The
29th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held on
Thursday April 10th, 2014 in New York. The ceremony will be
broadcast on HBO.
Like
many fans of music and common sense, I’m not happy with the institution. Who
the leave out and who they put in. “Rock n’ Roll could be interpreted broadly,
but so broadly to include Disco, Rap and Hip Hop? To the possible exclusion of
Rock and Roll artist? It’s not the “Music Hall of Fame”. But this year they
made up for some past transgressions by finally including Kiss. But they still
ignored Deep Purple and Yes and included the Terrorist Sympathizer, Cat
Stevens, currently known as Yusuf Islam.
I
find it unforgivable to include and artist that flat out condones the MURDER of
a fellow artist. While he has tried to backtrack on this fact, unfortunately
for him, the entire BBC interview is still available on YouTube. He also did an
interview with Rolling Stone magazine a couple years ago, where he declared his
newfound religion, Islam, forbids him singing but since he is giving the money
to the faith, he is getting a pass and allowed to sell his new CD. Little
surprise that he is also a hypocrite. Something not unique to any one religion,
but still disappointing to see him honored.
Yusuf Islam
is on the record as saying Salman Rushdie deserves to die, for writing a book
and went on to say that if he was in an Islamist State and ordered to kill him
he would. When asked if he would attend a demonstration of the writer being
burned in effigy, he replied “I would hope it was the real thing”
This
years inductees:
• Peter Gabriel
• Hall and Oates
• KISS
• Nirvana
• Linda Ronstadt
• Cat Stevens
All eligible
nominees released their first single or album at least 25 years before the year
of nomination.
Rush,
finally was admitted just last year! Alice Cooper took until 2001!
In an online poll set up by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the institution invited music fans to weigh in on who deserves an induction With over 1.3 Million Votes cast Deep Purple came in third out of 16 total choices. Only Kiss and Nirvana collected more votes. Fans voices are not being heard, so why ask us if we are only going to be ignored? Just do away with the pretense of even caring what we think.
Deep Purple has released 19 studio albums, along with
compilations and live releases, and since ‘Shades of Deep Purple’ was unleashed
in 1968, the band has sold over 100 million albums worldwide, over 8 million in
the U.S.. One of the most influential bands of all time and has been eligible
for inclusion for since 2003.
Not that my single experience carries any weight, but
their concert from the Perfect Stranger tour, that out-grossed every artist that
year except Bruce Springsteen, was the single greatest live show that I have
ever seen! I have been to over 300 concerts, I have seen legends perform,
before during and after their heydays. I have seen famous artist and surprise
guest in private clubs, charities, and even at private parties performing. I
have been very fortunate to have access to a lot of great performances up close
and personal. Those guys, on that
night were magic. And by all I hear and read, many others feel the same about
seeing them live.
To be fair I contacted the Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame so they could explain their decision making process. They were kind enough to give me a
private tour when they first opened. But that was back when I was producing a
radio show in the Los Angeles market. But still, I was curious offered them a
chance
to respond. They refused. – Original Email:
.
(Disclaimer: I capitalized “ROCK AND ROLL” to
further my point.)
“Greetings,
I am writing an article on the Museum and induction process. Specifically the
inclusion of other genres such as Disco, Rap and Hip Hop and how that may
relate to the possible exclusion of Rock and Roll acts?
I did my due diligence and researched online and on your website. I expected to
find a quote, or two, maybe saying something to the effect that "Rock and
Roll is more of a generic term, or attitude, for Music in general". But
both your Mission Statement and FAQ page only reinforces the singularity of
Rock and Roll in regards to the Hall of Fame.
Is there an official statement on the issue or a response that I could print?
Thank you for your time,
Tony Stengel
NBC Newsvine / Propaganda Café”
Mission Statement:
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and
Museum, Inc. is the nonprofit organization that exists to educate visitors,
fans and scholars from around the world about the history and continuing
significance of ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC. It carries out this mission through its
operation of a world-class museum that collects, preserves, exhibits and
interprets this art form and through its library and archives as well as its
educational programs.
From their FAQ page: What is the
process for induction?
Leaders in the music industry joined together in 1983 to establish the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. One of the Foundation’s many functions is to
recognize the contributions of those who have had a significant impact on the
evolution, development and perpetuation of ROCK AND ROLL by inducting them into
the Hall of Fame.
Artists become eligible for induction 25
years after the release of their first record. Criteria include the influence
and significance of the artist’s contribution to the development and
perpetuation of ROCK AND ROLL.
Below is a
partial list of some more than questionable exclusions:
Stevie Ray
Vaughan, (snubbed 5 years) Yes (snubbed 19 years) Steppenwolf (snubbed 20
years) Cheap Trick (snubbed 11 years)
Journey -Number of Years Snubbed: 14
Number of Albums: 14
Chart
Performance: Sold 47
million albums in the US, making them the 28th best selling band. They’ve sold
over 80 million albums across the world. “Don’t Stop Believin’” is the
top-selling catalog track in iTunes history with over five million
digital copies sold and it’s the best-selling rock song in digital
history.
Motörhead - Number of Years
Snubbed: 12
Number of Albums: 21
Chart Performance: As of 2012, Motörhead have sold more than 30
million albums worldwide.
Accolades: a Grammy in the Best Metal Performance category
and the Metal Hammer Golden God Award.
Iron Maiden - Number of Years Snubbed: 9
Number of Albums: 15
Chart Performance: With little radio or television
support, Iron Maiden have sold over 85 million records worldwide. And
yet regardless of line up shifts, several of their albums have
received platinum and gold albums both stateside and overseas,
specifically 1982′s The Number of the Beast, 1983′s Piece of
Mind, 1984′s Powerslave, 1985′s live release Live After Death, 1986′s Somewhere
in Time, and 1988′s Seventh Son of a Seventh Son.
Accolades: As of October 2013, the band have played
over 2,000 live shows throughout their career. In 2002, they received
the Ivor Novello Award for international achievement, and in 2005,
were also inducted into the Hollywood RockWalk on Sunset
Boulevard.
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The Sex Pistols refused to attend their
induction ceremony in 2006. In a
hand-written letter, they stated the Hall of Fame "is a piss stain".
A “Piss Stain” that is now honoring Yusuf
Islam and not Deep Purple.
