I don't understand

Every year, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honors artists who have made a contribution to the genre. They do this with a big splashy ceremony, and then when you go to the RnRHoF, you can go look at the exhibit listing all their accomplishments. Or so I assume, I've never been there. I am sure that you can name the first inductees without even knowing anything else about the institution; try rattling off the ten most influential early rock and rollers you can think of, American style, and you're probably right. Did you guess Elvis, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry? James Brown, Ray Charles, Little Richard? Jerry Lee Lewis? The Everly Brothers? Maybe Sam Cooke and Fats Domino weren't immediate choices, but they make sense in context, right? That was in 1986. It took them all of two years to add Bob Dylan. Cream and the Bee Gees and the STAPLES SINGERS have all made the list. Guess who has been nominated twice and never inducted?


That's right. Iggy and the Stooges.

Jeff Beck, while a very talented musician, is being honored as a solo musician after already being honored as a member of the Yardbirds, and Iggy Pop gets passed over for the second time? I just don't understand. I am happy for all the nominees this year - Run DMC's inclusion is particularly delightful - but the HoF's criteria confuse me. Earth Wind and Fire were added before the Ramones. Bob Seger before Black Sabbath. The Dave Clark Five have made the list, but not the B-52's.

Particularly irritating? They have a category called "early influences". It used to be reserved for the forerunners of the rock and roll sound - blues and jazz musicians, for the most part. Know who it is this year?


That's an Elvis tune she's wailing, my friends. Early influence, my ass. Wanda Jackson was, is, and always will be a rock and roller. She was a contemporary of such luminaries as the aforementioned Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash. Forerunner? Sigh.

At least Bill Black made the cut this year in the Sidemen category. Wanna know why?


WHOOOOO-EEEE. Bass slappin' doesn't get any better.

I wanted to post Walk This Way, but I can't embed it. You have to just click right here. That's fuckin' rock and roll, my friends.