More Rock Hall Nominees...

I've never written to you before, but I have been in the industry a long time. But, a music fan even longer.

Bad Company is one of my all time favorite bands - forever. If they aren't a slam dunk to be inducted, I am taking it to the streets in protest with a boombox playing Rock Steady.

Cynthia Parsons
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What about Davey Johnstone, Nigel Olsson, Dee Murray & Ray Cooper?!?

Dexter
___________________________________

BadCo at last…certainly not least!!!

RIP Sam Aizer!!!   He would be so happy to see his boys finally acknowledged…Mick, Boz, Simon and the greatest white blues rocker of all time!!!  Nice to see them there!!!

Mitchell Fox
___________________________________

Sykes and the boys got it right this year.

Paul Rogers is absolutely that greatest rock singer of all time!!
From Free to Bad Company to the Firm to Queen, he is the GOAT!!

And Joe Cocker is the definition of Rock and Roll!!

And do you know what Paul Rogers and Joe Cocker have in common ?
One of the greatest record men of all time, Chris Blackwell, who developed real artists and not puppets.

And maximum respect to one of the greatest front men of all time, Chris Robinson.
The Maestro Jimmy Page could have picked any artist on the planet to work with. 
But he picked the WICKED Robinson Brothers.
Just listen to the Crowes version of Bob Marley's Time Will Tell from "The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion"

And kudos to the haunting voice of Chris Cornell who was the purest voice of the grunge generation.

The Rock n Roll Hall is now in safe hands!!

Native Wayne Jobson
Ocho Rios 
Jamaica 
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Bad Company. It's an insult all members of Mott The Hoople. Think about it. Soundgarden? One good song; the rest is dross. Where is Blue Oyster Cult?

David Ames
___________________________________

Not gonna pimp this guy cuz I know Bob knows….Bill Champlin…one of the greatest… songwriter and vocalists…

Tom Clark
___________________________________

NEW YORK DOLLS

( door slam )

Mark Flores
___________________________________

Phil Collins

Joey Sasson
___________________________________

You nailed it! I agree with including Bad Company, Cindy Lauper & Joe Cocker…and
others. 

Russell Dugoni
___________________________________

Richard Thompson and Fairport Convention for that matter. 

Harold Love
___________________________________

I don't know Tim Clary but I think he and I could get along just fine. One more shout out for The Replacements! 

You know they wouldn't show up. It would be a disaster. They'd come out on the wrong instruments with "Hootenanny" then play "Everything's Coming Up Roses." "I hate music" and walk off stage. 

Would Johnny Reznik do the honors of inducting them?

Bobbo
___________________________________

I saw Joe Cocker perform at Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University in April of 1970. It was the most fantastic concert. I read his managers fleeced him and he earned little from that 1970 tour. Cry Me a River, Something, Feelin Alright, Darling Be Home Soon, Space Captain, Just Like a Woman, With a Little Help From My Friends-such fantastic music. 
                       
Thank you and stay well,
                          
Mark D. Luther
___________________________________

Love Bad Co. AND Free before!

Jim Guy
___________________________________

Free , Traffic , Little Feat , Procol Harum.   Come on already.  Pariah Carey?

Alan Childs
___________________________________

No "Grand Funk".....sad.

Marshall Block
___________________________________

As always you are bang on with your insight. 
Where is Sting? He's up there with Phil Collins! 
White Stripes nominated….really before Phil and Sting???? That's messed up. 

Best regards,
Juri Raiska
___________________________________

The Smiths! Talk about influential.  

Jeez..... 

Larry Eisenberg
___________________________________

Here's my list:

The New York Dolls

Thank you,
Marvin Etzioni
___________________________________

Great Takes Bob.

Here are mine:

My Friend John Sykes is truly doing a Great Job that I am sure is as Gratifying as it is Thankless. Keep it Goin' John!

Omissions:
LITTLE FEAT
THREE DOG NIGHT
STEPPENWOLF

I am GUARANTEEING that all 3 of those bands will get in sooner than later -
especially LITTLE FEAT - easily the most omitted band per Your mailbag.
Runner-Up: Iron Maiden

FINALLY - MUSIC is ROCK N ROLL

I have NO PROBLEM with Rap, Pop Divas and even Country Artists allowed entry per Career Impact and Greatness.

Last years induction was really good.
This years will be even better!
Bravo! - Fantastico!

Long Live Rock N Roll!

Terry Anzaldo
TA Entertainment
___________________________________

Apparently a lot of people care about the RRHOF. I don't.

Joseph Barbarotta
___________________________________

Wiser Time and Good Friday by the Crowes always floor me.

Patrick V. Cook
___________________________________

I agree with Paul Flattery. Any hall that includes Cyndi Lauper but not Phil Collins should be burned to the f*cking ground. And I am not even a Phil Collins fan. Don't own a single one of his albums. Furthermore, the snubs of Jan and Dean, Tommy James, and WARREN effing ZEVON destroy any semblance of credibility the Hall ever had. 

Joel Saunders
___________________________________

Lennon,
Jagger,
Cobain, 
Fishman.

Rock Gods!

Noah K. Lesser
___________________________________

Thanks Bob, great piece, and yes, Joe Cocker and Chubby Checker should be in. Open that door Hall of Fame for the two of them. They are more than deserving and long overdue.

Jerry Redmond.
___________________________________

Much ado about nothing! The only thing that matters is the hall of fame in your own head, informed solely by your own personal responses to the music you hear. The rest, especially an elaborate marketing trick judged by people you've never met, is bullsh*t. Getting exercised by who's in and who's not is a total waste of time and energy.

Cheers,
Mike
___________________________________

Good to see White Stripes nominated. Jack is such a good ambassador for music and central to the vinyl records revival. Which benifits everybody on the list. Happy for Joe Cocker, too. Saw him with SRV. Bob, thanks for keeping such great discussions going. You bring behind the scenes legends out of the shadows who tell great stories. 

John Kauchick 
___________________________________

I can't believe you are wasting pixels writing about such a bullsh*t organization.  You know there are
years no one is admitted in the Baseball Hall of Fame, because they have standards.  It is not a
marketing organization for itself and lame event.  

Yours most sincerely,

David Leonard
___________________________________

THE ASSOCIATION got more people laid than joe cock er.

Walter Sabo
___________________________________

OutKast had 5 great albums and 3 of them were massively successful not just 1. Arguably the greatest hip hop group of all time and certainly the most consistent. Way ahead of their time musically with the production by organized noise  and put southern hip hop on the map. Certainly deserving 

Also, oasis made a huge impact if you were growing up in the 90s. Not what it is over there true but still a big deal as evidenced by there sell out stadium shows here this summer

Best,
Jarred Arfa
___________________________________

You are 100% right. I saw the first tours by Bad Company, The Black Crowes, Billy Idol and Cyndi Lauper, but gotta say, Cyndi's live vocal performance on Money Changes Everything is maybe the most affecting thing I've ever seen/heard.The power of it made me tear up.

Mike Campbell
Programming Director 
thecarleton.ca
___________________________________

OUTKAST

"they were innovative and successful, albeit not for that long." 

Pretty undermining take on a duo with the rare 4 back-to-back-to-back-to- back classic releases, with each one elevating the artform with one-of-a-kind hit singles. 

Capped off year TEN with one of the biggest songs of 21 Century with "hey ya".. and took home a little Grammy for Album of Year in 04. One of only two hiphop albums to get this honor.

In terms of influence, Andre 3000  is considered by many as the greatest lyricists of his generation. In essence, we don't get to Kendrick without Outkast.

In closing, they're legends of the highest order.  Put some respeck on their name. 

Riggs Morales
___________________________________

Reading CJ Vanston's reply to your piece is an excellent example of the irrelevancy, and at-times mean-spiritedness, of the RRHOF's selection process. Do we really need some self-appointed arbiters to keep Joe Cocker crackling through speakers/headphones for the next decades? I think he has done that already (with a little help from his friends).

A space to celebrate rock&roll, its antecedents and the next waves, is a wonderful pursuit. As time passes, however, the more I think Alex Lifeson's acceptance speech expresses the true value of the RRHOF process. Those who can't talk; those who can rock!

Vikas Sharma
Ottawa, Canada
___________________________________

There's so much love for Bad Company  and never a mention of Mott
I find that strange,and, unfortunate

JB 
Bronx NYC
___________________________________

I think the Hall is overdue for a year of "reckoning" where they can expand the number of inductees to clean up some of these longstanding omissions. 

Vinny Malvarosa
___________________________________

Good list, but why is the greatest guitarist of the 20th century is not nominated-Derek Trucks-First album 1997

James Johnson
___________________________________

"Why are we still waiting on Little Feat?" - 

Good question, I still miss Lowell and he's been dead for 46 years. Hell, Inara's 50.

Liz's property at the peak of Topanga with views down both sides, one to the valley, the other to the Ocean is a special place. Liz buried Lowell's ashes in the winding garden. So we can eat "Lowell Vegetables." 

"Why are we still waiting on Los Lobos?"

Not worthy

"Why are we still waiting on The Meters?"

Another good question. The first time I saw The Meters and The Neville Brothers at Tipitinas I was in heaven. 

Rob - vrpmusic
___________________________________

If the R&R HOF was similar to sports HOF only one of these bands would be nominated...Bad Company.  But that's not the case...I love these acts to...however, it seems that anyone that has more than one hit is eligible...well even one hit wonders are now eligible, I understand they now allow single songs a place in the R&R HOF.  

Reminds me of the quote from Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles. 
- All right! We'll give some land to the *blacks*  and the * chinese*... but we don't want the Irish! 
- No deal. 
- Ah, prairie sh*t! Everybody!

Ed Kelly

P.S. Your readers got it right...I didn't know some of these acts were not in...given they let everyone in...

Bule Oyster Cult
The Guess Who
Smashing Pumpkins
Supertramp 
ELP
Jethro Tull
Phil Collins (solo)

I suspect their day will come...
___________________________________

Rock n Roll Hootchie coo! The one common thread through all the comments about the RRHF is people really give a damn. Music is the driving force in the universe! If only we had such passion about our country we wouldn't be in the mess we are today.....  Oh, and f@ck Jan Wenner.

Rick Klufas
___________________________________

and still no mention of Doug Sahm.......

Frank Brandon
___________________________________

Although the RNRHOF finally has a list worth looking at they lost their relevance years ago. Far too many omissions over the years and they did little to rectify anything this year.  Stopped paying dues years ago.

R W Tussey
___________________________________

I'm joining in on the Warren Zevon omission being a crime.  Incredible body of work, influential, with iconic songs that many out there don't even know he wrote.   A true original artist.  Excitable Boy is among the best albums the late 70's had to offer.

Richard B. Levy
___________________________________

Johnny Rivers

Walter Stewart
___________________________________

I totally agree about Joe.  I have the Mad Dogs set with all live concert nights and I listen to it all the time noting the nuances among the shows.  The original Mad Dogs.. album probably my favorite of all time starting in high school.  Almost makes me cry when i listen to it.  Also agree about Oasis.  Still quoting "please don't put your life in the hands of a rock and roll band" to my 30-something daughters.  Also agree about the Super Bowl.  I would have liked to see the Turnpike Troubadours alongside Chris Stapleton. As a Chiefs fan that might have redeemed the night.  Otherwise it was so depressing I had nightmares. 
Best,
Barbara B. Chapman
___________________________________

Yeah, Eyes Without a Face is the best Billy Idol song. . . . at the change or course. And I love every White Stripes song, and fortunately saw them live twice.

Chris Flesher
___________________________________

Ridiculous the little ol band from east LA -Los Lobos- isn't in 
-Bill Tibbs Canada
___________________________________

a merely perfunctory scan of this piece compels me to wonder if it was written in exchange for an all-access press pass to the main event!?!?                    

DOUG COLLETTE
___________________________________

Mr. Lefsetz:

While we're on the subject - for your amusement - something I posted to social media a couple of days before the '25 nominees were announced:

I was looking over the list of Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Inductees the other night - so many great names, so many conspicuous omissions. 

I came up with my own list of nominees that in a perfect rock 'n' roll world would make it into The Hall.

I planned to limit it to 50 but you can see how well that worked out. I could make a compelling argument for each of these choices:

1. Albhy Galuten
2. Mike Nesmith
3. Dick Dale
4. Jackie DeShannon (Songwriter)
5. Mick Ronson (Musical Excellence)
6. Free/Bad Company
7. Little Feat
8. Buck Owens & His Buckaroos
9. Connie Francis
10. Teo Macero (Producer, Influence)
11. Johnny Burnette & The Rock 'N' Roll Trio
12. Squeeze
13. Fairport Convention
14. Tom Wilson (Producer)
15. The Clovers
16. Spirit
17. Doug Sahm/Sir Douglas Quintet/Texas Tornados
18. Carpenters
19. Iron Maiden
20. De La Soul
21. George Goldner (Ahmet Ertegun Award)
22. .38 Special
23. Captain Beefheart
24. Outkast
25. Mott The Hoople/Ian Hunter
26. Jim Peterik (Songwriter)
27. Wolfman Jack (Ahmet Ertegun Award)
28. Bryan Adams (Artist, Songwriter)
29. J.J. Cale
30. Bjork
31. Big Star
32. Marianne Faithfull
33. Thin Lizzy
34. The Stranglers
35. Ted Templeman (Producer)
36. Roberta Flack
37. Tommy James & The Shondells
38. Nick Lowe
39. Darian Sahanaja (Musical Excellence)
40. Joe Osborn (Musical Excellence)
41. Joan Armatrading
42. Paul Revere & The Raiders
43. Carole Kaye (Musical Excellence)
44. Grace Jones
45. Three Dog Night
46. Bill Szymczyk (Producer)
47. Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks
48. Waylon Jennings
49. Cozy Powell (Musical Excellence)
50. Esther Phillips
51. Culture Club
52. Eddie Kramer (Engineer, Producer)
53. Cyndi Lauper
54. Siouxsie & The Banshees
55. Larry Norman
56. Los Lobos
57. Patti LaBelle/The Bluebelles/Labelle
58. Arthur Lee/Love
59. Kenny Loggins
60. Joy Division/New Order
61. Joe Jackson
62. Norman Petty (Producer)
63. Leslie Gore
64. David Foster (Producer, Songwriter)
65. Anthrax
66. Joan Osborne
67. Morris Levy (Ahmet Ertegun Award)
68. Mose Allison (Influence)
69. Paul Kelly
70. Miriam Makeba
71. Wu-Tang Clan
72. Curt Boettcher (Producer)
73. Judee Sill
74. J.M. Van Eaton (Musical Excellence)
75. Rick Rubin (Producer)
76. Jesse Ed Davis (Musical Excellence)
77. Ry Cooder (Musical Excellence, Musicologist)
78. Fanny
79. John Coltrane (Influence)
80. Crowded House
81. Fela Kuti
82. Tom Jones
83. David Lindley (Musical Excellence)
84. Opeth
85. Shemekia Copeland
86. Toto/Steve Lukather, Jeff Porcaro and David Paich (Performers, Musical Excellence - take your pick)
87. Foghat
88. Rory Gallagher
89. Herb Abramson (Ahmet Ertegun Award)
90. The J. Geils Band
91. Gordon Lightfoot
92. The Robert Cray Band
93. Hugh Masekela
94. Ravi Shankar (Influence)
95. Johnny Pacheco & Jerry Masucci (Ahmet Ertegun Award)
96. Paul Weller/The Jam
97. The Flatlanders
98. Kim Wilson (Musical Excellence)
99. David Van De Pitte (Arranger)
100. Johnny Maestro/The Crests/The Brooklyn Bridge
101. Rick James
102. King Crimson
103. Danny Korchmar (Producer, Songwriter)
104. Flo & Eddie/The Turtles (Performers or Musical Excellence - take your pick)
105. Jimmy Webb (Songwriter)
106. Warren Zevon
107. The Scorpions
108. Patsy Cline
109. Lucinda Williams
110. Beck
111. Slayer
112. The Pixies
113. The Dead Kennedys
114. Phil Collins (Performer, Producer, Songwriter)
115. Harry Nilsson
116. Tears For Fears
117. Procol Harum
118. Tim Buckley
119. The Monkees
120. Stan Ridgeway
121. Blue Oyster Cult
122. Rodney Crowell
123. Olivia Newton-John
124. Emerson, Lake & Palmer
125. The Smithereens
126. Margo Price
127. X
128. John Hiatt (Songwriter)
129. Poco
130. Louis Prima (Influence)
131. Barry White
132. INXS
133. Dwight Yoakam
134. Daft Punk
135. Tom Werman (Producer)
136. NRBQ
137. Little Steven (Musicologist)
138. The White Stripes
139. Peter Guralnick (Music Historian)
140. Carmine Appice (Musical Excellence)
141. Pantera
142. The Meters
143. King's X
144. Faith No More
145. Elliott Smith
146. The Replacements
147. Fiona Apple
148. Nick Cave
149. The Smiths
150. Eric B & Rakim
151. Scott Walker
152. Husker Du/Bob Mould
153. Television
154. Sade
155. Taj Mahal
156. Canned Heat
157. The Neville Brothers
158. Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels
159. Neil Sedaka & Howard Greenfield (Songwriters)
160. Jr. Walker & The All-Stars
161. The Pointer Sisters
162. Pet Shop Boys
163. The Memphis Horns (Musical Excellence)
164. Weird Al Yankovic
165. Sam "The Man" Taylor (Musical Excellence)
166. Donnie Hathaway
167. Ashford & Simpson (Songwriters)
168. John Cale
169. James Guercio (Producer)
170. Micky Most (Producer)
171. The Searchers
172. 10cc
173. Burt Bacharach and Hal David (Songwriters)
174. Lee Hazlewood (Producer)
175. Bob Ezrin (Producer)
176. Elton John's Band: Nigel Olsson, Davey Johnstone, Ray Cooper, Dee Murray
177. Hank Garland (Musical Excellence)
178. Johnny "Guitar" Watson
179. Air
180. Bert Jansch
181. Miriam Abramson (Ahmet Ertegun Award)
182. Alice In Chains
183. Herbie Flowers (Musical Excellence)
184. War
185. Tommy Bolin (Musical Excellence)
186. Status Quo
187. Mickey Baker (Musical Excellence)
188. Joe Lala (Musical Excellence)
189. Patrick Cowley
190. Rick Derringer (Musical Excellence)
191. Charles Connor (Musical Excellence)
192. Richard Thompson
193. Jeffrey Foskett (Musical Excellence)
194. Waddy Wachtel (Musical Excellence)
195. The Section: Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkel, Craig Doerge, Danny Korchmar (Musical Excellence)
196. Jim Keltner (Musical Excellence)
197. Bootsy Collins (Musical Excellence)
198. Buddy Miles (Musical Excellence)
199. Scott Thurston (Musical Excellence)
200. J.D. Souther (Songwriter)
201. Paul Williams (Songwriter)
202. Kenny Aranoff (Musical Excellence)
203. Art Laboe (Ahmet Ertegun Award)
204. Philip and Raymond Kives (Ahmet Ertegun Award)
205. Jim Ladd (Ahmet Ertegun Award)
206. Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman (Musical Excellence)

We All Live In A Yellow Snubmarine: While we're at it, let's go back and right some Rock 'N' Roll wrongs: Bob Welch, Nick Simper, Ronnie James Dio, Anthony Phillips, Billy Cox, Dave Navarro, Peter Banks, Doug Yule, Eric Carr, Steve Morse, Warren Haynes, Patrick Moraz and all the other founding or key members of inducted bands who somehow got the shaft and didn't make it in the first time around.

Vince Welsh


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Kendrick/R&RHOF/Siblings-SiriusXM This Week

Tune in Saturday February 15th to Faction Talk, channel 103, at 4 PM East, 1 PM West.

If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app. Search: Lefsetz 


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Fran Healy-This Week's Podcast

Fran Healy fronts Travis. He's a fascinating guy, you'll be interested in what he has to say whether you know the band's music or not.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fran-healy/id1316200737?i=1000691810743
 
https://open.spotify.com/episode/06FqyuROroxI2XxZYGLlu7?si=nJl5Cdz5TYCmiLQVLVqG_g
 
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/fran-healy-266881722/
 
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/b3fef39b-c412-4f52-a802-69e21ff44e73/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-fran-healy
 


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Re-The Rock Hall Nominees

Dear Bob,

As always, you are a Stellar writer. Thanks for being in our corner all these years.
One day I hope we can meet!

Thanks again,

Simon Kirke
_______________________________________

It's a backwards and upside down world when the RnRHOF gets it this right. What's next, the Grammy's becoming relevant again?! 

Thanks as always for what you do. 

Ralph Covert
_______________________________________

Joe Cocker? He opened Woodstock One!!!! With an insanely ferocious mind-bending performance. What else do you need to know?

I worked with Joe for almost 15 years. Many records. 33 countries TWICE touring. Produced him, arranged for him.. Opened Woodstock 2 in '94, where I was the MD and keyboardist, to 600k I heard. 

He was one of our founding fathers of rock and in my opinion the greatest white blues singer of all time. He belongs on the Mt. Rushmore of titans of rock/blues singers. Period. 

Yet he was ignored by this institution for years. I dare any of you to go down the list of previous inductees and tell me how many could hold a candle to Joe. Not many. 

So I hear this news with mixed emotions. I'm confident he'll get in, but he's GONE. This would have meant SO much to him. And he was a man that didn't need much. Didn't care about money. A gentle genius, a reluctant star. But when the song started, get the F out of the way, HERE COMES COCKER!!!!! Frikking BULLDOZER

Yet he was ignored all these years while severely questionable artists were inducted. Evidently there is new blood in the R&R Museum nominating staff…maybe that's why we see more names that make sense for once. 

I'll just look at the bright side. Sitting in the studio with him, hearing that voice every day made me reluctantly agree to go on the road TWICE…mainly just to hear that voice. Europe loved him. He was a deity in Germany and France. I saw the world with him. We did a couple of promo tours also that was just the two of us going to radio stations, piano and vocal. Great hotels great dinners great conversations about history and much laughter. Then another gig. That's all he needed. Jesus was he unbelievable. I always had the best seat in the house with his vocals CRANKED in my monitors. 

We had a deep musical connection and he was a complete legend.

Hope he gets his due, finally. Miss ya Joe and congratulations to you and your family and all the people that supported him, musicians, crew... especially Ray Neapolitain who was Joe's shadow and protector for decades. Chris Lord-Alge was instrumental on these records and who originally brought me into the fold. And Roger Davies, his brilliant manager, who championed him and was tireless in getting him back in the flow. 

Tears now. He was such a dear man with a voice and soul from somewhere else. 
I wish he could've seen this.

CJ Vanston
_______________________________________

Bob
I am disappointed that Russ Solomon/Tower Rscords are never nominated in the non music category.
Stan Goman
_______________________________________

I'm sorry, but, worthy as these artists may be,  not one  can come anywhere near the achievements and impact of Phil Collins who has been omitted yet again:

Three UK number-one singles and seven US number-one singles as a solo artist.

He has sold 33.5 million certified units in the US and an estimated 150 million records sold worldwide, making him one of the world's best selling artists. 

He has won eight  Grammys. 

He is one of only three recording artists, along with Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson to have sold over 100 million records both as solo artists and separately as principal members of a band.

This smacks of a personal vendetta and makes the Hall an illegitimate club, in my opinion.

Paul Flattery
_______________________________________

I agree with you – it's about time Bad Company got nominated.  I just voted for them.
 
To answer your question about how they got it right, I'll sum it up in four words: Jann Wenner is gone.  Wenner getting kicked off the board is the best thing that could have happened to the Hall; he and his boomer mentality toward music was holding the voting and induction process back.  Too many great acts haven't gotten in simply because Jann didn't like them.  Now we're seeing some of that being rectified.  Here's hoping that we start to see some greater recognition of heavy metal and prog rock; Wenner hates both genres, and as a result both are underrepresented.  That's actually my only gripe about today's nominations – no Iron Maiden.  They're one of the most influential metal bands of all time, and they absolutely should be in.
 
Take care,
Wes R. Benash
_______________________________________

Love the nominees list. 

But…. (isn't there always a "but")

Why are we still waiting on Little Feat? 
Why are we still waiting on Los Lobos?
Why are we still waiting on The Meters?

And…. Carol Kaye in the Musical Excellence category. A true pathfinder.

Ed Toth
_______________________________________

AGREE!   Rock Hall, nailed it    As a voter, gonna be tough for me to pick my top 7 but without debate f*cking BAD COMPANY sits at the top of my ballot    I too….cant deny.   Hope they stroll right in there this Fall    Should be a great induction ceremony with Paul Rodgers, Simon Kirke and the other inductees.    Look forward to it!   It's all part of my Rock 'n Roll Fantasy, Bob

Gary Spivack
_______________________________________

Bad Company/PR all the way, and overall, I agree it is a solid list.  Everyone will have their "what about," and mine are Iron Maiden and Jethro Tull. I don't get why JT is so radioactive to that organization. I want to add to your comment on Oasis.  The US and worldwide ticket sales are enormous. (not just "over there").  Multiple nights in stadiums in the US, with tickets blowing out in most cases in one day.  They had enough requests in the Ticketmaster queue for SIX Rose Bowls, with only time to perform for two.  Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

John Dittmar
_______________________________________

Tupac Shakur's biggest song was a sample of a Joe Cocker song.
Shakur went into the RRHOF eight years before Cocker even got nominated.
As good a reason as any for Joe to get in.

Marty Bender 
_______________________________________

Where is Styx ???

Also glad to see Bad Company finally nominated I had the pleasure of representing them for a while and they are long overdue.

Also Black Crowes well deserved had the pleasure of promoting them even before they were the Crowes when they were Mr Crowe's Garden and also the two sold out shows at Centerstage in Atlanta that were filmed by NFL Films and for the two nights they were joined by the one & only Chuck Leavell on keyboards. Mark DiDia here at RLM has done a masterful job with the guys since they reformed a few years back. Rich & Chris have been stars since the day I first met them back in the '80s. 

So I will try and make it if Bad Co & Black Crowes both deservedly are inducted.

Styx belongs there with them as do The Marshall Tucker Band and The Outlaws. 

Charlie Brusco
_______________________________________

What about AMERICA.  50+ years and still rocking. 

Jim Morey
_______________________________________

Great breakdown of this year's nominees. Please know that I'm going to continue my campaign for Tommy James, Connie Francis, and Neil Sedaka to be inducted.

Ron Alexenburg
_______________________________________

The Knack aren't in, but The White Stripes should be? 

Jer Gervasi
_______________________________________

Good for all of them, but I'm always holding out hope for Los Lobos, and I'm always disappointed.

Chuck Mitchell
_______________________________________

Re: Black Crowes - Listen to some of Rich Robinson's solo stuff, especially the live albums, and you'll see (again) how great he is.

https://open.spotify.com/album/4LaADbRAsiapukpluMNOgM?si=ZvQOXEK3RZi6NeGrIdMOZQ

https://open.spotify.com/album/4LaADbRAsiapukpluMNOgM?si=ZvQOXEK3RZi6NeGrIdMOZQ

Perry Resnick
_______________________________________

Yeah Bob. I'm w you on most. But how in the WORLD was Chubby Checker not in from Day 1!  

Best Regards,
Bobby Tarantino 
_______________________________________

Thanks Bob, for your perfect take on Joe Cocker. His first two albums are absolute classics that I play to this day. Also, Hitchcock Railway is a personal favorite. Shoulda been a hit!

David Rogers
_______________________________________

Billy Idol's start was concurrent with The Pistols and is one of the few rock artists who could do it live.  For decades.  I was an early supporter.  BadCo is so overdue as is Cocker.  Maybe even Belushi who did Cocker better than Joe!  LOL.

One day I will tell you the story when Rogers stopped a show to yell at me from the stage.

It will be an awards show I would actually watch.

Good news.

Jonathan Gross
_______________________________________

I know when I think of Rock and Roll; the true innovators and change-the-world impact, I always think of Outkast. You know, Chuck Berry, Beatles, Springsteen, Outkast. Like that. You're right, they nailed it.

Greg Estes
_______________________________________

Agree about "Eyes Without A Face".

Ann Munday
_______________________________________

"I get it, the Hall must be diverse. All I can say is if you're choosing a Latin act, this is the one."

Was relaxing in the Caribbean when a track from Mana was played over the PA. Fell in love. Was before Shazam so I had to ask someone who worked at the resort who it was. 

Can't say I like everything by them but one of the live records is fantastic. En Vivo if memory serves. 

Mitchell Sussman
_______________________________________

Agree - best nominated class in ages. I was absolutely shocked to see Phish get the recognition they deserve.
BUT WHERE THE HELL IS JETHRO TULL?????

Rich Madow
_______________________________________

hey Bob.....damn, I didn't even know Bad Company wasn't in yet! I agree, my first band when I was 14 covered "Can't Get Enough", "Movin' On" and one more that I can't remember.  I think they were the first songs we ever learned!  I personally loved "Burning Sky" but I don't think that was a hit per se.  and I can't think of "Feel Like Making Love" without thinking of Susanna Hoffs' cover of it on YouTube.

Mike Farley
_______________________________________

Still missing
J Geils Band
Grand Funk

Brian Pastoria
_______________________________________

Yes a much better list than usual! But where is Ian Hunter and/or Mott The Hoople?

Jimmy Steal
_______________________________________

OutKast "really only one big album"…are you kidding me?

Stankonia sold over 500K first week and had a #1 hit in Ms. Jackson. It's one of the 500 greatest albums of all time. It's sold over 5 million albums.

Speakerboxxx/Love Below is diamond. Oh, and it won the Grammy for Best Album. Oh, and "Hey Ya!" Is considered one of the greatest songs of all time and went to #1 as did "The Way You Move." 

The entire Atlanta rap industry, which up until Kendrick took over, was dominating the charts for years is what it is in part because of OutKast. 

I could keep going but please put some respect on their name.

Joah Spearman
_______________________________________

Bob, have you heard the acoustic version of "Jealous Again"?  The breakdown in that version hits twice as hard(pun intended)

It was only released as a Japanese CD single back in 1990.  I worked at a "Listen before you buy" CD store and discovered it that way.  Cost me $20 AFTER my employee discount!

I feel it's better than the album released version.  Glad it's on YouTube for people to enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIyOLVpTcSY

Would love to know what you think!
Craig
_______________________________________

First, I can't resist a little boasting about my cousin, Rob Hyman.  Rob plays all over She's So Unusual, and he co-wrote "Time After Time" with Cyndi.  And all these years later, The Hooters play to huge crowds in Europe.  Feel-good rock and roll.

As for a blatant omission, I continue to be baffled and irked by the Hall leaving out Warren Zevon.  I don't get it.

Hope you're well.

John Hyman
_______________________________________

I love Billy Idol and I say this every time he's mentioned in this context:  Steve Stevens is one of the most underrated guitarists (of which there are many).  He is inextricably linked with solo Billy Idol's sound, essence, and ferocity.   I hope he gets his shout out and like past years I'm sure he'll shred alongside him as always during the performances.  

Best,

Mitch Rotter  
_______________________________________

Typical RRHOF- Watch Mariah get in before a band like Iron Maiden that influenced so many in and generations of actual "rock" and still sell out stadium tours decades later. 

Glenn Frese
_______________________________________

yep, you got it right this time.
Let'em all in.

What a show that'd be!
Might restore people's faith in the hall

John Monroe
_______________________________________

Agree so much about Bad Co. for Paul Rodgers but what about Free.  All Right Now remains my All-time fave tune.

Corey Bearak
_______________________________________

It really pisses me off that Boz Scaggs who at 80 is still going strong and is totally invisible to the Hall. He dominated smooth rock, jazz and blue eyed soul with so many hits in 70s and 80s and he is a great blues guy as well. Why has he never been nominated? He and Wenner were even good friends, WTF?

Alan Segal
_______________________________________

Some great hot takes, but lemme say, OUTKAST deserve to be in that hall of fame 100%... sure Hey Ya was their one crossover smash hit, but it came at the END of their career after a decade of creating truly influential, unforgettable music. To this day, Bombs Over Baghdad remains of the hardest tracks to EVER be released to radio (before it was banned).

Cheers from Toronto
Joshua Malinsky
_______________________________________

I'm chuckling to myself. You felt the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame finally got it mostly right. I definitely love that Joe Cocker and Billy Idol are in the running. The latter's "White Wedding" is one of the best rock songs ever. Then, I read on Facebook that the legendary music commentator J.D. Considine wrote, "Honestly, I don't think I've ever been less excited by a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ballot than I am by this one." It just goes to show you can't please everybody. Chubby Checker should have been one of the early inductees and I know this is sacrilegious, but Pat Boone should be in there too. It's a hall of fame and Boone was very famous for a longtime for his Rock and Roll efforts like "Speedy Gonzales" and "Two Hearts."  Anyway, I'm not here to plead his case…I'm just saying if non-Rockers like Dionne Warwick, Dolly Parton and Jay Z are in there, why not one of the early rockers who's still here and able to accept his award. I'm just rambling….

-Bill Carpenter
_______________________________________

Paul Rodgers is finally nominated? OK, it's a legit organization now

Gary Lang
_______________________________________

Wow - good choices I agree!!!

Beth Black
_______________________________________

I'm still waiting for Gram Parsons!

Gram Parsons
_______________________________________

While I do appreciate the Hall making an effort, it's clear that Metal is disrespected in the HOF.


IRON MAIDEN should have been in the right after Black Sabbath was inducted.  They're still selling out arenas and stadiums all over the world.  The only metal band that can contend with Maiden is Metallica.  That's it.  2025 is their 50th anniversary.  HOW are they still so dominant?  It doesn't matter, they are.

TOOL - Still crushing and still changing the game while selling out every place they play.  There is nothing like TOOL.

Motorhead - Lemmy was legit and provided so much to music.

Dio - unmatched

Pantera - Pure stomping grit.  Worth the nod.

Alice in Chains....yes, they're in the grunge genre, but there is a lot of metal in their music.  If Nirvana and PJam are in, SoundGarden is nominated, how is AIC overlooked?

Slayer - reset the stage with Metallica and Megadeth back in the day and is deserving.

I can't believe some of the artists that are in over the ones listed above.  Logically, it doesn't make sense yet, but here we are.

I'm angry.

Matthew Grandi
_______________________________________

Am I missing something or are you? Is Lowell George and /or Little Feat in the HOF? Love your writing but this is a glaring omission,  Paul Poirier
_______________________________________

It's not a "Rock and Roll" hall of fame, or even a 20th century music hall of fame, it is The Music Industry Hall of fame, and who gives a sh*t about a corporate hall of fame?

Bob Kalill
_______________________________________

Still waiting for Procol Harum to get the nod. 
Anybody who thinks they're just "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" needs to hear albums like "Shine On Brightly," "A Salty Dog," and "Grand Hotel." Classical as well as R&B influence for sure, but they had their own spin on prog. 
Hank Stone
_______________________________________

Totally in concurrence with you, Bob, on this year's Rock &  Roll Hall of Fame nominees but it doesn't mean nothing to me until Little Feat are inducted. You don't have to sell a gazillion records to be great, just to be famous. 

Ross Field
Shelby, MI
_______________________________________

Outkast, Mariah Carey, Chubby Checker and Billy Idol…but STILL No Warren Zevon, No J.Geils, No Procol Harum?

Hilariously and idiotically absurd.

I've read and reread the "criteria" numerous times, and when you do that, these selections, year after year, are even more ludicrous and mind numbing .

Talk about a clown show...

Stephen Dessau
_______________________________________

None of them except Chubby Checker deserve to get in before The Guess Who and Tommy James!

jeffsackstennis
_______________________________________

Agree 100%. Though, based on how you formatted this, I thought TOUGH NOOGIES was a band! 

Peter Zizzo
_______________________________________

Bad Company..finally. I just put on their first album on Amazon Music!!! Made my day. The others are good also. And yes, Mariah isn't Rock and Roll but there's precedent-Whitney Houston. This brings me hope. Next up:

Jethro Tull
Ian Hunter/Mott the Hoople
Garth Brooks

Randy Schaaf
_______________________________________


The problem with the Rock Hall of Fame is that it's the same "hall" for the "absolute genius acts" (The Beatles, The Stones, The Who, Dylan, Bowie, The Beach Boys, Hendrix, Led Zep, The Doors, Elton John, The Grateful Dead, Neil Young, Springsteen, Eagles, Billy Joel, Prince, U2, Chicago) and the "very good but nowhere on the same level" acts (pretty much everyone else they've ever inducted). The criteria should be "Did they have at least 20 GREAT (not just good) songs?"-- none of this vague crap about how "influential" they were. And they need to be ROCK acts-- not fantastic "pop" acts such as The Supremes, Madonna, etc., many of whom also had 20 great songs, but it's not "rock"!

Mark B. Spiegel
_______________________________________

Do you think Warren Zevon deserves to be in? (I do). Will he ever get in?

Steve Elliott
_______________________________________

You're so right about Paul and BadCo!  I had the pleasure of selling Paul's Velvel release Now & Live while managing the east coast for Indies distributor Navarre.  Paul was a joy to work with and was so cool with the young sales reps who weren't aware of Bad Company's history or material.  

Mark Heyert
_______________________________________

Agreed, agreed, agreed. 

Also #1: I'm quite partial to Bad Co's "Electricland," and how Paul Rodgers sings that seemingly innocuous, almost offhanded "yeahhh" at its outset. No one else could even grasp how to do it like that.

Also #2: Tough Noogies is the best band name that never was. 

(Ok, ok, there *is* at least one TN band out there, but you know what I mean.)

Mike Mettler
Editor, Analog Planet
_______________________________________

The Rock &Roll Hall of Shame. Bad Company and Joe Cocker should definitely be there. They played Rock &Roll. What started out as you know as a place to not only honor but help the originators of the music pay their bills for the lack of $ and a place where Ahmet and Jen could party has turned out to be a place of shame and disrespect for the art of Rock &Roll.

Paul Donsanto
_______________________________________

Blue Oyster Cult should also be considered. If the Hall is looking for innovation, look no further than Albert Bouchard's drumming on Tyranny & Mutation.

Tom Quinn

P.S. Brian Eno should be in as a solo artist and producer.
 
Devo should be in.
 
This is a bit of a stretch, but Wire should be considered. 
_______________________________________

My hobby horse for years for someone never even nominated has been Teena Marie.  Maybe her list of hits (and only a couple of pop crossovers) puts her right on the border.  But you can't ignore the courage it took to sue Motown for her independence.  Every artist held back by his/her record company owes her a debt for firing the first shot against the old order.  As influential to the music world as Curt Flood was for baseball. - 

Douglas Trapasso
_______________________________________

I'm shocked Bad Company wasn't already in the Hall of Fame! I met Paul Rodgers at Apple Music when we interviewed him for a radio show I was a producer on, and he is a sweetheart and definitely walking rock n' roll history. His wife and dogs and the whole entourage came into the studio and they were all so very generous and kind. Bout time! What a voice. 

Kela Parker
_______________________________________

OutKast doesn't have a bad album. They're the Zeppelin of Hip Hop except their first album is in through the out door and their last album is zeppelin I ... which is a convoluted way of saying that their entire discography is essentially flawless, a rarity in music. Maybe not everyone was paying attention but that doesn't make it not so.

Justin Richmond
_______________________________________

Exactly what I thought first thing upon seeing the nominees..Bad Co., Joy Division… some good news today!

Shepherd Stevenson
_______________________________________

I met Chubby Checker at the K-Tel 25th anniversary party in Plymouth, MN.  He came up to me and started chatting away like he was my best buddy!  I was kind of shocked at the time as I was an invited guest.  Little did I know that he was practicing his speech on me that he was abount to give in 10 minutes after he did his monologue with me.   One thing he did point out to me (and later to everyone else) was that he was the first one in rock n' roll to create and produce the song and dance that have separated dance partners.  The Twist!  

Donald Kaen
_______________________________________

Chubby Checker had several other big rock and roll hits besides "The Twist."

He should have been voted in years ago.

The Marshall Tucker Band should be nominated. There also should be a Rock Hall "oldies" category that includes DJs. A long-running oldies program on Eastern Long Island was "Sock Hop Saturday Night." It should be in, with its DJ Mark Edwards.

Regards,

Jim Rowbotham
_______________________________________

Amazing what happens when you get rid of Wenner. It's like the COMMANDERS getting rid of Snyder.

If they can do JOY DIVISION/NEW ORDER, then they should have been able to do FREE/BAD COMPANY,
but at least the voice of Paul Rodgers has a chance to be where it belongs.

Cheers,

Bruce Pates
_______________________________________

Procol Harum is deserving of induction more than ANY OF THESE NOMINEES! ANY!!!!

I'd put Free in before Bad Company!

And, STILL no Wynonie Harris!!!!

F*CK the RRHOF. TWICE!!!

Kevin Kiley
_______________________________________

Little Feat...  Talk about an omission travesty!

Jay Romanoff
_______________________________________

disgraceful some of these mediocre bands getting in before the great J. Geils Band.  I will not insult them by naming songs or albums let alone mentioning the American Mick Jagger- Peter Wolf.  Also one of the best live bands ever!  The sports Halls of Fames  are letting eveyrone in and the R and R is going to snuff the Geils?????? Sickening.

Winny in MA
(Brian Winston)
_______________________________________

Bad Company and Joe Cocker, just their longevity is amazing and the great records still stand up. 
Black Crowes, the authenticity of their sound and the song writing is reason enough, but there were so many members who contributed over the years. 
Chubby Checker, speaking of longevity, and done through massive musical changes over many decades.
As for the rest, I hope they realize how lucky they are to be placed alongside the many, many lifetime performing songwriters already inducted. Acts like Chuck Berry, Little Richard, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones and so many more are in a hall of their own.
Sincerely,
James Leasing.
_______________________________________

The B-52's are a BLATANT OMISSION!!

Lisa Arzt
_______________________________________

Blue Oyster Cult is still on the missing names list.  

And not because perhaps the greatest earworm in R&R history belongs to them.  Because aside from having deep lyrics worth paying attention to and not just singing along with, they purveyed some of the earliest forms of heavy metal and put on tight as a drum music without acting out or histrionics.  Their first decade was chock full of exceptional music, both on record as well as live. And they're still doing it more than 50 years later.  Don Roeser / Buck Dharma is an extraordinary guitarist.

Alan Fish.
_______________________________________

Agree unbelievable. I'd personally given up hope. Lots of things changing it seems…..

Adam Howell
_______________________________________

WARREN ZEVON

Arthur Schupbach
_______________________________________

Yet another nominee list and some glaring omissions. Here's some of my hopefuls. 

Big Star
The Replacements
The Raspberries/Eric Carmen
The Turtles
Husker Du
Black Flag
Greg Kihn
The Long Ryders

I have more but time prevents me from listing them all.
But, for what it's worth, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame became irrelevant when they got too greedy with some rap acts that didn't deserve it and too poppy when they let in Madonna and Janet Jackson.

Peace

Tim Clary
_______________________________________

I concur with your thoughts. Had never previously heard of MANÁ until today. I like their music. 

How is Chubby Checker - one of the pillars of Rock & Roll — not already in the Rock Hall? "The Twist" hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 twice in the 60's! Glad he's still alive to receive the honor if inducted.

I live in Seattle so am particularly excited about Soundgarden. Took me a long time to appreciate their greatness. Hopefully, this opens the door for Alice In Chains, too. Those songs sound every bit as good today as they did 30 years ago.

Thank you for always giving us your honest take! 

Paul Francis
_______________________________________

But not

The Poet Of Havana; Carlos Varela?

Or Juan Luis Guerra and Groupo 440?

Rob
_______________________________________

What does Bryan Adams have to do to get nominated ?

100 million album sales not enough?
45 year career?
4 number one hits when number ones actually counted? 
Multiple Grammy, Golden Globe Academy Award nominations
Still touring the world at 65 - playing to sold out venues on this current Australian tour - and sounding as great as ever 

Staggering. 

Leith Forrest
_______________________________________

Have you seen billy idol live? Dude is a performer! I saw him at bridge school 2001 for the first time ever. He stole the show. Absolutely stole the show. He was amazing and its worth noting the other performers. Other performers included:
Pearl jam performing a great post 9/11 set, 
Dave Matthews
Neil Young
REM
Tracey Chapman
Ben Harper
Jill Sobule (who is surprisingly good live). 
And billy idol just stole the show. his performance was outstanding and memorable. I saw him again at Riot Fest in maybe 2016-2018 and again he was amazing. The dude is just so great on stage. I mean who doesn't love shouting, "Get Laid Get F*cked!" at a rock n roll show. 

John Hamilton
_______________________________________

And yet again, still no Little Feat. Billy, Fred, Kenny and Sam, still carrying the torch for Lowell, Richie and Paul. Still playing music, still jammin' with everybody that's anybody, just like they've been doing for years.

Dennis York
_______________________________________

Smashing Pumpkins should be in before Soundgarden but Billy Corgan is a huge a**hole and doesn't curry any favors with his peers.

Tim Baker
_______________________________________

Totally agree with you!
 
Live on Joe Cocker!
 
What about Supertramp? Roger Hodgson's songs have endured for over 50 years and are being remade by rap artists, and other genres as well.   It's really the song that makes a band great.....
 
Linda
_______________________________________

Little Feat!!!!

Larry Seiden
_______________________________________

The Black Crowes ARE that band. Chris and Rich ARE those guys…. 

So amazing when they get it right. 

Here's to Rock 'N' Mother F*cking Roll….

Jed Weitzman
_______________________________________

The Bad Brains need to be in there.  

Austin Farrell
_______________________________________

Please not Mariah Carey.  Like Whitney Houston, she has zero rock 'n' roll in her blood, her songs, her attitude.  Is there a screaming guitar anywhere in her catalog?  Whereas Outkast has the attitude, some sense of rebellion (although not as strong as NWA or Run DMC).  This should not be the "Pop Music Hall of Fame"!

Mark Netter
_______________________________________

What about the GUESS WHO!!!

Gregory Vartanian
_______________________________________

I don't see how you can induct Bad Company and ignore Free. I wonder why the Hall didn't just do another Small Faces/Faces thing.

Phish is a smug yuppie cover band with a braindead following. Name one Phish song - I dare you. 

And don't give me any of that "but Trey Anastasio can really play" business - so could Guy Lombardo, Dudley Moore and Ted Nugent. So what.

Vince Welsh
President
Teacher Education Institute, Inc
_______________________________________

Have to agree with you, I like a lot of the nominees that are to be inducted this year.

 I have pushed for Huey Lewis & the News over the past few years. Sure, not a pure rocker but then again I can name so many others in the hall that don't meet the criteria either...thoughts?

Cheers,

Bruce

P.S. Heart of Rock n Roll, pretty good tune in itself. Too bad Huey can't sing anymore...
_______________________________________

In terms of Phish, I think you meant to say, "They exist in their own world, not playing by everybody's rules, and succeeding TABOOT, TABOOT!"  IYKYK. 

Thanks, as always, for your commentaries,

The Wilshire Boulevard Temple Shofar Blower

Mitch Dorf
_______________________________________

Bob: Don't forget about Jan & Dean!! Love you stuff!! Greg C.  Chandler, AZ
_______________________________________

A step in the right direction with these choices. For sure Bad Company must be in the Hall and Joe Cocker. But the rest …..

Certainly before most of these we must see.

Warren Zevon
Supertramp 
ELP
King Crimson
Steve Winwood Solo
Paul Weller
Jethro Tull
Little Feat
and so many more before most of these nominees 

Barry Levinson
_______________________________________

What about Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings ?
Their bands The Guess Who and Bachmam-Turner-Overdrive ?
What about classics American Woman, You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet, Taking Care Of Business and on and on ?? 
Does Canada really have to become USA's 51st state for these guys to get any consideration ???

André Ménard
_______________________________________

Other than Joe Cocker (yay), I fall into the Tough Noogies category.

The main flaw in the Hall of Fame voting is not their inclusion of acts that might not be "rock" but rather their skipping around in time.  The Baseball Hall of Fame adheres to a timeline. Players are considered chronologically. It makes sense. A Derek Jeter would never be inducted before a Babe Ruth. But in the R&RHOF+M, Rush is in but King Crimson is not. That's crazy.

And then there's the question of what exactly is the criteria? There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the nominating process. Regardless of my personal feelings, by any standards, hits, longevity, relevance (Live From Daryl's House), influence, Hall & Oates (2014) and Chicago (2016) deserved to be in LONG before they actually made it.

My personal list of unconscionable snubs: Warren Zevon, Jethro Tull, Procol Harum, Little Feat and Los Lobos.

Despite the voting process which caused me to give up my charter membership in protest last year, it's still a great experience to visit the R&RHOF+M. There are a lot of artifacts in there that give me goosebumps.

William Nollman
_______________________________________

A damn shame they made the black crowes wait this long – loved their cover of "Girl From the North Country" at the Newport Folk Festival – Just the brothers on that one.

Alan Vonweltin
_______________________________________

You nailed it Bob! I couldn't agree more including Bad Company, Cindy Lauper & Phish and the first Gen X album and Joe Cocker ( a crime he is not on already).

bkatchinson
_______________________________________

There's a great version of Joe Cocker covering Gregg Allman's Midnight Rider.  Totally different, more upbeat and RnB inflected. This is an example of a great song being reinterpreted by another artist who puts their stamp on this classic!

Tim Pringle
_______________________________________

I've long felt that Bad Company should be in the RRHOF, Paul Rodgers is my favorite R&R singer, but I was taken aback to learn that Joe Cocker isn't in already.  You're right they both MUST be inducted.  I have other favorites that aren't in yet, but I'll just have to wait and see.

Stephen Hutchinson
_______________________________________

Oasis and Outcast 100% should get in. Maybe it's my millennial bias but Oasis really was as big as The Beatles…for about a year. But still, Morning Glory is a great album with hit after hit. They didn't really make it out of the 90's but they cemented their status in the alt rock genre. Don't Look Back in Anger is one of my favorite songs of all time. 

As for Outcast, you're wrong about only one big album. ATLiens, Aquemini and the double album were all massive. Their influence in the hiphop world is wildly underrated. Back then, because everything was so regional, the east and west coasts ruled. Tupac and Biggie's feud usurped all the attention while Andre and Big Boi quietly brought the "dirty" south into the rap game. They truly opened up that door and essentially created a whole new style of rap body else was privy to. 

Just Danny Jay

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The Rock Hall Nominees

Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/65LtPGMtsXJMYI6lJtDY9h?si=162c3210f85d4212

My mind is absolutely, positively blown. How did they get it so RIGHT?

Every year we wince, talk about those left out, in some cases never nominated. Too many rock stars omitted from the Rock Hall. BUT NOT THIS YEAR!

My own personal favorite, Bad Company, and I can't deny!

Did you listen to that first album? Not only was it mega-successful with an instant hit, "Can't Get Enough," the band went on a five album run, updating their sound on 1979's "Desolation Angels" and...I FEEL LIKE MAKING LOVE!

It ain't the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame without Paul Rodgers in it. He'd better be inducted.

But to tell you the truth, they should do no voting, EVERY ACT SHOULD BE ANOINTED, EVERY ACT SHOULD BE INDUCTED BY ACCLAMATION!

JOE COCKER?

It's an absolute tragedy he isn't already in the Hall, it's like he was completely forgotten by the committee while they were inducting pop, hip-hop and supposedly influential musicians before him. You know why he's a legend? BECAUSE I STILL PLAY HIS MUSIC! That's when you know someone is great, when you don/t scratch your chin and say "I remember when," but when you pull up their greats on a regular basis. Forget the legendary cuts, "With a Little Help From My Friends" and "Delta Lady," have you heard his version of "Darling Be Home Soon"? It's better than the Lovin' Spoonful original, and then there's my absolute favorite, "Hitchcock Railway."

BILLY IDOL?

I bought that first Generation X album. I certainly have danced with myself. But my favorite of his solo career is "Eyes Without a Face." And sure, I'll give the rebel yell. Do I think Idol MUST be in? No, not this year. It's just that if he's in and Bad Company and Joe Cocker are not, it will be a crime. Which is why I say to let all the nominees in, to not subject the nominations to the vagaries of the voters.

JOY DIVISION/NEW ORDER

Talk about influential, talk about progenitors. Love has torn the band apart, but if you're talking about leaving your mark, Ian Curtis must be in the Hall.

CYNDI LAUPER

What put her over the top for me was her penning of the music for "Kinky Boots." It was a great leap forward, she conquered Broadway when most of the legends have tried and failed.

That first album... Sure, "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" is great, Cyndi stretched the form of MTV, added some humor, but...

The opening cut, "Money Changes Everything." Sure, Tom Gray wrote it, but this is the essence of rock and roll. It's the truth.

And the highlight of the album is really "Time After Time."

But the fact that she covered Prince's "When You Were Mine"... She gave recognition to this cut from "Dirty Mind," still my favorite Prince album, when almost nobody was aware of it. And yes, "True Colors" is fantastic.

MANÁ

I get it, the Hall must be diverse. All I can say is if you're choosing a Latin act, this is the one.

OASIS

In America we don't get it. The working class attitude, the middle finger to the establishment, that's why the tour is such a big deal over there. But I love "Champagne Supernova."

OUTKAST

Not rock and roll, really only one big album, but since they broadened the vision of the Hall, OutKast qualifies, they were innovative and successful, albeit not for that long.

PHISH

They should win the fan vote. Absolutely. Of all the acts on this list, they have the most dedicated, the most passionate fans. They exist in their own world, not playing by everybody's rules, and succeeding to boot! And if that's not rock and roll...

SOUNDGARDEN

If you're going to let Pearl Jam in, Soundgarden should be there too. They pushed boundaries on "Badmotorfinger," and had huge success with "Superunknown" with the classic "Black Hole Sun" and Chris Cornell's pipes... He's not quite Paul Rodgers, but there are very few in his league.

THE WHITE STRIPES

The best work Jack White ever did, and he's still doing it, despite Meg dropping out. Jack is a great guitar player. Once again, Bad Company and Joe Cocker MUST be in, but when it comes to rock in the early part of this century...the White Stripes were at the forefront, keeping innovation alive.

CHUBBY CHECKER?

He is rock and roll. Unfortunately as history is being rewritten by people who were not there the mania of the twist is fading away. Sure, the Beatles were bigger, but EVERYBODY was twisting. Nightclubs opened. A classic track, which pushed rock forward, forced nonbelievers to embrace it. Talk about influential...

MARIAH CAREY

Not rock, presently a caricature of herself, but she was the queen of nineties pop.

THE BLACK CROWES

Almost single-handedly pushing the original, straight ahead rock and roll style and ethos forward. Chris Robinson is one of the great frontmen of all time. As for his brother Rich... I realized he was so great when he was one of the guitarists (along with Howard Leese) on a Bad Company tour.

All you have to do is listen to the first album. It was an instant breakthrough, but forgetting the commercial success...that change in "Jealous Again"...

"Stop, understand me
I ain't afraid of losing face
Stop, understand me
I ain't afraid of ever losing faith in you"

Slays me every time. The music slows down, breaks down, and the sincerity and inflection of Chris's voice...

And of course "Shake Your Moneymaker" contains their cover of "Hard to Handle." But it also includes "Twice as Hard" and "She Talks to Angels."

And then there's "Thorn in My Pride" from "The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion"... The only other track that hits this note is Marshall Tucker's "Can't You See"... Think about it, there's a similarity.

So, that's it. That's rock and roll.

Finally.

And if you don't agree...

TOUGH NOOGIES!

No, that's fine. There are still some blatant omissions. But you really can't sit here and say none of the nominees is deserving.

And I doubt the right ones will qualify, be inducted.

Which is why I say to let them all in.

But for now, KUDOS!

Or as Bad Company put it...

"It's all part of my rock and roll fantasy
It's all part of my rock and roll dream"


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The End Of Universality

I'm sure you've seen the many videos and screeds interpreting Kendrick Lamar's performance on Sunday night. I have no doubt that his show was inspiring, a victory lap for his fans. But unlike in the pre-internet era, not everybody is a fan of anybody, and assuming so is a fool's errand. If you didn't know/couldn't follow Lamar's lyrics, you couldn't truly get the import of Samuel L. Jackson's introductions.

Now if you're a fan of Kendrick, if you followed last year's rap battle, it might have all made sense. But despite "Not Like Us" winning the Grammy for Record of the Year, that does not mean all of America knows it or cares about it. Ditto on Taylor Swift. And the Weeknd. And so many of the Spotify Top 50. And it isn't only old white people out of the loop, if you think every young person is deep into every genre and knows all the hits within it you're sorely mistaken.

But this truth does not fit into a narrative based on the past that is all about quantification.

Let me analogize it to film. If a movie wins the box office weekend, does that mean everybody has seen it? Has everybody seen "Wicked"? Absolutely not. This is not the seventies with "Jaws" and "Star Wars," when it was nearly impossible to find someone who hadn't seen both. Now you go to a party and people haven't seen "Squid Game," the first season, not the second. For a long time we partook of entertainment/art so we could converse with our brethren, but that ended about twenty years ago. We all live in a Tower of Babel society. That's one reason the Super Bowl viewership is so big, it's the one event we've all agreed to watch. It's almost a national holiday. If you don't go to a Super Bowl party, or haven't been invited to one or more, you feel friendless. The Super Bowl is a rallying cry for America. But not the Oscars or the Grammys or one other single event. Not even the World Series. Everything else is niche.

Let's go even further. It's not only entertainment that does not permeate society, but the truth. Irrelevant of whether you support Trump or not you need to read this article:

"Falsehoods Fuel the Right-Wing Crusade Against U.S.A.I.D. - As the Trump administration works to dismantle the aid agency, right-wing influencers have flooded the internet with falsehoods about its work."

Free link: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/07/business/usaid-conspiracy-theories-disinformation.html?unlocked_article_code=1.wE4.K1Dm.zH8fDaQsoSR8&smid=url-share

If we all don't operate on the same information, if facts are fungible, what are the odds that we're all listening to the same music? ZERO!

But if this is true, the entire business needs to reset and refocus.

BUT IT ALREADY HAS! The story of the past five years is not the creation of superstars, but the rise of independents. But if a media outlet constantly writes about independents...it's wary of losing its audience. So, it publishes articles/focuses on that with the most bandwidth, but since those with the most bandwidth have a diminished audience, the impact and perception of the media outlets is declining. Social media is all about niches. It's cottage industry, the opposite of traditional media. As big as Mr. Beast is, not everybody watches his stuff. Ditto with the Paul brothers. There are social media stars, but most people follow/are served stuff with a much smaller audience...and if monetizing, these influencers can still make a ton of bread!

As for all the hubbub about Kendrick Lamar performing "Not Like Us," all the coded references to Drake... Fine if you're having fun, but to outsiders it seems petty, more like a Marvel movie than something truly important. I mean you expect the audience to be mega-impressed, assuming they caught it, which most did not, that a rapper is pissing on another rapper? This is a cartoon, not USAID, never mind tariffs, all the big issues in America today. This is the marginalization of music, not a great leap forward.

And when you tell people that it's like the Beatles on Ed Sullivan, or Dylan at Newport...you're like the rock critics of yore, telling everybody their taste is better. Furthermore, the generation gap back in '64 was very different from today. Today's adults want to be like their kids, when back then just the opposite was true. As for Dylan at Newport... There were some who hated that he went electric, but people who were there say the boos were minimal. But don't let the truth get in the way of a good story.

Now the interpretation of Kendrick's performance on Sunday reminds me of today's metal. It's so referential, so far from the progenitors, Zeppelin and Sabbath, that it has to be explained to newbies, unless you're deep into the genre, you can't understand it on first listen.

So could you get Kendrick Lamar's performance on Sunday night on first listen?

It appears not.

After the fact, with a lengthy explanation maybe.

But this is not like hearing "I Want to Hold Your Hand" on Ed Sullivan, making millions of converts, instantly.

The world is very confusing. And when you try to make it simple you are only muddying the message, obfuscating the truth.

But it's not only our entertainment that has become tribal, but our society itself. You're either with me or against me. And if you're not with me you're excoriated. And therefore, free-thinking declines, because many people don't want the blowback/abuse.

So, if you enjoyed Kendrick Lamar's performance on Sunday night, great! But if you think everybody who didn't was a loser the joke is on you. Because you don't understand today's landscape. And endless browbeating will not change minds, it will just cause anger to go underground, to be internalized, to come out at a later date, and you will be surprised.

That's America today.

Deny it all you want, but if you do, it's you who are falling behind, it's you who doesn't get it.


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Apple Cider Vinegar

Netflix trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2Yj_rmCzhE

This show is SO good I recommend it to all.

Not that you'll necessarily agree with it, not that it won't creep you out.

What you've got here is a lying influencer saying she cured cancer she did not have with diet. Along with another influencer who does have cancer and refuses to employ western medicine and is convinced diet has cured her.

Irrelevant of the plot, the cinematography, the style is so innovative and modern... This is not your usual documentary. The titles, the angles... I could tell you more, but it will be obvious immediately. And it's not overdone, it's not distracting, it adds to your enjoyment of the series.

Which is based on a true story.

I have a rare skin condition that took four doctors and eighteen months to diagnose. When I wrote about my incessant itching my inbox was full of home remedies. I was scratching up a storm. Not a single person said to go to a Western doctor, as a matter of fact, they said to stay away from them. Needless to say my leaking blisters got so bad I had to be hospitalized.

But I still get e-mail from readers telling me I could cure my pemphigus foliaceus with diet, as opposed to treating it with Rituxan, a lymphoma drug, otherwise known as chemotherapy.

Two household names recently told me that everything comes down to diet, it's all about what you eat. And if you eat the right things you won't get sick, and if you are sick, if you just eat this or that, you'll be cured.

Whenever I say I'm sick, the very first thing people talk to me about is diet. Without fail. Oftentimes the most educated people. I've got a theory about this, this makes them feel powerful, they don't like to submit to medical doctors. I do not want to say what you eat makes no difference, what you eat can contribute to development of disease, but what you eat will almost never cure what you've got.

And then there are those who don't like hearing what the doctor says. They come up with bogus sayings like "my body, my choice." As if they know more about their health than those with education and experience in the field.

I do not want to say the doctor is always right. If you are facing a serious choice re treatment, ABSOLUTELY get a second opinion. Then again, sometimes the disease is so common the treatment is standard and this is unnecessary. But don't do your own research and say you know more than the M.D., please!

I remember when my herniated disk was so bad that the doctor at UCLA told me I needed an operation when I walked into his office, before I even said anything. Another world famous doctor said that by time patients reach him, they're ready for surgery. I asked him if there was any alternative. He said I could try physical therapy. He had a guy who treated all the hockey players, the best in L.A. But first to get the injection.

So I went online and read all the horror stories, whatever I did, I absolutely should not get the injection, that's what everybody said.

And I didn't. Stupidly.

When my back went nuclear years later I caved, got the injection and it worked, instantly. Like a charm.

It's kind of like Amazon reviews, there are always those featuring one star. I ignore them, they're almost always cranks.

Tell your doctor you diagnosed yourself via the internet and their eyes will roll. It's possible, but oftentimes you get it completely wrong. But you want control. I get it, but that does not make you right.

I know someone who didn't believe in AIDS. They had HIV, refused to get treatment, went the alternative route, and you know what happened to him? HE DIED!

We could even tiptoe into vaccines. More misinformation has been written since Covid, you'd think the vaccines are the disease itself!

But "Apple Cider Vinegar" gets it right. There are all these self-professed experts online, making bucks, convincing you to do it their way as opposed to the western science way.

These people are oftentimes delusional. Even worse, a lot of them are just into making bucks. And if you think the government is cracking down on them...you believe everything you read on X is true.

And we accept people at face value, we expect them to be reasonable. We don't expect them to lie, even when it's not important to do so, when there are no consequences. There are people who can't come through, can't complete anything. There are those who are jumping from opportunity to opportunity. There are those from bad households without education angry that they're not making bucks so...they take matters into their own hands.

And then there are the vulnerable, listening to them.

So on one hand, I'm watching "Apple Cider Vinegar" cheering. They're getting it right, they're exposing these people.

On the other hand, the show is completely creeping me out, because I've been victimized by people like this. Who I took at face value. Who I assumed were reasonable when they were not. I'm just a middle class suburbanite. I grew up far from rich, but we did not struggle. But not everybody had this experience, they have different values, and will do things you'd never do. And they'll drag you down with them. And you think you can save them, but...

And you can exist easily without obeying the rules. You don't have to pay taxes, assuming you don't make much money. The government rarely catches up with you. But if you're a bad actor on a regular basis, usually you pay the price, it's just a matter of when.

Kaitlyn Dever as Belle Gibson is astoundingly good. She was equally good in "Unbelievable,' you might know her from that Netflix series. But you might also have seen her elsewhere, she has many credits. You truly believe she is Belle. She's trading on her attractiveness, on her feminine wiles. People want to do things for her, especially men. Manipulation is in her blood. And it's not that she's rawly evil, she just crosses the line when she thinks it will help her, which is even worse, because sometimes she's reasonable, and sometimes she's not.

Tina Cobham-Hervey as a cancer patient who believes in Belle... Is also extremely believable. There are those who are so sick they look for answers anywhere, they want to feel better, they don't want to trust their diagnosis. However, those who are truly ill, they accept their condition long before those surrounding them, they surrender to it. As for the canard that a positive attitude makes a difference, that's been proven to be totally false.

But you want to argue with me, you don't want to believe that. That's just a study and you read about it in the "New York Times"! I'm going to fight my disease... If I hear that one more time... Do what the doctors say, but that still does not mean you'll live, that you won't be compromised.

But we lionize those breaking the rules. We don't want to believe the door is closed. We want options. It's kind of like math. People don't want to believe two plus two is four, so they ignore the numbers completely. Crazy.

I don't care where you are on the map re touchy-feely health remedies, the wellness industry, diet...you'll be riveted by "Apple Cider Vinegar." It is not didactic, and it is very entertaining without being lowest common denominator.

"Apple Cider Vinegar" is the series of the year. It's on Netflix, you can binge it. Ignore the hype about the usual suspects on HBO and network... This is the sh*t. This is first class entertainment. It was made in Australia, maybe turn on the subtitles. But just because something is not made by a Hollywood studio and not exhibited in a theatre that does not mean it is substandard.

"Apple Cider Vinegar" is what you're looking for on the flat screen.

Having said that, as breezy as it can be, it might upset you. I'm often uncomfortable watching it. Because I'm bombarded by info from people like Belle and Milla, and I've been victimized by those with different values, but...

You can't argue with the truth.

But can you handle the truth?

Watch "Apple Cider Vinegar" and find out.


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Re-Kendrick Lamar At The Super Bowl

I was there it was a dud
But Post Malone at the Pregame was great

Adam Altman


Boy do I hear you Bob. 

The biggest event of Super Bowl weekend was the Madden Bowl. Much like you suggest, our headliners were Tucker Wetmore, Shaboozey, Jellyroll and Chris Stapleton.  Trombone Shorty played from the opera boxes in between sets.  All to a packed New Orleans house of NFL players from Peyton to Derrick Henry.  Yes we went country and the response was through the roof.   You know me… we made this decision last year and went all in. I believe this was the best party of the weekend driven by the musicians we chose to represent our brand. 

Steve Schnur


I agree!

John Huie


95% of the comments on X state it was the worst halftime show in history. Also, I may have missed you mentioning that Taylor Swift was booed and Donald Trump was cheered.
The times they are a changin'. 

Thanks,
Ernie Canadeo


DUD!

Wayne Forte


Should at least have had captions

Michael Fremer


My 12 year old daughter liked SZA and watched specifically for her. She was tuned out and drawing on her iPad during Kendrick. 

Ken Madson


About eight minutes and I texted my kids "when does the song start?"

Bill Siddons


You aren't alone. It was a dud. I couldn't understand a word of what Kendrick was saying, but I thought it was the sound system not picking it up. 

I almost turned on closed caption.  

I did hear "turn off the TV." 

So I did.

Kim McAllister


Amen! It lacked in every performance aspect.

David Spero


100%. Agreed.

Bobby Houck


It's was to boring to even say it sucked.

David May


Two minutes into Kendrick, I was longing for a marching band, or a livelier version of Bebop Bamboozled.

The halftime show was a stinker, just like the game itself.

John McCormack


Shocker. Who could have seen this take coming?

Be the tiniest bit less predictable, maybe.

John Rybicki


I agree.  I thought that, while it was very well produced, visually it lacked dynamism.  It also wasn't particularly musical.  By contrast, the last several  halftime performances were terrific spectacles that I thoroughly enjoyed, even though I wasn't familiar with the music.
 
By the way, country music hasn't been in a halftime show in years because country doesn't attract the same worldwide audience that pop and urban music do, nor does it lend itself readily to the kind of dynamic, outsize spectacle that has become the hallmark of recent halftime shows.  Taylor Swift could probably pull it off (although she's hardly "country" these days), but it doesn't seem as though she wants to do it, at least not yet. 
 
Don Friedman


If you are under 30, it worked just fine and was a breath of fresh air to the stale spectacle. 

Many of the commercials catered to the oldsters.  I heard Zeppelin. the Who, Bruce.  

Jon Uman


I thought so as well, but did not say so to my friends as we were watching.

Loren Parkins


Hip hop to me has always been about the vibe. And Kendrick playing halftime looking in the camera telling Drake "I hear you like em young" will never get old to me. I loved the performance. 

Van Patton


There was no surprise. And if Kendrick has embodied anything the past few years, it's been surprise. 

Hence, a mild show. Nothing surprising, nothing worth noting. 

Unfortunate! 

Tim Brunelle


Kendrick Lamar was not exactly bad, it was just lifeless and boring.  

The Squid Game dance numbers were a yawn.

Jeff Capshew 


Did you pre-write this?  Hip hop will not get off your lawn.  

Nate Dorough


I was bored stiff. Total dud. 

Carl Lenox


It was a load of bang average bollocks … grist to the hate mill 

NICK HANSON


Completely and utterly underwhelming 

Josh Cohen


it was incomprehensible
from a whole different planet
the nfl has lost touch with mainstream america

the commercials sucked
the game was a blow out
boring evening
average tkt price $5400? absurd

ilt523


Agreed 

Max Gunther


Respectfully, it wasn't for you. He showed up
To do a performance that was a critique of being a black performer in America. this is insane:

"I don't want to beat a dead horse here, but in reality this was the year country should have headlined the Super Bowl. Hip-hop has been losing market share and mind share and country has been burgeoning. If I was sitting in a board room deciding what to program for this year's Super Bowl would I really have chosen Kendrick to rap to tape?"

Dude won best record and best song categories at the damn Grammys. And Beyoncé won this years best country album, Hip hop continues to
Transcend generations! You don't get it and that's ok but don't call for country on a Super Bowl broadcast when the masses are not listening to it!

They are about Charlie xcx and Sabina and Chappell 

Bridget Bland Bogee



It's cool not to like it. Everyone doesn't like something. 
Can you really think of an act that would have had the entire country talking? I doubt it. 

Patrick Charles



Super dud!!!

Sandra Vaughan



Kendrick Lamar sucks

Patricia Rainer


Agree that it sucked. Country is better 

Tim Madigan


"There's something happening here and you don't know what it is…
… do you, Mr. Lefsetz."

https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/1iluv11/im_nearly_50_and_dont_know_who_kendrick_lamar_is/

23k upvotes on Reddit. Check out the comments, seems like you may have missed some of the references. 

It's cool dude, you're not racist, just out of touch.

Forest Casey


Dud is being generous. It was downright awful.
Jan burden


I tried watching it with CC (closed captioning) and the sound off.
It still didn't make any sense.

Jeff Weicher



It sucked. Couldn't understand a word. Up With People was at least understandable.

Wyllys Ingersoll


It was about the lyricism not the flash. 

Jeremy Shelton


Agreed,
If there were sub titles maybe…
Just didn't know what it was all about.
Thanks Bob!

Anne Buckley


I agree with you. The performance made me wish for rock and roll half time artists. 
queenie taylor


I like Kendrick and I agree with you Bob 

Zach Sutton


Where is the closed captioning when we need it?  

Best Regards,

Bobby Tarantino


100% Bob. I agree it was soul-less.

Chris Gillespie


Not your first bad take, but easily your worst bad take. 
Simon Sweetman
New Zealand


??????????????????????????????You are definitely not the only one. 

Boring AF. 

Like ChatGPT ??????????????????????????????created a rapper. ????????????????????????????????????????

Dan Millen


Thanks Bob. I think your analysis is spot on. It's a shame you have to calibrate the blowback just for speaking your mind respectfully.

Kevin Bennett


It was a dud. I respect the craft, but it just didn't play well for TV. Kinda like the Chiefs. 2 duds in the Super Bowl that we all probably thought would be a big hit. 

todd gallopo


Ok and thank your for your very YT Privileged analysis from your Old White Man perspective Mister White Man. And DEI is for below average White Men and White Women. 

Dale 'Rage' Resteghini



Bob gets exactly what I thought. I didn't know what was going on there. They should bring back Metallica that would really be a good show.

Rob Barrish


Agree

Dave Rene


Is it ironic that Kendrick's own supporters might tell you, "Bitch, sit down. Be humble"?

Clearly he empathizes with people who want to speak their mind, even if against a vast power structure (would he recognize far left social media *is* that power structure? IDK).

But hey, racism is over because no matter what your ethnicity, if you pledge allegiance to Trump you will reap all the benefits and if you oppose him you will be punished. So your status is no longer skin-dependent, it's cult-dependent.

Optimistically,
-Drew De Four


100% a Country show would have made more sense. CHRIS STAPLETON, LAINEY WILSON,  MORGAN WALLEN, etc.

Joe Fletcher


100% agree Bob.
Gregg Quinn


Agree.

Jeff Shattuck



Agree 1000%

Patrick Whitaker


My thoughts exactly.

Steve Roche


Lame as hell.  Boo half-time

Jeff Aldridge


It was a solid performance with really great choreography.  Definitely not a dud of a performance.

Gabe Lehner


And I'll get in trouble for saying this too. I didn't get it either. 

Jim Anderson


Hammer on the nail my friend.
Don de Brauwere


My wife and I went looking for sub titles! Interested but old ya…

Charles Thompson


Worst superbowl half time show ever. Eclipsed only by most boring first 1/2 in Super Bowl history.

Mike Ritchey


I agree with you.  Could not understand the words and missed music like in the past.  Also, did like how the Star Spangled was sung.

Bill Sarnoff



I agree Bob, it was a joke. It feels like a race to the bottom sometimes.

Jason Morris


Spot on.

I wanted to hear what he was saying, but I could not understand a thing. Try reading lips when the singer is hiding them behind a microphone. 

Paul Nunes


You're stuck in your bubble, Bob.

Joshua Leto


The show was sh*te.

Dawn Holliday


Halftime show sucked. 

El;aine b. Coleman


Couldn't agree with you more! 
A pathetic excuse for entertainment!
Non musical and boring .

jameduncan


Snooze

Simma Levine


That was a weak effort that employed lip syncing to its weakest degree. In other words, your analysis of Kendrick is completely accurate in my opinion. 

Live music, with musicians giving their all is what I pay to see....

Keep on writing the truth!

Bruce


Well said, Bob. I went into the performance with an open mind, and came away extremely disappointed. 
Cheers,
Geoff Mealey


My 86 year old mother-in-law said she didn't like it. For a minute I thought it was because she was a Drake fan until she said she wanted the Super Bowl to bring back college marching bands.

Marty Winsch


I couldn't agree more.

Alan Slusky



I agree. Some of the video taken from above the stage was cool, looked like jigsaw puzzle pieces. But the performance was boring and perhaps because I'm not a close follower of Lamar, the words were unintelligible. Thanks as always for saying what you think. 

Sandy Warren


To quote my 20-year-old daughter: "I love Kendrick and I was bored."

David Vawter


Horrid use of advertiser money.    
If I were an advertising agency I could not recommend my clients spend money on this next year.

Ray Kester 



I tweeted mid half time about how bad that was. Thought i would be out of touch. My feed was 95-5 besides my few followers who also hated it. Worst half time ever. McCartney was in the house. 

John Mauldin


Agree, and I'm a huge fan of his. I just kept thinking that I'll bet 90% of the people watching haven't the slightest idea of what this is, and it certainly isn't accessible on first listen of you're out of the loop. 

Tony George


My kids and their cousins are 16-25 years old, all love hip hop and all thought it was "mid" as they refer to average.   "Kendrick was good 8 years ago, all of his new stuff sucks."   
I saw him with my daughter 7 years ago, was decent but yes it's devoid of melody 

Chan Dillon


I was waiting patiently for this email to drop and see if you agreed with me. As much as I love Kendrick, this was the year of country and should have been the music for the half-time show. Hip-hop never translates well live on a stage. There, I said it too.

Jenn Amato


A waste of time and money and an embarrassment

Robert Dilenscheider


Thumbs up! Totally aligned with you Bob.

John Green


I don't know Bob…I myself would have rather seen RUN/DMC but what do I know I'm old. 

Stevie Salas


I was not familiar with any of the material ahead of time. I could not have told you the name of one Kendrick Lamar song. I watched the entire halftime performance. No, I could not understand most of the lyrics, but to me, it didn't matter – I WAS BLOWN AWAY. I thought it was FANTASTIC!

Mark Towns 


It was so boring they cut it off at the end. Why not Bruno Mars?

Alan Segal


The halftime show didn't seem very dynamic music-wise but it was an impressive logistical spectacle. I don't think it "played" but in fairness, I didn't know the material at all.

The pre-game NOLA show seemed to beg the question: why not a NOLA-themed halftime show? There are plenty of young great New Orleans musicians and it was a lot more fun than Kendrick's set.

William Nollman


Generous serving(s) of crap on crap.  What was the point, to lose viewers  ?
Wonderful idea !!

Ron Iafornaro


You're right Bob.

Thank you!

Best, James Regan


I watched the game with four friends and we all thought the half time show was terrible.  Very boring.  

James Fallon


My son who is a 17 and a HipHop fan said it was "ass".

Barry Fantle


I'm bummed you missed the bigger picture of the performance. I personally found the storytelling and symbolism incredibly powerful, and Samuel Jackson as Uncle Sam was awesome!

While I'm not a huge hip hop fan myself, I found the performance entertaining and thought-provoking. It felt like a rallying cry against the current political climate, and as a bonus it clearly struck a nerve with some MAGA politicians. 

Best,
Duff Rice


Agreed.

Alicia Etchison


Geezer patrol checking in. I barely watch sports, I tune into the Super Bowl to see the fewer and fewer clever commercials,  and check out the annual boring dance party halftime extravaganza at the Super Bowl. But as I'm watching the halftime show, I'm texting my son, and I ask, is this real music? He knows me and my old fashioned musical tastes, and he jokes, "Dad, you're not the demographic they're aiming at." But we agreed, no one will be humming that whatever song/melody the Super Bowl Singer du jour just sang? (does anyone remember what melody means?) Much less a year from now..  Industrialized Manufactured Music for the Moment. Can I trademark that? A forgettable Super Bowl, too except for the Philadelphia fans. Maybe a record company should put out a late night multi-LP offer/collection: "Memorable Super Bowl HalfTime Shows. (And They Used to Call it Music?) As I mentioned, my son suggests I am not the demographic they're aiming at. I'm gonna look for a Beatles LP or....

Chip Lovitt


Absolutely a dud! And not just halftime. The game, the commercials, the halftime…worst of all time.

Matthew Grandi


It wasnt for you. 

(Or me)

Those in my life that it was for found it revelatory.  

Nick Lawson


it was weak.!
and the fake audience audio response
was so obviously enhanced- the cheers were
exactly placed, unlike a real crowd,
where there is a delay, especially
in the half asleep football crowd!

Rob Preuss


Horrible take. You obviously didn't get any of the political messages sent through his performance and are obviously too old to enjoy his style of music, doesn't mean it didn't work or that the rest of America didn't like it. 

Catherine Ryan


Completely agree. 
I thought I might learn something about the artist but I couldn't understand a word he said.

 American Flag visual with all black men was cool though. 

Marc Jacobson


Both musically and visually, one of the most boring halftime shows I can remember.

Jonathan McSweeney

P.S. But it fit right in with the boring game and boring commercials and boring post game interviews. 


Thanks for writing this.

Kendrick Lamar's Superbowl show was very weak!! 
You could not hear one word that he was saying.
And there was no melody. 

And this has nothing to do with the fact that I am extremely angry at Kendrick and Drake for their moronic rap battle that has just caused division among their fans. 
Bob Marley taught us that the mission of music to instill consciousness and uplift the people. 
Yet still the critics and the Grammys patronize the Not Like Us song, which is filled with hate.

But since I am coming from a place of love,  I will forgive Drake and Kendrick if they will meet and shake hands and unite their fans and do some community work instead of being spoilt millionaires.

Native Wayne Jobson 
Jamaica 



We are down in Mexico and eagerly watched half time and we agree with you, didn't work for us. 
Jules and Fran Belkin


Agreed. Well said.

Taylor Brereton



   Yeah, it sucked..I perused the comments on the NFL'S Facebook page.. Almost all were negative, as in "worst ever show"..Ditto, everywhere else.
    No melody or instrumentation, that's a given, it's all about the MESSAGE, right?..But what if you can't HEAR the message? You're left with diddly.
And the production value was basic AF..
    Did he sell any tickets for his stadium tour because of THIS? To anybody that wasn't ALREADY on board? Not bloody likely..
    
James Spencer


The audio sucked. I thought the whole idea behind rap was the words. Never heard one word.
Buried in the music track and over compressed.

I agree I thought country might have worked a bit better.

-will eggleston

I didn't get the halftime show.  Frankly, you said just what I did--there was a guy in jeans running around saying things I couldn't understand.
That's music?  Perhaps to some, but not to me.
dave roberts
Dave Roberts



I didn't notice a lack of melody! Really.
But I couldn't understand the lyrics and that was annoying.  
The staging and production, however were fabulous and I actually loved seeing no instruments. 
Kendrick Lamar is a Pulitzer Prize winner so the lyrics mean a lot.


Was it a good halftime show? It wasn't Prince. But it had a good beat and Serena Williams could dance to it. :-)

Regards
Amy Krakow


I totally agree with you that the half time show was an absolute bust.  Aside from the teens in the room, the 15 adults in the room all asked "This is Music?".  I think this show is a leftover from a previous mandate.  Maybe hitting bottom this year will give us hope for next year.  

Thanks for your articles.  You are a gifted writer.  

Doug Cavanaugh


It immediately put me into an unconscious state.
It was horrible.

Leigh Goldstein


100% agree. You hit the bullseye..My kids are fans, I wanted it to be great. It wasnt. 

Best,
Marcus Linial
ML Presents


It was awful. 

No melody. 

No energy. 

Once again, you nailed it Bob. 

Kevin Vahidi


I agree. It was not good. The only thing that really struck me was when they were arranged like the American flag. It was a nice visualization that was interesting and felt fresh how it was animated. Otherwise, and I'm a big hip hop fan, i was quite underwhelmed. 

Ethan Block


I think a simple way of saying it is that he didn't win any fans, but he didn't lose any, either.

Taylor Rummel


Right on Bob. I am a Kendrick Lamar fan, but that was a big dud. Boring and worst of all, was the horrible mix. Sounded muddy and mushy and his vocals sounded muddy. Can they change the drum sound. C'mon, this is all pre mixed and this is what they put out over the air? Sounded like a mix I did when I was 16 when I had my Tacsam 4 track on cassette back in 1986. 
One of the weakest Super Bowl performances I have seen period. 


Fritz Dorigo



Agreed. Rap doesn't work well for non-fans and he has about 10% of A.Paak's stage presence.

No charisma... borrring show.

DG 

P. S. In truth, not boring, unwatchable.



when you write tone deaf crap like this, all you do is show your entitlement and cultural ignorance. 

you're a smart guy but you miss the mark more often than not these days. 

Diane Gordon


100%. Recorded mumbo jumbo with Squid Game choreography. That and a crap game made for the worst Super Bowl in at least XII - XL years. 

Michael Craig


Totally agree with you. Hopefully the next set of staffers for SP50 will have watched FireAid Benefit Concert and select some real artists to entertain at halftime. 

LIna Lambert


That was well said.   I couldn't agree you with you more.  

dogandponyindustries


Agree, Bob.

Zero connection. Wrong venue.

Next.

(And yes, Prince was greatest performance of all time)

Robert Vitale


I, like millions of other people, love Kendrick. That half time was boring. His mic was too quiet, and the show was just dull. Disappointing.

Michael Urbano


I thought everyone was trying to figure out what kind of Buick Lamar was standing on, a Regal, a Grand National or a GNX.

Alan fenton


I watched it. I didn't care. But the kids danced because the species felt the vibe. Everyone who's old enough to know better, knew that this wasn't anything to write home about. The younger generations don't know the difference. They just want vibes. And they got it. 

It's not my cup of tea and you're right about what kind of quality exists.  But humans want to dance and they did. 

It's not getting better. It's getting worse. But like the frogs in the pot of boiling water, they can't tell the difference. 

I'm just hoping we find the bottom sometime soon. 

Brooks Nelson


It was boring. Artistically ambitious, cool choreography but boring. Like the game. The college kids I watched the game with thought the same thing. Frankly, America is boring right now. Trump is boring, fascism is boring.

Jack Ross


It was horrible 

And Prince was my all time fav halftime too

And Whitney's SSB was also an all time fav

tags-amazing7r


We switched over to YouTube and watched Prince's Superbowl performance then switched back for comparison. Night and day. 

Fleetwood Gruver


Dud.  

Ralph Covert


Amen! We didn't expect to see anything at the level of Prince but we were expecting a musical performance of some sort and didn't get one. The banter of the football analysts had more of a musical quality about it than whatever Lamar was doing tonight. It was absolute sh*te. Whoever booked that act or OK'd it should be ashamed of themselves. Thanks for speaking the truth. 

James Hirsch


I have a lot of respect for Kendrick Lamar. His records are for the most part great art. (The Drake thing is stupid). He might actually be the Bob Dylan of Hip-Hop-- truly a great artist deserving of his Grammy's  but his show went no where for us watching the Super Bowl on TV. You are completely correct Bob. His performance was fine but not for the Super Bowl gang -- we were falling asleep. Next time give us someone who can get us off our couches and dance!

Jim


I loved it. I'm not a huge hip hop fan or ingrained in the hip hop culture, but I have been a huge fan of Kendrick for over a decade and I really dig him. 

So for me I think I just enjoyed Kendrick. I personally don't love most modern country beyond Zach Bryan and Kacey musgraves. So I was happy to see Kendrick perform and man I loved it.

Also, my room of 11 6th grade boys loved it more than I did. They kept saying throughout how sick it was and they were cheering and singing the whole time. Young people love Kendrick. It was the highlight of the game for them. Seriously, every boy there was going crazy for him and his performance. Big hit with the 11-13 year old dude crowd.

John N. Hamilton


F*cking terrible.  Spot on, Bob. 

Glen Hachenverg


You're right. Three words are all anyone would need to hear to know that Kendrick Lamar is not suitable for a Super Bowl halftime show:
Not
Like
Us
It sucked.

Dan Wiethorn


It's not racist to have an opinion about an artist who happens to be Black. But the show was not meant for you. The show was for fans of Hip Hop, which as a reminder, is the largest genre of music and has been for quite a few years. It also over indexes for the fanbase the NFL is targeting as evidenced by the growth in viewership over the past few years and most likely why they brought on Roc Nation. 

There's definitely a demographic attached to the show, the music, and the fandom. It probably wasn't as mainstream as the Super Bowl halftime show usually is, but that didn't make it bad. It just made it not your cup of tea. Where you didn't hear melody, millions did. Where you may not have taken the time to hear what he was saying, millions did. The sound was actually more clear than we are used to in Hip Hop.  

The choreography was impressive and he brought together blue and red on one stage, making a strong unity statement that probably doesn't affect the neighborhood where you live in LA. There was also white outfits added to symbolize the flag— a statement that all of us in the US can probably relate to, especially right now. 

The NFL has been going after a younger and different demographic for a few years. Their viewership is finally increasing with the demographic they're seeking. They are achieving their goal. That was the value of a Kendrick Lamar halftime show. 

The fans of Hip Hop just had a Super Bowl performance that they wanted to watch. Next year, it'll be something different. But I'm sure it'll focus on the NFL's demographic because that's the whole point of marketing. The fact that you were watching it was just an added plus for them. You are no longer their target market—neither am I. But I thought Kendrick snapped (that's a compliment). Hope you're doing well. Loved your recent podcast interview. It was inspirational. 

-- 
Wendy Day
Rap Coalition


There was no art in that Kendrick Lamar performance. By that I mean: it shed no light on the human condition. It was meaningless. Even my kids (who are in grade school) didn't feel like getting up to dance - and they were totally ready to dance. But there was nothing there.

Pat Cook


Bob---Year after year, millions of Americans never experience any musical performance beyond the Super Bowl halftime show.  How pathetic that the country whose unique indigenous pop music is revered and lionized throughout the western world is home to such far-reaching ignorance.   Paul Lanning


Your on the money!

Margouleff 


Keep up the good work Bob,
I have heard Bowie, T-rex, Mot the Hoople, and other bands from that era,  backing TV commercials, I will bet you everything I got,
that in 30 years you won't be hearing rap or hip hop etc. backing anything.
Pat Mallahan  Seattle and Antigua, Guatemala....
Pretty soon, no Seattle, talk about a bunch of lost techie souls.....still good people there, but....


As one friend we had over for our Super Bowl party commented: "There are 85  thousand people in the stadium who paid 20 grand each for the weekend and are witnessing the half time show and not relating"…... out of 30 people in the room at our house one person seemed to know what was happening …..not to fault Kendrick Lamar…he does his thing…testifies his art…. 

But the audience on TV and live was probably not the demographic….dunno…just my guess

Game was a blowout….. so many were leaving after first half… 

But hey….good reason for a party….

Bill Powell


Bob, I'm pleasantly surprised.... Finally you told it like it is without your usual Woke take on things. Well done and for the record...I AGREE! Incredible artist..Horrible Halftime show...
Kindly
Johnny Viera


I agree

Jim Henderson


You may have some points regarding the performance but to say hip-hop is losing market and mind share when Kendrick Lamar and Drake's spat last year drove conversation for months, led to Billboard #1s and as even you stated, produced a song that took home the big Grammy, your argument begins to fall apart. Not to mention the dominance of other rappers and moments like Gelo's "Tweaker" in the last 12 months.

A country artist doesn't have the catalog that fans around the US would have been anymore familiar with. 

Beyonce, who released a masterful album last year, also likely won because of a split vote in a category full of artists reaching similar demos. Not to mention a chance to make up for snubbing her in the past. 

Appreciate your commitment to keeping others informed about the industry but it is you who has missed the mark this time. 

Nick  Nuk'em


I agree.

Stephen Hutchinson


Agreed. I thought it was as one dimensional. 

Nicole Paradiso


BIG DUD!!!!! 

Sarah Graham


I agree 100%

Randy Schaaf


We all had the same convo: who are they trying to appeal to?  Not boomer football audiences that's for sure.  The younger people I know have not a speck of interest in pro football.  
But they've run out of classic rock legends, so what now?  I can't believe they didn't book Chris Stapleton (or maybe he doesn't need that stress!) or another country super star that resonates really widely, even with us boomers.  Rap?  Yeah. It's apparently the dominant musical force anymore but for boomer music lovers it's zzzzzzzzzzzz……

Young Hutchinson


Bob, thank you for the honest review of the halftime performance by Lamar.  That was a total loss of time, horrible to say the least.

Mike Mitchell
Lafayette,La


I like him but it was a dud.

Beth Thornley


You are 100% correct. This summed up my thoughts very well:
Maybe hip-hop works live when everybody in the audience knows the words. But I'd posit that most people watching tonight neither knew the words nor could understand them. They just saw a guy running around while rapping into a mic and were scratching their head and asking themselves...THIS IS MUSIC?

Andrew Ramsay


That performance was art.  Period. There were layers of it sprinkled all throughout. It wasn't supposed to be obvious to the white viewers. For example, where the dancers formed the American flag and had their heads down showing their black backs because America was built on the literal backs of their ancestors. Though was it good tv? Who cares? It's not supposed to be for everyone. Not everyone has to get your art. Kendrick wants you to think, to analyze. I think it was great tv for some and not for others. But again if you have the interest to look for the meaning in the performance you'll really be moved and get it. 

It's exactly the kind of art we need. I'm kinda sorry that you didn't get it. You must be out of touch with the culture but that's okay. Dig deeper ask about it. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. 

Justin Portis


Love Kendrick. He's one of the last real rappers. But as I always say, even as someone who has worked in the production side of hip hop, hip hop almost always sounds better on the recording or the album, while bands at least the good ones will always sound better live. 

They should have added a live band to give this performance depth.  Live drums, bass and keys would have added some oomph. 

I thought when they started to march that a marching band was going to join, that also could have been a nice touch. 

The production team let Kendrick down here, what could have been had the right mind produced this. And having DJ Mustard there was out of place in my opinion. 

Regards,

Dean Earls


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