2008 rock and roll hall of fame finalists

Oct 6 19:07 UTC 2007

The finalists for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class of 2008 have 
been announced.  Appearing on the ballot this year:

The Dave Clark Five

The Beastie Boys

Chic

John Mellencamp

Madonna

The Ventures

Afrika Bambaataa

Leonard Cohen

Donna Summer


So who would you vote in?

response 2 of 26:

Oct 6 19:20 UTC 2007

This is certainly an interesting group of nominees this year, 
encompassing a lot of different styles.

My choices would be:

Madonna--   For obvious reasons, although I think she's become a bit 
insufferable in recent years.  She is the top female pop star of the 
last twenty five years and will certainly get in and be the first U of 
M student (not graduate, she dropped out) to be a hall of famer.  

Beastie Boys--  Well you have to vote for the Beasties, they are lords 
of hip hop-risy.  Many hip hop artists learned what they do from 
listening to Beastie Boy Albums.

John Mellencamp-- An old favorite of mine, at least since he stopped 
calling himself Johnny Cougar and writing his own songs.  He just wrote 
a new song about the Jena 6 called "Jena, take your nooses down", and 
now the mayor of Jena, La. wants to put a noose around Mellencamp's 
neck.  Induct him so he can sing that song at the ceremony!


Leonard Cohen-- Another old favorite who deserves to go in for the 
quality of his career and how influential he has been.  

Thats it.  I can't make a case for Donna Summer, and the Ventures were 
just another overrated sixties instrumental group.  Afrika Baabaambataa 
I regard as more succesful as a producer than performer.  Its not the 
year for him.  As for Chic, forget it.  Disco is dead. The last thing I 
want is to hear them singing "dance dance dance" again.

response 4 of 26:

Oct 6 21:00 UTC 2007

Does anyone even agree on what the criteria for admittance should be?

response 6 of 26:

Oct 6 23:12 UTC 2007

you think the Dave Clark Five were non influential?  I think they were very
influential.

response 8 of 26:

Oct 7 13:31 UTC 2007

Based on the criteria, I suppose you could argue Donna Summers had a great
influence, since disco led to the anti-disco trend among certain rockers. I'd
agree with the earlier post, though, that Cohen really influenced rock very
little.

response 10 of 26:

Oct 7 19:21 UTC 2007

disco forever!!!!

response 12 of 26:

Oct 8 08:01 UTC 2007

>Madonna...'s become a bit 
>insufferable in recent years.

Madonna has been a bit insufferable since the beginning. 

>the Ventures were 
>just another overrated sixties instrumental group.

The Ventures are the best selling instrumental rock group of all time
(which might not be saying much), and were influential to many a guitarist.

response 14 of 26:

Oct 10 16:21 UTC 2007

I'm surprised Madonna isn't in yet.

response 16 of 26:

Oct 10 18:00 UTC 2007

I think it's 20 or 25 years after the first recording, off the top of 
my head.
 
One would presume that eventually the Hall of Fame would turn into 
some sort of "pop music hall of fame," because their 20- or 25-year
horizon is rapidly approaching the point where rock music 
collapsed.  :)   It's not like baseball, which keeps minting 
new stars every year.

response 18 of 26:

Oct 10 19:56 UTC 2007

Heck, it took forever to get Black Sabbath in - it's not like the R&R 
HoF is the barometer of what is really good....

response 20 of 26:

Nov 20 17:18 UTC 2007

I don't believe in contests and awards. They are often given to someone for
reasons that have nothing to do with their actually earning the award (such
as for their race or their boob job).

response 22 of 26:

Nov 27 06:29 UTC 2007

Gee, how long did it take you to figure that one out, genius?

response 24 of 26:

Nov 29 22:27 UTC 2007

Afrika Bambaataa started a whole genre. And he set a benchmark. He should be
in.

I should be in too.