2024 Rock Hall Ballot, Charles' version
Plus, Charles and David on the "Who Cares about the Rock Hall?" podcast
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announces its new slate of inductees on April 21st. Before that, David and I are sharing who we voted for this year, along with a brief rationale for each nominee. It’s always a pleasure and honor to participate in this process. David shared his ballot yesterday and you can read his thoughts here. Mine are below.
But first, we also wanted to share the great conversation we had with Joe and Kristen at their wonderful Who Cares about the Rock Hall? podcast. Featuring deep-dives with voters (like us, or NFR friends Chris Molanphy and Annie Zaleski) and past and present members of the nominating committee (like recent chats with Alan Light, Lauren Onkey, and Danyel Smith), Who Cares is a wonderful source of Rock Hall talk and larger conversations about music, musicians, and fans. They usually keep their ballot conversations behind their Patreon paywall, but they’re generous enough to share the episode with David and me with NFR readers. Check it out here. (And support their Patreon while you’re at it!) We both had such a good time, and the episode is the place to go for expanded versions of our brief ballot rundowns.
Anyway, here’s my thinking on a very good slate of nominees:
Mary J. Blige – YES. One of the most important vocalists of the last 30 years, whose remixes of pop and R&B tradition not only earned her the enduring title of “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul,” but made her one of this era’s best and most consistent record-makers. Equally effective with bangers and ballads, beloved and respected for many good reasons, Blige’s influence is everywhere and her emergence as an elder has not dimmed her vitality a single bit. All hail the Queen.
Mariah Carey – NO. This was a close one. Andrew Chan’s remarkable recent book Why Mariah Carey Matters makes the case for Carey so compellingly that she made my shortlist in a way that she might not have before. I love the hits, but Chan also made me realize that I’d been missing out by not digging to discover the gems underneath. If she makes it in, I’ll be happy. I’ll keep listening either way.
Cher – NO. Cher’s seemingly likely induction is welcome to me as both affirmation of her talent and recognition of the funny, defiant iconoclasm that’s defined her from the folkie ‘60s forward. She’s made great records in multiple eras, including the smash “Believe” in 1998 which returned her to the charts and predicted one of the twenty-first-century’s most significant pop technologies. Another close one for me, and I’m rooting for her.
Dave Matthews Band – NO. I have no beef with Dave Matthews Band. I recognize the larger impact of their genial jazz-inflected jam-rock. I admire their longevity and commitment to their mission. And there are a few tracks (“Crash Into Me,” “I Did It”) that I will always turn up. But they’re not my thing, and there are several “nos” that I would vote for ahead of them.
Eric B. & Rakim – YES. As David said yesterday, and as we talked about on the podcast, no serious consideration of hip-hop in the Rock Hall can go without these masters of the form. Across five albums, they never released a bad track, and at least 2/3 of those tracks are fucking great. Rakim’s layered and polyrhythmic rhymes earn him the honorific “The God,” but don’t forget Eric B.’s essential role in the duo, riding across Rakim’s flights of fancy with piercing, jazz-and-soul-sampling beats. Not just one of the best hip-hop groups of their time – one of the best groups, period.
Foreigner – NO. You know, there was a moment when I almost talked myself into Foreigner. Beyond the fact that I can somehow sing all their big hits without ever owning one of their albums, I realized that very few pulled off the unique triangulation of AOR, the other AOR, and Adult Contemporary that made them equally at home on the bar jukebox or over the P.A. system at the mall. I don’t mind celebrating the rock mainstream, especially the not-yet-reclaimed kind that permeated my midwestern childhood. But I just don’t like them enough to vote yes.
Peter Frampton – NO. Frampton seems like a genuinely good guy, and Frampton Comes Alive occupies a place of significance, I suppose. But I hope the Hall finds some way to honor him that doesn’t involve taking a slot away from a more deserving act – and that list may include all the other nominees.
Jane's Addiction – NO. Sure, there are few great records – “Mountain Song,” “Been Caught Stealing” – and a larger importance as a bridge between ‘80s college rock and the ‘90s alternative nation. But, while I sort of want to hear how wacky Perry Farrell’s speech would be, I can’t think of other or better reasons to vote for them.
Kool & the Gang – YES. I was already considering them, and then funk historian Rickey Vincent made the case on a Facebook post that made it an absolute no-brainer. (He later appeared on Who Cares About the Rock Hall? to expand.) With a catalog far deeper than even their run of hits would indicate, dancing across jazz, soul, funk, disco, pop, and rock, Kool and the Gang now sound like canonical figures to me.
Lenny Kravitz – NO. Kravitz’s ability to transform his thoroughly retro persona into a successful pop career over four decades is impressive, especially when hits like “Again,” “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over,” and “Are You Gonna Go My Way?” still sound great. I’ll understand if he makes it, but he wasn’t ever close to my list.
Oasis – YES. Every year, I try to reserve one vote for my teenage self. This year, especially with the expansion to seven choices, there was no doubt who would occupy that slot. Their first three albums (yes, even the bloated Be Here Now) are great, all their subsequent albums have some speaker-rattling highlights, and their role as the most blatant Brit-Pop throwback has somehow aged better than I ever would’ve expected. They deserve it, but I’ll be real: this one’s just for me.
Sinéad O'Connor – YES. She made great music throughout her career, including a final album that includes what may be my favorite song of hers. Her sonic and symbolic influence is heard and felt across a wide range of artists. She deserves every bit of credit and catalog sales that an induction would bring, even though it’s so sad and embarrassing that it’s taken her death to make that clear. And, lest we forget, she was right about everything. If anyone defines what I think “rock and roll” can and should be, it’s Sinead O’Connor.
Ozzy Osbourne – NO. Black Sabbath is a slam-dunk, of course. Maybe if I’d spent more time with solo Ozzy, I’d conclude that he deserves an additional spot for this catalog. (And for his reinvention from satanic-panic villain to beloved TV dad.) But, alas, I can’t justify it, even though “Mama, I’m Coming Home” – my favorite power ballad by anyone – is so deep in my heart that I wish I could induct it all by itself.
Sade – YES. Similar to Eric B. and Rakim, Sade hasn’t missed a single time and usually hits the bullseye. Their sound is singular. Their albums are all great and expansive; Soldier of Love is my current favorite among their several masterpieces. And, even as their frontwoman is one of the most distinctive pop voices as both singer and songwriter, they’re also a great fucking band.
A Tribe Called Quest – YES. Here’s another great fucking band, whose records still sound as vibrant and exciting as they ever did. The immediate progenitors of so much interesting R&B, hip-hop, and pop, they’re also the continuing forebears of weirdo geniuses from Kendrick to SZA and beyond. Still on point. Forever kicking it.
That’s what I’ve got - check out David’s picks, and check out the podcast to hear more from both of us. And also don’t miss our special two-part “Turn It Up” where we picked a favorite track by each of the nominees. Those posts are here and here. I’m sure we’ll return to the Rock Hall next year, if not before, but it’s always a pleasure to use the occasion as an excuse for new and repeated listening.
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