2019 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class Announced

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honors artists who have had a great influence on the development of rock and roll. The foundation was established in 1983 and in 1986, a permanent home was chosen for the actual building - on the shore of Lake Erie in Cleveland, Ohio. The first group of inductees included the "King of Rock and Roll" himself, Elvis Presley, along with Ray Charles, James Brown, and Chuck Berry among others. Many of these early inductees were a huge part of our childhood and young adulthood. Their vinyl record albums on our boxes might have almost been forgotten, but the legacy those have contributed to the industry will forever be engraved.

Now, there are annual induction ceremonies. Artists are eligible 25 years after the release of their first single or album. This year's group includes Radiohead, Janet Jackson, Stevie Nicks, Def Leppard, The Cure, Roxy Music and the Zombies. There are a couple interesting things to note about this group.

First, let's talk about Stevie Nicks. Rolling Stone has named her one of the Top 100 Greatest Songwriters of all Time and one of the Top 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. Surely, she must be in the Hall of Fame by now. And she is - in 1998, she was inducted as part of Fleetwood Mac. She will make history this year as the first female to be inducted twice. Some of the songs that are regarded as her best? "Stand Back" and "Edge of Seventeen" are two songs that usually make the lists.

Second, you may be scratching your head as to why The Zombies, best known for hits "Time of the Season" and "She's Not There" - songs of our youth - are just now finally getting inducted. You wouldn't be alone in your confusion. No other inductee has had quite as long of a wait as the British band. They first showed up on a ballet in 2014 but didn't make the cut until this year. And they're still making music. The band is a mix of founding and new members now and they are working on a follow-up album to 2015's "Still Got That Hunger."

The selection process has long been criticized because choices are made by just a few individuals who are not musicians themselves. There is also a lack of transparency in the process and some argue there are too many inductees. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has seen its share of controversies over the years because of these things. This billboard article lists ten of the biggest controversial moments and is a fun read. Another article from Ranker goes over eleven controversial moments in the history of the Hall of Fame. It can and has gotten ugly!

For most of us, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame serves to provide us with some great history and a look back at the Rock and Roll legends that have helped shape our musical lives.

 

Image: Ralph Arvesen [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons (Cropped)

 

 




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