Rock Hall Induction Ceremony Returns to Cleveland in 2009

The mayor of Cleveland announced today that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will return to Cleveland for the 2009 event after a 12 year absence. If all goes well, it could return every three years.

It was promised in 1997 that the ceremony would return to Cleveland regularly as a part of a rotation that would include New York, Los Angeles, and London. Obviously this never happened since the ceremony has been held at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York every year except for the one year Cleveland hosted (and L.A. hosted in 1993).

You can check out a list of artists who will be newly eligible in 2008 (for the '09 inductions) right here.

Update:

When [Rock Hall Museum President Terry] Stewart was asked if the inductions were guaranteed to come to Cleveland every three years, he said having future ceremonies here would be contingent upon the success of the 2009 event.

He quickly was interrupted by the mayor.

"It is guaranteed," [Cleveland Mayer Frank] Jackson said. "We intend to make this work. . . . It will be here in '12 and it'll be here in '15 and it'll be here in '18 . . . I want you to understand: It is going to happen. It will work."

Stewart didn't argue the point.

Holding the ceremony in Cleveland every year would be impractical because many record companies and other key Rock Hall benefactors are based in New York, [Rock Hall Foundation President Joel] Peresman said.

"We need to be able to have it there to get their support," Peresman said. "We're talking about the businesses and we're talking about the corporations that have supported the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame from the beginning."

For 20 of the past 22 years, the ceremony was held in New York. Besides the temporary move to Cleveland a decade ago, the inductions were held in Los Angeles in 1993.

For future ceremonies, the foundation isn't looking beyond New York or Cleveland, Peresman said.

The gala here tentatively is scheduled for a Saturday night in March 2009, although the venue has not been chosen. The Rock Hall plans to reveal more details in the spring.

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The 2008 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees

The 2008 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees were announced today. Congratulations to Madonna, Leonard Cohen, John Mellencamp, The Ventures, and The Dave Clark Five. They will all be honored at the induction ceremony in New York City on March 10, 2008. Much more on the 2008 winners here.
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Rock Hall Inductees Announced Today

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will announce today the five artists who will be enshrined in Cleveland in 2008. As you know by now, the nominees are Afrika Bambaataa, the Beastie Boys, Chic, Leonard Cohen, The Dave Clark Five, Madonna, John Mellencamp, Donna Summer, and The Ventures. Mellencamp and The Ventures have claimed to have already received word they will be inducted.

Keep checking the 2008 Inductees page for the latest updates and news.

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The Ventures May Be a 2008 Rock Hall Inductee

According to seattlepi.com, The Ventures are a 2008 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee. Bandleader Don Wilson said the band received an email from the Rock Hall saying, "The Ventures are definitely in."

The official announcement of the 2008 Inductees is tomorrow.

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Future Rock Hall Predicts the 2008 Inductees

Future Rock Hall predicts the 2008 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees will be:
  • John Mellencamp: Even before Mellencamp himself leaked his own induction last week, he was the runaway leader in the Future Rock Hall poll, landing on 81% of the ballots.
  • Madonna: The biggest superstar on the 2008 ballot was likely an easy choice for Rock Hall voters. Madonna will become one of the elite "first ballot Hall of Famers" if she's enshrined in this her first eligible year. Future Rock Hall voters placed her on 75% of their ballots.
  • Beastie Boys: In recent years, the Nominating Committee has demonstrated an eagerness to include hip hop in the Rock Hall. There are few rappers who can match the Beastie Boys musical diversity and sustained popularity. Future Rock Hall voters didn't show any hesitancy in enshrining them before some of the other pioneers of hip hop, earning 68% of the votes.
  • Leonard Cohen: One of the surprise 2008 nominees, Leonard Cohen will likely be inducted after receiving his first nomination since becoming eligible 15 years ago. Cohen's appearance on the ballot was undoubtedly championed by influential Nominating Committee member Anthony DeCurtis, who as a "Cohen devotee," was commissioned last year to write liner notes for reissues of Cohen's first three albums. In the Future Rock Hall poll, Cohen finished sixth, with 53% of the vote.
  • Donna Summer: Even though she has been eligible since 1999, this is Donna Summer's first appearance on the Rock Hall ballot and it will likely be her last. If the official results mirror those of Future Rock Hall, she should be one of the top five vote getters. She was voted in on 60% of the ballots.
Over 2200 Future Rock Hall voters cast their ballots in the 2008 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame poll. The top five vote getters are John Mellencamp, Madonna, the Beastie Boys, the Dave Clark Five, and Donna Summer. [Last year, FRH voters accurately predicted four out of the five inductees.] The poll results are just one of the factors that go into Future Rock Hall's induction forecast, but there is agreement on four out of five (will the fifth spot go to Leonard Cohen or the DC5?).

Even though Future Rock Hall is predicting the other four nominees won't make the cut in 2008, it isn't difficult to make a case for their induction: The Dave Clark Five were at the center of the 2007 voting controversy, suggesting they were just a few votes short of induction; The Ventures may appeal to older voters who want to recognize the 60's instrumental rock kings; Chic have been on the ballot four times now, the most of any of the 2008 nominees; and Afrika Bambaataa is an historic figure in the birth of hip hop.

The official results will be announced by the Rock Hall on December 13th. Keep checking Future Rock Hall for all of the latest 2008 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame news.

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Analyzing Rock Hall Hopefuls Using the Keltner List

For the past couple of years, the good folks over at A List of Things Thrown Together Five Minutes Ago (ALLOT5MA) have been grading various artists' Rock Hall credentials using a method adapted from baseball analysis. The original Keltner list was developed by the brilliant baseball analyst Bill James to help determine which baseball players deserve to be in Cooperstown. ALOTT5MA adapted the list of questions for the Rock Hall (shown here from their analysis of Metallica):
  1. Was Metallica ever regarded as the best artist in rock music? Did anybody, while Metallica was active, ever suggest that Metallica was the best artist in rock music?
  2. Was Metallica ever the best artist in rock music in its genre?
  3. Was Metallica ever considered the best at its instruments?
  4. Did Metallica have an impact on a number of other bands?
  5. Was Metallica good enough that it could play regularly after passing its prime?
  6. Is Metallica the very best artist in history that is not in the Hall of Fame?
  7. Are most bands who have a comparable recording history and impact in the Hall of Fame?
  8. Is there any evidence to suggest that Metallica was significantly better or worse than is suggested by its statistical records?
  9. Is Metallica the best artist in its genre that is eligible for the Hall of Fame?
  10. How many #1 singles/gold records did Metallica have? Did Metallica ever win a Grammy award? If not, how many times was Metallica nominated?
  11. How many Grammy-level songs/albums did Metallica have? For how long of a period did Metallica dominate the music scene? How many Rolling Stone covers did Metallica appear on? Did most of the bands with this sort of impact go into the Hall of Fame?
  12. If Metallica were the best band at a concert, would it be likely that the concert would rock?
  13. What impact did Metallica have on rock history? Was it responsible for any stylistic changes? Did it introduce any new equipment? Did it change history in any way?
  14. Did the band uphold the standards of sportsmanship and character that the Hall of Fame, in its written guidelines, instructs us to consider?
Obviously not every question can be answered objectively (and thus won't provide definitive answers), but it does provide a useful guide when trying to figure out the worthiness of artists who may be on the bubble.

Check out their analysis of Donna Summer (yes), Madonna (absolutely), Chic (no), Duran Duran (yes), John Mellencamp (bubble, but yes), The Replacements (yes), Depeche Mode (no), Phil Collins (no), and of course, Rush (no). You can browse all of those and more right here. Hopefully the actual Rock Hall voters give as much thought into their choices as these guys do.

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Official 2008 Rock Hall Inductees to be Announced December 13th

Just days after John Mellencamp leaked his own induction, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame moved up its official announcement of the 2008 Inductees by a month to Thursday, December 13th. It is then that we'll find out who will take the remaining four slots in the 2008 class.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer's John Soeder also reports there will be inductees in the Non-Performer and Sidemen categories, which haven't been given out since 2003. No word on whether or not there will be a Lifetime Achievement recipient this year.

The 2008 Rock Hall Induction Ceremony will be held March 10th at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. Presumably, AOL's spinner.com will be webcasting the ceremony once again, but that hasn't been announced yet.

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The Ballots Are In... But Did Anyone Receive Any Votes?

The 2008 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ballots were due in New York on November 26th, and we know that John Mellencamp will be enshrined into the Hall, but this year some outspoken voters have protested the selection of nominees by not voting at all. Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle music critic, decided not to send in his ballot this year for the first time. Jon Bream, another Rock Hall voter from the Minneapolis Star Tribune, could only bring himself to vote for Madonna and no one else.

What is going on here? There was clearly a growing animosity towards the Rock Hall shortly after the nominees were announced in September, but rock fans have been complaining about the process for years without generating a revolt among the insiders. Selvin, himself a former Nominating Committee member, writes:

Over and over again, the elitist committee of 50 record company executives and rock critics who do the nominating come up with a list that reflects their East Coast, intellectual biases, and, year after year, the voting body of FM radio disc jockeys picks the most mainstream possible candidates and votes them in. Hence James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Bob Seger, Jackson Browne ...
If enough voters send in blank ballots, or don't vote at all, perhaps the Nominating Committee will get the message that placing only nine artists on the ballot for five slots just isn't enough choice.

Both Selvin and Bream list artists they would have liked to have had the chance to vote for this year. (Check out Future Rock Hall's list of eligible artists here.)

Joel Selvin's list: "Steve Miller, Kiss, Iggy Pop, T. Rex, Joan Jett, Jeff Beck, Tom Waits, Burt Bacharach, Ben E. King, Yes, Genesis (Peter Gabriel, too), Doobie Brothers, Roxy Music, Metallica, Neil Diamond, Todd Rundgren, Ry Cooder, Albert King, Billy Preston, et cetera, et cetera."

Jon Bream's list: "Neil Diamond, Kiss, Tom Waits, Alice Cooper, Linda Ronstadt, the Doobie Brothers, Genesis, Roxy Music, Jeff Beck, Steve Miller, Moody Blues, Hall & Oates, Rush and the Replacements, to name a few."

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John Mellencamp is a 2008 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee

Congratulations to John Mellencamp! At an Erie, Pennsylvania show last night, Mellencamp leaked to the crowd that he was among the five inductees for the 2008 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
"I got a phone call today," he said. "I found out I'm in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame."
As we learned last year, inductees find out well before the official press conference whether or not they have been voted in, presumably to work out the logistics of attending the ceremony in March. It's not surprising that Mellencamp is among the inductees, as he has led the Future Rock Hall poll for months, showing up on over 80% of voters' ballots. This was the third time that Mellencamp had been nominated for the Rock Hall, missing the final cut in 2004 and 2006.

Thanks, David.

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Cleveland fans back Mellencamp for Rock Hall

The results from the annual Cleveland Plain Dealer Rock Hall poll have been announced, and John Mellencamp was the leading vote-getter for the 2008 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The other four artists who "won" are Madonna, the Dave Clark Five, Donna Summer, and the Ventures. Although the Plain Dealer poll received just 170 ballots, the results are very similar to the Future Rock Hall poll (which is still open with over 2000 ballots already cast). The only difference between the polls is that Future Rock Hall voters prefer the Beastie Boys over the Ventures.

Official Rock Hall ballots were due on Monday this week with the winners to be announced in January.

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More about the Official Rock Hall Ballot

What kind of information do the 500+ members of the Voting Committee receive from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation to help them complete their ballots? Not a whole lot. Included with the Rock Hall ballot is a brochure which contains short biography information about each nominee (which is very similar to the write-up in the press release), a "Selected Discography" listing, and a photo. Surprisingly, there isn't a CD included with some actual music. Is it reasonable to expect the voters (which comprise of "rock experts" and current Hall of Famers) to know the catalogs of each nominee? Is Billy Joel familiar with Afrika Bambaataa? Is Percy Sledge into the Beastie Boys? Who knows, but maybe that's the point. With such a broad range of voters only the artists with widespread impact on rock 'n' roll will likely appeal to enough voters to be inducted.
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The 2008 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Official Ballot

Some interesting things to note about the 2008 Rock Hall Ballot:
  • The voting deadline is November 26, 2007 and votes received after that date "will not be counted." This is most likely in response to the controversy about the vote tallies from last year.
  • Voters don't have to vote for five artists, that is just the maximum. It's possible there may be quite a few ballots this year that are returned with only a couple of names checked off.
  • Voters are asked to rank their choices in order of preference. It's unclear if this information is used in counting the ballots. Previously, the rules stated that an inducted artist needed at least 50% of the vote, but that's no longer the case, since the Rock Hall has stated that exactly five artists will be inducted in 2008. It's very possible that artists could be inducted with less than a majority consent.
Cast your vote in Future Rock Hall's version of the 2008 Rock Hall Ballot here.
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Madonna and the Beastie Boys Rock Hall reunion?

Madonna and the Beastie Boys are the only two artists on the 2008 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ballot who were newly eligible this year. If they are both inducted, they will have the chance to share the stage at the Induction Ceremony, just as they did 23 years earlier when the Beastie Boys opened for Madonna on the Like A Virgin Tour. Amazingly, potential future Hall of Famers Run DMC were also on the bill.
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From the Shortlist to the Ballot

Every year since 1986, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominating Committee has waded through the names of hundreds of artists in search of the elite few that will be voted on for induction. By counting the artists who have been inducted in the "Performer" category, and the artists who have been previously considered but not inducted, the Committee has narrowed down the history of rock and roll to essentially 300 names. Roughly half of those artists (154) are now in the Hall of Fame. But out of the other 146 names the Committee has discussed, only 31 have made it to the final ballot to be voted on by the 500+ member Voting Commitee. (Unsurprisingly, three of those 31 are up for induction again in 2008 -- Mellencamp, Chic, and the DC5.)

The Nominating Committee has gradually become more and more controlling over the process -- up through 2005, there would routinely be 15 or 16 names on the final ballot, but it was reduced it to just nine artists last year. The Voting Committee now has fewer names to consider, and they're often ones they have seen many times before. It's likely there are many voters who would love the chance to decide between Alice Cooper and Tom Waits; The Monkees and Devo; or Genesis and Roxy Music, but they haven't been given that opportunity due to the more restricted ballot.

Why not give the voters more choice? After all, the Voting Committee has succeeded in rejecting only 31 names in 22 years. They should be given the chance to reject many more.

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More on the 2008 Rock Hall Nominees

There were only two Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees this year from the list of newly eligible artists, Madonna and the Beastie Boys. The remaining seven artists have been eligible for at least two years, but more importantly, all seven had been previously considered by the Nominating Committee. This shortlist of artists provides deep insight into who the Nominating Committee takes seriously as Rock Hall candidates. If an artist is eligible, but isn't on this list... well, their chances for induction are slim, because it doesn't seem like the Nominating Committee likes to reconsider previous year's rejects. So let's take a look from recent years who the Committee thinks has a shot, and who doesn't.
  • From the 2006 class, Depeche Mode, Eurythmics, and the Replacements made the cut, which means that Hüsker Dü, Duran Duran, New Order, Mötley Crüe, Ministry, Minor Threat, and many others will probably forever be left out.
  • From 2005, just hip hop pioneers Afrika Bambaataa and Treacherous Three made the list. So no Ozzy, INXS, Go-Go's, or Joan Jett, among others.
  • The 2004 shortlist includes Def Leppard, Iron Maiden, the B-52's, Simple Minds, and Sugarhill Gang. That ignores Lucinda Williams, Pat Benatar, and of course, "Weird Al" Yankovic.
  • Just three names from 2003 are listed, The Cure, Devo, and The Cars. Big names from 2003 that weren't considered: Joy Division, Dire Straits, and Kate Bush.
It's unclear who the Nominating Committee discussed from the 2007 class other than Madonna, Beastie Boys, and Metallica (who were rejected this year). Was Sting discussed? How about Sonic Youth? Was Janet Jackson's name on any member's shortlist? Or the Violent Femmes? We don't know yet, but we now understand how important it is to make it past the first cut.
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Rock Hall's "The Craft" series offers insight into Future Hall of Famers

This year, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame began an artist interview series called "The Craft" that features a number of potential Future Hall of Famers. The first artist featured was Elvis Costello, a member of the Rock Hall Class of 2003. Other artists have included Patty Griffin, Jim James of My Morning Jacket, and Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie. The latest to be interviewed and perform was Paul Westerberg from the Replacements, who first became eligible for induction last year but haven't made the ballot yet.

The next artist in the series is a sure-fire Future Hall of Famer, Black Francis of the Pixies. Aimee Mann rounds out the group who have been announced so far, but more are on the way.

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Videos of the 2008 Nominees

If you're unfamiliar with the music of any of the 2008 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees, check out the video pages for each of the nine artists:After you've become acquainted with the all of the artists and their histories, cast your ballot for who you think should be inducted in 2008.
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Comment of the week

This comment was posted by Matt on 9/29/07 in the 2008 Nominees thread. It has a number of astute observations about the realities of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction process:

From paying special interest to the nomination process over the past few years, I've been able to draw several conclusions about the selection process.

If you have any insight or theories of your own, please share.

THINGS THAT WILL WORK IN YOUR FAVOR

1. Being a larger than life figure.
The Rock Hall wants to grab headlines, and will need to fill seats and get ratings from the ceremony. Madonna is an enduring pop culture phenomenon, and can be seen as the home run, marquee talent. Only Michael Jackson is really comparable here.

2. Being critically acclaimed AND commercially successful.
Critics and the masses are two distinct camps. If you have favor with both, your chances are excellent. Beastie Boys have sold very well over the course their career--Licensed to Ill was the top-selling rap album of the 80's, and check the wikipedia entry for its accolades. Paul's Boutique, huge critical favorite. Ill Communication topped the charts.

3. Continued success and longevity.
Just because your band is still together, doesn't mean it's relevant. If you've been in the game for decades, and get radio airplay with artists 20 years younger, you have a great chance. Avoid being labeled a nostalgia act.

4. Survival in the face of changing tastes.
Grunge destroyed hair metal. Bands like U2 and R.E.M. adapted and even elevated their careers. Survive cultural sea changes.

5. Have friends in high places.
If you're buddies with Jann Wenner, Jon Landau, Bruce Springsteen or Dave Marsh, you will probably get in.

6. Be old.
The selections are made by crusty dinosaurs. Sonic Youth didn't stand a chance with this committee.

7. Affirmative Action.
The nominating committee will always select several black candidates of wildly varying qualifications. Soul, Blues, R&B, Funk clearly have favor over some guitar-based, predominantly white sub-genres.

THINGS THAT WON'T WORK IN YOUR FAVOR

1. Being prog, hard rock or metal.
Clearly these are not committee favorites. Much of the artists classified as such are boring, pretentious, overly indulgent, or polarizing. Still, many others are great. But it doesn't really matter.

2. Lots of filler.
If you have several essential recordings, but lots of misfires, your legacy will be watered down. Concise and impactful careers, and consistenly good artists will be viewed more highly than low-percentage hitters (3 strikeouts for every home run).

3. Confusing history.
Deep Purple probably has 30 current and former members, denoting by Mach I, II, III, IV, V etc. You do you nominate, who do you exclude? Nobody, it makes your head hurt just thinking about it.

4. Being overtly commercial at the expense of your art.
Bon Jovi and Journey, you lowest common denominator power balladeers, you don't stand a chance.

5. Enemies in high places.
Jann Wenner hates the Monkees. So they won't get in. Dave Marsh hates Kiss, so they won't get in either.

Can anyone think of any others?

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Has the Rock Hall reached a tipping point?

The 2008 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominations seem to have lit a fire under rock fans everywhere. At Harp Magazine, Fred Mills notes:
So much for Punk, Prog and Psych: with today’s announcement of nominees for the 2008 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame it becomes clear we’ve reached a tipping point from which a permanent downhill slide in quality seems all but inevitable.

. . .

I think there needs to be a better balance and greater deliberation put into the nomination process. Maybe lengthen the eligibility period to 30, 35 or 40 years instead of 25. Even better, why not have a two-category approach to induction whereby one set of nominees is drawn from the 25-year-criteria pool and a second set drawn from a 40-year pool of so-called Pioneers, thereby ensuring that deserving elders receive a more equitable consideration.

Bob Lefsetz also feels the temperature rising:
I wasn't even going to bother commenting about this. After the induction of Blondie and Patti Smith and the exclusion of the performance of David Lee Roth. But what's fascinating to me is the BLOWBACK! All over the Net, people aren't debating which of the nominees should get in, but who was LEFT OUT!

Donna Summer didn't go rock until '79, however much we love her, she belongs in the DISCO Hall Of Fame. Where Nile Rodgers and Chic should be enshrined also. Hell, want to honor Nile's production work with the B-52's, bringing them back from the dead, I'm all for it. But if it weren't for Ms. Summer and Chic would there have BEEN that bonfire at Comiskey Park?

And the Beastie Boys... Well, rap is a bit closer to rock than disco, but who's a bigger innovator... The Beasties or Alice Cooper?

I could go on and on about the unjust exclusions, but what's fascinating to me is the cabal which runs this rapidly sinking organization/ship/museum seems to have NO CLUE how they're f*cking it up/eviscerating all its credibility.

If there are no more rockers to be inducted, DON'T!

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Roger Friedman of Fox News calls for boycott of Rolling Stone magazine

For Roger Friedman, FoxNews.com entertainment columnist and vocal Rock Hall critic, the 2008 nominations have pushed him over the edge.
[E]nough is enough. After the announcement late Friday of the nominees’ ballot for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, there’s only thing to do: Hit publisher Wenner, who controls the Rock Hall, where it hurts.

If you love Rock and Roll, stop buying Rolling Stone until the tremendous insults of the Hall of Fame are corrected.

Wenner’s nominating committee consists largely of his current and former employees from Rolling Stone (Nathan Brackett, David Fricke, Jim Henke, Joe Levy, Brian Keizer, Toure, and Anthony DeCurtis). But they have little say over who really is inducted.

Friedman then recounts the Dave Clark Five controversy from the 2007 Inductions, and reports that because of that mess they are now "guaranteed entry" in 2008.

Friedman breaks out his laundry list of artists who have been snubbed, ignored, or forgotten by the Rock Hall, any of whom he feels are more deserving than this year's nominees.

Of the new crop, I don’t have much to say that’s positive. Madonna is a steamroller because of the cult of personality. She’s not a rocker, she has a thin voice and she doesn’t write her own material. But she’s a force of nature.

There’s no stopping Madonna when she wants something. Chances are good she won’t bring Steve Bray, Patrick Leonard, William Orbit and all her writers and producers to the stage. They are Madonna.

Chic is a fun idea with great songs, but it was really producer-writer Nile Rodgers and his partner Bernard Summers who made it work as a dance group. Rodgers should be in as a hugely successful producer of music by David Bowie, Ross and others. Summers can be thanked. Chic, however, is not rock.

The rest are totally off base given the above list. Summer was a disco act. For her to get in before Ronstadt is a joke. Mellencamp at least plays rock. But he’s a minor note in the genre’s history.

Afrika Bambaataa and the Beastie Boys: Are they kidding? Even the latter must be laughing. They had one big hit, "You’ve Got to Fight for Your Right to Party." The former, while I’m sure quite lovely, is a record-scratcher with a great name. Each of these belongs in a Rap Hall of Fame.

Roger Friedman gives voice to a large group of rock fans who aren't ready to move on to the next generation of Hall of Famers before honoring those who came before them, and also are weary of the Rock Hall's continued expansion of the definition of "rock and roll."
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Cast your own 2008 Rock Hall ballot

The 500+ members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Voting Committee will be receiving their 2008 ballots soon. They will be instructed to vote for exactly five out of the nine nominees, since only five will be inducted in March. Future Rock Hall is the only place you will find an accurate representation of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ballot which puts you in the position of a Voting Committee member.

For the 2007 ballot, Future Rock Hall voters accurately predicted four out of the five inductees.

Cast your 2008 Rock Hall ballot here!

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Worst Rock Hall lede nominees for 2008

Last year, it was, "Van Halen is trying to make their biggest "jump" yet -- into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame." But what is the worst lede involving the 2008 Rock Hall Nominees?

Here is the AP's entry:

Here's something Madonna can really celebrate: a nomination to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Or maybe E! Online?
Madonna's love may be on the borderline, but apparently her rock credentials aren't.
MTV's entry:
Take a bow, Madonna, and ch-ch-check it out, Beastie Boys — you've been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Yet another AP entry:
Here's something new for Madonna to get hung up on: a nomination to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
And our favorite, from the Contra Costa Times:
Like a virgin, Madonna's been touched for the very first time -- by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Can you come up with a better one?
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The official 2008 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominees

The official Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominations for 2008 were announced today. There are six first time nominees this year -- Afrika Bambaataa, Madonna, Beastie Boys, Donna Summer, Leonard Cohen, and the Ventures. Previously nominated artists back on the ballot are John Mellencamp, the Dave Clark Five, and Chic, who have now been nominated 10 times collectively. This is the first year of eligibility for Madonna and the Beastie Boys, and it's no surprise they have been nominated since they are both popular and critical favorites. Shockingly, rock legends Metallica and Sonic Youth did not make the cut in their first year of eligibility.

The Dave Clark Five and Chic are two of the four artists who were nominated for 2007 but didn't get inducted. The Stooges and Joe Tex also didn't make it last year but weren't given a chance again this time.

Last year, the Dave Clark Five were memorably involved in some Rock Hall controversy involving Jann Wenner and vote totals.

By nominating pop, hip hop, and disco artists this year, it's clear the Rock Hall won't be restricted by "rock" labels and will continue to cast a wide net towards all forms of popular music. However, without a Metallica on the ballot, there is a glaring lack of hard rock artists, not to mention the continued snub of all things prog rock.

To comment on the nominations, check out the 2008 Nominees page and check out the official press release.
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Metallica Snubbed by Rock Hall!

The 2008 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees were announced today, but incredibly Metallica was not among them. Heading one of the strongest first year eligibility classes in recent years, Metallica were the one band widely believed to be a lock for induction. In fact, Future Rock Hall rates Metallica with the highest induction chances of any eligible artist.

Metallica were thought to have been Rock Hall favorites, having had the honor of inducting Black Sabbath (and performing for them) in 2006.


There are plenty of Hall of Fame artists who were not inducted in their first year of eligibility, such as AC/DC, Queen, Aerosmith, Michael Jackson, Pink Floyd, and many more. There is little doubt that Metallica will be inducted into the Rock Hall at some point in the near future, it just won't be in 2008.
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Genesis puzzled by Rock Hall

Genesis have been kicking around in various groupings for 40 years, and have been eligible for the Rock Hall since 1993. Although they have never been listed on the ballot, they have been seriously discussed by the Nominating Committee.

Genesis is in the midst of a reunion tour and bassist Mike Rutherford was recently asked about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and their exclusion from it.

You're not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. What are your thoughts on the British progressive rock bands being overlooked?

It seems the thought-base [of the Hall] is that it's geared toward more guitar-oriented bands. I'm not going to lose sleep over it, but I think it's odd. It would be nice to be in there, but it's not something I'm going to worry about.

Do you hear the music of Genesis reflected in current bands?

I know bands like Coldplay ... Chris Martin said he enjoyed our stuff. I think in the last few years what's quite nice is that English bands have reappeared a bit. Snow Patrol, Coldplay, bands who create moods and atmospheres again. For a long time in America, these bands couldn't get in the top 30. Now, these atmospheric bands are coming back in America, I think. It's a sound that America doesn't really do, does it?

Over the last 14 years, the Rock Hall Nominating Committee seems to have made its decision that Genesis isn't worthy of induction. That's not to say that can't change as the Committee members turn over, but at this point it would be a long shot.

Thanks, David.

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Future Rock Hall predicts the 2008
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees

Future Rock Hall has announced its prediction of the 2008 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominations: Metallica, Madonna, Sonic Youth, Beastie Boys, Afrika Bambaataa, The Stooges, The Dave Clark Five, Chic, John Mellencamp, The Cure, and Kraftwerk. Check out the full story here.
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Beastie Boys and the Rock Hall

The Beastie Boys are eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year for the first time. They were recently asked if they would be honored to get inducted.

Journalist: Would you be honored to get inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Mike D: Will they pay you for that?
Journalist: I think you have to pay for your table.
Mike D: You pay to show up? So what’s the perks? Do you get a key to the city? Do you get a key to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Journalist: Probably.
Adrock: Do they give you a medallion of some sort?
Mike D: Do you get resort perks? Do you get to use a spa, for free?
Journalist: Let’s say all you get is the honor of it, would you be honored by it?
Mike D: You mean so there’s no perks, no spa package…
MCA: Let’s just say, can you get a placard? … I would be honored to receive a placard.
Mike D: I might like a medallion better.
Adrock: A trophy.
Journalist: If invited, would you pull a Johnny Rotten.
Mike D: That letter, was that ever [authenticated]? When I saw it reprinted it looked so fake.
MCA: I don’t think it was, because I was in LA and heard, what’s is name, the guitar player? Steve Jones. And they (Jones and John Lydon) were going on about it. And even Steve Jones, who’s more reasonable, was going on a tear, [mimics cockney accent] “I’m not going out there for a fucking…”   
The Beastie Boys are one of the few artists who are locks to be inducted in the future. It may not be this year, but you can bet that they will be accepting their medallions/placards/keys to the city within the next five years.

Thanks, David.

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Ringo tabbed for 2008 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?

A recent report suggests Ringo Starr will be among the 2008 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees. The article quotes "industry insiders" and "experts" who claim Ringo is among the favorites to be inducted in 2008.
A source says, "Ringo's work as a solo artist has never been taken as seriously as the other ex-Beatles but he's actually enjoyed a lot of success in his own right, particularly in America. It's hard to imagine, but there was even a point in the Seventies when his recordings were briefly outselling those of John (Lennon), George and Paul (MCCartney). "Having your own place in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is generally considered to be one of the biggest honours a musician can have. Ringo is now among the favourites to be inducted next year."
It is curious that this report was leaked before the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominating Committee even held their meeting on September 10th to discuss the 2008 nominees. It's also probably not a coincidence that this report came out the same week that Photograph: Very Best of Ringo Starr was released.

It's certainly possible Ringo could be among the 2008 nominees, but he would still need to be voted on by the Rock Hall Voters, so he couldn't be guaranteed a spot quite yet.

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New Video feature on Future Rock Hall

Every artist on Future Rock Hall now includes a link to a selection of music videos (embedded from YouTube). This allows you to get a quick sampling of the music from the wide variety of artists out there. If you're feeling adventurous, the sidebar menu to the left has a Random Video Page button which will pick an artist for you to check out.

Additionally, each artist page now has a direct link to Wikipedia, which of course contains all sorts of goodness (bios, list of members, discographies, etc.).

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75 Artists That Almost Made the Ballot

Every year after the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees are announced, fans are left wondering, "But what about [my favorite group]? Were they even considered?" Well, now you can find out.

In 2004, the Rock Hall leaked a list of all of the previously nominated artists, as well as a list of artists who have been discussed at the Nominating Committee meetings over the past 18 years or so, but have never made the ballot. It's a rare and fascinating look into the musical tastes of the Nominating Committee members:

So, since there is such intrigue on who almost made the final ballot--and there have been some well publicized run-offs, here are the runners-up:
Alice Cooper
Average White Band
Jeff Beck (solo artist--a Hall of Famer with The Yardbirds)
The Big Bopper
Blues Project
The Paul Butterfield Band
Canned Heat
Captain Beefheart
Chicago
Jimmy Cliff
Joe Cocker
The Commodores
Ry Cooder
Country Joe & the Fish
The Crystals
Dick Dale
Dave Clark Five
Deep Purple
Neil Diamond
Dr. John
Dr. Hook
Doobie Brothers
ELO
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
E Street Band
The Five Satins
Flying Burrito Bros.
Peter Gabriel
Gap Band
Genesis
Buddy Guy
Slim Harpo
The Harptones
Herman's Hermits
The Hollies
Hit Tuna
The J. Geils Band
Wanda Jackson
Tommy James and the Shondells
Jethro Tull
Albert King
Kiss
The Last Poets
Little Anthony and the Imperials
Marshall Tucker Band
Steve Miller Band
Moody Blues
Randy Newman
Laura Nyro
Junior Parker
Esther Phillips
Poco
The Ronettes
Roxy Music
Todd Rundgren
Mitch Ryder
Boz Scaggs
Neil Sedaka
Huey Smith & the Clowns
Sonny & Cher
Spencer Davis Group
Donna Summer
T. Rex
Rufus Thomas
Three Dog Night
The Turtles
Van Halen
The Ventures
Tom Waits
Junior Walker
War
Billy Ward & His Dominoes
Junior Wells
Johnny Winter
Barry White
and Yes.
The only artists out of that group that have since been nominated are Van Halen, the Ronettes, the Dave Clark Five, Buddy Guy and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Everyone else is still waiting to get on the ballot.

Take a look here for a list of artists who are eligible.

Thanks, David.

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Metallica ready for the Rock Hall

James Hetfield of Metallica is well aware of his band's eligibility for the Rock Hall this year.
Something exciting that's up for us is being eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in America, which is a pretty big deal. We played it last year for BLACK SABBATH, who chose not to perform, and we said we would. [Laughs] That was a lot of fun. You know, it's this historic landmark. A lot of bands get inducted, [but] not many bands are there to play all together to say 'Hi' and 'Thank you.' If you made it to 25 years, you either hate each other or you're broken up or you didn't make it that far, or something. So we're pretty proud. There's a not a whole lot of bands that can say that, so we're very grateful.
Future Rock Hall currently predicts that Metallica has a 90% chance for induction, so it's very likely Metallica will be on stage for the 2008 Induction Ceremony.

(The question comes up around 2:35 into the interview.)
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Sticking a toe in the mud

Cleveland Scene recently took a look at the future prospects of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and found that it's as clear as mud.
[T]he Rock Hall's future [is] as sketchy as a Detroit Avenue hooker on meth. The Hall's website claims that one of its goals is "to recognize the contributions of those who have had a significant impact on the evolution, development, and perpetuation of rock and roll." But how will it measure that? By record sales? Innovation? Will there be quotas for gender and race, as well as genres like hip-hop and techno? Or is it just one big popularity contest?

Scene called and asked, but Rock Hall spokeswoman Margaret Thresher didn't have a response. "Good question," she said.

The answer is that without a concrete definition of rock, there is no science to make the induction process flawless. Outside of Nirvana, the next decade doesn't boast many safe picks. Even Madonna will be a controversial inductee, seeing as the pop diva never released a rock record in her entire career.

Then there are the guys who sold out arenas, only to end up on the cheesy VH1 rock docs -- the Poisons and New Kids on the Blocks of the world. No one would claim they were innovative or had any staying power (NKOTB didn't even rawk!). But they defined musical eras and sold gobs 'n' gobs of records (even though they now make up 90 percent of the stock at the Record Exchange).

How will this shadowy induction committee weigh those guys against, say, the Replacements and Dinosaur Jr. -- artists that aren't household names and never graced the cover of Rolling Stone, but created whole new genres and birthed hundreds of new bands?

They go on to take a look at ten artists' chances for future induction:
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Rock Hall Nominating Committee revealed

If you ever wanted to know who holds all the cards at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, wonder no longer. The members of the 2007 Nominating Committee are now listed at Future Rock Hall.

As expected, the Nominating Committee contains a selection of rock critics and historians, music industry insiders, current and former Rolling Stone writers, and a few musicians. What is perhaps noteworthy about the list is that four of the 32 members come from a strong hip hop background (Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five became the first ever rap group inducted into the Rock Hall in 2007). And if that weren't evidence enough that the Rock Hall has officially opened its doors to rap, Jay-Z is on the Rock Hall Board of Directors.

Notable for his absence from the list is Rolling Stone editor and publisher Jann Wenner, who is the Chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation.

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Rock Hall Museum to get $3 million makeover

Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum will undergo a $3 million renovation, which should be completed early next year.

The project is being funded by the New York based Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, who selected ESI Design to helm the project. ESI's founder and principal designer is Edwin Schlossberg, husband of Caroline Kennedy. Coincidentally, Caroline Kennedy has been friends with Rock Hall Founder and Chairman Jann Wenner since the 70's, when they used to party in the same New York social circles. Perhaps it was Caroline Kennedy who recommended the Hall of Fame's original architect, I.M. Pei (who also designed the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum) because when Pei was hired, he confessed he "didn’t know a thing about rock and roll."

photo courtesy of The Convention & Visitors Bureau of Greater Cleveland
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Bill O'Reilly endorses the Monkees

In response to the report that Jann Wenner has blackballed the Monkees from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Bill O'Reilly has decided to take up the cause of trying to get them inducted.

Money quote:
I wasn't a big Monkees fan, because, um, I don't know why I wasn't, but I tell you now, I like the records better now that I'm an old guy. You're on the oldies stations all the time. And you know what, Mr. Jones, you guys deserve to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame... and I'm gonna try to make it happen for ya.
Now there's a ringing endorsement.
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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductors now listed

One of the most interesting aspects of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is the selection of the people who get to honor the Hall of Famers with the induction speech. Future Rock Hall has now cataloged these inductors going back to 1993. The list is loaded with rock legends past and present, and provides a glimpse into who the Rock Hall considers important. For example, Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam has inducted four different artists into the Hall. As if it weren't clear enough that Pearl Jam are future inductees, that would seem to solidify it. There are a few instances where the Rock Hall picked a current artist that didn't turn out to have a Hall-worthy career (Lil Kim comes to mind).


Eddie Vedder inducting the Ramones in 2002

If anyone has access to the missing data from 1986 to 1992, let us know.
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"Induction Chances" formula tweaked

Astute fans of Future Rock Hall will notice that the Induction Chances formula has been adjusted to better reflect an artist's odds of ever being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
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Jann Wenner and vote fixing

The book, Rolling Stone Magazine: The Uncensored History recounts an interesting story about Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Founder and Chairman Jann Wenner:
In 1987, Rolling Stone devoted a special issue to the "100 Best Albums" of the past twenty years. Critics were polled; results were tabulated. At the top of the list was Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Second was Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, an album which sold less than one tenth as many copies as Sgt. Pepper.

The results angered Jann. Though he had never actually listened to more than a few minutes of the Sex Pistols' record, he could not fathom its lofty rank in the poll. Besides, he demanded, "where's Loggins and Messina on this poll? Where's Hotel California?"

When the magazine ran its "100 Best Singles" special issue a year later, the editor took matters into his own hands. He ordered music editor David Wild to put singles by his friends Billy Joel and Foreigner's Mick Jones on the list. Then Jann personally manipulated the tabulations, a puppetmaster jerking his subjects up and down the list. Thus did the deathless classics "Uptown Girl" (by Joel) and "I Want to Know What Love Is" (by Foreigner) receive the respective designations of 99 and 54, while Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" -- originally given the 6 rank -- languished at 73.

Sound familiar?
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Eddie Van Halen out of rehab


Eddie Van Halen is fresh out of rehab and made his first public appearance as a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer at a NASCAR race last weekend.

"The guitar legend 'jumped' into a fire suit and took some hot laps around the track with Kurt Busch." Get it? Jumped!
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Morrissey snubs Rock Hall?

Morrissey will reportedly boycott the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony if the Smiths get enshrined because of his long running feud with former bandmate Mike Joyce.
The indie legends are reported to be among the groups set for induction into the music pantheon next year in New York City.

However, the band's iconic former singer has apparently already ruled out attending the ceremony because of an ongoing rivalry with drummer Mike Joyce.

The Smiths were embroiled in an acrimonious lawsuit over royalties in 1996, and Morrissey has always spoken bitterly about his former bandmate.

"Morrissey has never forgiven Joyce and if organizers think he's going to bury the hatchet by joining him to accept this award, they've got another thing coming. The only way he could be persuaded to turn up would be if Joyce decides not to attend," a source explained.

There are a couple of problems with this article. First, the Smiths aren't even eligible to be nominated until next year, which means the earliest they could be inducted is 2009. Second, it's highly unlikely they are "among the groups set for induction" because the Nominating Committee doesn't get together until the end of the summer to begin discussing the nominations. But when the Smiths do become eligible, they will certainly be on the shortlist for induction.

Thanks, David & Tom

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Peter Tork makes the case for the Monkees

The Monkees have been knocking on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's door since 1991, but no one has answered the door yet. Peter Tork thinks he knows why:
Peter Tork... says the Monkees merit consideration for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but one man opposes their induction.

"The only person ... holding a grudge is Jann Wenner of Rolling Stone," says the former Monkee. The magazine editor "has never written a gracious word. He personally has the veto power to keep us out."

Wenner - who didn't reply to an interview request - allegedly denounces Tork, Dolenz, Davy Jones and Mike Nesmith for not playing their own instruments on the band's first albums.

In this "American Idol" era, when acts are "manufactured" like toasters, fewer critics crucify the Monkees for being a TV show that spawned a band. So have they faced an unfair standard? Were they, in fact, a "real" group?

"I've not heard the slightest murmur about the Monkees being fake," Tork, 65, says from his Connecticut home. "Everybody's forgotten it, except Wenner. He's been vicious."

One Rolling Stone reporter, Tork says, wrote a glowing story crystallizing their merits. But before publication, Tork adds, "The writer said, 'Jann took my article, gutted it and rewrote it to [bury] you.'"

Wenner is often accused of using his clout to keep out a particular band, but it seems unlikely he's the only obstacle in their way to being inducted.

Thanks, David.

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Velvet Revolver sabotaged David Lee Roth's moment

Backstage at the 2007 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Scott Weiland of Velvet Revolver attempted to explain the reason why David Lee Roth wasn't there:
"We were asked to perform. Kinda what happened was, [David Lee Roth] wanted to sing the song 'Jump.' We felt from an artistic standpoint, and I'm being totally honest with you, that it wasn't a song we felt comfortable with. We don't have keyboards. To bring a keyboard on stage wouldn't work for us. We said we'd do 'Janie's Cryin' ' or 'You Really Got Me,' and he was adamant that wasn't OK."
Weiland, how about you pick the songs you want to play when you get inducted into the Hall?
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Rock Hall denies vote fixing

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation has denied there was any foul play in the vote counts for this year's inductions:
Joel Peresman, president and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, said the Fox News story was wrong.

When asked if [Jann] Wenner fudged the voting, Peresman said, "No. There is a format and rules and procedure. There is a specific time when the votes have to be in, and then they are counted. The bands with the top five votes got in."

Peresman said the only thing new about the induction process was a reduction in the number of voters. "We used to have 1,000 people who voted," Peresman said. "But we looked at who hadn't been voting over the years and took them off the list. Now we have about 560 or 570 voters. And of those, we have about an 80 percent return in votes."

In Cleveland, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum President and CEO Terry Stewart said he deals with similar charges every year at this time.

"It's aggravating because these kinds of anonymous sources and accusations serve to confirm the beliefs of anybody who feels their favorite band should have gotten in," he said.

Peresman doesn't deny that there were late votes that would have put the Dave Clark Five ahead of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, but he doesn't confirm that either. Why would Wenner have even opened the late votes -- especially when he apparently had the lineup he wanted? The Rock Hall simply needs to discard unopened ballots that come in after the deadline to avoid this type of controversy, or hire someone independent to tally the votes.
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Chris Rock, Conan O'Brien, Max Weinberg and the Rock Hall

Chris Rock was a guest on Late Night with Conan O'Brien last week, and after a commercial break, the talk turned to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
[The Max Weinberg 7 plays returning from commercial break.]

Chris Rock: You know Max... Max got the funk tonight! Are you in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Max?

Max Weinberg: No, no.

Conan O'Brien: What are you talking about? What do you mean, the E-Street Band is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Max Weinberg: No, actually. No. No, I looked last night. No.

Conan: You check every night?

Max: Yes, yes I do.

Conan: You go online every night to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame dot com?

Chris: What happened, you bet on baseball?

Max: [looks puzzled] Yeah!

Conan: You should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and I'm going to see to it that you are!

Max: Okay, thank you Conan! I love you! [applause]

Chris: We gotta do somethin about that, man.

Conan: Why would you applaud that? I have no power.

Chris: Isn't Tone Loc in?

Conan: Tone Loc is in, yeah...

Chris: [to Max] And you're not in? That's horrible, man.

Conan: Funky Cold Medina is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Chris: Young MC is in there.

Conan: Oh yeah.

Chris: Color Me Badd, they in there! You really must have pissed somebody off!

Max: Yes, yes.

Conan: We're going to find out more about this. We're going to find out what you did.
Max Weinberg, Conan's band leader and drummer of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, is correct about his exclusion from the Rock Hall. Surprisingly, the E Street Band wasn't included when Bruce was inducted back in 1999.

So, Conan, it's your move. If you need help getting Max into the Hall of Fame, just let us know.

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Lefsetz on the Voting Scandal

Music industry critic, Bob Lefsetz wants Jann Wenner to respond to the report that there was tampering with the 2007 Rock Hall voting totals.
I think we all believed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Because it represented what was most important to us, music.  Sure, we railed about who has and has not gotten in.  But we liked that acts were recognized, were given a stamp of approval, additional longevity.

But what if the process is tainted, what if it’s failed?  If we can’t believe in our institutions, what have we got?

I don’t need to believe in Jann Wenner.  But I don’t want him messing with my institutions.  Sure, he gets credit for helping establish the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but George Bush has a program that keeps alcoholics off the street.  Most people aren’t all bad.  But when they’re bad when it counts, that’s important.

We need an investigation.  Who will do this, I’m not sure.  It’s not like the heads of the major labels are trustworthy.  And a bunch of the music industry lawyers…well, there’s the same problem.  But someone’s got to check into this.  And if what Mr. Friedman says is true, Mr. Wenner must lose his job.  Must have nothing to do with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ever again.  Oh, he can visit the museum, but he can’t nominate, can’t vote, certainly can’t chair and must stay home and watch the ceremony on television.  Sure, Jann Wenner has done a lot for rock and roll, but Pete Rose did a lot for baseball.

So Jann…  Say it aint’ so.  Or do what you always urge the politicians to do.  Lay it on the line, tell us the truth.  We may not forgive you, but we’ll accept what you say.  Do it in the name of the Hall.  it’s bigger than you, it deserves its dignity.

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Rock Hall Voting Scandal?

Roger Friedman of FoxNews.com reports today of a brewing controversy about this year's Rock Hall inductees.
According to sources knowledgeable about the mysterious ways of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, British Invasion group The Dave Clark Five and not Grandmaster Flash finished fifth in the final voting of the nominating committee and should have been inducted on Monday night.

According to sources, Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner, who recently appointed himself chairman of the Foundation after the death of Ahmet Ertegun, ignored the final voting and chose Grandmaster Flash over the DC5 for this year's ceremony.

"Jann went back to a previous ballot instead of taking the final vote as the last word," my source insisted. "He used a technicality about the day votes were due in. In reality, The Dave Clark Five got six more votes than Grandmaster Flash. But he felt we couldn't go another year without a rap act."

R.E.M., Van Halen, The Ronettes and Patti Smith were the top four vote-getters, with Grandmaster Flash finishing fifth when the votes were counted on the first date ballots were due in to the Rock Hall office.

But when all the ballots were counted a few days later, the DC5 had pulled ahead. Wenner decided to ignore that and stick with the earlier tally.

It's not clear how enforcing a vote deadline is a "scandal," especially if the five inductees had already been contacted and told they were in. Friedman's source obviously has a bone to pick with Wenner, as the article goes on and takes other shots at the Rock Hall Foundation.

It would be simple enough for the Rock Hall to avoid these nagging controversies (which have dogged them for years). They should make public the voters and the vote totals the way the Baseball Hall of Fame does. Or they could use an independent accounting firm, the way the Oscar ballots are handled.

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2007 Induction Ceremony Updates

The 2007 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is streaming live (and on demand afterwards) at the AOL Music website. Keep checking back to Future Rock Hall for updates during the show.

8:30 p.m. ET - Jann Wenner making introductory statements. The Ronettes induction will be up first.

8:35 - Wenner gets emotional dedicating the evening to Ahmet Ertegun. The "In Memoriam" video montage follows. Scattered applause for the more recognizable names.

8:40 - Video tribute to Rock Hall Founder Ahmet Ertegun. Aretha Franklin's tribute performance to follow.

8:45 - Stephen Stills comes out to say a few words about Ahmet. "He was a true and great original." Stills then introduces Franklin. (In case you were wondering, those weren't his only words.)

8:51 - It's always a bit disconcerting to see Paul Shaffer and the CBS Orchestra as the backing band for such legends. Aren't these the guys that write the "Will it Float?" jingle?

8:58 - Here's the show rundown (from Cleveland.com):
  • The Ronettes will be inducted by Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards

  • Patti Smith will inducted by Rage Against the Machine's Zach de la Rocha.

  • Van Halen gets its due, inducted by Velvet Revolver.

  • Hip-hop enters the Rock Hall courtesy of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, inducted by rap mogul Jay-Z.

  • And R.E.M. will be the finale, inducted by Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder.

  • On the menu at the Waldorf-Astoria: Smoked salmon appetizer, tournedo of beef, chocolate cake.
And Sammy Hagar will perform.

9:05 - Keith Richards, with cigarette dangling from mouth, makes his entrance to induct the Ronettes.

9:08 - The Ronettes approach the podium to a standing ovation. "We've waited so long!"

9:12 - Ronnie Spector reads off a list of "thank you's", including Eddie Money. I wonder if Phil Spector is watching and hurling things at the TV screen right now.

9:16 - Ronnie concludes with an exuberant "Let's rock!" Estelle Bennett and Nedra Talley make brief remarks and accept their trophies.

9:20 - The Ronettes transition over to the performance area to sing a few songs.


9:30 - The Ronettes conclude their set with their biggest hit, "Be My Baby." Paul Shaffer then reads a nice note from Phil Spector congratulating the Ronettes. Quick break to set up for Patti Smith, so they show highlights from past ceremonies.

9:40 - More highlights...

9:46 - Patti Smith segment getting started with a video retrospective.


9:49 - Zack de la Rocha introduced to honor Patti.


9:52 - They keep cutting to a split screen showing an antsy Patti Smith backstage.

9:53 - Patti arrives onstage to a rousing ovation and accepts her trophy.


10:01 - Michael Anthony in the house. We'll see if he'll perform with Sammy Hagar later.

10:03 - Patti Smith wraps up her speech and takes to the performance stage.

10:17 - Smith ends her performance with a song that repeatedly screams out the N-word. Not sure how the audience reacted to that one (our inside source says the audience was ecstatic about the performance). It's safe to say she used it in an entirely non-racist way though.

10:19 - More old Rock Hall clips while setting up for Van Halen / Velvet Revolver.

10:22 - Great old clip of Led Zeppelin jamming with Neil Young.


10:26 - Briefly showing Patti Smith in the press room, must be stalling. Al Sharpton comes on to talk about the late, great James Brown.


10:31 - Al Sharpton makes the obligatory Strom Thurmand joke.

10:32 - "James Brown will never die!" On to the video retrospective.

10:37 - Time for Van Halen. Eddie, Alex and Dave really should be there. It's a shame we're denied that moment of them on stage together again.

10:39 - Odd. The video retrospective makes no mention of the Gary Cherone era.

10:41 - Velvet Revolver apparently were asked to induct the Sex Pistols last year. They're two for two in controversy. Weiland leading the induction.

10:44 - Michael Anthony and Sammy Hagar on stage to accept the award.


10:45 - It's really weird having Anthony and Hagar accept the award when Eddie and Alex Van Halen aren't speaking to either of them right now. Michael thanks Gary Cherone!

10:47 - Sammy is truly honored to be there. Thanks the Hall of Fame for including him when they didn't have to. Sammy introduces "the best rock and roll band left on the planet, Velvet Revolver!"

10:50 - VR start off with "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love." Dave is missed.

10:56 - Sammy and Mike join the house band for "Why Can't This Be Love?"


11:01 - Another classic clip. Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five are up next.

11:09 - Michael Anthony and Sammy Hagar in the press room with their trophies.


11:14 - Arguably the most famous artist in the room, Jay-Z, up to induct Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five -- the first hip-hop artists ever to be inducted.


11:16 - Kid Rock in the house.

11:17 - Short but sweet speech from Jay-Z. Grandmaster Flash takes to the mic.


11:21 - Melle Mel with a plea for anti-violence in the hip-hop community.

11:24 - Keith Richards in the press room, channeling Johnny Depp in Pirates.

11:25 - Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five take the stage with three DJ's and kick it like it's 1979.


11:33 - The Furious Five end their set and implore the crowd to "drive safe." They do know R.E.M. is next, right?

11:34 - More classic moments from years past.

11:40 - Another classic performance -- this one of U2 with Bruce from 2005.


11:44 - R.E.M.'s video montage begins. We'll see if Eddie Vedder has a special haircut for the occasion.


12:01 - Vedder gives a long, but appropriate speech. There's a reason the Hall of Fame keeps asking him to do this. R.E.M. is truly humbled.


12:07 - Michael Stipe thanks nearly everyone in the room personally. But he apologizes for it.

12:09 - Over for their performance... Starting with "Begin the Begin" appropriately enough.


12:14 - Stipe dedicates "Gardening at Night" to his father.


12:18 - Time for "Man on the Moon." It's great to have Bill Berry back behind the drums. Eddie Vedder joins in for a verse. The all-star jam comes early...




12:24 - Patti joins in for "I Wanna Be Your Dog" by the Stooges, who of course didn't get inducted this year.

12:27 - Everyone takes the stage for the final jam -- "People Have The Power." Even Sammy takes a verse.






12:37 - The jam ends. Hugs all around and Paul Shaffer shuts it down.
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"that hall of fame is a piss stain"

As the 2007 Induction Ceremony approaches, let's take a look at one of the highlights from last year, the Sex Pistols f-you letter to the Rock Hall. Jann Wenner read the following statement at the Ceremony as the only proper way to honor the band.

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Keith Richards rumored to perform with Patti Smith tonight

In addition to his official duty of inducting the Ronettes into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tonight, Future Rock Hall has learned that Keith Richards will be a part of Patti Smith's performance.
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Prog Rock still left out

People are beginning to notice the gaping hole in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
At one time in the '70s and early '80s, instrumentally adroit bands such as Yes, Genesis, Emerson, Lake and Palmer and The Moody Blues ruled radio-land, with others -- King Crimson, Rush, Jethro Tull, The Electric Light Orchestra -- dabbling in similar approaches but with their own unique stylings.

For good or bad, the genre has spawned dozens of stepchildren, from Styx to Supertramp, from the Alan Parsons Project to Kate Bush, from Dream Theater to Porcupine Tree. But just try to find a prog-rock band among the 153 inductees thus far.

Let me save you time, because there's only one: Pink Floyd...

When I called the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland the other day, curatorial director Howard Kramer declined comment on the situation, noting all inductions are handled by the Hall of Fame Foundation.

But he conceded the fan contingent backing "prog-rock probably is the most vocal" in e-mailing and campaigning for the genre, which certainly has been represented in museum exhibits if not the Hall of Fame itself.

USA Today, in their feature story about the Rock Hall, highlights the arguments for many of the famously snubbed artists, such as Rush, Kiss and Alice Cooper. In most cases, it's the fans who are the ones who feel snubbed, not the artists themselves:
Singer/guitarist James Young of Styx, a progressive rock band eligible since 1997, is accustomed to musical ostracism.

"Like any sort of competition for awards, it's decided by human beings who have bias," he says, noting that Styx has been copiously rewarded in record and ticket sales. "I celebrate the people who went to the trouble to form the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Without it, I'm not sure a lot of black artists would have been recognized."

Besides, he hasn't given up. "How long did it take for Martin Scorsese to win an Oscar?" he says.

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Patti Smith's NY Times op-ed

Patti Smith perhaps provides a preview of her induction speech in today's New York Times.
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2007 Induction Ceremony swag

Attention Zack De La Rocha: As a presenter at the 2007 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, you get to customize your own gift bag full of "must have" goods! You have the opportunity to choose from such luxurious items such as a Clock Radio, a J & R Music World t-shirt, K-Swiss sneakers, and blue jeans! Zack, you have some tough decisions ahead of you. Choose wisely.
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The Rock Hall trophy

As the 2007 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony approaches, it's time to take a look at the hardware the inductees will be taking away with them.

Eddie Vedder inducting the Ramones in 2002

The "form [of the trophy] comprises a stylized human figure, its arms reaching over its head to hold a circular disk representing a record." Much more information on the materials and the process that goes into awards trophies here:
To create the trophy, a model was sculpted in clay to match a sketch provided by the Hall of Fame. The form comprises a stylized human figure, its arms reaching over its head to hold a circular disk representing a record. Next, a plaster model was made from the clay design and sent back to the foundation for approval. Once R.S. Owens received the go-ahead nod, the plaster pattern was sent to a Chicago foundry, where hand-finished steel molds were made. "Then you're ready to go into production," Prohaska says of the initial set-up process. The steel dies will last for years - or until a client changes the design.

The award's metal pieces are crafted one at a time by skilled tradespeople, Prohaska says. A 980-degree Fahrenheit zinc alloy is poured into the mold, hardening within seconds. When the form is removed from the mold, its rough edges are sanded down. In preparation for the plating process the award is polished by hand with a buffing wheel to a mirror-like finish so there are no visible seams. As the award heads into preplating, it is degreased in a tank to remove any unwanted coating. Then it's ready to be dipped into four different metal baths: copper, nickel, silver and, finally, black nickel. After a rinse, it's coated with an epoxy lacquer.

The Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame Award is electroplated in black nickel with a satin finish, complete with a 3x3-1/4-inch gold-plated record. The record disks (which are not cast) are added to the award between the figure's hands and mounted with an adhesive. The figure is then placed on a 3-1/2-inch-square black and white marble base, personalized with a plate that's engraved with the recipient's name. When complete, the trophy stands more than 15 inches high.

Each year, the number of individual trophies R.S. Owens manufactures for the Hall of Famers fluctuates, usually from around 30 to 40, plus some spares, just in case. "The quantity varies depending on the number of people who are inducted each year," Siegel points out. The company also does trophy repair or replacements, if necessary. Siegel recalls one incident early in the award's history when the records held by the trophy figure were made of solid gold. Three heavily celebrating winners managed to misplace the records from their awards during the plane ride home. R.S. Owens replaced the lost discs; now the records are gold-plated.

About six to seven hours of skilled labor go into making each trophy, Prohaska estimates, and along the way the award passes through about eight different departments, ending with shipping. "The greatest thing to me is getting them out the door in time," Prohaska laughs. The finished awards are shipped by truck in a form-fitted shrink-wrapped Styrofoam box. Fully insured, the trophies arrive well before the festivities and are locked in a secured room at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, where the Hall of Fame ceremony is held. The company takes pride in the entire process and never loses sight of what the award itself represents. "There's a lot of prestige," Prohaska says. "The recipients are Hall of Famers. For us to participate in that is a great honor."

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Rock Hall denies snubbing David Lee Roth

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame responded to David Lee Roth's allegations that he is not allowed to perform during this Monday's Induction Ceremony. Rock Hall president and CEO, Joel Peresman, sent an e-mail to the L.A. Times:
"The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is sorry that David Lee Roth will not attend this year's induction of Van Halen. We offered him opportunities to play and sing a Van Halen song of his choice with our House band, including his own guitar player or a song with Velvet Revolver and he refused those opportunities."

Peresman concluded the e-mail with a curt denial that the Hall is somehow the bad guy in all this: "We made every effort and the decision not to come was solely his, not ours."

That obviously differs from David Lee Roth's version of the story.
The Roth camp says that the only offer they had received before Friday was an invitation to perform "You Really Got Me" with Velvet Revolver. Roth balked in part because that song, off Van Halen's first album, was originally recorded by the Kinks and is not a "true" Van Halen song.

Roth wanted to do his trademark tune, "Jump," but that was a curveball for Velvet Revolver, apparently, with rehearsal time limitations. On Friday, according to sources close to the show, event producer Joel Gallen offered Roth a chance to do "Jump" with Paul Schaffer and some players of Roth's picking but, for Roth, that came too late, apparently, to allow travel and needed rehearsal time.

Hall officials, privately, were surprised and wondered if Roth really wanted to perform at all. They also said if he had traveled east to New York to work with the producers on site, everything would have worked out.

It's hard to imagine a scenario where David Lee Roth will pass up a chance to be the center of attention, but sadly it looks like this could be one of those times.
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Going to the Ceremony? Want a beer? Hope you like MGD.

Miller Brewing Company has announced a new partnership with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and it begins at the 2007 Induction Ceremony. According the press release, "Miller Genuine Draft will be the exclusive beer sponsor of the black-tie event at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel." It's not every day that "MGD" and "black-tie event" are in the same sentence, but that's what you get when you throw together a formal rock and roll party.

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Is it time to rename the Rock Hall?

Ann Powers, the L.A. Times pop music critic, makes the argument that the time has come for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to rename itself, or risk becoming obsolete.
It's time to shake things up. Today's most compelling stars — Shakira, Timbaland, the Dixie Chicks, the ever-evolving Kelly Clarkson — are natural cross-pollinators who rock without necessarily being "rock." The underground is alive with mongrels and mutations, because its denizens grew up with samplers and guitars. "Rock 'n' roll" is dead; long live whatever's next. And let's hope our Hall of Fame finds a way to name it.
Powers feels that with this year's induction of the first rap artists, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, that it would be an appropriate time to make the change. Many commenters have argued that same point on Future Rock Hall about "the Rap Question."
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Eddie Van Halen to rehab; David Lee Roth boycotting ceremony

Eddie Van Halen won't be attending the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Monday after all. He released a statement today announcing he is going into rehab.
In a note addressed to fans he stated: "I have always and will always feel a responsibility to give you my best. At the moment I do not feel that I can give you my best. That's why I have decided to enter a rehabilitation facility to work on myself, so that in the future I can deliver the 110% that I feel I owe you and want to give you."
Alcohol has been cited as Eddie's addiction.

Meanwhile, David Lee Roth has decided to boycott the event because he is not being allowed to perform. After Eddie and Alex Van Halen chose not to attend, the Rock Hall didn't want David Lee Roth, Michael Anthony and Sammy Hagar to be the only ones performing VH songs, so they brought in Velvet Revolver to do the honors. Roth isn't happy about the situation:

"I don't make speeches for a living; I sing and dance for my dinner," Roth said, adding that the decision to skip the event "rips my heart out."

Roth said he had been preparing since December for the chance to perform for the industry elite and the audience watching on VH1 Classics.

"It's just not an option for me to go and watch some other band — who are only performing because they have some new record coming out — do our music," Roth said. "I have nothing against Velvet Revolver — I'm not familiar with their music — but that was my 3 minutes and 22 seconds up there."

Music industry critic, Bob Lefsetz believes this is the last nail in the coffin for the Rock Hall, "When you don't even let the INDUCTEES perform." He continues, "Let every table at the Waldorf-Astoria be adorned with a bowl of brown M&M’s.  And when it comes time for Van Halen to be inducted, let everybody THROW THEM AT THE DAIS!"

A reunited Van Halen was going to be the highlight of the 2007 ceremony. It's too bad that it probably won't happen now, but who knows -- things could change over the weekend.

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Sammy Hagar: "riding high on his own tequila"

A nice article today in the San Francisco Chronicle profiling Sammy Hagar in anticipation of his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Monday.
"That's one thing I like about the Hall of Fame. I never expected to be inducted. I really didn't. I knew Van Halen would eventually somehow, someway, but it was still hard for me to imagine Sammy Hagar being part of it. But it is. I'm so honored....

"This is something that is so etched in stone that when you say I'm a Hall of Famer," Hagar says, "you have to live up to it. I think that every time I step up to a microphone from that day on, I have to live up to it. I think I'm going to have to be a f -- Hall of Famer."

And as suspected, Velvet Revolver were not the first choice to induct Van Halen at the ceremony. The Red Hot Chili Peppers were asked to do it, but weren't available because they are playing a show in Oklahoma City on Monday night.
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Aretha Franklin to perform at 2007 Induction Ceremony

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced that in addition to the inductees performances, Aretha Franklin will perform a special tribute to Rock Hall founding member Ahmet Ertegun, who died in December. The official press release can be found here.

After you read the press release, check out the new and improved Rock Hall website. Or if you're into this sort of thing, they have a MySpace page.

On their "Downloads" page, they have desktop images of certain artists' shoes available for download. It's interesting to note that of the seven artists, five are current Hall of Famers. The other two? Alice Cooper and Run DMC -- perhaps a sign of things to come in the future.
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All Van Halen members will attend

Even though Van Halen won't be performing at the 2007 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, all members (Eddie and Alex Van Halen, Michael Anthony, David Lee Roth, and Sammy Hagar) will at least attend the ceremony.
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AOL to live stream the 2007 Rock Hall Induction Ceremony

AOL will stream the 2007 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony live on March 12th (bookmark this site). The webcast will be shown without commercial interruption and will be available on-demand the following day.

This is a great alternative for people who would like to see the show but don't have access to VH1 Classic or MHD.

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2007 Ceremony presenters announced

Here are the presenters for this year's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony:
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Van Halen will not perform at Rock Hall Ceremony

The reunion everyone has been waiting for won't happen at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. David Lee Roth and the Van Halen brothers have decided not to perform during their induction to the Hall of Fame on March 12th. It's still unclear if they will even attend the ceremony.

Scott Weiland and Slash from Velvet Revolver have been selected to induct Van Halen. Velvet Revolver will then perform a selection of Van Halen songs during the ceremony, similar to how Metallica performed in place of Black Sabbath in 2006. Sammy Hagar had openly lobbied for his friends in the Red Hot Chili Peppers to be the ones to induct Van Halen, but apparently his voice doesn't carry much weight with Eddie and Alex Van Halen these days.

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VH1 Classic to air 2007 Ceremony live

VH1 Classic will televise the entire four-hour 2007 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony live on March 12th at 8:30 PM/ET. MHD, MTV's HD music channel, will also broadcast the event live in High-Def. This is the first time the ceremony will be available as a live broadcast.

If you don't get VH1 Classic or MHD, you will still be able to see a 2-hour edited version of the ceremony on regular VH1 on Saturday, March 17th at 9:00 PM.

In January, it was reported that VH1 was not going to be broadcasting the ceremony this year since their contract with the Rock Hall had expired, so this is obviously great news for fans of the five inductees and of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in general, since this should be an eventful night.

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Van Halen reunion off?

The long rumored, but recently confirmed Van Halen reunion tour with David Lee Roth has been "indefinitely postponed." Whether or not Van Halen will still perform together on stage March 12th at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony remains to be seen.

This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone familiar with the various reunion attempts over the years, because they all end the same way -- a Van Halen without David Lee Roth.

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XTC and the Rock Hall

In a recent interview, Andy Partridge, lead singer of the band XTC, responded to a question about his band's exclusion from the Rock Hall.

AVC: The A.V. Club recently did a feature weighing the possibility of various bands making the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. We said XTC wouldn't make it. Do you think it will?


AP: I hope not! Hard Rock Café sent a letter asking if they could have one of my guitars. I just said, "Fuck off! Of course not, I bought that, you go buy one." No, we won't make the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. You know why? Because it's down to sales figures, ultimately, and we never sold that many records, because we were too off-the-wall for most people. A lot of people really don't like what we do. I don't think it's anything unusual. I think it's kind of interesting pop music. It's guitar, bass, and drums. It's really pretty damn straight stuff. But for some reason, people think I'm expecting them to eat barbed-wire salad with fetus in it.

Partiridge dismisses his chances too quickly. As allmusic.com says, "XTC's music stands as some of the best and most influential pop of their era." It may take ten years, but XTC may be one of the bands that will get recognized for their musical legacy.
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Who will present the 2007 Inductees? Who will perform?

In February, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will announce who the presenters and performers will be for the 2007 induction ceremony. Last year, Herbie Hancock inducted Miles Davis; Shirley Manson (from Garbage) inducted Blondie; Lars and James from Metallica inducted Black Sabbath; and Kid Rock inducted Lynyrd Skynyrd (the Sex Pistols weren't there, so Jann Wenner read the infamous "piss stain" letter). So who will get the honors in 2007? As you can tell, the Rock Hall likes to pick current rock stars who were influenced by the inductees. Commenter Henry M has some ideas:
Van Halen --> Gene Simmons or Ted Templeman
R.E.M.--> Mitch Easter or Scott Litt
Patti Smith --> Lenny Kaye or Clive Davis
Grandmaster --> Chuck D
Ronettes --> Bruce Springsteen
And our picks? Somehow, we don't think Gene Simmons will be doing the honors for Van Halen, given the tension between KISS and the Rock Hall, so we're thinking the Red Hot Chili Peppers. We also suspect that a well-known artist will get to induct R.E.M., so it might as well be Michael Stipe's friend Thom Yorke. For Patti Smith, we'll say it will be PJ Harvey. Chuck D seems exactly right for Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, and Bruce is perfectly appropriate for the Ronettes. What do you think?

As for the performances, there will be a lot of reunions. The original R.E.M. lineup plans to play, as well as the three Ronettes. Grandmaster Flash hasn't performed with the Furious Five in years, but should come together on this occasion. And then there's Van Halen. The lineup will probably be the one that was announced for a summer tour -- Eddie and Alex Van Halen, with Eddie's son Wolfie on bass, and David Lee Roth back in front. Hopefully they will find a way to include Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony on stage with them too.

One of the highlights of the ceremony is the "all-star jam" which takes place at the end of the ceremony (ably backed by Paul Shaffer and company, who probably deserve to be recognized by the Rock Hall someday). This year's mix of artists and personalities should make it a fantastic ending. Let's just hope we can see it.

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Melle Mel takes to the ring

The 2007 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will certainly be unique. Not only will a porn music composer be inducted, but perhaps a professional wrestler will enter the Rock Hall as well. Melle Mel, Furious Five member and 2007 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, wants to try becoming a WWE wrestler.
I went to the wrestling school over the summer and picked up a little bit of moves. I wanted to see if it was something that I wanted to do, other than just dreaming of wanting to be a wrestler. It's a little rough, but it's something that can be done.
In addition to wrestling, Melle Mel is working on a new fitness video, a children's book, and a new album called Muscles, to be released on his own Big Gun Records.
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The A.V. Club asks "Who's In? Who's Out?"

The Onion's A.V. Club has taken a stab at predicting which artists will someday be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Let's take a look at their predictions and how they compare to the Future Rock Hall induction chances.
The A.V. Club predicts these artists will get in:
ArtistA.V. Club OddsFRH Chances
Madonna2-183%
John Mellencamp2-162%
Beastie Boys3-183%
Pearl Jam3-181%
Public Enemy5-174%
Coldplay5-161%
The Replacements6-161%
The A.V. Club is pretty safe with these predictions even though their odds should be much higher.
The A.V. Club predicts these artists will be "on the bubble":
ArtistA.V. Club OddsFRH Chances
Tupac Shakur8-145%
The Smiths8-173%
Dave Matthews Band9-151%
New Order10-172%
Pavement12-165%
Oasis13-171%
The Flaming Lips15-158%
Again, the A.V. Club underestimates the chances these artists have. Remember, the Rock Hall voting committee will eventually be represented by a generation of music experts who grew up in the 80's and 90's, and will have a keen understanding of the significance of these artists. It may be 20 years, but it will happen.
This last group won't make the cut, according to the A.V. Club:
ArtistA.V. Club OddsFRH Chances
Hüsker Dü25-166%
XTC40-155%
Yo La Tengo50-147%
De La Soul100-140%
Future Rock Hall and its users have much more confidence that the Hall of Fame will someday recognize these artist than the A.V. Club does.

Overall, the A.V. Club chose an excellent sample of artists to highlight, the majority of whom will likely be in the Rock Hall within 25 years.

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Eddie Van Halen wins again

Eddie Van Halen is going to need a larger trophy case. On the heels of his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, EVH just won an Adult Video News Award for "Best Music." As we reported here in July, Eddie Van Halen wrote music for a porn movie called "Sacred Sin," and apparently it was the best porn music of the year. Maybe he will play a portion of the award-winning music during the 2007 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony if he can't convince David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar to sing their old hits with him.
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The Onion weighs in

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Bob Lefsetz on the Rock Hall

Music industry insider and critic, Bob Lefsetz, isn't happy Patti Smith was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year, and also has some thoughts on who should be considered:
How about [...] Peter Gabriel?  How come he can’t get nominated, never mind get in.  His third, eponymous album, is far superior than the GREATEST HITS of Ms. Smith.  Hell, his Ezrin-produced debut is more challenging than "Horses".  But he gets no traction, no respect.

Or what about Gabriel’s work with Genesis?  They’ve got to be in the Hall, right?

Of course not.  Prog rock doesn’t exist in the minds of the Hall.  Yes isn’t in either.  Don’t you know chops are anathema?  That it’s better to NOT KNOW how to play?

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame used to be cool.  One used to want to go to its induction ceremonies.  Because they were insider events.  Everybody wants to be an insider at someplace cool.  But now they’re on TV, they’re just as phony and evanescent as the usual network fare.  But you’ve got to follow the buck, right?

How could things get so screwed up, how could reality get so warped, how could respect be eliminated from the equation.  You let in second-rate people like Patti Smith, and you taint the rest of the inductees.  I mean who next, TELEVISION??

Lefsetz's thoughts echo those of legions of fans of prog rock who can't understand why it isn't more represented in the Rock Hall, when other marginal aritsts keep getting inducted.
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A Rock Hall Voter speaks out

In a recent column, Jon Bream, a music writer for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and a member of the Rock Hall voting committee, criticizes the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction process as well as the current crop of inductees. Bream believes that the Rock Hall isn't selective enough and that the whole process could use more transparency.
In the past 15 years, the Rock Hall has enshrined 97 performers, while the Baseball Hall admitted only 22 players. A key reason is the way voting is conducted.

To make it to Cooperstown, N.Y., a baseball player must get at least 75 percent of the votes, cast by writers who have covered the sport for at least 10 years. To get into Cleveland's Rock Hall, an act needs only 50 percent of the votes.

More than 600 music industry experts (including me) receive ballots -- and don't ask me what the criteria is to be a voter. Moreover, vote totals are not announced, unlike the Baseball Hall, which discloses the results from its 575 or so ballots.

While baseball players can be weighed statistically, a potential Rock Hall of Famer is supposed to be measured by "the influence and significance of the artist's contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock 'n' roll." That's totally subjective, which explains why such lesser acts as the Dells and Percy Sledge are in, and John Mellencamp and Luther Vandross are not.

The rock nominees are chosen by a committee of music-business insiders that, in the past, has included legendary producer Phil Spector, Best Buy exec Gary Arnold and Los Angeles Times critic Robert Hilburn. Their choices often reek of elitism. Stars who have never even made the ballot include Neil Diamond, Kiss, the Moody Blues, the Doobie Brothers, Hall & Oates, Journey, Steve Miller Band, Genesis, Linda Ronstadt, Rush, Yes, Heart, Peter Frampton, Jimmy Buffett and Alice Cooper. That sounds like a Classic Rock Hall of Fame right there.

The identity of the "600 music experts" is one of the many mysteries of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction process. Other than the previous inductees who get to vote, it is unknown who constitutes the balance of the committee. The voters are kept a secret, "even from one another, to prevent vote politicking."

Are there any other voters who want to step out of the shadows to either support or criticize the process? Contact us.

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VH1 not airing the 2007 Rock Hall Ceremony

According to the New York Daily News, VH1 won't be airing the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony this year. Apparently their contract expired and wasn't renewed. Hopefully another network will sign on to air an edited version of the ceremony, or the Rock Hall could simply webcast it live. (thanks, Charles)
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Hip-Hop Enters the Rock Hall

In future decades, the 2007 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class will most be remembered as the year the first rappers were inducted. Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five were finally selected for induction this week, after having been nominated each of the last three years.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame certainly understands the significance of this event. Terry Stewart, Rock Hall Museum President & CEO, responded to the objections of allowing rappers in:

"We've been getting the same question since the group originally was nominated a few years ago: 'Why in the heck would you have a hip-hop artist here?' " said Stewart, who is a member of the hall's nominating committee.

"You have to step back and understand the history of the music," Stewart said. "The term 'rock 'n' roll' has been around for more than 100 years. . . . Hip-hop is just another form of it, one we're very proud to recognize.

"Hip-hop is a derivative 50 years later of what Alan Freed was playing, which was called race music or rhythm and blues, then retitled rock 'n' roll."

Expect to see more hip-hop acts enshrined in the future, Stewart said.



So, congratulations to Grandmaster Flash, Kid Creole, Cowboy, Melle Mel, Mr. Ness, and Raheim on your induction and for being the pioneers of the next generation of Hall of Famers. In the next few years, look for Run DMC, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, and the Beastie Boys to join them in the Hall.
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The 2007 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees

Congratulations to R.E.M., Van Halen, Patti Smith, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, and the Ronettes -- the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction class of 2007. (Comment on the inductions here.)

As for the artists who didn't make the cut, the Stooges now have the dubious distinction of having been nominated the most times (6) without being inducted, since longtime nominee Patti Smith finally got in this year. But they can take comfort in the fact that most artists who get nominated eventually get into the Rock Hall (roughly 70%).

Since this is Future Rock Hall, let's take a look at who will be eligible for next year's induction. The artists that have the best chance for induction are Metallica, Madonna, the Beastie Boys, and Sonic Youth. Other contenders could be Sting and Janet Jackson.

Let's not forget some of the most popular artists who have been eligible for years and have been consistently ignored by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominating Committee. Artists such as Rush, Yes, Deep Purple, KISS, Alice Cooper, Brian Eno, Joy Division, King Crimson, Dire Straits, Peter Gabriel, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Tom Waits, and many others have never been recognized.

But let's just be thankful that this year we get the treat of seeing the Van Halen soap opera play out on stage at the induction ceremony. We can all agree on that.

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Future Rock Hall Predicts the 2007 Inductees

Over 580 ballots have been cast by Future Rock Hall voters in an attempt to predict the results of the 2007 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductions. Our voters were required to select five artists from the ballot of nine nominees, using the same process the Rock Hall Voting Committee does.

The results overwhelmingly indictate easy induction for R.E.M. and Van Halen, each receiving over 90% of the vote in their first year on the ballot. Patti Smith showed up on roughly 3/4 of your balllots, which should mean that her losing streak will finally end this year. The Stooges (71%) and Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five (61%) round out the five predicted inductees.

Not quite getting over the magical 50% mark were the Dave Clark Five (41%) and the Ronettes (38%). There wasn't much support for three-time nominees Chic (18%) and Joe Tex (14%).

The poll results closely mirror the "Future Rock Hall Induction Chances" score, which has been calculated using user voting and other historically determining factors for induction, so Future Rock Hall stands behind the five predicted winners our users selected.

The official inductee list will be announced via press release on January 8th. Keep checking Future Rock Hall for all of the latest 2007 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame news.

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