Rocking the Hall

Los Lobos

Arguments about who should be in the Rock Roll Hall of Fame are among the dumbest yet funnest arguments you can have. Almost everyone under the age of 60 has an opinion, and unlike sports halls of fames, statistics aren't that important (number one hits and gold records are about it) and it's all based on taste. So here goes my argument.

The slate of nominees for 2016 was announced today, and since I don't have an encyclopedic knowledge of members, I was flabbergasted to learn that Chicago and Steve Miller weren't already in. I knew Yes wasn't, since it's been a cause celebre of prog-rock fans. For anyone like me, who came of age during the '70s, these artists were ubiquitous. Steve Miller had two albums in the mid-70s, Fly Like an Eagle and Book of Dreams, were as big as anything at the time. Chicago started as a fusion of jazz and rock, and even if they ended up recording wimpy ballads, they still had numerous hits throughout the decade. Yes was part of any college record collection, and though they tended to have long, complicated songs (some were an entire album side) they also had a number of hits.

So they should all be in. I also would vote for The Cars, who emerged in the early '80s as a hybrid of new wave and garage rock to create a distinctive sound, and Deep Purple, who were an early example of heavy metal. Granted, most people know them for only one song--"Smoke on the Water," which has one of the most recognizable guitar riffs of all time.

That's the weird thing about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame--unlike sports, a limited career is not an impossible obstacle to overcome. Cheap Trick didn't have that many hits or albums, but they were all over the radio in the late '70s, and recorded one of the most popular live albums of all time. I wouldn't begrudge their election. The same for The Smiths, who were one of the first mopey British bands. Some of their music is insufferable, but there's no denying their influence. Nine Inch Nails, who is really just Trent Reznor, would also be a fine addition, though their (his) music is not completely my cup of tea.

Then there's categorization issues. When they say Rock, they really mean popular music. How else to justify N.W.A.? If there was a Rap Hall of  Fame they'd be among the first through the door, but is rap rock? I guess so, since Public Enemy and Grandmaster Flash are in. The same goes for artists like Janet Jackson, The Spinners, Chic (who have now been nominated ten times) and Chaka Khan, who are more affiliated with R&B, disco, and funk.

I must admit that there was one group in the mix I hadn't heard of, The J.B.s, who were James Brown's band but also released many records on their own. Others might be confused by the inclusion of Los Lobos (especially when you consider The Moody Blues weren't included), but even though I don't think they merit election, I got a kick out of it They were an indie group with a heavy Mexican influence who had a few important albums in the mid-80s and had a modest hit with a cover of Ritchie Valens' "La Bamba."

I have no idea who will be elected, but so far the vote results have the five I voted for, The Cars, Chicago, Steve Miller, Yes, and Deep Purple as the top five. I hope they all get in, and then next year we can talk about the Moody Blues.