OT: Why are the B52's not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
- Thread starter bac2therac
- Start date
I am the same way. I read an article that most people are lyrics people. They know the names of the songs because they listen and remember all the lyrics. My wife and kids are like this. When I listen to music, I hear the music, rarely the lyrics. Like you I can hum away with most songs.
It is interesting what each of us take away from music. We all get something different from it.
Interesting comment from the D.D. Verni, a founding member and the bassist of the million album selling thrash metal band from NJ, Overkill, who just made a big band album. People can dismiss metal and thrash metal, but many rock musicians have similar or the same influences.
| Q: As a songwriter having written nine of the 13 songs, this musical sound required a different mindset. How did you get yourself psyched up for it? It’s a different language of course than metal. |
| Verni: Ya know it is and it isn’t. Metal is about energy. Although a lot of the times it’s angry energy (hahaha)! But that’s why it is so great–to scream and yell and get it out. This music is about energy as well but really about joy and fun. All the lyrics are fun and upbeat. Some little stories–nothing politically motivated or ripped from the headlines. Just fun. Even when writing and shooting the video, you can see people are smiling and bouncing around. So that’s a cool headspace to be in when writing. That’s actually cool to be around anytime! Part of what I love about this record is that it’s fun! Especially after the last year that everyone has had, it would be easy to do an angry-as-hell record, but for me this is refreshing, like comfort food (hahaha). |
And I always loved 50’s music and Doo Wop– Fats Domino, Jerry Lee, etc. And loved the crooners too–Bobby Darin, Dean Martin, Tom Jones–and even in metal and rock: Jim Morrison, Ian Astbury, Glenn Danzig…all of the crooning type of vocalists I’ve always loved.
Funny thing is I am good at coming up with my own lyrics (which I prefer and my family laughs at). It's a talent from when I used to hang with my friends in high school/college.
Songs like “Sundown” and “Carefree Highway” are rock songs. There is a folk influence , but there is a drum backbeat , bass, melody driven guitar…all the essentials. Bob Dylan is rock, I think we can consider Lightfoot rock.
I don't agree with all your selections, but the problem with them all is they are all actual rock!
For me, one of the biggest omissions from the R&R HOF is The Guess Who. I can't believe some of the acts that have gotten in before them. American Woman alone is a quintessential rock classic.
This one is far from his most egregious and misguided post. Spend two minutes on the CE board and you’ll see hundreds more.
😃
Last edited:
Agree, Benetar should definitely be in.
If these bands aren’t getting in there is no hope for current artists. There is no more rock and roll. What happens when another 25 years goes by and current artists are eligible. Who would be considered? There are no more rock bands. It’s going to be weird if ozzy and the smashing pumpkins can’t get in. No way any new artists post 2009 ever gets in.
Actually there is rock and roll. But like so many things these days it's siloed into a plethora of subgroups that only listen to their own limited selections, all of which can be considered rock and roll.
Well said. They tend to make you laugh, or just put a smile on your face.
Great post. Bands like Overkill and Skid Row were some of the band's I left out. Regretted it later, 😆. Just one example, the band Savatage has morphed into Trans Siberian Orchestra. Metal and hard rock tend to mix classical and blues. I forget the title, saw it on Prime Video, the original drummer Rat Skates made a great documentary.
If the now poorly named Rock N Roll HOF, should be Music HOF, IMO, can induct G-N-R in hopes of getting a ratings boom, by reuniting the band, why not Skid Row. Look at the non rock acts they put in recently. I think under that criteria, Skid Row should get in.
Lastly when I made mention of all the acts that should get in, I was talking about going back to the 50's scene, and bringing it up to the 90's with artist like Toad the Wet Sprocket. From Mott the Hopple to Deep Purple, there are too many to name.
This is very much a partial list. I don't listen to all. I was trying to think of the recent hip hop acts and other's put in, and use their logic. That is why I mentioned Accept for instance. You are a million times correct, they would rather skip over anything that is too heavy, or rebellious, or has too much testosterone. Personally I listen to everything from classical to country, however my sweet spot is hard rock and alternative.
These bands have been mentioned, my last 2 cents, before I start using bands I mentioned before like RATT, 🙏 for Stephen Pearcy he has cancer. Judas Priest and Iron Maiden should already be in. I would put Priest in before Maiden. For one, Iron Maiden is still one of the biggest bands in the world.
It will be filled the likes of Beibers and Swifts and all kinds of awful hip hop artists
For a long time Jann Wenner was heavily involved in the RRHOF.
Given the number of questionable acts that were admitted, one might think Wenner would have given special consideration to Judas Priest and the B52s, considering how both bands broke ground, especially Rob Halford.
How could anybody be jealous of a band so bad it couldn’t even make it into a hall of fame that includes ABBA?
Rock, all genre's are still alive. Due to the suit's at the top it has just been driven out of the mainstream.
Case in point the GEICO commercial with RATT playing round and round. When the commercial came out, that old song shot up to number 1. As messed up as the charts are. Upon it's new popularity they stopped playing the commercial.
The one hit Tag Team had a GEICO commercial come out. The favored rap commercial ran alot longer.
The other problem with rock, is most of the newer bands stay mid tempo. With the lack of profitability in music, with most not buying it, many young people are not learning instruments.
Case in point the GEICO commercial with RATT playing round and round. When the commercial came out, that old song shot up to number 1. As messed up as the charts are. Upon it's new popularity they stopped playing the commercial.
The one hit Tag Team had a GEICO commercial come out. The favored rap commercial ran alot longer.
The other problem with rock, is most of the newer bands stay mid tempo. With the lack of profitability in music, with most not buying it, many young people are not learning instruments.
Good point, it fits their narratives. I still remember hearing about Halford on MTV. Paraphrasing one Preist fan who said something akin to, they don't care if Rob is gay, straight, or likes to play with farm animals, he rocks. Thinking of the comment, it still makes me laugh.
I am very straight, always have been very into women, that said I don't think of the artist sexuality, anymore than their politics. I am very into women, however as much of a fan of Motley Crue as I am, as a Christian and germophobe, would not live my life like Tommy Lee!
Read Nikki's The Heroin Diaries. Holy smokes, how are those guys alive? Love the art, not the artists.
Last edited:
Exactly, small correction before you get 20 quotes you were wrong 😆, the heroin diaries is Nikki Sixx's book. I don't think Tommy Lee Bass is smart enough to write a book. Doc McGhee once said about Tommy, high RPM low IQ. Them and Keith Richards are beyond explanation, IMO.
Has to be a ghost writer. I will never believe he did it. There are alot of smart people in hard rock, he is not one of them, 😆.Well, Doc and you underestimated Tommy.
He was "smart" enough to get Heather Locklear and Pam Anderson in their prime. Maybe he has a high EQ. Mixing threads, maybe Rutgers should have hired him instead of Ash, because Ash lacked EQ? [roll]
I give him credit and blame for Heather. I think she got into drugs through him. Pam was a groupie for rockers. Full marks to him for those two. Your Ash point made me laugh. It might be true. I think Ash is a miscast farmer. He has no personality to speak of. I see him in overalls with a wheatstalk in his mouth, every time I see him. 😆
If you do that, the first class entering after the change would be awesome. Beethoven, Mozart, Bach ......
He certainly started out as purely a folk singer in the 60s, the stuff he recorded a little later in the 70s had a rock vibe to it, I had mentioned tunes like Sundown and Carefree Highway. If you want to call it folk-rock fine. I was trying to make the point that there are too many labels, sub genres in music today. Rock is a very broad genre of music which I think gets lost on some today. Seems like some want to narrow the definition. It’s not all about volume,distortion and music with no space in it.
Rock is a general classification. Do the Beach Boys, James Taylor, Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger better fit into some more narrow classification that Gordon Lightfoot doesn't ?
Gordon Lightfoot is a first ballot HOF guy. Longevity, mega-hits, songwriting, you name it. He's #1 most deserving among those listed above, by far.
Gordon Lightfoot is a first ballot HOF guy. Longevity, mega-hits, songwriting, you name it. He's #1 most deserving among those listed above, by far.
Agreed. Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is easily in my top five songs about a maritime disaster.
