Last year, I finally saw the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for myself. It's a magnificent building and the Rolling Stones exhibit was on display at the time, taking up two floors. Much of it is subjective, like the music itself. Little attention is paid to an artist you think should be major, and it works the other way around, too.
When the Rock Hall inductions are announced, fans react in much the same way. I don't want to take anything away from Green Day or any of the other inductees, but it seems almost criminal that some of these artists are being recognized ahead of others whose influence has been felt far longer. Take Deep Purple for example. There isn't a rock fan on the planet who doesn't know Smoke on the Water by its first couple of notes. Styx, Chicago (who rocked and rolled long before they became balladeers in the 1980s), Cheap Trick, The Moody Blues - the list of influential, popular and legendary acts that aren't in the hall is long and disappointing.
This year, fans overwhelmingly voted for Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble as their favourite for the hall. Millions of votes translate into one actual vote for that artist, equal to a vote from any one of the "music industry leaders" on the panel that decides who gets in. Also going in with the class of 2015: Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Bill Withers, Lou Reed and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band along with the aforementioned Green Day.
I can only deduce that the panel doesn't have enough people on it who actually lived through the heydeys of these overlooked bands, or that we as a collection of rock fans who remember those days aren't organized enough to get our picks into the hall. Regardless, induction announcement day will always be a little bittersweet when we notice how many important acts have been overlooked for another year.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees are listed HERE.
