Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame 2019 Induction

The other day was the induction ceremony for the 2019 Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame inductees. The ceremony officiall took place on May 30, 2019 in Brooklyn, NY. There were several close calls, but the complete list of inductees include: Def Leppard, Janet Jackson, The Zombies, Radiohead, The Cure, Roxy Music, and Stevie Nicks. 

Stevie Nicks: Stevie Nicks made a name for herself as the lead singer of Fleetwood Mac from 1974. Between 1974 and 1988 she released five records with them including the 1977 hot-selling LP Rumours. During the late 1970s, she decided to launch her solo career in parallel with her career in Fleetwood Mac. Her 1981 debut Bella Donna featured her signature hit outside of F.M. with Edge of Seventeen. The record also featured duets with Don Henley Leather & Lace, and Tom Petty, Stop Draggin' my Heart Around. Nicks opened the show performing Stand Back, and the three aforementioned tracks Leather & Lace, Stop Draggin' my Heart Around (with 1D's Harry Stykes), and Edge of Seventeen. Harry Stykes himself inducted Stevie Nicks but IMHO, Lindsay Buckingham should have joined on Stop Draggin' my Heart Around. Nicks left Fleetwood Mac in 1988, but rejoined in 1997 for a comeback tour which resulted in the live CD/DVD The Dance - a concert you should definitely see. Nicks' solo induction makes her the first female to be inducted in the RnRHOF TWICE - the first time being as a member of Fleetwood Mac in 1998.

The Cure: LIke Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails fame that inducted them, members of this British goth rock group. Led by Robert Smith, the group featured significant contributions from highly recognized musicians such as guitarist Prol Thompson and late drummer Andy Anderson. Their 1979 debut record Three Boys was a massive success and thanks to Robert Smith's persona, by the early 1980s, The Cure were regarded as pioneers (I prefer fathers) of the so-called goth-rock sub-genre of alterntive rock. They are known for hits such as Boys Don't Cry, Just Like Heaven, Lovesong, and Friday I'm in Love.

Janet Jackson: As we all know, Janet Jackson is the youngest in the family of ten raised by Joseph Joe Jackson, and Katherine Jackson. She has been a high advocate in women's rights and spoke for young and old females alike. Her career spanns over forty years as a member of The Jackson 5, not to mention as a highly successful solo star that reigned in the 80s with her 1986 Control record and the 1989 follow-up Rhythm Nation 1814. Janet took a softer and more subtle approach in 1993 with her self-title album Janet and that style continued on the 1997 record The Velvet Rope. That very year, her brothers won an award for outstanding contribution to music. Janella Monae, who inducted Janet, talked highly about her influence. Jackson's inductory speech was rather long, and I wish she had done a triute to Michael Jackson - after all this is the tenth anniversary of his death. 

Roxy Music: This London based megagroup has seen its share of musicians come and go, but the brainchildren have always been the two Bryans (Ferry and Eno), Paul Carrack, and Phil Manzera. Their style blended rock, ska, and new wave, not to mention a touch of prog rock in an interesting spectacle. Duran Duran bandmates, Simon Le Bon and John Taylor see them as the greatest influence on the success of their band. 

Radiohead: In the words of their inductor, David Byrne of Talking Heads fame, Radiohead took its name from the song of the same name that he wrote. A very overlooked and sometimes even contraversial rock band, Radiohead has adopted a style of many genres including a wannabe Nirvana sound on their smash hit Creep - which the BBC absolutely refused to play due to its suggestive lyrics and only took to playing it after it made worldwide fame on many radio stations. 

The Zombies: Ah the forgotten kids of the British Invasion, the Zombies formed in 1962 in St. Alban. The brainchildren were keyboard virtuoso Rod Argent (who took piano lessons since fourteen), and singer Collin Blunstone. The band had smash hits by Christmas of 1965 with She's not There - covered ten years later by Santana, Tell Her No in 1966, and perhaps their signature song, Time of The Season in 1968. Rod Argent also formed the band Argent who were a one-hitter with Hold Your Head Up. 

Def Leppard: Known as the new Led Zeppelin, Def Leppard sold quickly. Formed in Shefield in the late 1970s, the band's 1983 record Pyromania, with its Marilyn Monroe tribute Photograph, and the 1987 worldwide smasher Hysteria, earned the band worldwide fame and attention. Despite Rick Allens hand injury on New Year's Eve 1984, the band got back on its feet with a custom design electronic drum kit which Allen played part with his feet. Rick Allen has become a successful entrepreneur with One Hand Drum Company. The cool part was Mott the Hoople's Ian Hunter joining them for All The Young Dudes, but I think there should have been another Def Leppard hit instead. 

Now a word about the "close calls."

Devo: This New Wave/electro band formed in Chrissie Hynde's hometown Akron, Ohio, are essentially one-hitters with their fast-paced hit Whip It! from their 1980 album Freedom of Choice..

Kraftwerk: The German pioneers of electronic music had been around for some five decades now. They've been known for their signature "robot pop" style. 

LL Cool J: Hip hop usually doesn't get a mark in the Hall of Fame, but Ladies do indeed Love Cool James. A pioneer of golden age hip-hop and RnB, his string of hits such as Rock the Bells, I Can't Live Without my Radio, Big Ole Butt, Goin' Back to Cali, Mama Said Knock You Out, Around The Way Girl, Loungin', Hey Lover, and Doin' It, have become staples of classic hip-hop radio. A sound rooted in golden age freestyle as seen on records such as Bigger and Deffer (1987) and Walking LIke a Panther (1989), LL Cool J shifted to a quasi-gangster style with his 1990 hot seller Mama Said Knock You Out. He made a comeback in the mid 90s and has been active in the rap game since then - albeit off and on. 

MC5: This forgotten staple of the counterculture movement has been around since 1964. Formed in the Detroit suburb of Lincoln Park, the band had continued into the early 70s, with only several reunions since Very little is known about them.

Rufus & Chaka Khan: If George Clinton's Parliament-Funkaledic bands were not funky enouch in the 70s, this duo from Chicago had to have been! Known for their plethora of hits such as Tell me Something Good and One You Get Started, not to menion the numerous solo Chaka Khan numbers: Can't Nobody, I Feel For You, I'm Every Woman, and Through the Fire had all stood the test of time! Given the lack of feminism in the Hall of Fame, I do hope this happens in the next decade. 

Rage Against the Machine: With a broad style of rap metal and rap rock, RATM are considered the West Coast Beastie Boys as well as the New Beastie Boys (in my opinion anyway). Their signature hit, Killing in the Name Of... is the one that they are perhaps the most remembered for. 

Todd Rundgreon He first made a name for himself in the 1960s in the pioneering psychadelic rock band The Amboy Dukes with hits such as Baby Please Don't Go and Journey to The Center of The Mind. In the 1970s, he became a production guru producing most significantly for Grand Funk Railroad, particularly their 1974 success Shinin' On. His signature song, Hello it's Me, started out as a garage rock numbr before evolving into the version we all know today. It has been either referenced, or covered numerous times. 

Overall that's it for the Hall of Fame nominations and inductions. My only question is when are Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers going to be inducted ?! The Doobies had been eligible since about 1995, and Steely Dan had been notorious for its cryptic lyrics.