And Velvet Underground deserved to go in? From what I can gather about non-Pavement fans, they just haven't made it past Slanted and Enchanted. Or they're crazed with Billy Corgan. I'm a huge fan, and often the importance of Slanted escapes me. But given the conditions to which it was recorded... However, the real gem of their discography, to me, has always been Crooked Rain. And Gold Soundz is about as important as anything put to tape in the 90s. Pavement was more about melody. And they had a ton compared to their alt-rock counterparts. Not to mention that Brighten the Corners is probably one of the finest guitar albums from the period. Then Wowee Zowee is an excellent mess. No band had a better four album run in the 90s.

Posted by Brian on Tuesday, 12/17/2013 @ 10:37am

All there five albums are perfect.

Posted by David on Sunday, 07/28/2019 @ 08:33am

https://thefilmstage.com/alex-ross-perry-unveils-next-film-is-a-screwball-movie-about-the-rock-band-pavement/

Pavement are getting a movie

Posted by Mat r on Monday, 12/19/2022 @ 11:03am

A friend of mine who plays in local bands knows one of the guys in Pavement. Both are from Louisville originally. I will mention this to him.

Posted by Paul in KY on Tuesday, 12/20/2022 @ 05:29am

They will be nominated after 2030 and inducted. They are so important to indie music. They will easier be voted at that time. However, it is a little early now for their induction as other earlier pioneers like the Smiths, the Replacements, Pixies and Sonic Youth have not been recognized yet.

Posted by power on Saturday, 07/22/2023 @ 22:39pm

RIP Gary young

Posted by Mat R on Thursday, 08/17/2023 @ 21:55pm

Range life shoukd definitely be in Essential songs

Posted by Will m on Saturday, 02/17/2024 @ 15:04pm

Absolutely not. They can go in the Pitchfork HOF. 2 good records and 3 mediocre ones.

Posted by Jim C. on Thursday, 07/24/2025 @ 13:00pm

Another band that should be included, but will never be seriously considered by the Rock Hall.

It should be noted that in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums list, Pavement has three albums included. Almost every act with three or more albums on the RS 500 list has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, except for Joy Division/New Order, Pavement, and D'Angelo (in my opinion, their likelihood of induction ranks as D'Angelo > JD/NO >> Pavement). Pavement are undeniably one of the most important rock acts of the 1990s.

Similar to bands like My Bloody Valentine, their musical style does not fit the tastes of the current RRHOF nominating committee or the expectations of ABC broadcast audiences.

If even more famous cult acts like Pixies, The Replacements, and Sonic Youth struggle to get nominated, I see no chance of Pavement being considered by the RRHOF anytime soon.

What a joke. They have lasting and undeniable influence. Their Spotify monthly listeners exceed those of some inducted artists, such as The Go-Go's. Yet we all know that members of the nominating committee and general ballot voters are mostly radio-oriented listeners who primarily care about Billboard hits. The massive number of listeners who consume music through streaming platforms. and the huge indie acts influenced by Pavement, will never be voters. Some of these people are RS 500 album voters, which is exactly why Pavement have three albums on the list. That alone is a significant achievement and clearly demonstrates that Pavement's historical importance is on par with many canonized "great" acts.

However, voting power remains firmly controlled by industry insiders, and the large indie fanbase will never be absorbed into this inner circle. This is precisely why even bigger alternative and indie acts like Joy Division/New Order, Devo, and The Smiths continue to struggle. Their influence is enormous, but the people they influenced have been excluded from the industry's inner circle and never truly welcomed into the club.

Meanwhile, some indie acts large enough to headline major music festivals, with far more streaming listeners than many "safe" inductees, are ignored, while other artists become "mainstream" simply by playing the industry game, following its rules, and receiving greater commercial push.

The same pattern exists in the metal community. Even Iron Maiden, a household name capable of selling out arenas after 50 years, are still treated as "cult musicians" by the inner circle and remains difficult to vote in.

Posted by james on Saturday, 02/7/2026 @ 11:17am

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz wake me up when the pavement glazing is over....

Posted by eboe on Wednesday, 02/18/2026 @ 23:50pm

The sheer fact that some half-assed indie rock band has a calculated 46% chance to get in to the RRHOF and Cocteau Twins are at 30% is a goddamned farce. I'll take the far more inventive and experimental band, please.

Posted by eboe on Wednesday, 02/18/2026 @ 23:53pm