Rock Hall 10-Year Update

Nearly 10 years ago, I compiled a list of music acts who unbelievably hadn’t been honored with placement in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Since then, the HoF has done well to bring quite a few of them aboard, so let’s take another look at who’s made it and who hasn’t, including those newly eligible.

Here’s the list from 2011— (including one major correction! – AC/DC)

 

AC/DC (2003)	Iron Butterfly	Phil Collins
A-ha	Iron Maiden	Rush (2013)
Bad Company	Jethro Tull	Steppenwolf
Barry White	Jimmy Buffet	Steve Miller (2016)
Blue Oyster Cult	Joan Baez (2017)	Stevie Ray Vaughn (2015)
Bon Jovi (2018)	Joan Jett (2015)	Supertramp
Bryan Adams	Joe Cocker	Ted Nugent
Cheap Trick (2016)	Journey (2017)	The B-52s
Cher	Judas Priest	The Carpenters
Chicago (2016)	Kansas	The Cars (2018)
Deep Purple (2016)	KC and the SB	The Clash
Def Leppard (2019)	King Crimson	The Cure (2019)
Depeche Mode (2020)	KISS (2014)	The Doobie Bros (2020)
Devo	Kool and the Gang	The Guess Who
Dire Straits (2018)	Little Feat	The Moody Blues(2018)
Duran Duran	Meatloaf	The Scorpions
ELO (2017)	Motley Crue	Thin Lizzy
ELP	Motorhead	Toto
Eurythmics	Ozzy Osbourne	UB40
Foreigner	Pat Benetar	Warren Zevon
George Thorogood+	Pet Shop Boys	Yes (2017)
Gloria Estefan	Peter Frampton
Hall and Oates (2014)	Peter Gabriel (2014)

While the HoF made good on more than a few, and several will certainly be considered less of a priority, the list above remains laughable if not nauseating. Moreso when you notice certain acts listed below who’ve joined the Hall since 2011.

Alice Cooper
Joan Baez
Beastie Boys
The Blue Caps
Bon Jovi
The Cars
Cheap Trick
Chicago
The Comets
The Crickets
The Cure
Deep Purple
Def Leppard
Depeche Mode
Neil Diamond
Dire Straits
The Doobie Brothers
ELO
The Famous Flames
Foo Fighters
Peter Gabriel
The Go-Go’s
Green Day
Guns N’ Roses
Hall and Oates
Heart (how’d I miss them in 2011?!?)
Whitney Houston
Janet Jackson
Jay-Z
Dr. John
Glyn Johns
Quincy Jones
Journey
Albert King
Carole King
KISS
Darlene Love
The Midnighters
Steve Miller
The Miracles
The Moody Blues
N.W.A.
Nine Inch Nails
Randy Newman
Stevie Nicks
Nirvana
The Notorious B.I.G.
Laura Nyro
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
Pearl Jam
Public Enemy
Radiohead
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Lou Reed (Missed him too?! Horrible me)
Linda Ronstadt (and her…)
Roxy Music
Todd Rungren
Rush (yay!)
Tupac Shakur
Nina Simone
The Small Faces/Faces
Cat Stevens (another)
Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble
Donna Summer
T. Rex
Tina Turner
Tom Waits (I know, I know…)
Bill Withers
Yes
The Zombies

All deserved… okay maybe a couple didn’t. Certainly not ahead of the so many others. That’s the gripe—always the same gripe. Societal gatekeepers, etc.

“In 2018, Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden criticized the Hall of Fame by calling it "an utter and complete load of bollocks ... run by a bunch of sanctimonious bloody Americans who wouldn’t know rock 'n' roll if it hit them in the face."^[72] Dickinson has also expressed an overall distaste for the Hall of Fame entity, arguing that "if you put [music] in a museum, then it's dead." Iron Maiden had been eligible for induction since 2004.” [Wikipedia]

Now, if you’re dying to know who’s eligible, seriously snubbed and all that, check this guy’s master lists. 

This is my personal list of Seriously?... or those eligible but skipped for any number of reasons, or none at all, just not popular. Maybe politics too. Who knows.

 .38 Special
2 Live Crew
311
A Flock of Seagulls
A-Ha
Accept
Adam Ant
Air Supply
Alice in Chains (soon maybe, as some others)
Anthrax
Average White Band
The B-52’s
Bad Company
Barry Manilow (ain’t rock, yeah yeah)
Barry White

Big Star
Billy Idol
Bjork
The Black Crowes
Black Flag (does punk want love, anyway?)
Blackfoot (for Dave C. ;)
Blue Oyster Cult
Blues Traveler
Boy George
Canned Heat
Captain Beefheart
The Carpenters
Celine Dion (Rock? Nah, but you know she’s in)
Chaka Kahn (Khaaaaaan!!!)
Chubby Checker
Collective Soul
The Commodores
Cyndi Lauper
The Cult
Dave Matthews Band
David Lee Roth (wahwah….what?)
The Dead Kennedys
Devo
Dick Dale (seriously)
The Dixie Dregs (I’d love it, but never happen)
Dream Theater
Duran Duran
Emerson, Lake, and Palmer

The English Beat
Eurythmics
Faith No More
The Fixx
Foghat
Foreigner
Fugazi
The Gap Band
George Thorogood
Gloria Estefan
Gloria Gaynor
Gram Parsons
Grand Funk Railroad
Great White (Kidding. Eligible though)
The Guess Who
Herbie Hancock (subjective)
Huey Lewis and the News
Ice-T (I know… not rock. Which genres then? Where does it end?)
Iggy Pop
INXS
Iron Butterfly
Iron Maiden
Jane’s Addiction
Jethro Tull
Jim Croce (who’d he piss off?)
Joe Cocker
Joe Jackson
Judas Priest
Kate Bush
KC and the Sunshine Band
Kenny Loggins
King Crimson
The Kingsmen (no Louie Louie? What?)
Kool and the Gang
Lenny Kravitz
Level 42
Lionel Richie
Little Feat
Little River Band (speaking of which, have I told you about the lonesome loser?)
Lou Gramm
Loverboy
M.C. Hammer
Madness
Mahavishnu Orchestra
Mariah Carey
Mary J. Blige (soon enough)
The Marshall Tucker Band
The Marvelettes
Meat Loaf (not doubly-blessed)
Megadeth (probably never)
Melissa Etheridge
Men at Work
Michael Bolton
Missing Persons
The Monkees (for Christ’s sake!)
Mother’s Finest
Motley Crue
Motorhead
Night Ranger
No Doubt
Oasis (zzzzz)
Ohio Players
OutKast (already? Sheesh!)
Ozzy Osbourne
Pantera
Pat Benetar
Patty LaBelle
Pet Shop Boys
Peter, Paul & Mary
Phil Collins (yep, not even him)
Phish
The Pointer Sisters
Primus (here they come...)
Procol Harum
The Psychodelic Furs (guilty pleasure fav)
Queensrÿche
Quiet Riot (jk? Well, you might as well add Ratt)
REO Speedwagon
Rick James
Rufus with Chaka Kahn
Rage Against the Machine
The Replacements
Robert Palmer
Robert Plant
Sammy Hagar
Scorpions
Sheryl Crow
Slayer
Smashing Pumpkins
Snoop Dogg
Spock’s Beard (Alt-Univ pick)
The Smiths
Sonic Youth
Soundgarden (okay, not a household name, but…)
The Spinners
Steppenwolf
Sting (nope, not kidding)

Stone Temple Pilots
Stray Cats
Styx (come on!)
Tears for Fears
Ted Nugent
Thin Lizzy
Thomas Dolby
Three Dog Night
Tool
Toots & the Maytals (surprised?)
Tori Amos
Toto
Triumph (why not?)
The Tubes (because)
War
Warren Zevon
Weezer
Weird Al Yankovic
Whitesnake

Yeah, I know… The Hall should only induct those who've produced more than a couple hits, who didn’t completely die off a few years, and contributed something unique and/or profound to Rock and Roll. Genres? Forget it. Some say each genre should have its own category. That ship probably sailed when Country, Jazz and others created their own temples of worship. Just seems weird to include rap artists while jazz, funk, metal and certain pop artists struggle. The entire thing seems quite arbitrary. There are a few on the list that certainly deserve induction long before others. Again, “the gripe”. Keep giving ‘em hell, Bruce.

BTW, Nickelback is eligible next year. Watch…

Those Top 10 Lists...

This was a toughie…

With all the music and film “challenges” being tossed our way to pass time in quarantine, I happened upon a category I hadn’t considered.

Name your Top 10 drummer albums...

Sounded easy at first. I love dozens of drummers. Killer drumming on hundreds of albums too. This should be easy… or impossible. Too many! Oh crap! Sorry to the rest…

Rush – Exit Stage Left – Neil Peart

Allan Holdsworth – Secrets – Vinnie Colaiuta

The Police – Ghost in the Machine – Stewart Copland

Mahavishnu Orchestra – Birds of Fire – Billy Cobham

Dixie Dregs – What if – Rod Morganstein

Led Zeppelin – Zeppelin IV – John Bonham

UK – Danger Money – Terry Bozzio

John McLaughlin and the Free Spirits – Tokyo Live – Dennis Chambers

King Crimson – Discipline – Bill Bruford (painful choice between this, Thrak or Yes, Closer to the Edge)

Col. Bruce Hampton and the Aquarium Rescue Unit – (self-titled) – Jeff Sipe

Wait… I screwed up.

It was supposed to be much more difficult. Then it hit me…
What about a Top 10 albums by drummers. Solo drummer albums, not necessarily drum solos.

Shit.

I had the TOUGHEST time coming up with ten, let alone ten that I deeply loved. I had completely forgotten about couple listed below, so this was a nice return trip. Without further ado, here they are:

1) Billy Cobham – Spectrum

When I really started getting into drumming, this was one of the first albums I found. Didn’t know anything about Billy Cobham or Mahavishnu… or much about progressive music, for that matter. What an eye-opener. Speed, power…command! Double-bass shufflin’ with the ghost strokes (duplicated by so many later). And then something familiar and Peanutty. Aha moment. I had been unwittingly listening to Billy as a wee lad via Charles Schultz’s animateds. Who knew? Spectrum remains the penultimate TDF (that’s Tour De Force).

2) Tony Williams – Believe It

The entire record is an absolute wrecking ball of raw intentions. “Fred”, in particular, is the standout collaboration with Allan Holdsworth, ushering his form of prog-fusion later sticked by Gary Husband and several others. Such a tremendous feel and sense that Tony never held back. Definitely one of his better recorded performances. 

3) Buddy Rich – The Best of Buddy Rich: The Pacific Jazz Years

No drum list complete without Buddy. His discography covers five decades, so picking one was impossible. He gave astounding performances night after night after night right up until he passed. Everyone pretty much considers him to be the best that ever played. Subjective to genre, of course, but his facility, fluidity and vocabulary remain at the top of most drummer's lists. Many cite Big Swing Face if they had to pick one piece of work. I’m cheating somewhat by tendering a greatest hits record. Live with it. 

4) Bill Bruford – One of a Kind

This is where selecting drummer albums becomes more difficult. Many will say these aren’t necessarily the drummer's best performances, nor certainly the best music on which they played. Bruford managed to cobble together a solid set of guest performers, throwing down some unique and cutting-edge prog worthy of note. “Five G” is a monumental track, but all of the works on this record have a hook or two. 

5) Trilok Gurtu – Living Magic

Seems like Trilok came and went during the ‘90s — lightning in the bottle, riding on John McLaughlin’s train ‘o thunder. Nobody was conspicuously absurd in multi-percussion talent at the time. Hybrid acoustic/e-kit, plus all those outrageous percussion bits that combined to elicit a tranced, inescapable eastern vision. We eagerly swallow his pill and relax for the effects. Hmm…. Maybe too euphoric? Never. Wanna get away? Here's your ticket.

6) Chad Wackerman – Forty Reasons

Chad came along about the time I was fully immersed in jazz-fusion… early ‘90s. Another Zappa henchman, Wackerman (perfect drum name, yadda yadda) had been running with Allan Holdsworth for a few hitches and caught my attention. When 40 Reasons came out, featuring a Holdsworth and several other heavies, it was a no-brainer. Similar in scope to Bruford’s One of a Kind, the entire album has some rather decent music ahead of all the great chops. Cassettes were still in play at the time and I wore this one out. 

 

7) Simon Phillips – Force Majeure

Oddly, Simon was always orbiting my sphere of attention but he never landed. His contributions were always erudite and subtle, perfectly executed, but never the jaw-dropper. He’s on so many records (like Gadd) that I simply lost his voice – his personality on kit – behind the louder noise of the band’s front line. It wasn’t until the last 15 or so years that I noticed Simon’s gigs were ascending in difficulty, and his playing had vastly improved to meet the challenges. When he took on Hiromi, that was it! I listen to him today as a true outlier among so many drummers who shined for several years towards the front and mid of their careers, but never sought fresh confrontation that forced them to grow. Truly better with age! Now, having spilled my ignorance, I return to one of his solo works “Force Majeure” to discover that I simply wasn’t listening with a mature ear. The record doesn’t quite capture all the tasty bits displayed on the video. So smooth. And, what a great record to boot. 

8) Vinnie Colaiuta – (self-titled)

Hmmm… this one was an automatic add because, well, it’s Vinnie. I’m not going to lie, the music is a bit tedious. Not everyone’s cuppa. Of course, Vinnie’s blowing chops all over the polyrhythmic landscape, and if you’re a drummer looking for nifty licks for your own library, this is a great book. Still, it felt a tad directionless and doesn’t earn regular rotation in my monitors. Heck, maybe once every ten years or so it comes up… and it doesn’t get too far beyond the Attack of the Skipping Pizza, but I love me some Vinnie! Try skipping down to "Slink" for classic Colaiuta tastiness. Lovely solo. 

9) Dave Weckyl – Master Plan

Similarly to Vinnie, Weckl’s Master Plan is largely a forgettable (don't tell Dave, K?) volume of well-executed jazz-fusion featuring an incredible player -- the Shooter McGavin of Drums. It’s certainly not Weckyl’s best work, but whose solo drum record ever made a Top 40?.. or top anything? (besides a top drum album list). Great player list, though.. Chick!

10)   Phil Collins – Face Value

I know, I know… This is NOT really a "drumming album". Well, you’re right. It is, however, a fantastic album by a fantastic drummer, and it has probably the most air-drummed fill ever played on it. Everybody, and I mean EVERYBODY knows In the Air Tonight’s big moment.
HELLLL YEAHHHH!
So, yes, I’m including it. Why? I love Phil Collins… GREAT drummer. Piss off!

Neil

Still absorbing the passing of Neil Peart.

After reading countless eulogies from those in his inner circle, as well as the colleagues that personally knew him, there’s not much I can add. His contributions to the art and influence will echo for eternity. 

On the surface, I drum, I write, and I now ride motorcycles. None of this is attributable to Mr. Peart (more on the BIO) and many would find difficulty believing that, but I do feel that there was a kindred connection because of it. Rush was indeed a huge influence on my music career, always in background, always accessible. As well, Neil Peart’s work was and remains available for reference and entertainment — the benchmark for what’s possible if you put your head down and properly toil.

All I can say is “Thank You, Neil”.

Thanks for it all…