Dolly Parton, Eminem, and Beck make this year’s list of Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame nominees
Duran Duran, Lionel Richie, Carly Simon, and A Tribe Called Quest have also received nominations
Aux News Dolly Parton
Among those competing for this year’s induction into the Rock And Rock Hall Of Fame are Beck, Duran Duran, Eminem, Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Carly Simon and A Tribe Called Quest. These seven musicians join repeat nominees Pat Benatar, Kate Bush, Devo, Eurythmics, Judas Priest, Fela Kuti, MC5, the New York Dolls, Rage Against the Machine, and Dionne Warwick.
Eminem stands out this year as the only artist who’s earned a nomination in his first year of eligibility. Per the Hall Of Fame rules, a performer can only become a nominee 25 years after their first commercial recording. Eminem’s debut album, Infinite, was released in 1996. However, it wasn’t a huge commercial success, as the rapper sold the LP and cassette from the back of his car before joining Interscope Records. Beck has also a fairly recent eligibility period, the rocker only became eligible in 2019.
Parton’s also notable as she is the first-timer who’s waited the longest to get a nomination. The country darling made her debut in 1967 with Hello, I’m Dolly, and has been eligible since the early ‘90s. The icon has recorded over fifty albums over the course of her career.
Most of the 10 returning nominees have been through this song and dance many times before. For MC5, the band leads with the most number of misses as this is its sixth time in the running. For Rage Against the Machine, it’s the band’s fourth time competing for a slot in the Rock Hall of Fame. Kate Bush, the New York Dolls, Devo, and Judas Priest have all been nominated three times. But it’s only the second time up for Iron Maiden, Fela Kuti, Pat Benatar, Dionne Warwick, and Eurythmics. Nearly all of the returning nominees were on the roster in the last two years.
Last year’s inductees consisted of Foo Fighters, Jay-Z, Carole King, Tina Turner, LL Cool J, Kraftwerk, Gil Scott-Heron, Todd Rundgren, and the Go-Go’s. According to Variety, of the 17 nominees, 5-7 will be voted in this year. Public voting has started today and will run through April 29. Fans can vote for their favorites at vote.rockhall.com or at the museum in Cleveland. The top artists from these votes will be place into a separate “fans ballot” alongside the one submitted from the music industry.
The official inductees will be announced in May.
74 Comments
Jethro Tull for the win!!
Ironically, Metallica beat them.
If David Ortiz can test positive for steroids and get in the Hall of Fame, I don’t see how voters can’t vote all these people in as well.
Everyone mentioned above should be in the HOF for sure. Except Pat Benatar.
I know it’s an age-old criticism, and I have nothing against any of these artists, but quite a few nominees don’t seem to actually perform rock and/or roll. Maybe they should change the name to Rock and Other Popular Music Hall of Fame.
Gil Scott-Heron’s in the HoF, and Whitey’s on the moon!
I read that as Whitney’s on the moon. And now I’m wondering if Whitney Houston is in the HOF.AV club, a little help?
I think it’s easier to Google this but I appreciate your approach.Houston was inducted in 2020.
AV Club to The_King_Ordered_It:
Nope.
The Rock and Roll and Other Artists Who Aren’t Strictly Rock but are Nevertheless Appreciated by People Who Generally Consider Themselves Rock Fans Hall of Fame
I don’t see why they don’t do it. It basically been the “Music Hall of Fame” for quite awhile now. Must be some kind of branding legal type deal or they’re just lazy. Could easily be either.
Rock is a spirit not a style of playing music. Rock can’t be kept in a box or put in a corner. It’s an attitude.
Yeah it’s a tricky wire to walk between inclusivity and sensibility. Although I can see a Hip Hop honors org doing similar crossovers for influencers/etc outside of hip hop. I mean why not. But then again, I mean, rock and roll and hip hop and country all can be traced back to similar roots. So there’s connectivity there. In our hyper fracturzation of music genres its easy to lose sight of that. I had a music professor in college who assessed that there was no subdividing rock into separate genres, that they may sound different, but are too fundamentally similar to be actually a different genre. Kind of an edgelord take but I keep thinking about it.
So they could put artists in the hip hop HoF who’s music has been sampled in famous hip hop music? Like James Brown, Sly Stone, Led Zeppelin. Right?
makes perfect sense to me
Agree that we’re starting to cast a wide net.
I think they’re eligible because they all sold their souls to the devil. Some commanded a higher price than others.
If you read the very basic criteria for nomination, it’s largely about how long since you released your first album, and whether your music or career has contributed to or otherwise had influence on what we think of as “Rock and Roll”.
OK, but how has does that apply to someone like Eminem?Regardless, with so many classic rock bands still to be inducted, it seems weird to continue pulling in these, at-best, fringe acts.
The same way it applies to Beastie Boys, Run DMC, and NWA. It’s about influence and impact more than genre coherence or even albums sold.
Yes, but what influence or lasting impact has he actually had on rock music? Beastie Boys had rock crossover tunes, and Run DMC at least had the Aerosmith thing. Maybe there’s some Eminem-influenced rock out there, but I haven’t heard it.
Don’t make Pat Benatar mobilize a small army of prostitutes to dance aggressively at you, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Prostitute army is here to stay♪♪Prostitute army are on their way♪♪
♪♪♪♪♪♪ We aren’t young ♪♪♪♪♪♪
no promises! no demands!
No surrender!
Once again, Sha Na Na gets snubbed.
Bowzer for prez.
They played at Woodstock, man…….
Kate Bush, the New York Dolls, Devo, and Judas Priest have all been nominated three times.
BREAKING: In protest at the artificial scarcity of HoF places, Kate Bush is seceding from the competition to form her own Popular Tunes Chamber of Esteem.
Nevermind the HoF, M&M’s crotch is on fire!!!
Look, I adore Dolly Parton a lot, I think she’s one of the best songwriters of the mid 20th century. But Rock and Roll? Country yes, Pop somewhat, Rock? No.
But Rock and Roll? Yes
Ehhhhh I don’t know about that. Closer to Rock at least. I get why this is happening, there aren’t enough female candidates for the Hall and people loved Dolly.
Isn’t patsy Cline in the rock ‘n roll HoF?
I assume it’s because Marianne Faithful liked her?
I don’t know if Patsy is but I know there’s a couple 30s through 50s Country singers who are labeled Legacy Editions due to influencing Rock. Which fits, The Carter Family and Hank Williams did influence Rock.
Yeah, but Dolly rocks, so I’ll allow it.
Plus, she’s a big fan of Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza.
I mean she absolutely does that’s a fact and a half. Hell I think her version of I Will Always Love You is better then Whitney Huston.
Yeah, she kinda takes focus away from the real rockers nominated this year, like *checks notes* Eminem and Dionne Warwick.
It’s criminal that Soundgarden and Alice in Chains can’t even get a nomination.
Is it though? They’re notable acts, but not all-time-great acts.
lol, sure, because DEVO is an all time great.
Hell yeah they are, and I’m pretty sure Soundgarden would agree, since they covered “Girl You Want.”
Weezer covered Africa by Toto and I am not hearing anyone clamoring for Toto to be in. Sorry man, but Devo had “whip it” and that’ it. Soundgarden and Alice in Chains were innovators (along with Nirvana and Pearl Jam) of a new style of music that that didn’t include spandex or permed hair.
You mean like Devo did with New Wave?Sure they only maybe had one hit but they were hugely influential to a lot of bands that came after in the 80s
meh, but were they? there were plenty of new wave artists before them. i don’t see them as much of an influencer insomuch as that THEY were influenced by it.
There were definitely NOT a lot of New Wave artists before them. “Whip It” was on their third album – they’d been a band for nearly a decade before that, and were one of the first punk bands to incorporate synths as a major part of their sound. Brian Eno and David Bowie tag-teamed the production of their first album, and considered them important enough that they paid for it out of their own pockets, because Devo didn’t have a label yet.
Seriously, if all you know is “Whip It,” you’re missing out on an amazing body of work. Check some of this out.
Gut Feeling
Gates of Steel
Mongoloid
“Of all the bands who came from the underground
and made it in the mainstream, Devo were the
most challenging and subversive of all.”—Kurt Cobain
and? By your reasoning Meat Puppets should be in the hall because Nirvana covered their songs during Unplugged.
Heh, I mean, I definitely own more Meat Puppet albums than Alice in Chains albums. But that would assume I give a shit about the hall. I was just trying to point out that Devo is a LOT more important than you think they are.
and Alice in Chains/Soundgarden are a lot more important than you think they are.
I never said they weren’t – please don’t put words in my mouth. I only replied to your slagging of Devo.
Eh, Devo is ….fine. You would think I would have more respect them as a group, since they are from my hometown, but I really only care about the career Mark Mothersbaugh has carved out for himself in Hollywood after Devo.
“Whip it” is the only song you have ever heard then, right?Step back, you got no ground to stand on person that was likely born after most of their career. You would argue that Soundgarden was more of innovator than Devo. Riiiiiiiiight.
I was alive for both Devo and Soundgarden, and I stand by my claim.
Stating that you were alive for them does not envoke images that you were cognizant of them at the time. Did you or friends listen to or own Devo records in high school? Give their first album a spin, but it won’t sound new to you, it will sound like everyone that copied them since.
ok man, I get it , you’re a huge Devo fan and are getting offended that someone else disagrees that they are great.
Not a HUGE fan per se, but clearly you are unaware of their work or how many people they influenced. You threw out their name like they were Kashagoogoo. Maybe the problem with grunge rock is that their fans are apathetic. There’s no payoff to inducting them. Furthermore, I enjoy Soundgarden and AIC quite a bit. I have more of their work than DEVO. Still, I could not possibly care less who is or is not in the HOF.
I think you the “grunge fans are apathetic” only rings true to them in the actual time grunge was a thing now they are all adults with kids/careers that have to be told that things like “Poopity Scoop” are trailblazing works of genius, so they would like they music they grew up to get some recognition, and so far only Nirvana and Pearl Jam have gotten in.
Meh. I get sucked into reading the articles sometimes but honestly have no skin in the game for who gets in or not. It does not effect the enjoyment of the music. I would not want to be a fan of any performer that cared about it. Side note: I don’t think Chris Cornell killed himself. He just got off stage being loved by thousands an hour before. I think he wanted to rub one out and crash with one of those one and half times stronger orgasms.
Tell me that you’re utterly clueless and have zero idea what you’re talking about without telling me.Devo were one of the most influential bands of their era, you clueless dolt. They were also far more innovative than Soundgarden and AiC (both of whom I love). Just because you’re a clueless twit and are ignorant of their music and influence doesnt mean that it doesnt exist.
Devo is more rock and roll than most comprehend.
Also, the Smashing Pumpkins, a band that should be inducted just for the comedy that would ensue. Seriously. It’s like they’re both randomly picking bands out of a hat. How does it make sense to go from Nirvana to Eminem while skipping everyone from the Replacements to Sonic Youth (!) to Soundgarden or Oasis. I don’t think most of those bands have been nominated let alone not voted in.(Oasis also has to be nominated just for the hilarity of a drunken brawl between Liam and Noel. PLEASE LET THIS HAPPEN).
My hypothetical ballot is the same every year: Weird Al, Dolly Parton, Squeeze, En Vogue, and The Roots. This year, one of them is actually nominated!
If Squeeze’s Singles 45s and Under were an actual album and not a collection, it might well be the greatest album of the 80s.(It’s astonishingly great as it is, of course)
Being named “The next Lennon-McCartney” was the kiss of death for Squeeze.
How the hell is Iron Maiden not already inducted?
I’m fine with the Hall nominating non-Rock (or at best, Rock-adjacent) acts. For them, Rock has been on a downward trend and expanding their base by including acts that don’t fit categorically into “Rock” can’t hurt. Second, and not that I am giving them credit for this, but there are plenty of acts that were influenced or have influenced Rock bands and those acts should get some recognition.Also, as to why the Hall isn’t shifting to “Hall of Popular Music” or whatever, I think that is way too broad. Do you nominate popular stuff from the 1930s? Do you want (probably mostly) white guys who grew up with Led Zeppelin and the Beatles debating whether Nicki Minaj should get a nom? Maybe they should open it up, but as currently constructed… I am not sure that the Hall voters are the best judges of that.
Dolly Parton, Carly Simon and RATM would be the tits. Kate Bush is better than most of the artists in the hall but we know how Jann Wenner thinks of prog music. It’s a hard bias to get over and most UK/Euro artists wouldn’t care at this point anyways. The blood has been pretty bad between them and RS’s legacy. Iron Maiden and Judas are both UK as well so I won’t hold out much hope.
You know, there’s only one Monkee left. Let’s get that band in there already while it means anything at all.
They need to put Link Wray in.
Once Chuck Berry got in they should have bolted the door behind him.
It doesn’t bother me that the Hall of Fame welcomes prestigious artists from all genres. Every year the common mistake of thinking the Rock n Roll Hall Of Fame is or should be exclusive to Rock music is wrong. Artists inducted into the Hall represent the very best during the rock & roll ERA. ( roughly 1955~1997) That should include the most influential in rock, country, folk, r&b, alternative, gospel, punk, metal & hip-hop. NOT Jazz. That would represent the pre-rock ERA.