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Forget all the derogatory remarks we’ve made about the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame over the years.
Upon reflection, the Rock Hall actually rules and stands as a beacon of hope and light in the pop music universe. And the voters choose wisely in regard to who gets enshrined in the hall.
Well, at least, they did for the Class of 2019.
“Wow” is the only real response to the latest list of inductees, which was announced Thursday morning. The names (listed in alphabetical order) are:
The Cure
Def Leppard
Janet Jackson
Stevie Nicks
Radiohead
Roxy Music
The Zombies
Again, wow. Let’s break down this list, looking at the most satisfying selections first.
Roxy Music
Bryan Ferry’s troupe stands as one of the most innovative and influential bands in rock music history, with a catalog that grows more impressive to the ear with each passing year.
The British glam/art-rock group had a major impact on everything from New Wave and punk to disco and blue-eyed soul, yet it doesn’t always get the cred it deserves on this side of the pond.
That ends today. Now, if we could just convince Ferry to reunite the guys for a North American tour.
The Cure
The rock hall’s track record for honoring modern rock, New Wave and post-punk acts has been less than impressive. Here’s hoping the long-overdue enshrinement of the Cure — a band that has been eligible for induction since 2004 — will open the door for the likes of Depeche Mode, the Smiths, Duran Duran and especially Joy Division.
Janet Jackson
Don’t start on the “but she’s not rock” argument. Please. The hall has long been a place that honors many different kinds of popular music, from country and blues to R&B and soul to pure pop and hip-hop. With over 100 million albums sold and a career still thriving today, Jackson belongs in the hall.
The Zombies
It was beginning to look like these psychedelic-rock champs weren’t going to make it into the hall, having been nominated (and lost) on three previous occasions. But the fourth time proved to be the charm for this classic ’60s act best known for the monumental single “Time of the Season.”
Radiohead
OK, so there was no way that the most important band since Nirvana and Pearl Jam wasn’t going to make it into the Rock Hall of Fame at some point. It was a shocker that the group didn’t get inducted in 2018, its first year of eligibility. It’s good that the hall didn’t make the band wait any longer.
Stevie Nicks
The vocalist, already a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer as a member of Fleetwood Mac, is honored this time for her solo career. She follows in the footsteps of Eric Clapton, Neil Young and Paul McCartney as the 23rd artist to be inducted multiple times. She’s also the first female to accomplish that feat.
Def Leppard
Sometimes voters value longevity and popularity over pure artistic merit. And on occasion, we’re OK with that. Just make sure to put Def Leppard in the same section of the hall as KISS and Journey.
The 34th annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony takes place March 29 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center in New York, and will later be televised on HBO.
