Elaine Mayes
I’m pissed off.
Not “Of the political three ring circus, which is the best presidential candidate?” pissed off. Not “ISIS and their shenanigans” pissed off. Not “stupid people in positions of power doing stupid things they shouldn’t be doing or saying” pissed off. (And believe me, there’s never a shortage of those people.)
My piss offedness isn’t so meaningful as that.
I’m Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame pissed off. Those monkey brains over there are up to their annual head-scratching, unbelievable, never-a-rhyme-or-reason shenanigans. I really shouldn’t be pissed off about it — it happens every year.
But I am. So I’ll unload, get it off my chest and move on.
I’ve written about the unorganized and seeming coin toss antics of The Hall before. (Several times, as a matter of fact.) My rants get me nowhere, of course. But it feels good to put down my thoughts in black and white and jettison them from inside me so to speak. That way they don’t fester.
Let’s look at the nominee fan vote ballot this year: Chicago, Yes, The Cars, Deep Purple, Steve Miller, Janet Jackson, Cheap Trick, The Spinners, Chaka Khan, Chic, The J.B.’s, N.W.A., Nine Inch Nails, The Smiths and Los Lobos. (And it just so happens that list is in order of popularity with the voters’ ballots, giving Chicago 23% of the vote and spots 2, 3 and 4 – Yes, The Cars and Deep Purple – variations of 16% each of the vote, respectively.)
Yes, I have my favorites on that list, The Cars, N.I.N., The Smiths and Los Lobos among them. Each are sentimental favorites, hopefuls I trust will make the grade at some point … though Los Lobos might be a tough sell to many. (“Hey, Michael: Nine Inch Nails is a ‘sentimental favorite’ of yours? In what weird world does that happen?!?” That’s another story for another time.) And I’ll freely admit I’m biased when it comes to those bands, but not bitter they didn’t get their comeuppances this time ’round.
But they all have something Steve Miller, who I’m singling out, doesn’t. The Cars are part of the MTV generation and they’re innovators. So are N.I.N., The Smiths and Los Lobos, in their own ways and in their respective genres. Each contain other respectable attributes as well.
But here’s the rub: I was chewing the fat with some of my on-line buddies and here’s where the rubber met the road during one particular conversation: One gentleman stated of Steve Miller “‘Abracadabra’ was not his best work, but he did have some good music.”
My response? “… and I agree. But ‘good music’ should not be a consideration for induction.”
Let me elaborate. Is that what the R&RHoF is about? “Good music” and that’s it? Hardly. And here, as I did in one of the above noted posts I linked, I’m going to quote one of R&RHoF’s tenets:
” … induction into the Hall must contain criteria which … includes influence and significance of artists’ contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll.” tweet
Has Steve Miller’s “good music” influenced other musicians and industry folks? Maybe. In all my study and conversation about music, I’ve heard of no one stating Steve Miller as an influence. Has Miller’s “good music” contributed to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll? I haven’t heard anyone anywhere ever state such so I honestly have no clue.
Sure, Miller has a lot of “good music.” So do The Cars, N.I.N., The Smiths and Los Lobos. But those last four, pound for pound, have a daunting amount of great music in their catalogs among other influences Miller doesn’t have.
And if all we’re talking about here is the music itself, music that alone should propel one into The Hall?, Well … Miller’s output doesn’t cut it.
Let me quote something I’ve said before about “good music”:
“Look … I’m just as susceptible as the next guy to flipping on the radio in my car, hearing (Hall & Oates’) ‘Maneater’ and butt dancing like no one’s business. But the ability to motivate gluteus maximus movement isn’t valid criteria to being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.” tweet
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place Friday, April 8, 2016 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York for the second time. HBO will broadcast the ceremony in spring 2016.
Editor’s note: The 2016 R&RHoF inductees were announced December 17. They are: Cheap Trick, Chicago, Deep Purple, N.W.A. and … Steve Miller.
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