Predicting the Rock n’ Roll HOF Class of 2016
On Thursday, October 8, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum will announce its nominees for induction into the 2016 class. Every year, this announcement excites passionate fans and reignites a love forgotten, while others are left with a bitter taste in their mouths as their favorite artist gets snubbed, perhaps repeatedly.
To be eligible, a band or artist must have released their first single or album at least 25 years prior. That takes this year's class back to 1990, a transitional period somewhere between new wave and grunge and a time when hip-hop was gaining some serious momentum. So it's not unfathomable to consider some of the possible artists up for the nomination. Bands such as Nine Inch Nails and N.W.A. would seem to be all but locks as it is difficult to argue against either band's influence over an entire generation. Smashing Pumpkins make a strong case as well, but perhaps didn't make quite the mark on grunge that Nirvana, Pearl Jam, or Alice In Chains made. If we had a say in the matter, we'd add Primus - eligible this year as well - before any of the bands just mentioned. We're not holding our breath on that one though. After all, Primus sucks...
So who walks away with a nomination? Will it be cult favorites Ween? How about The Black Crowes, A Tribe Called Quest, Ice Cube (as solo artist), or Lou Reed? Strong cases can be made for the recently deceased Joe Cocker and Ben E. King as well. While many of these are first-year eligibles, there have long been arguments over long-time snubs, such as The Moody Blues, Yes, and Deep Purple. There isn't a soul alive who isn't familiar with the gut-wrenching riff that is "Smoke On The Water", a song every young guitarist has learned in their early musical development. Likewise, The Zombies haven't had much luck getting into the Hall. While most people know The Zombies' music, they're less of a household name than their 1960's comrades The Beatles or Rolling Stones (although every bit as deserving).
Perhaps the most interesting case is that of Harry Nilsson. Who is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him), you ask? Well, we all know (at least some) of his songs, but not the man that The Beatles once referred to as their favorite American Band. Nilsson's compositions are easily recognized upon hearing. Songs like "Coconut", "One", "Everybody's Talkin'", "Without You" and "Jump Into The Fire", which appeared during perhaps our favorite scene of Goodfellas, are instant classics and remain so today.
Nilsson, having passed away of heart failure in 1994, has been eligible since 1991 but has never even been nominated. Many credit this to his overall lack of celebrity, something Nilsson seemed to have intentionally avoided during his career. Criteria for induction includes an artist's "impact on the evolution, development and perpetuation of rock and roll". All we can say is that if this guy influenced, developed, or perpetuated in any way the music that The Beatles would ultimately make, then induct Harry Nilsson at once!
But once again, all we as fans can do is to wait and see. Tomorrow, the nominees will be announced and fans will once again either take pride in their musical taste or begrudgingly wait another year for their band to make the cut. Perhaps we can all take solace with the thought that the Hall shouldn't be for everybody, because after all, if every band that ever released a chart-topping single or memorable album made it in, the award wouldn't be quite as special. Music is defined by emotion, by contrast and personal exploration, and that perspective is what enables musicians and fans alike to push the boundaries of our musical horizons for the betterment of the music we know and love - Rock & Roll.