Rock Hall of Fame earns scorn for nominee selections

By MARK CARO

I have repeatedly voiced my philosophical objection to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Rock ’n’ roll was never about seeking official acceptance; it was about striking out independently, not caring about your parents’ disapproval.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is your parents.

That said, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame keeps giving us reasons to scorn it on practical grounds as well. This year’s nine nominees, who will be whittled down to five inductees, are Metallica, Run-D.M.C., the Stooges, Jeff Beck, War, Chic, doo-wop group Little Anthony and the Imperials, pioneering rockabilly singer Wanda Jackson (the “Queen of Rockabilly”) and soul singer-songwriter Bobby Womack.

The inductees will be announced in January, and the ceremony will be in Cleveland on April 4.

The Future Rock Hall Web site, usually fairly on target, predicted a mere four of this year’s nominees. It forecast Metallica, the Stooges, Chic Run-D.M.C., Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Hollies, Beastie Boys, Sonic Youth, Kraftwerk and Donna Summer.

This is the seventh time the Stooges have been nominated. Give Iggy Stooge/Pop his due already and induct him for his punk trailblazing — or quit using up a ballot spot on the Stooges before they turn into the Roll Hall’s version of Susan Lucci.

As for Chic, “Le Freak” and “Good Times” were landmark disco-era singles, but ABBA had more mid-’70s hits (among them “Waterloo,” “Dancing Queen,” “S.O.S.” “Take a Chance on Me”) that arguably were just as influential, yet Chic is occupying a ballot spot for the fifth time while the Swedish popsters were nominated only in 2003. Metallica was overlooked completely last year (its first eligible year) and I assume will make the final cut this time.

I’m not going to badmouth the other contenders in this pioneer-heavy slate, but the New York nominating committee has notions of importance that conform to a narrow idea of cool. Love it or loathe it, you can’t deny the lasting impact of progressive rock, yet bands such as Yes, Genesis, Rush, King Crimson and Procol Harum have yet to make the cut.

Nor have solo Peter Gabriel, XTC, Television, the Zombies, Devo, the Replacements, Husker Du, Tom Waits, Love, the Hollies, the Jam, Fairport Convention/Richard Thompson, Squeeze, the Specials, the Feelies, the Mekons, Nick Lowe, Nick Drake, Graham Parker, Irma Thomas, the Electric Light Orchestra, the Buzzcocks, Randy Newman, Roxy Music, Big Star, the Spinners, Gram Parsons, Jethro Tull, Styx and the Monkees. The Smiths were eligible for the first time this year but weren’t nominated (as was the case with Bon Jovi).