Rock and Roll of the 1940s?

And so begins the annual and pointless arguing about who should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as eighteen nominees were announced. As usual, some are intriguing and some are head-scratching.

I think the most interesting nominee is Sister Rosetta Tharpe (pictured). She was a gospel singer, but played electric guitar--back in the 1940s. It is generally accepted that rock records (mostly called "race" records) didn't come along until the 1950s (Ike Turner's "Rocket 88" is often called the first rock and roll record), but Tharpe mixed her gospel with R&B. She even recorded a record called "Rock Me" in 1938. As an innovator, she will likely be elected, though I wonder how many of the voters have actually heard her records. She died in 1973.

There are no first-time nominees this year, and only two in their second year of eligibility. One of them, Radiohead, should be a no-brainer, but for some reason they weren't even nominated last year. I run hot and cold on them, but there's no question of their influence and achievement. The other new band on the list is Rage Against the Machine, which I think fall short.

Another no-brainer and first time nominee are The Moody Blues, even though they have been eligible for 28 years! The Hall has a distinct prejudice against progressive bands--their album Days of Future Past is considered the first progressive album ever released, but they had a lot of hits in '70s and have been a classic rock staple ever since. I suspect they won't be elected this time, but should be.

The Cars, who have now been nominated three straight years, should get in this year. I really liked them a lot. A band I did not like, Depeche Mode, may get in. Dire Straits, who dominated radio for a few years, probably didn't make enough albums to be elected, the same with The Zombies, who despite making one of the best psychedelic albums of all time (Odessy Oracle) only made two albums total. There has to be some longevity involved. It would be like electing Joe Charboneau to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

One of the gripes about the nominees is that some of them are not really rock and roll. Nina Simone was a great singer, but I would call her a jazz singer. But if Joan Baez can get elected, perhaps she will, too. And as hip-hop and rap are considered rock, there should be no reason that LL Cool J should not be elected.

The others are unlikely to be elected, although Bon Jovi is interesting. They were certainly huge in record sales, but not critically acclaimed. But Journey's election last year may justify their election. The Eurythmics also had some big hits, but again, didn't last that long.

Kate Bush, Judas Priest, MC5, The Meters, Rufus, and Link Wray, despite their respective brilliance, are probably non-starters. I'm very interested to see what happens with the J. Geils Band, who had a long career before their radio-friendly hits of the late '70s/early '80s, and are considered one of the best live bands ever.

I would vote for: The Moody Blues, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Radiohead, The Cars, and the J. Geils Band. I have no earthly idea who will be elected.