2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Yellfest

F$#% you, hippie!

Pearl Jam is self-indulgent, overwrought garbage!

 

That's preposterous.

It's magical, self-indulgent sonic bliss.

 

Straight Outta Compton was a fantastic album and incredibly influential. I can probably recite every lyric and I haven't listened to it this millennium. But that was all that NWA did. No way they get in before Public Enemy.

 

I was thinking about this even before you posted it. The Hall is going to need to open up on alternative, punk and rap a bit if it wants to maintain relevance. Pixies were eligible this year and Sonic Youth and The Smiths have been eligible for years, so I don't know that it is ready for that leap. Here are some of the groups eligible in the next few years:

A Tribe Called Quest
De La Soul
Dr. Dre
Green Day
Ice Cube
Jane's Addiction
Morrissey
My Bloody Valentine
NOFX
Pearl Jam
Rage Against the Machine
Smashing Pumpkins
Soundgarden
Stone Temple Pilots
2Pac

I think as the 1990s progress, as Radiohead and Weezer enter the fold, you'll see the voters go back and reconsider bands like Pixies, Sonic Youth and The Smiths. Hopefully, Iron Maiden, Megadeth and Slayer can get metal some respect. But who knows. There's a baseball bat up Jann Wenner's ass.

 

A Tribe Called Quest
De La Soul
Dr. Dre
Green Day
Ice Cube
Jane's Addiction
Morrissey
My Bloody Valentine
NOFX
Pearl Jam
Rage Against the Machine
Smashing Pumpkins
Soundgarden
Stone Temple Pilots
2Pac

YMMV

 

De La Soul vs. A Tribe Called Quest is a good litmus test for whether you're a rap fan or a rock fan who likes rap.

 

Agreed. As an alternative rock guy, I find it bizarre that they're nominating the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and the Marvelettes while ignoring The Smiths, Depeche Mode and The Cure. The Pixies should be in. Husker Du may be borderline, but I'd vote for them. Devo too.

There are still a few older bands that are ignored, too. How the fuck do you nominate Procol Harum when The Zombies aren't in?

I'm curious to see how far they go into rap. I suspect they'll be pretty hesitant -- I would guess you'll see Public Enemy and NWA go in, but more obscure-but-significant groups like A Tribe Called Quest left out. (I definitely don't qualify as a rap fan and really not even a rock fan who likes rap... but "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" is fantastic.)

 

The Cure definitely should be in, even before Pavement, Pixies, The Smiths and Sonic Youth.

 

Kraftwerk is ridiculously influential. It goes beyond techno too. A whole range of rock bands count Kraftwerk as a major influence-- helping play a role in the melding of rock and electronic music. The influence of ''Kraut-Rock'' is everywhere. Check out the new British band Django Django...

That being said-- Can should probably get nominated too, if influence is the major standard.

 

I'm not a huge fan of the Cure, but objectively, I 100% agree. Pixies next in my opinion. Small catalog, but they were so seminally influential it's not even up for debate.

Pavement were also hugely influential, but I don't see them getting in. The big difference is that the Pixies influenced bands that became immensely popular (Nirvana, etc). I think Pavement just generally helped define indie-rock.

 

Beck is going to be an interesting argument when he comes up. For many, he never got past Mellow Gold (which is underrated) and Loser, and is viewed as a one-off weirdo, but he did some damn interesting shit after that and after Odelay too.

 

Rolling Stone's affinity for Beck will help. Also, he has the SportsJournalists.com vote.