Newt’s Rock Hall inducts UFO, Robin Trower, Blue Öyster Cult, Mott the Hoople, and Ten Years After

By Steve Newton

Tonight the much-maligned Rock and Roll Hall of Fame officially inducts Deep Purple, Cheap Trick, Steve Miller, Chicago, and, unbelievably, legendary rock ‘n’ rollers N.W.A.

Now, this is better work than you commonly expect from the RRHOF, which, back in 2013, had the audacity to induct Cat Stevens instead of fellow nominee Link Wray. They chose the guy who sang “Moonshadow” over the dude who basically invented the raunchy guitar riff!

Can you believe that?

Anyway, the craziest thing is that it took the Rock Hall this long to pay tribute to the band that gave the world Machine Head. Deep Purple has been eligible for induction since 1993, for chrissakes! I’m proud to say that I beat the the RRHOF to it, because last June at the first annual Newt’s Rock Hall induction ceremony–which was mainly just me in my sweats with a can of Pilsner–I inducted Purple, along with Rory Gallagher, Johnny Winter, Iron Maiden, and Link Wray.

Last December, when the RRHOF announced it was finally inducting Deep Purple, I had to remove them from Newt’s Rock Hall, because the rules clearly state that there can be no crossover between the two hallowed institutions.

No problem. I just inducted Thin Lizzy, another unforgettable act that the RRHOF can’t see the value in. Don’t hold your breath for Lynott and Co. to find a place of honour in Cleveland. Rock Hall cofounder Jann Wennerschnitzel would rather see his lameass faves Chic get the nod before that, I reckon.

I like Cheap Trick and Steve Miller a lot, too, but not as much as the five bands I hereby inducts into Newt’s Rock Hall, Class of 2016:

UFO (eligible for nomination into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 1995)

Robin Trower (eligible since 1998)

Blue Öyster Cult (eligible since 1997)

Mott the Hoople (eligible since 1994)

and Ten Years After (eligible since 1992, if you can freakin’ believe that!)

Remember to send in your nominees for Newt’s Rock Hall, Class of 2017, keeping in mind that they can’t already be in that other Rock Hall. Some of the ones I’m considering these days are Warren Zevon, Humble Pie, Motorhead, T-Rex, the Cramps, Mountain, Steve Earle, the J. Geils Band, Rick Derringer, Ronnie Montrose, Gary Moore, Wishbone Ash, Dick Dale, Jethro Tull, the New York Dolls, Dire Straits, Free, the Doobie Brothers, Nazareth, the Georgia Satellites, and Little Feat.

Newt’s Rock Hall inductees to date: Rory Gallagher, Johnny Winter, Ten Years After, Iron Maiden, Thin Lizzy, Link Wray, Blue Öyster Cult, Mott the Hoople, UFO, Robin Trower. Can you believe that none of these are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame yet? Shameful, I’d say.