” During the pandemic, I went through my collection seeking comfort music just to help survive the daily clown show in D.C. and the Black Lives Matter (which they do) protests going on all over the country. When I put on Ms. Chapman’s beautiful debut, I was struck by how little had changed in the then-32 years since the album’s release. I was both sad and appalled how the lyrics still rang true today. I recommend going back to listen to her stuff again and look at ourselves as to why this album is full of seemingly eternal truths. It pisses me off! That’s what a Hall of Fame artist should be able to evoke.

50. Daft Punk (45) – One of the more recent artists to make this list, this “robotic” duo created some of the finest dance, even, dare I say, disco music since the heyday of chest hair and medallions. The two Frenchmen gave electronic dance music (EDM) a melody making the medicine go down easier with the sweet tooth of the pop music crew. Daft Punk created some of the best music of the post-grunge era.

49. Alice in Chains (99) – Like any other genre worth its meddle, grunge had its Big Four bands from Seattle: Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains. While the first two are in and #3 has been nominated several times, the band representing the dark side of the genre, Alice in Chains has been largely forgotten by the Hall Nominating Committee. Enough is enough, as but Soundgarden and Alice deserve induction.

48. Mötley Crüe (49) – The L.A. (hair) glam metal scene has been ignored by the Hall completely thus far. Hell, for that matter, metal has been treated so unfairly to date. Judas Priest was screwed by being inducted via the Musical Excellence designation instead of as a Performer. With Ozzy being nominated this year, maybe the damn is about to break for metal. We have an overabundant number of metal artists awaiting induction. And that’s just B.S.!

47. The Replacements (29) – In the Eighties world of American alternative music, R.E.M. were The Beatles, Hüsker Dü were The Stones and The Replacements were The Kinks. But, that does NOT mean the voters need to ignore the latter two, who both happened to be from Minneapolis. Of the genres being ignored, metal is number one, but Eighties alternative is number two. Once again we have way too many Hall worthy artists like The Mats.

46. Jane’s Addiction* (59) – Another entrant from the Eighties American alternative world that needs to be inducted is L.A.’s Jane’s Addiction. Jane’s was so quirky and talented that they were breaking down genres as quickly as they were building new ones. They were punk, metal and Led Zeppelin all rolled up into one terrific band. Plus, their lead singer, Perry Farrell, created the Lollapalooza Tour of the Nineties, and Jane’s headlined the initial tour.

45. Cyndi Lauper (112) – After last year’s nomination, I really thought this would be Cyndi’s year. But in the infinite wisdom of the Hall, Ms. Lauper has once again been ignored by the Nomination Committee. Cyndi was a complete gamechanger, as she set the stage for Madonna and her acolytes, the Riot Grrrl  scene of the Nineties, and the Spice Girls whole career, with her Eighties take on feminism and equality for all, including the LBBTQ+ community. And she did all back when NONE of it was cool to do.

44. Diana Ross (111) – Everyone who knows music knows that Diana Ross was one of the original divas of the music world and should be inducted into the Hall. I don’t need to waste any more time on her argument.

43. Foreigner* (67) – I honestly had given up hope that Foreigner, Styx and REO would ever be inducted. Yet, I can remember the first time I heard the band on a jukebox in the middle school gym before a big middle school track meet. I was immediately taken by their sound. I guess when you finally get Jann Wenner out of the Hall, then his alleged blackballing of certain artists, such as the aforementioned ones, would finally be ousted. Now, Foreigner is nominated and appears to be headed for induction.

42. Alanis Morissette (73) – One of the big album sellers of the Nineties and a voice of a generation of women is still awaiting her nomination and induction. Anymore, these artists are turning to Broadway to get their overdue recognition. Alanis Morissette found her voice when she created an album describing female empowerment after being jilted by a lover.

41. INXS (46) – The second biggest band from down under is a huge presence from the Eighties in their own right. INXS went from opening for fellow Aussies Men at Work in 1983 to rivalling U2 as the biggest band in the world in 1988. Unfortunately, music shifted their attention to newer bands and sounds in the Nineties, which cause lead singer Michael Hutchence to spiral down until he took his own life. That was unfortunate because INXS could be a huge concert draw these days while still creating brilliant music.

40. The White Stripes (6) – I am not totally sold on The White Stripes being ushered right into the Hall, but they did briefly lead a garage rock revival in the 2000s. While I prefer The Black Keys, at least I can recognize that The Stripes paved the way for The Keys. Plus, “Seventh Nation Army” should qualify anyone for induction.

39. Sleater-Kinney (39) – Back in the Aughts, I began to read all kinds of reviews praising the Portland, Oregon, punk trio completely composed of women. While I never really heard them back in the Nineties, I began to take notice of their back catalog whilst they were on hiatus. Low and behold, I was sold and joined the bandwagon. This band is the real deal and deserves induction. A side note: guitar god Carrie Brownstein was Fred Armisen’s co-star in the great comedy show Portlandia.

38. New York Dolls (70) – When you talk about the prehistory of punk rock after The Stooges and MC5, you will read about some band that filled the sonic gap between The Stones, Stooges and Aerosmith while the members all dressed like women for shock value. In the early-Seventies, the New York Dolls were a critics darling and the toast of The Big Apple’s music scene. Unfortunately, middle America was off-put by the band and their dress, relegating the Dolls to become an influence on a couple generations of punks around the world.

37. A Tribe Called Quest* (65) – Until the Kanye West of those brilliant albums of the Aughts and early-2010s is eligible, hip hop has a number of lesser stars ready for induction. ATCQ is one of those rap artists whose influence continues to be shuffled through. The band was known for their lyrics, those lyrics’ delivery and that their beats were often derived from jazz cuts as much as any other source, giving them their unique sound.

36. Suzi Quatro (NR) – Why is Leather Tuscadero in the Hall? Probably, it’s got to do with the fact that she was an American bassist who was having more success in the UK by being a big part of the glam rock scene in London. It’s a shame that the Hall tends toward an American-centric bent, because she would be one helluva addition to the Performers wing.

35. Sinéad O’Connor* (387) – It seems like the Irish always seem to be way ahead of the rest of the world when it comes to social injustices. When banshee-dressed-up-as-a-rock star Sinéad O’Connor burst onto the scene during the musically fertile year of 1987, she was hailed as a future voice of pop music. The problem for the industry was that Ms. O’Connor was going to speak her mind no matter the situation. One minute she’s mouthing off about Ireland’s then-abortion ban, the next minute she has the Public Enemy logo recreated on the side of her head for her performance on the Grammys Award Show. Then, at the peak of her career while getting ready to promote the follow-up to her 1990  breakthrough album I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, she performed an acapella version of Bob Marley’s “War.” At the end of the song, Sinéad holds up a photograph of Pope John Paul II, said “Fight the real enemy!”, and then tore up the picture. At the very moment, Americans took offense to her action. Even though she was saying that the Catholic church was covering up a child abuse scandal involving priests and young people in their parishes. Unfortunately, Ms. O’Connor was a decade early on trumpeting the warning. Recently, she passed away, comfortable with the knowledge that she was vindicated yet still sad that another decade of victims had to suffer.

34. Oasis* (3) – While I agree wholeheartedly that Oasis should be in the Hall of Fame, I feel like that band’s influences should be inducted first. You see, Paul Wellers’ original band, The Jam, happened to be the biggest influence outside of The Beatles on Oasis. Therefore, I believe that the third biggest London punk band of the Seventies, which happened to have what Britpoppers called “The Modfather” Paul Weller, who along with The Kinks taught Oasis and the others in the Nineties London scene to write about UK life instead of capitulating to America. That is why Britpop never made a dent in the States as Americans could not relate to the bands’ lyrics. However, Oasis did have hits here and deserve induction.

33. Weezer (25) – As one of the most successful and influential Nineties rock bands, Weezer’s first three albums are considered to be classics. However, what miffs the Weezer purists are the rest of their catalog. They believe that Weezer is a shell of the band that they once were. Weezer is a great alternative pop/rock band that made the paths for pop punk and emo bands to follow. Personally, I love Weezer and believe they belong in the Hall, but my older son, the purist, thinks that those first albums are the only documents that qualifies the band for induction and penalizes the band for that, meaning that he thinks many other artists are more deserving and thinks I have them overrated.

32. Joe Cocker (37) – I have a simply question: How does an artist that burst onto the scene with a transcendent performance at Woodstock and continued to have an excellent career sits on the outside of the Hall? I have no idea why! The man created two classic albums and was the voice of a generation. Enough is enough!

31. Supertramp (27) – Back in 1979 and 1980, I was a high school student, who, along with a small coterie of my “nerdy” friends LOVED Supertramp. That was back when Breakfast in America and Paris had been riding high on the charts and constantly being played on both pop and rock radio. But, as I delved deeper into the band’s back catalog, we all discovered what a wonderfully diverse sounding band Supertramp was by combining progressive rock tendencies and Beatlesque pop/rock musical structures. I will go to my grave defending the brilliance of their single “Give a Little Bit.”

30. Thin Lizzy (61) – On the surface, Thin Lizzy seems to be an excellent little hard rock-bordering-on-metal band from Ireland. They had a charismatic lead singer/songwriter/bassist in Phil Lynott. What differentiated Thin Lizzy from the crowd was the use of TWO lead guitarists who would play off of each other. This unique feature, which is common to progressive rock and jam bands, influenced many other bands such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Def Leppard to go down a similar path with multiple lead guitarists. Plus, how can you NOT love the sound of Springsteen-influenced lyrics played against those heavy guitars? It certainly all combined to make a compelling noise.

29. Hüsker Dü (47) – The Minneapolis alternative band casts a long shadow over all of alternative rock music from the Eighties on through the Nineties. This power trio consisting of singer/songwriter/guitarist Bob Mould, singer/songwriter/drummer Grant Hart and bassist Greg Norton created a noise with distorted guitars and a fast, driving rhythm section that resembled the Ramones on more speed than humanly possible and loud distorted guitars with lyrics shouted over the din. But, the separating factor underneath this whole sonic barrage was some sweet melodies contained with their songs. As they matured, the distortion was toned down and the melodies pushed more toward the front, all of which set the stage for the Pixies. What Hüsker Dü did during the years of 1984 to their implosion in 1987, the band released five albums, two of which were double albums, as well as an excellent one-off single, a punked out version of The Byrds’ “Eight Miles High.” Back then, this would have taken an artist a decade or more to produce so much classic product. Of course, their influence clearly outweighs their commercial clout. Yet, much like the Velvet Underground, their massive influence along makes them Hall-worthy.

28. Devo (60) – What started as a college performance art project rose to become one of the more influential new wave/avant garde bands of the Seventies and Eighties. This band, which hails from Akron, Ohio, turned rock on its collective head by musically forcing its essence through synthesizers all the while parodying society’s obsession with pop culture and satirizing the American political system. Devo was a nerd’s band with commercial appeal.

27. The B-52’s (50) – The B-52’s always seemed to be brothers-in-arms with Devo, in that both bands loved to parody the kitschy side of pop culture. Although, while Devo became an intellectual’s band, The B-52’s just wanted to place their sexuality politics on the dance floor, picking up where disco left off and new wave began all the while nodding back at the throwaway culture of the Fifties and Sixties.

26. Wu-Tang Clan (22) – This Staten Island collective of solo rap stars burst onto the scene with nine superstar voices and personalities back in 1993 with their now-classic debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). The group consisted of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa and the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard, most of whom all had successful solo careers in the wake of the massive success of the Wu.

25. Eric B. & Rakim* (145) – Not in the Hall of Fame has this rap duo totally underrated. Honestly, rap has a before and after this duo hit the scene in 1987. With Rakim spittin’ over Eric B.’s melodic beats, suddenly MCs everywhere noticed a poet’s spirit in Rakim’s lyrics. Suddenly, hip hop was moving away from its party beginnings and moving into serious topics all because Rakim had a unique way to deliver these social poems to inspire street artists to come. Yes, they lack the hit singles on the Top 40 radio, but their legacy continues to inspire hip hop musicians today.

24. Boston (40) – In 1976, the sound of arena rock was just beginning to rear its head when Boston dropped its debut on an unsuspecting world. Now, that debut battles Guns N’ Roses’ first album for the biggest selling debut album of all-time. Yes, Boston’s output is mainly the work of guitar and studio wizard Tom Scholz with otherworldly vocal help from the late Brad Delp, and subsequent albums took nearly forever to see the light of day due to their perfectionism. However, if it weren’t for Boston’s initial success, we may not have seen everything from REO Speedwagon, Styx and Journey to Bon Jovi, Journey and the L.A. hair metal scene. Plus, the way Scholz layered his guitars was not only an influence on the aforementioned artists, but Nineties alternative gods like The Smashing Pumpkins and Nine Inch Nails. Much like Foreigner’s nomination, and subsequent induction this year, Boston has got to be on the shortlist for the future.

23. Big Star (28) – This Memphis band released their debut #1 Record in the heady power pop days of 1972, the same year as The Raspberries arose from Cleveland, both boasting a sound that was equal parts Beatles, The Who and The Kinks. Although Big Star had the better album with outstanding songs. Unfortunately, they had the shittiest record company in the world. That brilliant debut, which was receiving momentum-building critical praise, could not be found in the bins of record stores because their label couldn’t distribute pot to a crowd at a Cheech & Chong concert. So, the debut died, while the band slowly melted away all the while leaving two more gems for the Eighties alternative music archeologists, like yours truly, to discover upon the recommendation of used record store clerks. And, most of those people who picked up Big Star’s three albums probably started bands who in way or another showed their influence, much as The Velvet Underground, The Stooges, The New York Dolls and MC5 had done for punk and post-punk the decade prior. And, I could do this all day long, singing the praises of Big Star!

22. Styx (74) – Enough is enough! This band, back in the years 1978 through 1981, just might have been most likely the most popular band of my age group. I am not kidding. All through the halls of my high school, daily you could see kids wearing Styx concert shirts through the school, while the parking lot was full of cars blaring 8-Track tapes of Styx. Hell, I had a belt buckle expressing my love of the band’s brand of progressive rock, hard rock, pop, Beatles harmonies and a touch of Broadway. Of all the arena rock/AOR bands, Styx was the best!

21. Chic (210) – Okay, so beginning in the 2000s and going into the 2010s, Chic had been nominated eleven times (2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017), easily the most nominated artist to NEVER be inducted! So, instead of inducting the WHOLE band, the Hall thought it would pull a fast one by inducting one-half of the production and songwriting team Nile Rodgers using the Musical Excellence award. And that complete bullshit! Sure, this band killed on the disco charts, but their music was just as influenced by rock, blues, R&B and jazz as can be heard on ALL of their albums. Chic should be inducted immediately and end this madness!

20. Cher* (146) – How can one of the greatest survivors of music history who has scored a chart hit for SEVEN straight decades, beginning in the Sixties up through today? She has expressed her artistry in a multitude of genres, from folk rock to pop to R&B to disco to hair metal to her innovative use of autotune in her career defining hit song “Believe.” Divas deserve their places in the Hall.

19. Mariah Carey* (138) – The woman with the most number one pop hits for a female artist, who is called The Queen of Christmas and set the stage for all the big-voiced divas beginning with Mary J. Blige through Christina Aguilera up to Ariana Grande should have a place in the Hall. What else do I have to say after that run-on sentence.

18. The Smashing Pumpkins (20) – The Nineties may not have been THE NINETIES if The Smashing Pumpkins had brought their layers of screaming guitars to the grunge and alternative rock scenes. Their music had the whole ball of twine and more with their introspective lyrics combined with those trademark guitars squealing and screeching in pain over the sweet melodies this side of Cheap Trick. Where most of the brethren in the alternative world eschewed mainstream Seventies arena rock, The Pumpkins, especially leader singer/songwriter/guitarist Billy Corgan embraced it. It’s that Chicago sensibility that separated The Pumpkins from the Sabbath-influence guitars of their Seattle brethren.

17. Soundgarden (18) – Soundgarden was the first Seattle band to be signed by a major label, so their status is secure in their hometown. But, the fact that they are still awaiting their turn for induction is ludicrous. They put grunge on the charts, and the rest is history.

16. Sonic Youth (16) – The forebearers of American alternative rock music, Sonic Youth set the stage for the whole scene across the country. The crazy part is that they went from New York City underground innovators to alternative rock gods by the time the Eighties segued into the Nineties, all without compromise. They predicted nearly every subgenre of the alternative scene that we are still experiencing today.

15. Television (90) – Of all the CBGB bands at the big bang of NYC punk in the mid-Seventies, Television was the one that was always praised for its musicianship. Unfortunately, the band couldn’t sustain their momentum due to each members’ egos. If you were going compare Television to anyone previous to them, it might be the Grateful Dead. Like the Dead, Television had a propensity to go off into the multiverse with their intertwined guitar solos.

14. The Monkees (15) – If I were truly going to crown a musical artist as the most important to Generation X kids who became rock stars, I would say it was The Monkees. So, stop snickering Boomers, The Monkees deserve the Hall honor. I get that they were a television producers’ creation based upon A Hard Day’s Night-era Beatles and didn’t play or write their own songs. However, those songs were written by some of the best songwriters of the time and performed by the best session musicians around. But, it was The Monkees who brought those tunes alive during their musical segments of the shows. And every Saturday morning, the kids of the Seventies got the baptism into the rock world and lifestyle. From their, a generation picked up their instruments took over the Eighties and Nineties.

13. Warren Zevon (30) – This guy has always been something of a songwriter’s songwriter. The man just knew how his way around a song musically, and lyrically, he was unparalleled. He was so good that even Linda Ronstadt covered one of his songs, “Poor Poor Pitiful Me.” Zevon shares some DNA with Randy Newman with both having an acerbic wit in their lyrics.

12. OutKast (41) – OutKast were musical geniuses, plain and simple. They took in every music, production technique and hip hop trend, then spit it out with some of the greatest music that transcended hip hop altogether. After a string of innovative albums and songs, OutKast finally won the biggest prize of all, the 2004 Album of the Year Grammy award for their double-disc magnum opus Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. They were the first hip hop artist to win that award. They are simply one of the all-time greats.

11. The Runaways (55) – The Runaways were one of the first all-girl bands to transcend their unique status. They were part-English glam rock, part-punk, part-metal and all-rock and roll. The Runaways imploded before taking their rightful place on the charts. Plus, nearly all of the individuals in the band all went on to success in their own right: guitarist Joan Jett is a Hall of Famers, guitarist Lita Ford and singer Cherie Curie. Unfortunately, drummer Sandy West passed away from lung cancer at the age of 47. And coolest of all, bassist Jackie Fox, became a multi-game champion of the TV game show Jeopardy. This is one band that just may be overqualified for the RRHOF.

10. Motörhead (17) – Next to Black Sabbath, Motörhead just may the second most important artist to heavy metal. They brought speed to the genre refreshing the whole sound for the next generation. Now, in the words of Todd Rundgren, Motörhead’s NOT in the Hall of Fame? Make this right!

9. MC5 (9) – Let’s face it, if you are a forerunner for the whole punk movement, it’s going to take forever to get you inducted. This is ridiculous that the Rage Against the Machine of the Sixties is still not in the Hall.

8. Jethro Tull (2) – If metal gets overlooked, then progressive rock is next. There is a backlog of deserving artists. In the case of Jethro Tull, they took English folk music and a flute and married them to rock music. They were highly successful in their prime. Much like new wave is with my age group, the Tull is with a couple of my brothers-in-law’s era of the early- to mid-Seventies.

7. King Crimson (12) – If you prefer your prog rock dark and dissonant, then King Crimson is the band for you. Robert Fripp brought some of the heaviest and darkest music to the mainstream you may ever hear outside of heavy metal or goth rock. This is my kind of prog rock.

6. Pixies (5) – All Kurt Cobain wanted Nirvana to be like were Pixies, an Eighties alternative band who worked the whole LOUD-quiet-LOUD thing that became Kurt’s whole musical signature. Pixies were an Eighties and early-Nineties band who were critical darlings and slowly building into a commercial juggernaut. Unfortunately, just as the musical tastes were embracing their kind of music, Pixies imploded. Once again, I am talking about a huge influential band.

5. Ozzy Osbourne* (44) – Ozzy is so important to metal. First, he was the lead singer of Black Sabbath, ground zero for the whole genre. Second, as a solo artist, he was the first to embrace the whole LA hair metal guitar wizardry when he plucked a young guitar slinger from the Sunset Boulevard scene named Randy Rhodes to become his creative foil. The two combined to combine the metal voices of the Seventies and Eighties into a whole new thing. This is taking WAY TOO LONG!

4. Joy Division/New Order (11/4) – Those unfamiliar with the intertwined history of these two bands, here’s the deal. Joy Division was the U.K.’s premier post-punk in the late-Seventies and early-Eighties. Then, on the eve of the band’s first American tour, lead singer Ian Curtis committed suicide. The other three members picked up a keyboard player, changed their name to New Order, then proceeded to create some of the most innovative and copied dance music of the Eighties. New Order was arguably the third most important band on college rock radio in the Eighties, behind R.E.M. and The Smiths. Since the Hall has inducted two bands of similar lineups in the form of Parliament/Funkadelic and Small Faces/Faces, I feel it is important to induct both bands together.

3. The Jam (24) – During the height of the U.K. punk movement of the Seventies, three bands exemplified the sound and style: Sex Pistols, The Clash and U.K. gods The Jam. Behind the leadership of lead singer/songwriter/guitarist Paul Weller, The Jam actually became the biggest band in their home country. Unfortunately, much like The Kinks, The Smiths and much of the Britpop movement of the Nineties, The Jam’s success did not translate to the States. Their music was much like early Who, but their lyrics dealt with life across the pond. If the Hall wanted to be creative, they should consider inducting The Jam with Paul Weller’s solo career, which led him to be dubbed “The Modfather” by the English music writers for his influence on Britpop and The Style Council, Weller’s brilliant Eighties European pop group. All three would give the Hall a complete story on Weller’s impact on the rock world. If you listen to The Jam, you will hear much of Green Day’s sound.

2. Iron Maiden (7) – Oh my goodness, how is it that Iron Maiden is NOT in the RRHOF?!?! These guys are the sound of metal in the early- to mid-Eighties. I just did NOT understand why the Hall had to turn to giving Judas Priest the Musical Excellence Award in order to induct them. This fate is a cop out if they do the same thing to Maiden. Eddie Trunk is right that metal is totally overlooked. I do not agree with him who is truly important within the genre. Ronnie James Dio? Of course, but maybe via the Musical Excellence award just like Randy Rhodes. Anthrax? Yes, but after many others. King’s X? Pass.

1. The Smiths (1) – After R.E.M., The Smiths were the most important artist on college (alternative) radio. Their chiming guitars made them brethren of R.E.M., but The Smiths were more influenced by the New York Dolls than The Byrds. Plus, The Smiths’ lyrics, written by lead singer Morrissey, were more poetic than Athens’ finest which were more abstract and obtuse. Once again, The Smiths were bigger in the U.K. than here in the States. Yet, The Smiths had a rabid cult States side following that seems to be growing as the years pass. Their continuing influence cannot be understated.

Now that I finally finished this after mistakenly publishing this article, yet, for some reason, getting good feedback on it, I can finally focus on the recently announced Class of 2024. I have much pent up on that subject! What can I say? I’m disabled and retired so I have too much time on my hands.

I really have a love/hate relationship with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I love it because, as a rock & roll fan, the place is a beautiful enshrinement of all that makes music of the post-World War II era such a diverse and powerful entity. Yet, it’s constant neglect of all the deserving artists who are still awaiting their rightful induction into rock immortality is simply depressing to long-time lovers of all genres of this thing called rock & roll. The whole nomination/election for induction process needs to be overhauled, allowing more of the deserving artists that have been waiting seemingly forever for their enshrinement. Everything about the process just frosts my balls!

Let’s take this year’s list of nominees. Granted, not one name truly jumps off the list as a “can’t-miss” inductee. Yet, after reading the list, you are left scratching your head as to why none of these artists are in the Hall at this time. Take Foreigner, Ozzy Osbourne and Peter Frampton, for example. All three have dominated the charts during the Seventies and Eighties. Foreigner was synonymous with arena rock/classic rock, while Ozzy is the poster child for heavy metal. And Peter Frampton? Jeez, the man only changed the music industry by having the most successful live album, after which the world was hit with an over-abundance of in-concert albums. You would think these three would have been slam dunk inductees years and years ago.

Then, the list has Mariah Carey, one of the most successful artists ever; Cher, who has had a hit song in EVERY decade since the Sixties; Sinéad O’Connor, the bravest artist to ever hit the Studio 8H stage in Saturday Night Live history; and Kool & the Gang, the band that evolved from funkateer hitmakers to quiet storm R&B pillow talk chart toppers.  Then, there’s alt-rockers Jane’s Addiction, rap gods Eric B. & Rakim AND A Tribe Called Quest, fabled jam maestros Dave Matthews Band, R&B/hip hop diva Mary J. Blige, smooth soul jazz crooner Sade, Britpop gods Oasis and rock/soul love hippie Lenny Kravitz. It’s a nomination list in which all listed should be in the Hall of Fame, though my case for Lenny Kravitz might be the weakest of all nominees, except for the fact that my wife thinks he’s hot so she wants him there for the next time we visit the museum.

Physical attraction aside, there are really no set attributes of artists that qualify these rockers according the Hall’s criteria of qualifications. Record sales seem to play a part in the algorithm, as well as critical acclaim, tour grosses, longevity and influence on the future direction of musical trends all play a part. Most of the time, it appears to be something of cronyism that becomes the overriding factor in an act’s election. But then even that, seems to be weak since many of the so-called classic rock artists have been quoted as to only voting for other classic rock artists (so be it, Gene Simmons!), we still are getting well diversified induction classes, which only drives home the diversity of this thing called rock and roll.

Honestly, I believe the list of inductees is selected to draw big numbers on television, lately now on Disney+ with a truncated version of the induction ceremony being broadcast around New Year’s Day on ABC. I understand that need for a great show. However, simply trumpeting the cultural significance of every artist inducted would make for a great show, especially when you have artists of relatively “minor” genres performing next to the so-called legendary acts, both pushing each other to greater musical heights.

Right now, my solution is to start inducting ten acts from the list of nominees each year. In a decade, we could finally induct a good portion of the “snubbed” artists who are listed on Not In The Hall Of Fame’s website (Side note: this people do yeoman’s work by ranking nearly every eligible artist who deserve nomination. The people who vote on this website have nearly 500 artists ranked in order. Is it MY ranking? No, but it is an excellent place to start.). Also, the work of my friends at the website Future Rock Legends are also pushing informed knowledge behind all artists in the Hall as well as those deserving of induction. If you are interested in this topic, those are the first two sites to visit.

Let me begin this little series of bitching about the Rock Hall with a list of rock pioneers, musicians who were passed over during their original eligibility time, producers, engineers, business people, DJs/VJs, rock journalists and the like, who all should be inducted. If the Rock Hall were conducted like the sports halls, these people would all be given to a “veterans committee” to determine if and when they are inducted. The Hall currently uses awards entitled Musical Excellence and Contributor in order to justify their induction. My list is in NO way a complete list, but it is a pretty thorough list of names who need to be honored. I have listed them in alphabetical order with a parenthetical statement that describes their area of influence.

1. Afrika Bambaataa (rapper, hip hop artist and DJ)
2. Alan Hunter (one of the five original MTV VJs)
3. Amos Milburn (Blues singer and pianist)
4. Ben E. King (R&B singer)
5. Big Mama Thornton (R&B/Blues singer)
6. Bing Crosby (pop crooner)
7. Blind Lemon Jefferson (Blues/Gospel singer/songwriter and musician)
8. Buchanan & Goodman (pioneers of the “break-in” novelty record)
9. Cab Calloway (jazz singer and bandleader)
10. Cameron Crowe (rock journalist and author)
11. Casey Kasem (DJ, creator of American Top 40 radio program)
12. Celia Cruz (Cuban singer)
13. Charlie Parker (jazz saxophonist)
14. Chuck Willis (Blues/R&B/rock & roll singer)
15. Cliff Richard & the Shadows (biggest pre-Beatles UK rock & roll artist)
16. Count Basie (jazz pianist and organist)
17. Dave Marsh (rock critic and author)
18. Dick Dale (surf rock guitarist)
19. Dizzy Gillespie (jazz trumpeter and bandleader)
20. Django Reinhart (jazz guitarist and composer)
21. Duke Ellington (jazz trumpeter and bandleader)
22. Eddie Lang (“Father of Jazz Guitar”)
23. Ella Fitzgerald (jazz singer)
24. Emmylou Harris (country/Americana singer/songwriter)
25. Esther Phillips (R&B singer)
26. Fela Kuti (Nigerian musician who is the “Father of Afrobeat”)
27. Frank Sinatra (American singer)
28. George Jones (country artist)
29. Glen Campbell (country artist and guitarist in Wrecking Crew)
30. Glenn Miller Orchestra (American big band and jazz band)
31. Gram Parsons (singer/songwriter/guitar who was instrumental in the development of Americana music)
32. Greil Marcus (rock critic and author)
33. Herbie Hancock (jazz keyboardist)
34. Ivory Joe Hunter (R&B singer/songwriter/pianist)
35. Jaan Uhelszki (rock critic)
36. Jacques Brel (Belgian singer)
37. JJ Jackson (DJ and original MTV VJ)
38. John Cage (composer and musical theorist)
39. John Coltrane (jazz saxophonist)
40. Johnny Ace (R&B singer)
41. Karlheinz Stockhausen (German electronic composer)
42. Kris Kristofferson (country singer/songwriter)
43. Kurt Loder (rock critic and MTV News anchor)
44. Kurtis Blow (rap/hip hop pioneer)
45. Lester Bangs (rock critic and author)
46. Lightin’ Hopkins (country blues singer/songwriter/guitarist)
47. Lisa Robinson (rock critic and author)
48. Lonny Donegan (British singer/songwriter/musician known in UK as the “King of Skiffle”)
49. Loretta Lynn (country singer/songwriter)
50. Mark Goodman (DJ and original MTV VJ)
51. Martha Quinn (DJ and original MTV VJ)
52. Memphis Minnie (also known as Kansas Joe McCoy; Delta blues guitarist)
53. Merle Haggard (country singer/songwriter)
54. Mississippi John Hurt (country blues singer/songwriter/guitarist)
55. Nina Blackwood (original MTV VJ)
56. Odetta (folk singer/songwriter known as the “Voice of the Civil Rights Movement”)
57. Patsy Cline (country singer)
58. Ravi Shankar (Indian sitarist/composer)
59. Robert Christgau (rock critic)
60. Roy Acuff (country singer/fiddler)
61. Roy Brown (blues singer)
62. Sarah Vaughan (jazz singer/pianist)
63. Scott Joplin (jazz composer/pianist known as the “King of Ragtime”)
64. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins (blues/R&B singer/songwriter, often referred to as the originator of “shock rock”)
65. Serge Gainsbourg (French singer/songwriter)
66. Son House (Delta blue singer/guitarist)
67. Sonny Boy Williamson II (blues harmonica player/singer)
68. The Carter Family (family musical group who influenced bluegrass, country and folk musics)
69. The Clovers (R&B/doo wop vocal group)
70. The Crew Cuts (Canadian vocal/doo wop group)
71. The Dominos (R&B vocal quartet)
72. The Four Freshmen (vocal quartet)
73. The Funk Brothers (Motown’s session musicians)
74. The Immediate Family (LA session musicians in Seventies and Eighties)
75. The Kingston Trio (folk/pop group)
76. The Mills Brothers (vocal group who were first African American artists to have a national radio program)
77. The Ravens (R&B vocal group)
78. The Weavers (folk music quartet)
79. The Wrecking Crew (LA session musicians of Fifties and Sixties)
80. Thelonious Monk (jazz pianist)
81. Tom Lehrer (singer/songwriter/satirist/mathematician)
82. Townes Van Zandt (singer/songwriter)
83. W.C. Handy (composer/musician who combined aspects of the blues with ragtime jazz; self-proclaimed “Father of the Blues”)
84. Wanda Jackson (country/gospel/rock singer/songwriter/guitarist known as the “Queen of Rockabilly”)
85. Waylon Jennings (country singer/songwriter)
86. Wendy Carlos (electronic musician/composer)
87. Wynonie Harris (blues singer)

Yet another area of rock and roll that has been neglected over the years by the Hall has been backing groups of artists who have inducted. Back in 2012, the Hall started to correct this oversight by inducting the following backup bands: The Blue Caps (Gene Vincent), The Comets (Bill Haley), The Crickets (Buddy Holly), The Famous Flames (James Brown), The Midnighters (Hank Ballard) and The Miracles (Smokey Robinson). Then, in 2014, one of the most famous backing bands of all-time, Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band were finally inducted. The problem is that the Hall has forgotten once again to take care of this neglect in recent years. Once again, I have come to the rescue with a list of backup bands were deserve recognition sooner more than later.

1. Big Brother and the Holding Company (Janis Joplin)
2. Crazy Horse (Neil Young)
3. Patti Smith Group (Patti Smith)
4. The Attractions (Elvis Costello)
5. The Belmonts (Dion)
6. The Imposters (Elvis Costello)
7. The JB’s (James Brown)
8. The Mothers of Invention (Frank Zappa)
9. The New Power Generation (Prince)
10. The Revolution (Prince)
11. The Silver Bullet Band (Bob Seger)
12. The Spiders from Mars (David Bowie)
13. The Tennessee Three (Johnny Cash)
14. The Wailers (Bob Marley)
15. Wings (Paul McCartney)

And a case could be made from John Mellencamp’s backing band members from throughout his career, even though they never really had an official name. And while I’m at this, Mellencamp’s backing band is not the only group of musicians who backed up various artists, such as The Immediate Family (also known as The Section when they backed up James Taylor’s Seventies tours) who backed up everyone from Jackson Browne and Carole King to Stevie Nicks and Warren Zevon, among many others. In those cases, which includes The Funk Brothers from Motown and The Wrecking Crew (who played with The Monkees, Frank Sinatra, The Grass Roots, The Beach Boys, The Association, in addition to tens of other famous artists), I included them on the previous list for Musical Excellence and Contributors.

Later, I plan to rank 100 artists according to their sales, influence, critical praise and their effect on me. That list might trigger many of you, so make sure you add your voice to this topic. If the groundswell is large enough, maybe we can pressure the Hall to get off their collective pompous ass to move to complete the story of rock and roll’s history and timeline.

A couple of Saturdays ago, I was shocked to learn that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced their Nominees for the Class of 2024 Induction Ceremony. As I looked over the list, my first thought was there were many first-time nominees as well as a few nominees who had not been nominated in years, which was kind of cool. BUT, outside of solo Ozzy Osbourne, Foreigner, Cher, Peter Frampton and Mariah Carey, I found the list lacking a few HUGE names from previous years.

First, when are the voters going to wake up to the fact that Iron Maiden, Motörhead, MC5, New York Dolls, The Jam, The Time, Cyndi Lauper, Joy Division/New Order, Big Star and The Monkees all need to be inducted BEFORE anyone on this list except for the three aforementioned artists. I truly find the Nomination Committee’s process lacking when it comes to artists overlooked in the recent past. It’s no wonder Eddie Trunk and his followers believe the Hall is a joke. There seems to be a lack of historical significance being shown in the nominee lists. Ask yourself a question: As worthy of an inductee as Sheryl Crow is, what was the hurry to induct her over any of my snubbed artists? That’s what makes the Hall so frustrating.

Hell, I could make a list a mile long of artists deserving of induction BEFORE most artists who were nominated. I mean, look at this list of artists still on the outside of the Hall: Boston, Styx, Jethro Tull, Slayer, Kurtis Blow, The Damned, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Hüsker Dü, Pixies, Loverboy, The Marvelettes, Mary Wells, Procol Harum, Huey Lewis & the News, Warren Zevon, Los Lobos, War, Weezer, Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, OutKast, Queensrÿche, The Bangles, Supertramp and Waylon Jennings, off the top of my head. Some of those artists I have named have NEVER been nominated!

I will never understand why I care so much. Except, maybe, just maybe, I want history to be written correctly, not to be the lasting opinion of the former chairperson of the Hall, and founder of Rolling Stone magazine, Jann Wenner. Since his unceremonial ousting from the Hall, the Hall needs to air out his critical dislike of so many artists important to the story of rock & roll music.

By the way, I only got three artists correct on my official prediction list back several weeks ago. Actually, I did better on my wish list as I got four artists correct on that one. Maybe, in the future, I should keep plugging for artists I think deserve induction ASAP as opposed to trying to read the tea leaves, so to speak.

With all of that said, allow me to introduce the 2024 Nominees for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in order of what I believe are their chances for induction this year. Now don’t get me wrong. I truly believe that every one of these artists SHOULD be inducted eventually. I simply feel others should get precedent over most of these. One other thing, so far in the 2020s, each class has had seven inductees. That means my top seven would constitute the Class of 2024 for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

1. Cher. This lady has a huge amount of backing from critics and Hall watchers, plus the industry no longer views Cher as a joke. Her ability to genre jump from a 70s singer/songwriter vibe with her early 70s hits (“Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves”) to her disco days (“Take Me Home”) to her hair metal pop (“If I Could Turn Back Time”) to her international dance hit (“Believe”), Cher has proven her ability to adapt to the times. Plus, she has had hit songs in SEVEN decades! SEVEN!

2. Ozzy Osbourne. So, the man was a mess by the end of the 70s when Black Sabbath kicked him out. Then Sharon came into his life and got him refocused as a solo artist. Ozzy discovered Randy Rhoades and started to collaborate with him. And the rest, as they say, is history.

3. Mariah Carey. Mariah OWNS the month of December if only with one song that’s now 30 years old. But, throw in all the number one hits she has that run the gamut from big power ballads through dance/rap collaborations, Mariah proves she can do it all (And, I didn’t mention the rumored alternative rock album she created and shelved back in the Nineties.). There isn’t a style the woman cannot conquer with her otherworldly voice. She is definitely the next diva in line for induction after Aretha, Chaka, Donna Summer, Pat Benatar and Whitney. All we are missing is Ms. Cyndi Lauper to be fully up-to-date.

4. Sinéad O’Connor. The outspoken singer from Ireland is long overdue for this moment. She was rock & roll through and through right down to her soul. Her vocals were always amazing as she always knew how to cut down to the emotional core of a song. Her views on life were a good thirty years ahead of her time, not to mention her killer music. Why does it take the death of an artist to fully appreciate he or she?

5. Peter Frampton. If you are around my age (61), you know just how ubiquitous Frampton Comes Alive was. I’m not sure why his management marketed him as a teen idol after the success of that album because it killed his career as a serious musician and songwriter. I’m in You was a very good album as were his pre-live album LPs. Even David Bowie tried to revive Frampton’s career by making Peter his featured guitarist on tour in 1987. This man should NOT be forgotten to time!

6. Foreigner. Right there with Journey, as far as hits were concerned, Foreigner was one of the pillars of Album Oriented Radio. Believe it or not, but Rolling Stone named “Urgent” the song of the year in 1981. And the band’s main songwriters singer Lou Gramm and guitarist/band leader Mick Jones were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame a while back, so Foreigner has major critical backing. Their induction would be a major middle finger to Jann Wenner who allegedly blackballed the band from the Hall. See? Someone was trying to rewrite rock & roll history!?!?

7.Kool & the Gang. Did anyone out there know who the only American band to be part of the Band Aid record “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” in 1984? That’s right! Kool & the Gang. That’s how hot this band was in the early 80s. In the 70s, Kool & the Gang was one of the premiere funk bands, right up there with Parliament/Funkadelic; Earth, Wind & Fire; War and the Commodores. Then, they had some disco hits in the late 70s, followed by the mainstream dance/pop hits in the early 80s. By the time the mid-80s rolled in, Kool & the Gang evolved into a powerful soul ballad band. These guys were so talented that they were able to adapt to the times and remained just as successful and influential as before.

From the point, these artists would not make the Hall. That does not mean that I do not find them worthy. Not at all! As a matter of fact, all of this year’s nominees, much like the past couple of lists, deserve induction. I think it would be cool if the Hall would just induct all nominees over the next few years to alleviate the logjam of deserving artists in the coming years. But, there’s nothing logical about this Hall of Fame.

8. Jane’s Addiction. I LOVE Jane’s Addiction! I have ever since I heard “Jane Says” and “Mountain Song” on WOXY-FM 97-X in Oxford, Ohio, back in 1987. These guys are one of the all-time greats who, with the Pixies and Mudhoney, played something akin to an alternative music John the Baptist to the upcoming Grunge era in the early 90s. Then there’s lead singer Perry Farrell who invented the whole influential Lollapalooza Tour that took all forms of alternative music to the masses during those heady days of the Nineties. These guys justly deserve the call of induction.

9. Sade. Oh my goodness! This band’s brand of jazz-tinged soul is just so flawlessly romantic, it becomes perfect for comedy moments in TV shows. Perhaps the greatest thing about Sade the singer is that she has remained successful without ever changing the formula. Maybe that’s due to the fact that she only releases an album or two per decade since her initial three albums in the 80s. I truly cannot wait for the next Sade album!

10. Eric B. & Rakim. I know that hip hop is a controversial issue when it comes to the Hall. But, the whole pop/R&B/funk/soul/hip hop/rap wing represents the “roll” in rock & roll. Plus, much of today’s music would not exist without the contributions of the roll in rock music. To me, it’s pretty bigoted to disregard the music of the black community with respect to the Hall. Anyway, Rakim is still considered by many experts and artists as the best MC ever. And Eric B. is held in high esteem for his production work and his innovative use of jazz samples in the duo’s music. They should have been inducted long ago.

11. A Tribe Called Quest. This group of rap futurists actually added a touch of surrealism into their jazz-based music. The gang’s muse was so strong that they were able to make a comeback in 2017 with one of the year’s best albums period. ATCQ should have been inducted years ago. But, like Eric B. & Rakim, ATCQ lacks notoriety in the mainstream world. Still, that should NOT matter!

12. Oasis. I get that they were the biggest band in the UK in the mid-90s. But, when their spiritual forefathers The Jam, or even a solo Paul Weller, sit on the outside of the Hall, how can I justify Oasis being inducted? Don’t get me wrong, I love this band, and they deserve the honor. But, not before The Jam AND solo Paul Weller. It just ain’t right!

13. Mary J. Blige. In the lineage of divas, Mary J. is chronologically right after Mariah. So, I’d have no problem with Ms. Blige bringing her hip hop-tinged R&B music to the Hall so long as Mariah is inducted with her. Once again, it’s all about history.

14. Lenny Kravitz. I absolutely LOVE Lenny Kravitz and his music. He is much like a poor man’s Prince, able to synthesize everything sound around him into his own sound. And I also think Lenny deserves more love now than he used to get back in his day. His music has always been timeless and straight from the man’s soul. Much like my opinion of Sheryl Crow, he deserves to be inducted, but what’s the hurry when there are so many others who have been waiting forever to get in.

15. Dave Matthews Band. I think I have made it clear that I am not a fan of Dave Matthews Band. Personally, I think Phish is the more dynamic jam band of that era and deserves induction way more than DMB. But, I also recognize that DMB must be doing something right to account for their successful tours and albums over the years. If nothing else, that popularity speaks volumes. Plus, it’s their second time to be nominated. I won’t bitch too much if they are inducted, although there just might be 100 artists that should get the honor before them. Sorry Dave fans! That’s just my opinion.

Well, folks, there’s my predictions, for what its worth. Please keep in mind that nothing will surprise me concerning who actually becomes part of the Class of 2024. Shoot, O’Connor and Carey could be replaced by a hip hop artist and DMB for all I know. Remember, the Hall wants to have an exciting Induction Ceremony with great performers so they get good TV ratings when Disney+ and ABC broadcast it. What can I say? Ratings really do drive this thing.

My dad is right once again! Dammit, don’cha just hate that when you realize that your parent is correct about something. I remember when he turned 60, he said life was like a toilet paper roll. A new roll of toilet paper seems to unravel slowly. However, as you get closer to the cardboard tube in the middle, the toilet paper unravels faster and faster. That’s what he said about life. As you get closer to the end of your life, the years seem to go by so quickly. Well, I turned 60 this year, and this year flew by.

I have always said that my true musical wheelhouse took place between 1974 through 1984. That means 2024 represents the golden anniversary of the starting line to my musical baptism. 50 years! That’s crazy! You are telling me that KC & the Sunshine Band’s “Get Down Tonight” turns 50? Awwwwwww!!!

The question becomes how do I hold the music of 2023 in comparison to other years? Well, simply put, I’d say it was a relatively underwhelming year for music. The biggest story of 2023 remains Taylor Swift. Her tour made over a BILLION dollars! Over a BILLION dollars!?!? Of course, now, journalists and current rock critics are anointing her the GOAT, Greatest of All Time.

As one who grew up right after Elvis Presley and The Beatles peaked, I can attest to the fact that the tonnage of film available of both artists performing live during which you cannot hear them over the shrieks and cries of the crowds, particularly young girls. Then, I watched in amazement as Michael Jackson transformed from the frontperson of a teenybopper soul group, through some awkward teenage years during which he honed his entertainment craft only to burst through in 1983 as the biggest act in the world which lasted until his untimely death in 2009. Unfortunately, the number of influential voices in the music realm have no practical history with anything that occurred before blink-182 ran naked through their 1999 video “What’s My Age Again?” Yes, Taylor is HUGE right now, and rightfully so. But she has a couple of decades to go before she rises up the levels of Elvis/Beatles/Michael.

Besides Taylor Swift, 2023 gave us excellent albums by boygenius, Miley Cyrus, Paramore, Olivia Rodrigo and SZA. It was also the year in which Peter Gabriel made one of the quietest triumphant comebacks ever. It was pretty crazy as Dolly Parton released one of the most hyped albums since the heyday of Kanye West and his Yeezus album. And, with most of the band pushing age 80, The Rolling Stones released their first album of new material in 18 years when they released A Bigger Bang. Oh, and Taylor released TWO albums of re-recorded music in a brilliant effort to stop her old record company from getting big bucks from her catalog.

Basically, as far as I am concerned, 2023 was the year of the young lady. Actually, 38 of my 50 favorite albums had women involved as the artist. Plus, I haven’t mentioned that the biggest soundtrack of the year was Barbie The Album, the soundtrack to one of the year’s biggest films, Barbie, the most iconic doll.

With that introduction out of the way, here’s my Top 50 Albums of 2023.

50. U2 – Songs of Surrender

49. Metallica – 72 Seasons

48. Taylor Swift – Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)

47. Måneskin – Rush!

46. Bettye LaVette – LaVette!

45. Chris Stapleton – Higher

44. The Lemon Twigs – Everything Harmony

43. The Go! Team – Get Up Sequences, Pt. 2

42. Cindy Wilson – Realms

41. The Summertimes – The Summertimes

40. Depeche Mode – Memento Mori

39. The Particles – 1980’s Bubblegum

38. Caroline Polachek – Desire, I Want to Turn into You

37. 100 gecs – 10,000 gecs

36. Blondshell – Blondshell

35. Anohni & the Johnsons – My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross

34. Jorja Smith – Falling or Flying

33. Zach Bryan – Zach Bryan

32. Everything but the Girl – Fuse

31. Kesha – Gag Order

30. Reneé Rapp – Snow Angel

29. Chappell Roan – The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess

28. Neil Young – Chrome Dreams

27. Mitski – The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We

26. Jesse Ware – That! Feels! Good!

25. Pretenders – Relentless. Chrissie Hynde brought her Pretenders band back after two solo albums, and they rediscovered their angry, punk roots.

24. Dolly Parton – Rockstar. Nice try Dolly! It seemed as though you were having the time of your life spinning Dolly all over these rock songs. But, it’s always been your true country self that’s the most rock & roll thing about you.

23. Lil Yachty – Let’s Start Here. Lil Yachty is typical of a 21st century rap star, busy trying to find a unique sound for his music. Thus, his infatuation with the Yacht Rock of my youth.

22. Paul Simon – Seven Psalms. Many are saying that this represents the last album that Simon plans to release. If the rumor is true, he never lost his muse. The world changed around him.

21. Lana Del Rey – Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd. LDR has been on such a stunning artistic turn around since her turd of a performance on SNL back in 2012. Unfortunately, I think she peaked four years ago her Norman Fucking Rockwell masterpiece.

20. The Rolling Stones – Hackney Diamonds. Did we really need a new Stones album, especially when most of their studio concoctions have been crap since 1981? No, but it’s kinda fun to hear a rock master have their sound updated a bit. It’s NOT Sticky Fingers. Or even Emotional Rescue. Still, it’s not Bridges to Babylon either. This album is not bad for a bunch of geriatrics.

19. P¡nk – Trustfall. Is it just me or has P¡nk has quietly forged a superstar following? She just releases one solid album after another. I will never have a problem when she’s inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

18. Jenny Lewis – Joy’all. Jenny Lewis is something of a female Tom Petty. She has Tom’s storytelling ability in addition to his ability to find a melody that’s pure American rock and roll. Jenny Lewis is traveling down that same path, which is not a bad way to go. Thank God someone is trying to do that.

17. Jon Batiste – World Music Radio. As The Late Show with Stephen Colbert‘s band leader, Batiste showed the world how joy is the driving force behind his music. Then, the world changed for Batiste in 2021 as his big hit album We Are won the Grammy for Album of the Year. At the point, Batiste realized that his goal of world domination was within his reach so he reluctantly left his day job. And this wonderfully fun album was his first step toward his goal.

16. Duran Duran – Danse Macabre. They finally did it! Duran Duran went back to 1979/1980 and went the Goth route. Actually, this listener thinks it works. I like a darker Duran Duran as a changeup from the Day-Glo version from days gone by.

15. Taylor Swift – 1989 (Taylor’s Version). I get why Taylor is doing this, in addition to throwing a bone or two from the vaults. But 1989 was all ready a great album.

14. Durand Jones – Wait Til I Get Over. With the Indications, Jones has released some of the best neo-soul music of the past decade. On his first solo album, Durand takes a huge artistic jump. I am so happy that Leon Bridges has a foil to push each other to greater heights.

13. Tamar Berk – Tiny Injuries. Tamar Berk is an independent artist who sells her albums by herself. Tiny Injuries is her third album that shows the growth of a major talent just waiting to be signed. Berk makes some great indie pop/rock music.

12. Various Artists – Barbie The Album OST. At one point this year, I was considering naming this album the year’s best. The film laid claim to this being the creative year of the woman. Then, the musical people behind the film grabbed some of the biggest female names of the day to provide the songs. This film and soundtrack has Girl Power written all over it (Hey! Where’s the Spice Girls?!?!). Yet, the emotional high point of the album is a male-dominated tune called “I’m Just Ken.”

11. Janelle Monáe – The Age of Pleasure. In my mind, Janelle Monáe has been the Janet Jackson of the 2000s, with her brilliant acting turns and her fourth straight brilliant album. But Ms. Monáe had a direct line to Prince, whereas Ms. Jackson had a side line to descendants Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. She is a Renaissance woman.

10. Juliana Hatfield – Juliana Hatfield Sings ELO. Hatfield burst onto the alternative rock scene back in the early 90s with her work with The Lemonheads and her own Juliana Hatfield Trio. Now, she’s something of an elder statesmen of the alternative scene. This album is the third is a series of Hatfield Sings album. On the other two, she tackled Olivia Newton-John and The Police. Now, she takes on ELO, and not just the hits but some deep cuts as well. This is a very satisfying covers album.

9. Kylie Minogue – Tension. Back in 2020, Minogue released a fantastic of disco-tinged songs called Disco. This album saw Minogue’s music getting a new generation on the dancefloor. Striking while the iron was still hot, Minogue now is tackling some world dance music in new and unique ways. The world is always a little better when the people are dancing with Kylie.

8. Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit – Weathervanes. Former Drive-By Trucker Jason Isbell has become the leading voice of the Americana/alt.country scene since he left the band over a decade ago. He just might be the most consistent musical artist going today.

7. Foo Fighters – But We Are Here. Foo Fighters were riding high during the spring of 2022. Then the untimely death of much beloved and respected drummer Taylor Hawkins shook leader Dave Grohl and the rest of the rock solid band. Much like the ghosts Grohl faced nearly thirty years earlier with the loss of Kurt Cobain and the demise of Nirvana, Grohl and the surviving Foos first turned outwards as the rock world embraced them, then inwards as he and the band created a terrific epithet to Mr. Hawkins. No one rocker handles the bad and the good better than Dave Grohl and his Foos.

6. Peter Gabriel – i/o. Peter Gabriel had not released an album of new material since the first decade of the current century. For the whole year of 2023, Gabriel has been releasing a song per month with two different mixes, bright and dark. In the process he both reclaimed the darkness of his earlier albums (I, II, III, IV/Security) AND the brightness of his hit albums (So, Us, Up). Two mixes of the same 12 songs and two brilliant albums. I miss the daring behavior of the rockers of yore.

5. boygenius – the record. boygenius is the American indie supergroup consisting of singer/songwriters Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus. What began as a coterie of mutual respect has become a group of friends creating terrific indie folk/pop/rock. Bridgers might be the most recognized of the trio after the breakthrough of her previous album Destroyer, but the other two young ladies are no slouches either. If you saw the band perform on SNL earlier this season, then you got a taste of how good this album truly is.

4. Paramore – This Is Why. Many millennials and Gen Z-ers may have had Paramore as one of their favorite pop punk bands of the early part of this century. On their latest album, the trio remembered to emphasize their punk roots while maintaining the songs’ great melodies. This may be the adult sound of the pop punk genre finally growing up.

3. Olivia Rodrigo – GUTS. In 2021, I named Olivia Rodrigo’s debut, SOUR, album of the year. Fortunately, Rodrigo has avoided the sophomore slump as she writes another mature set of breakup songs. Rodrigo has picked up the angry scorned woman mantle last held by Alanis Morissette and run with it. Guys, don’t treat women bad when you break up with them since you might end up an antagonist in a hit song. Didn’t guys learn anything from the careers of Morissette and Taylor Swift?

2. Miley Cyrus – Endless Summer Vacation. Once Miley jettisoned the Disney-themed songs of her Hannah Montana days on Bangerz a decade ago, we have witnessed her talent and audaciousness grow in the time from “Wrecking Ball
 to her last LP Plastic Hearts. She has covered the psych-pop sound of Flaming Lips, the 70s country rock Laurel Canyon sound and 80s dance/rock new wave of Plastic Hearts. So, no artist deserved to revel in her successful ventures than Miley. If Endless Summer Vacation sounds like a mature victory lap by a cutting edge female artist, well, you are not too far off. Though, if the truth be told, I prefer her as a Bowie-esque “WTF” 80s icon. well….um…I am 60.

1. SZA – S.O.S. Technically, SZA DID release this album last December, but that was not enough time for me to fully digest the work. Although I gave a passing mention in last year’s countdown, I decided to follow Rolling Stone‘s decision to include S.O.S. in 2023. And I am glad that I did. This album is a flat-out classic. I love her gritty mix of soul, hip hop and pop into something akin to Aretha Franklin’s 60s classics.

Raise a glass to 2023! We will see how these rankings hold up over time. Cheers! Now, let’s see what 2024 has in store for us in the music world.