Johnny Rivers: HOF?

[Jake from State Farm]

I say yes

 

[Starman]

He's kinda outside the pantheon of "album rock" because he was really a quintessential singles artist, and his best known hits were all covers, but he had a steady stream of hits for quite a while.
The RNRHOF is gonna have to rethink their attitudes about nominees, because the barrel is running dry.

 

[Jake from State Farm]

 

[Jake from State Farm]

He's kinda outside the pantheon of "album rock" because he was really a quintessential singles artist, and his best known hits were all covers, but he had a steady stream of hits for quite a while.
The RNRHOF is gonna have to rethink their attitudes about nominees, because the barrel is running dry.

It was your post about that that got me thinking about him
He’s like Tommy James and the Guess Who
He did write his only No. 1, Poor Side of Town

 

[maumann]

I seem to remember one of Kasey's American Top 40 shows where he said Johnny Rivers and Linda Ronstadt were tied with most cover songs to reach the Billboard charts. Three Dog Night has to be in third place, I would think.

 

[Starman]

The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive should be in as a group entry.

 

[Starman]

Jann Wenner's long-running dismissal of "cheesy power pop" is the reason all these acts aren't in.

 

[Jake from State Farm]

The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive should be in as a group entry.

Best song by either band

 

[Starman]

From 1968-75, the Guess Who/BTO output was very much comparable to The Who (and remember that was their peak era as well).

 

[Jake from State Farm]

From 1968-75, the Guess Who/BTO output was very much comparable to The Who (and remember that was their peak era as well).

The Who even covered the Guess Who’s Shakin All Over

 

[Starman]

Johnny Kidd and the Pirates say hello.

 

[Starman]

The Sex Pistols are very deservedly in, but Badfinger and the Raspberries are not.

 

[Jake from State Farm]

One of Tommy James’ biggest hits, I Think We’re Alone Now, was banned by one of Detroit’s biggest stations, WKNR Keener 13
It never made one of their playlists
Of course CKLW, which was soon to overtake WKNR, played the **** out of it

 

[da man]

YES

After all, he's got the rockin' pneumonia and the boogie woogie flu.

 

[Starman]

Tommy James should be in if only for the all-star jam of other artists covering his songs.

 

[misterbc]

It was your post about that that got me thinking about him
He’s like Tommy James and the Guess Who
He did write his only No. 1, Poor Side of Town

The classic Guess Who lineup with Burton Cummings fronting the band wrote all their songs. No covers. They were one of the top bands in the world for a few years and are so far ahead of Tommy James or Johnny Rivers, who I like a lot, it’s no contest. Cummings was an amazing rock vocalist, among the best ever, and Bachman is a hell of a guitar player. Re listen to their greatest hits albums, great tunes. They blow 25% of RRHOF inductees away.

 

[I Should Coco]

The classic Guess Who lineup with Burton Cummings fronting the band wrote all their songs. No covers. They were one of the top bands in the world for a few years and are so far ahead of Tommy James or Johnny Rivers, who I like a lot, it’s no contest. Cummings was an amazing rock vocalist, among the best ever, and Bachman is a hell of a guitar player. Re listen to their greatest hits albums, great tunes. They blow 25% of RRHOF inductees away.

I remember when I was first learning guitar, just goofing around I stumbled upon the opening chord to "Laughing" ... and eventually figured out how to play it (this was before you could look things like that up on the internet). Believe me, I was no Randy Bachman.
And trying to sing that song, like Burton Cummings can? No chance.
Just about the entire "Best of the Guess Who" album is outstanding.

 

[Starman]

Somehow I had the idea that BTO had several
members in common with the Guess Who, but Bachman is the only carryover, so I guess my combined induction idea wouldn't really fly. Too bad, because each band separately is about 85% to the HOF on their own merits alone.

 

[qtlaw]

Loved Poor Side of Town and Summer Rain; I say yes.

 

[Starman]

The Veterans Committee of the RNRHOF is going to be very busy the next decade or so, since the eligibility window is now moving past the album-rock era and into the age of mp3s.

I suspect there's also going to be a trend toward inducting groups with at least some of the members still alive and in semi-performing shape. Induction ceremonies with only tearful survivors aren't good teevee.