The Rock and Roll Hall of Shame

[jrny84]

This is a pretty good article about the induction process, scams, and biasism that goes on in the Rock Hall of Fame.

Full Article: http://chicagoradioandmedia.com/feature ... l-of-shame

Here is an interesting excerpt from Chicagoland Radio and Media:

"The main problem seems to be Rolling Stone's Jann Wenner. He is the main person who chooses the few nominees each year. Attorney Suzan Evans and writer Dave Marsh also contribute. Evans, who has limited rock knowledge, has tended to try and nominate artists that will sell tickets to the high-priced New York induction celebration (she wanted Madonna nominated), while Marsh's musical tastes are almost as stubborn and narrow as Wenner's.

Wenner has gone on record as saying he will block any attempt at nominating The Monkees (a band he has supposedly had an unnatural hatred for since childhood), any 70's progressive rock band (Yes, King Crimson, ELP), or any 70's/80's arena rock band (Boston, Styx, Journey). Speaking of Boston, Wenner has been accused of snubbing acts from the city of Boston (J. Geils, Boston, The Cars), even though superstar rock act Aerosmith made the cut in 2001. He has a love for 50's New York Doo-Wop and has already inducted as many of them as he could. He also is a fan of 60's soul, and even though it is not a Soul Hall of Fame, Wenner has pushed those acts through. He enjoys Motown, old school hip-hop/rap and 50's female vocalists who were around before rock and roll even started, so those acts have made it in. Former Chicago vocalist/bassist Peter Cetera once made a disparaging remark about Rolling Stone Magazine in the 70's. Since then, Wenner has been angry at the entire band, and blocked any attempt at allowing them into the Hall of Fame, even though they are the #4 act on Billboards Top 200. (All of the other acts at the top of the Top 200 list are in the RRHOF.)

Fox News did an investigation that found out petitions containing thousands of signatures for top acts were being ignored by Wenner and his Foundation. They also found that certain acts that were associated with Ahmet Ertegun, who co-founded the RRHOF Foundation with Wenner, were pushed through immediately. It has also been found out that despite votes cast, some acts will get dropped or replaced with others in order to have bigger names elected or to better please Wenner's tastes. In 2007, The Dave Clark Five had more votes than Grandmaster Flash (neither of which should have been nominated in the first place...) , but Wenner made up a technicality to allow Grandmaster Flash to get into the hall that year, because he always loved that non-rock act. He claimed that even though The DC5 received more votes, some of the votes came in too late and were discarded, while Grandmaster Flash's votes were all on time. The Dave Clark Five were then admitted the following year instead."

[steveo777]

About what I've always known or suspected. Shit organization and it has no prestige to me.

[Infinity Vocalist 2010]

Enlightening. When I was there with the school band, I bought Infinity, Evolution and Frontiers. Got chatty with the cashier and we both wondered why Journey hasn't been nominated. I just can't get behind anyone with an unwarranted bias towards progressive or arena rock. The guy apparently has a HUGE hate-on for KISS as well, or Gene in particular.

[Andrew]

About what I've always known or suspected. Shit organization and it has no prestige to me.

Exactly. One man's ego showpiece. Surprised so many still think it's important or relevant.

[NealIsGod]

It's just a glorified Hard Rock Cafe with no food.

[DrFU]

It's just a glorified Hard Rock Cafe with no food.

'zactly!

[Journey/Survivor]

It's just a glorified Hard Rock Cafe with no food.

Depends on how you look at it.

I fully agree that the people in charge of inducting the performers are absolute morons that have no business being in charge of anything. There are great bands and individual performers that should have been inducted into the HOF years ago. And there are absolute shit bands and performers that are in the HOF that have no business ever being in there. I hate those things about the R&R-HOF!

However, the museum it's-self is very nice, and WAY better than a Hard Rock Cafe. I've been to a few different Hard Rock Cafes, and they don't compare to the HOF.

[Michigan Girl]

Jann Wenner hs some seriously unnatural issues outside of the Monkees ...poor guys.
We do, however, share a love for Motown ...I can't believe he can't/won't see the influence
in some of these acts ...he's just weird.

[DracIsBack]

Ha! Peter Cetera had the best comment: "I read Rolling Stone all the time ... mostly when I'm having a shit. It's good to swat flies with".

[Journey/Survivor]

Ha! Peter Cetera had the best comment: "I read Rolling Stone all the time ... mostly when I'm having a shit. It's good to swat flies with".

I seem to recall Neal saying that he uses it in place of toilet paper, many years ago?

[Don]

Ha! Peter Cetera had the best comment: "I read Rolling Stone all the time ... mostly when I'm having a shit. It's good to swat flies with".

I seem to recall Neal saying that he uses it in place of toilet paper, many years ago?

Funny thing for him to say considering that just last year, the official Journey Site sponsored a petition by the fans to get them on the ballot.

[ebake02]

Building it in Cleveland is just as disgusting.

[Rick]

Building it in Cleveland is just as disgusting.

Oh shit... You know you're going to get it for that comment.

[jrny84]

Ha! Peter Cetera had the best comment: "I read Rolling Stone all the time ... mostly when I'm having a shit. It's good to swat flies with".

I never realized Cetera said that! Funny. Well Chicago should have been in a long time ago, even if your not a fan, they are well deserving.

-130 million album sales
-5 straight number 1 albums from 1971-75
-One of the first and only bands to mix and incorporate horns into rock music
-Had top 20 hits in each decade from 1970-1990
-Second only to the beach boys in terms of charted singles and albums on billboard

[SF-Dano]

It's just a glorified Hard Rock Cafe with no food.

Howdy NIG. Long time no type.

[renegade11]

So can anything be done about this or is it a case of his Hall, his rules? Maybe rock acts should start boycotting it if they get elected...

[Journey/Survivor]

Building it in Cleveland is just as disgusting.

Yeah, not trying to insult you, but that's a very ignorant statement.

If you were more educated on the facts, you'd realize that Cleveland is the exact city that the R&R-HOF should be in.

Where do you think that it should be?

[Journey/Survivor]

Building it in Cleveland is just as disgusting.

Oh shit... You know you're going to get it for that comment.

Who was it that you might have been thinking about?

[Rick]

Building it in Cleveland is just as disgusting.

Oh shit... You know you're going to get it for that comment.

Who was it that you might have been thinking about?

I work with a few Clevelanders, and every one of them is proud of and will defend Cleveland, every time. Nothing wrong with that.

[ebake02]

Building it in Cleveland is just as disgusting.

Yeah, not trying to insult you, but that's a very ignorant statement.

If you were more educated on the facts, you'd realize that Cleveland is the exact city that the R&R-HOF should be in.

Where do you think that it should be?

What about Memphis. Quite a bit of the earliest Rock and Roll was written and/or recorded in Memphis.

[artist4perry]

Building it in Cleveland is just as disgusting.

Yeah, not trying to insult you, but that's a very ignorant statement.

If you were more educated on the facts, you'd realize that Cleveland is the exact city that the R&R-HOF should be in.

Where do you think that it should be?

What about Memphis. Quite a bit of the earliest Rock and Roll was written and/or recorded in Memphis.

Memphis is so crime ridden a lot of people who used to shop there near the border of Tenn. and Ark. now come to Jonesboro to shop. Maybe this would have been a detriment? Besides, Memphis is more known for the Blues.