By Steve Newton
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame apparently believes that Depeche Mode outrocks Johnny Winter, that Chic blows Rory Gallagher away, and that Joan Baez is more rock than Link Wray.
Whatta buncha boneheads.
Yep, Jann Wenner and his gaggle of dimwits at the Rock Hall have done it again, blindly ignoring three of the most deserving legends of rock music and instead nominating lame-0 acts like Chic and non-rockers such as Joan Baez, Tupac Shakur, Janet Jackson, and–though they are pretty cool–Kraftwerk.
And Depeche Mode and Jane’s Addiction? Really? That’s the best they can come up with?
The RRHOF made up for those major screwups somewhat by also nominating the likes of Pearl Jam, the Cars, Yes, the MC5, and Steppenwolf, but really, the fact that they have never nominated Johnny Winter or Rory Gallagher–even though they have been eligible since 1993 and 1996, respectively–is a travesty. And what the fuck’s up with their abandonment of Link Wray? Back in 2013 they actually nominated him–before bewilderingly having him lose out to the likes of Cat Stevens–but since then there hasn’t been a word about the inventor of the raunchy riff.
It just boggles the mind.
At any rate, as some Ear of Newt readers are aware, my growing frustration with the choices of the RRHOF led me to create Newt’s Rock Hall, where I started inducting the worthiest acts that that other Rock Hall in Cleveland ignores. In June of 2015, 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 Gallagher, Winter, and Wray, along with Deep Purple and Iron Maiden.
Because there can be NO CROSSOVER between the two competing Rock Halls, when Jan Wenner’s finally got around to inducting Purple earlier this year, I had to take it out of mine, replacing it with the equally worthy Thin Lizzy, which joined my other choices for the Class of 2016: Robin Trower, Blue Oyster Cult, Ten Years After, UFO, and Mott the Hoople.
Since that other Rock Hall announced 19 nominees today, I’ve decided to do the same (keeping in mind that they can’t be acts already inducted into the “official” RRHOF). My nominees for Newt’s Rock Hall, Class of 2017, are Warren Zevon, Humble Pie, Motorhead, T-Rex, the Cramps, Mountain, the J. Geils Band, Rick Derringer, Ronnie Montrose, Gary Moore, Wishbone Ash, Dick Dale, Jethro Tull, the New York Dolls, Dire Straits, Free, Nazareth, the Georgia Satellites, and Little Feat.
When I find out how many acts the RRHOF chooses for induction, probably in December sometime, I’ll make my final choices for Newt’s Rock Hall, Class of 2017. Feel free to try and sway my opinion. Cash bribes are appreciated, just like at that other Rock Hall.
Newt’s Rock Hall inductees to date: Rory Gallagher, Johnny Winter, Ten Years After, Iron Maiden, Thin Lizzy, Link Wray, Blue Oyster 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.