It's going to be a slow year when Manfred Mann finally gets in

Posted by Marth on Monday, 01/21/2013 @ 18:04pm

Here's one I'm not so sure of. They pulled off the rare feat, even for that time, to have hits in the mid-60s, go back to #1 in 1977, and continue to chart into the mid-80s. Honestly, I'm not really sure what Mann's legacy is. Unless Mr. Van Zandt throws their name around or if there's some sort of TV/streaming special on the group, their chances of getting in are low.

Posted by Jason Voigt on Thursday, 06/6/2019 @ 02:03am

At the end of 1964, Manfred Mann was the best band in England, by almost any yardstick one cares to use.
They had more chart hits than the Beatles and more than the Stones. The Beatles had hits with pop songs, the Stones with R&B songs and Manfred Mann with a singular combination of pop and blues.
and, they were acknowledged as the best live band in the country, with the most varied instrumentation and widest range of material…

They could easily be viewed (and frequently have been) as a singles band… because they have been astonishingly successful over the early years at recording singles - sometimes self-penned, sometimes cover versions (along with Alan Price, they have been singled out by Dylan as his favourite performers of his songs).
So - while the list of sixties MM singles conjures up sweet memories of great little three minute chunks of sound, their first album contains some true classic of the blues era, brilliantly arranged and performed by this most musically talented of all the initial burst of BritPop bands.
Every member of the original band has gone on to have a full and varied career.. many of them still working as the "Manfreds", as well as independent writing, recording and production credits and, in fact, multi-instrumentalist Mike Vickers, (whose "rock/blues" flute playing had predated Jethro Tull by almost five years) conducted the orchestra for the live recording of The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love".
It is difficult to find a single compilation that combines the pop side of MM with the accomplished blues readings, but they are all from the same 64/65 period and help display the breadth of material and the talent and skills of this remarkable and woefully overlooked band who are never likely to make the RocknRoll Hall of Fame… and yet made some truly wonderful music that holds up very well, even today.

Posted by tony reay on Thursday, 08/20/2020 @ 10:45am

Only the Earth Band is deserving. The original was just a dumb pop band.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, 09/8/2020 @ 14:45pm

Such a subjective topic but...yes, Manfred should certainly be in the Hall of Fame.
He is a talented musician, a fine keyboard player and has a long history of success. Because he has a wide range of musical interests, he is hard to classify. This is a major reason for him being underrated but it shouldn't detract from the significance of his contributions to the music industry.
Over nearly 60 years, his music has reflected his originality, his willingness to improvise and his creativity in fusing different styles (R&B / Pop and Jazz; Prog Rock and Classical...)
His outstanding abilities in the areas of composing, interpreting and arranging have led to recognised achievements in producing albums, writing film scores and paraphrasing indigenous music forms.
He should also be recognised for his opposition to apartheid, extreme right wing politics and racial discrimination. He has expressed these feelings through his music and this adds an importance to particular albums.
To his many fans, the "Mann" is a legend. He has always been, and still is, a musician who is willing to push the limits.

If any of his bands were to be considered for induction into the Hall of Fame, I would punt for the first chapter featuring Mike Hugg, Mike Vickers, Paul Jones and Tom McGuinness. What a group!
Without doubt, Hugg and Vickers are two of the most skilled multi-instrumentalists of the time and the present day. Like Manfred, Mike Hugg had trained in playing Jazz and plays drums, vibes and keyboard. Mike Vickers is an excellent composer and plays guitar, sax, flute and keyboard. Paul Jones is a fine vocalists and an outstanding harmonica player.
Their first album, "The Five Faces Of Manfred Mann" is a classic. Their use of these instruments and the touches of Jazz make this album one of the most original, most interesting and most refreshing albums of the sixties.

Posted by Mal Taylor on Friday, 11/27/2020 @ 23:13pm

Isn't 'Manfred Mann' a group?!

As an aside, there is no 'Herman' in "Herman's Hermits"

Posted by Paul in KY on Saturday, 11/28/2020 @ 15:14pm

Manfred Mann band has been deserving of HOF induction for years.
But Jan Weiner and his Rock and Roll HOF are a joke.
For years now only in it for the money without regard for inducting long deserving bands and musicians. It's all about selling those tables. And now the political correctness is so evident. It's now a scam involving Weiner,the "Foundation" and the label and industry smucks. Kinda sad.

Posted by Clinton on Thursday, 09/30/2021 @ 10:52am

To say that the original Manfred Mann were just a dumb pop band is a grave injustice. Of all the British invasion bands they were the ones with the real musical chops. They mixed jazz blues rock n roll and pop together to create something new in 1964 and unique. They sounded like no one else. Just listen to their classic first album. Its a stone cold classic. Manfred and company have contributed much to modern music and I would say that they pushed popular music beyond the boundaries that kept it exclusively within the realm of teenage music.

Posted by Penda lord of mercia on Sunday, 03/23/2025 @ 09:28am

Manfred mann were one of the first great rock fusion bands. They mixed rock n roll, r and b andb azz to creste a wonderful hybrid. They were excellent musicians and still are. Its a travesty thatvthey arent in.

Posted by duane wirdel on Sunday, 01/11/2026 @ 00:49am

I hear everyone complain about Manfred Mann. However, if you look at reality, they really did not have all that much staying power or mainstream success. The had Do Wah Diddy Diddy, which isn't exactly the most complex song. And that was their biggest hit! They weren't cutting edge or influential, since they were just doing the same British invasion thing as everyone else. And yes, 11 years later they had another big hit, but once again that was the only one. And on top of that, of the 7 songs they had that reached the US top 40, all of them were covers.

So that was Manfred Mann. A band with 7 hit songs, only two of which are still well-known today. For albums, they only have really one classic, and only one that sold well. They weren't commercially huge, they weren't critical darlings, and their influence is virtually non-existent. What is hall-worthy about these guys??

I will never understand you old farts and your obsession with getting every mediocre band into the rock hall. At that point why bother?

Posted by Chingle on Monday, 01/12/2026 @ 08:39am

This is how insanity rears its hgly head:

1983 - Hall of Fame opens
2015 - Joan Jett is inducted
2017 - Yes is inducted
2018 - Moody Blues is inducted
20?? - Jethro Tull and Mannfred Mann and the Earth Band

HoF is a PoS!

Posted by Ectorshire Wolf on Sunday, 03/15/2026 @ 19:54pm