The Top 5 SNUBS EVER! | Professor of Rock
| Okay, so this one’s an episode I’ve been needing to do for a long time. And I’ll be upfront with you. It’s a topic that really gets under my skin, so I’ll try to be positive. Today we’re counting down my all-time, Top 5 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame snubs… bands and artists who are well overdue for the so-called honor, but routinely get passed over year after year. There is a long list of rock hall snubs…From Iron Maiden to The Guess Who from Pixies to Motorhead from New York Dolls to the Smiths from Joy Division/New Order to Slayer from Styx to Foreigner to Jethro Tull and Thin Lizzy, Motley Crue, Toto the list goes on and on. We’re also going to try to figure out why the Rock Hall routinely refuses to induct actual rock artists into their ranks. They’re called the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame but they seem to have a bias against rock and Roll? I’m not going to be pulling any punches here. I just want to give some love to some classic rock icons that I think we all admire and I want to hear yours too... |
I wish McKee was still here so he could chime in on this.
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In comment 16118945 Gruber said:
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Rolling Stone magazine and the Rock'n'Roll Hall Of Fame are about the two worst things ever to happen to modern music.
This side of the Atlantic we are wary of the elevation of journalists as some kind of high priests of taste. Rock'n'Roll works because of a willingness to take whatever the orthodoxy is and kick it over to create something new. Both of these institutions work against that impulse. They are both intrinsically establishment oriented.
That's a valid argument, although I think it's worth noting that Rolling Stone was never originally intended to be "the establishment," despite Lester Bangs's insistence to the contrary. It was born in Haight-Ashbury at the crossroads of counterculture.
Rolling Stones used to be good and actuallt had something like investigative "journalists" that would uncover great acts. But like almost all "major" media sources today, Rolling Stones is hot garbage.
The same used to be true of Playboy magazine. Might still be. I haven't seen Playboy in about twenty years.
UK music mags, with the exception of Melody Maker, are/were very irreverent, and often guilty of chasing after the next big thing. The tone in the US is much more serious and bowing down before these great artists. So, I guess creating a Rock'n'Roll Hall Of Fame to enshrine them is the next obvious step.
"Thanks to a groundswell of public support and a $65 million commitment from city officials, the Foundation chose Cleveland as the winning site, over locales such as New York, San Francisco, Memphis and Chicago".
I think many of the people of Cleveland were probably aware of the history of their local DJ Alan Freed and his coining of the phrase "rock 'n roll" and that had something to do with the "groundswell of public support and the $65 million commitment from city officials".
My guess is there wouldn't have been "a groundswell of public support" and the financial commitment for just any HOF.
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Imo, if you take Alan Freed out of the equation, you don't have a groundswell of public support and $65 million from Cleveland.
Of course. What's your point? My point is I don’t think there would've been $65M committed, without the history of rock n roll and its connection with Cleveland, which was Freed.
Maybe you missed my post above. Freed wasn't just a Cleveland DJ who discovered some big acts.
He coined the phrase "rock 'n roll". Do you really think that had nothing to do with the public support and the $65M committed by city officials?
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And if there was a groundswell of excitement, nostalgia about a DJ, and no $65M -- the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame would not be in Cleveland.
Of course. What's your point? My point is I don’t think there would've been $65M committed, without the history of rock n roll and its connection with Cleveland, which was Freed.
Maybe you missed my post above. Freed wasn't just a Cleveland DJ who discovered some big acts.
He coined the phrase "rock 'n roll". Do you really think that had nothing to do with the public support and the $65M committed by city officials?
How many Cleveland folks would have even thought about Freed but for the R&R HOF campaign? I would argue that Spinal Tap's "Hello Cleveland!" line had just as much to do with local residents' association with R&R history, combined with a city that was desperate for some sort of destination attraction.
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is in but not the band that inspired them is a farce. When will there be justice for the Turtles?
SL, I know the guy (and his wife, we're kind of friends) on the far left in the Turtles pic. His name is Jim Pons and he played bass for the Turtles and later for Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention. After the Turtles broke up, Jim, Flo and Eddie joined the Mothers for 2-3 yrs.
Jim (and Flo and Eddie) were in the Mothers during the concert that inspired "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple. "Frank Zappa and the Mothers were at the best place around. But some stupid with a flare gun burned the place to the ground..".
Interestingly, Jim has a football connection, possibly at least partly because that European tour actually got worse for Zappa after the Smoke on the Water show in Montreux Switzerland.
All of Zappa's and the Mother's equipment was destroyed in the fire, but they still had more shows on the tour, so Zappa rented and borrowed equipment to finish the tour. Then (I believe it was) at the very next show Zappa was attacked on stage by a loon in Germany. Zappa fell off the stage (a pretty long distance, at first Jim thought he was dead) and broke several bones including in his arm/hand, ending the tour. It almost ended Zappa's career and Jim Pons ended up quitting the music biz after that show.
Long story, but Jim lived in NYC at the time and ended up working for the Jets as a camera man and eventually became head of the Jets camera/video crew. Later he moved to the Jax area and did the same for the Jags (he's been retired for a while now). Interesting life.
That's a great story
You're addressing how Cleveland raised the money. Which isn't what I'm addressing.
I also know first hand from someone at Rolling Stone at the time the founders wanted their museum in Manhattan. They tried to secure private funding, and when that fell through staged the contest with the hopes to attract an investor in NY. When they chose where to put their industry museum they didn't give two shits about Alan Freed, Rendezvous Records, or Mott the Hoople. It was a last resort and is still a bit of inside joke.
The general sentiment from the execs: mucho stupid in Cleveland, but their were financial considerations.
Mitch Richmond is in the NBA HOF. A complete & utter joke.
When the baseball HOF enshrines the Crime Dog this Summer, they aren't gonna make him suit up and play another season.
But look out for Sheryl Crow on tour this Summer.
And last thing on Cleveland, the industry is so in love with the Clev, they do the induction event in Brooklyn.
https://cleveland101.com/cleveland-101-arts-culture/alan-freed-memorial/
"On January 23, 1986, Freed was part of the first group inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.
https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/alan-freed?gclid=Cj0KCQjwmZejBhC_ARIsAGhCqnegmuOFOTHZdWdEIh7zJykdzxPYjqnSseLHU-n9FdzMlGmjFyQScKgaAuHhEALw_wcB
So:
1. Alan Freed has been called the “Father of Rock and Roll.”
2. He coined and popularized the term “rock and roll”
3. He produced the world’s first rock concert and he did it at the (old) Cleveland Arena.
4. He was inducted into the Rock 'n Roll HOF with the very first class ('86) with greats like Elvis, Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly. It was almost 20 yrs before another DJ was inducted and there are only a few.
Of course Cleveland was happy to have something they thought would be special to become a destination. But I believe the "groundswell of public support" and the $65M committed by the city officials of Cleveland wouldn't have happened without the above. I've provided multiple facts and quotes supporting this.
Ok, I'm done. You guys believe whatever you want.
You're addressing how Cleveland raised the money. Which isn't what I'm addressing.
I also know first hand from someone at Rolling Stone at the time the founders wanted their museum in Manhattan. They tried to secure private funding, and when that fell through staged the contest with the hopes to attract an investor in NY. When they chose where to put their industry museum they didn't give two shits about Alan Freed, Rendezvous Records, or Mott the Hoople. It was a last resort and is still a bit of inside joke.
The general sentiment from the execs: mucho stupid in Cleveland, but their were financial considerations.
I saw your post after i posted my history of Freed. I agree. I'm sure the founders far preferred Manhattan. Most people would.
I'm talking from the Cleveland perspective. I don't think they make that financial commitment without the historical connection. From that perspective, it makes sense like Cooperstown and Springfield.
Whether it's made Cleveland a destination, i have no idea. It hasn't for me, yet.
They got something like half a million people to sign a petition to endorse hosting the rock hall of fame. I've also never been, but good for them putting up the cash and recognizing the legacy and part of history Cleveland played in rock music.
I think it's a bit of a random place to have it. I think Memphis would have been great.
One day I'll get to the museum. I'm going to try and get to induction concert this year, I'm a huge George Michaels fan, and I'm hoping Elton accepts and performs on his behalf.
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In comment 16118997 Semipro Lineman said:
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I mean that was part of the criteria cited for selecting Cleveland as the home because they knew that they could be a big fish in a small pond compared to NY.
I believe the reason the R&R HOF is in Cleveland is to some degree similar to why the baseball HOF is in Cooperstown NY and basketball HOF is in Springfield MA.
Rock and Roll wasn't invented in Cleveland, but it was a disc jockey in Cleveland, Alan Freed, who first used the phrase "rock and roll".
When introducing the song "Rock Around the Clock", Freed said something like "let's rock and roll with Bill Haley & His Comets!" The rest is history.
If that's the case, the Baseball HOF should be in Hoboken.
At the time it was built, it was widely believed that baseball was invented by Abner Doubleday in Cooperstown NY.
Toto?