Let’s Look at the #RockHall 2021 Nominees:

On Wednesday, 10 February, with only about 48 hours’ notice, the Rock Hall announced the nominees for its 2021 class. I happened to be at my parents’ place, dropping off my son before an eye appointment when the appointed hour arrived. When I read the nominees, I experienced the gratifying sensation of not wanting to throw my cell phone out the window in anger and exasperation. That’s because this is…if not exactly the ~strongest~ set of nominees I’ve seen in my years following the Hall (I’d say the Class of 2016 ballot has that honor), then it is certainly the most ~encouraging~ and evinces a Rock Hall headed in the right direction. Under the new leadership of John Sykes, a sea change seems to have occurred. We have a ballot that did justice to the 90s, reached back to the mid-60s, and had gender and racial parity after years of relative white-washing since the era of fan ballots and HBO broadcasts began. As many of you know by now, our 16 nominees were:

• Kate Bush
• Dionne Warwick
• Iron Maiden
• Foo Fighters
• L.L. Cool J
• Devo
• New York Dolls
• Carole King
• Mary J. Blige
• Chaka Khan
• Jay-Z
• Todd Rundgren
• Tina Turner
• Fela Kuti
• The Go-Gos
• Rage Against the Machine

That’s…a pretty fascinating ballot, ripe with good choices. I’d be happy with almost any permutation of inductees. Of course, Sykes alone is not entirely responsible for this. The Rock Hall has a rather terrific team of publicity folk, librarians, and archivists who played a quiet role behind the scenes. And I’d like to think that pressure from journalists like Evelyn McDonnell and bloggers like the Hall Watchers team were part of a larger grassroots effort.

As is my custom here on the Countdown, I’ll do a rundown of the nominees, ranking their 1) Worthiness; 2) How much I like Them (or Preference, for simplicity’s sake); 3) Their Likelihood of getting in, in my estimation; and 4) How good their induction is for the Rock Hall’s Bottom Line, from a publicity, financial, or respectability angle. I’ll also give a suggestion for a possible musician to give their induction speech.

Devo (Worthiness: 16; Preference: 14; Likelihood: 9; Bottom Line: 12). You know this is a good ballot when Devo might be the act I have the biggest problem with. And even then, it’s simply on speculative grounds like “would they have been as big if they hadn’t worn silly hats?”, and not particularly liking bands with manifestos. Devo makes its second appearance on a Rock Hall ballot, and this time, they would be inducted in their home base in northeastern Ohio. This could make them a sentimental favorite during the induction ceremony, and that goes double when you consider that we almost lost Mark Mothersbaugh to COVID last year. Suggested Inductor: Weird Al Yankovic.

Dionne Warwick (Worthiness: 13; Preference: 6; Likelihood: 7; Bottom Line: 9). Well, this was a pleasant surprise! Dionne Warwick was always at the periphery of inductable artists- she was in my original list of 100 prospects that I wrote four years ago, where I wondered whether her “cocktail-hour music” hurt her chances, despite a great voice, workmanlike professionalism, and some legendary songs from the Bacharach-David team. And for all we talk about Tina Turner’s comeback (and we should), it’s worth pointing out that Warwick never really faded out of the limelight in the first place and was a consistent chart presence from the 60s through deep into the 80s. It couldn’t hurt that she’s had a revival of sorts in the past year, between appearances on The Masked Singer and a playful persona she has cultivated on Twitter. Given the number of ex-Zombies, and ex-Vandellas and the such who get ballots, don’t count Warwick out. Suggested Inductor: Chance the Rapper.

New York Dolls (Worthiness: 14; Preference: 16; Likelihood: 15; Bottom Line: 14). A handful of Rock Hall watchers, myself included, predicted New York Dolls–usually in lieu of those Fan Vote bottom-feeders, MC5. Right now, the Dolls’ androgyny, playfulness, and proto-punk attitude is in. But unlike their near-contemporaries, T. Rex and Roxy Music, they didn’t produce a particularly large or particularly memorable body of work despite a profound impact on their peers. Don’t expect an induction here, but in case I’m wrong, I suggest Axl Rose.

Foo Fighters (Worthiness: 10, Preference: 8, Likelihood: 5, Bottom Line: 7). It was pretty foreseeable that Foo Fighters would make the ballot, not only on account of being one of the foremost rock and roll bands of the last 25 years, but also by virtue of Dave Grohl’s chumminess with the Hall and general likability. In some ways, they are to rock and roll what Boyz II Men were to R&B, the last great act in a dying genre. The Rock Hall Watchers team are a bit more critical of them than I would be- I’d argue that we are still seeing their influence play out, and I tend to prefer longevity and consistency over artists who were an extremely influential flash in the pan (see New York Dolls.) At any rate, like it or not, I’d say it’s about a fifty-fifty split whether they get in this year. Suggested Inductor: Dave Grohl’s Zoom-era sparring partner, Nadia Bushnell.

Jay-Z (Worthiness: 3, Preference: 11, Likelihood: 3, Bottom Line: 3). I owe Jay-Z a great deal because I can use him as a reference point in my history lectures. When talking about the Erie Canal, I can say that DeWitt Clinton has 99 problems, but a ditch ain’t one. When the topic turns to the Mughal Empire, I can say Emperor Akbar has 99 problems, but the Brits ain’t one. Truly, Jay-Z is the gift that keeps on giving. The 2021 Class has always had the subtext of “it’s Jay-Z’s year” about it, and I don’t think there’s any reason to challenge this piece of conventional wisdom. But I caution against giving Jay-Z a free ride. Journalist Bill Wyman eviscerated the corporatism of Jay-Z in his own take on the 2021 nominees, writing: “…he is the epitome of corporate hip-hop. His remarkable, lasting success and slick positions — from his art to his acts to his marriage — has made him a perennial superstar. But there is something bleak and empty about him”. He is perhaps the most successful rapper of all-time, although he is not, by any fair estimation, the best. I also wonder how many people will look at the ballot and say “wait…how can I vote for Jay-Z when L.L. Cool J isn’t in yet?” It was different with 2pac and Biggie, who achieved an almost spiritual significance in death. Suggested Inductor: Eminem, to herald #RockHall2022.

The Go-Gos (Worthiness: 8, Preference: 7, Likelihood: 8, Bottom Line: 6). Their nomination is entirely deserved, but it seems part of something larger and more metatextual. The Go-Gos documentary that was released last year to positive reviews spends an almost untoward amount of time considering why they aren’t in the Rock Hall, almost playing chicken with Jann Wenner. And still, it’s a fair question: as many readers know, they were the first band to achieve a #1 with only women playing on the record, and their significance extends far beyond mere trivia. Lately, we celebrate excellence that thrived despite structural unfairness in their way (consider Hidden Figures as an example), and this makes the Go-Gos accomplishments all the more remarkable. They could very well get inducted on their first try, but I’m not encouraged by what happened to some of their female contemporaries like Eurythmics, Kate Bush, and Pat Benatar. If they do get in, expect an enthusiastic reunion, and, as Gina Schock wished for, a terrific speech from P!nk.

Rage Against the Machine (Worthiness: 9, Preference: 15, Likelihood: 13, Bottom Line: 5). I see two obstacles to Rage’s chances this year. Number One is the Foo Fighters. Although they are in very different sub-genres, they are both perhaps the two most iconic rock bands of the late 90s and could potentially hamper each other’s chances. It’s also unlikely that they will both get in during the same year because it would look ~really~ bad if two bands with members on the Nominating Committee slide through. Number Two is less intuitive– it’s political stability. Do you like the feeling of not waking up in a state of panic and abject horror, checking your phone to see what insane thing the president has done or said? I sure like it. My point is that the steady-as-she-goes liberalism of Joe Biden blunts a lot of the fire and righteous anger that drives RATM and makes them perpetually relevant. There’s no doubt, though, that the Rock Hall would love to micromanage a rare, but very plausible, Rage reunion. Suggested Inductor: Chuck D.

Chaka Khan (Worthiness: 11, Preference: 4, Likelihood: 16, Bottom Line: 13). Fun fact: the number of Masked Singer participants on this year’s ballot is only slightly smaller than the number of women on last year’s ballot. This time showing up sans Rufus, Khan has very, very little chance on a ballot this competitive. Tina Turner and Dionne Warwick are both more famous, more influential, had more hits, while also enjoying a second chapter in their careers unfold in the 1980s. Allegedly, the Hall has a secret rule where you automatically get in if you earn seven nominations or have seven nominations in a row (sources disagree). If that’s true, and Khan’s work with or without Rufus is considered of a piece, she could get in through this loophole next year. Suggested Inductor: Erykah Badu.

Todd Rundgren (Worthiness: 12, Preference: 3, Likelihood: 4, Bottom Line: 15). Rundgren is close to my heart because he headlined the last concert I attended before the pandemic shut everything down. Despite this, I’m not as sold on his Rock Hall credentials as some of the other hobbyists are. He barely missed out on making my first list of 100 prospects, and it doesn’t help that his best work is divided between himself and two different bands, and intermingled with his other work as a producer. Having said all that, Rundgren may well get in on his third consecutive nomination. He’s the closest thing we have to a “70s classic rock in the narrowest possible sense of the genre” nominee, which certainly didn’t hurt the Doobie Brothers last year. But how does the Hall handle a problem child like Todd for the HBO broadcast? He has made it clear he holds the Hall in contempt and is extremely unlikely to show up for the festivities. He’s also alienated or pissed off a lot of people who might have given interesting induction speeches, like Meat Loaf or the XTC guys. He’s tight with Ringo, but he just inducted T. Rex last year. So, maybe Joey Molland of Badfinger as my suggested inductor?

L.L. Cool J (Worthiness: 2, Preference: 12, Likelihood: 12, Bottom Line: 8). I was surprised that the Rock Hall nominated a second rapper this year, given Jay-Z’s presence on the ballot. It would have made sense if they threw out a sacrificial lamb to honor with a nomination (think De La Soul or something similar), but LL Cool J is a legitimate contender any time he appears on a ballot. Indeed, he’s easily made it into the very highest eschelons of my own mental tabulation of the most egregious snubs from the Rock Hall. As I said earlier, the fact that LL Cool J isn’t in yet may give some voters pause before they automatically check off the box next to Jay-Z’s name. But how many Rock Hall voters are willing to vote for two rap acts? Not too many, I would guess. If I’m wrong, though, expect class and sophistication from L.L. Cool J, as well as an enthusiastic speech from…Ludacris?

Tina Turner (Worthiness: 7, Preference: 9, Likelihood: 2, Bottom Line: 4). Lots of positive press and buzz surrounded Tina Turner this year, so a lot of us predicted her to show up, and we were vindicated. It is almost certain that she will get inducted– I’d be beyond shocked if she didn’t, but given how Rock Hall voters have sometimes done black women dirty (such as Janet needing three tries), nothing is for certain. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that 80-year-old Turner will fly from Switzerland in an improving but tentative global health environment to accept her award in person, but you can take it to the bank that she will record a very gracious acceptance speech and some standout tribute performances will be in the works. As for someone to give the speech, is Beyoncé not going to be in the house?

Iron Maiden (Worthiness: 5, Preference: 13, Likelihood: 6, Bottom Line: 1). Three acts with metal credentials were nominated last year. None of them got in. This year, one completely different metal act was nominated instead. Iron Maiden are perennial favorites at the Rock Hall’s voting kiosks, and if you look at white, male bands that aren’t in yet, sure- they take their place among the most prominent. Even so, I feel that their significance and fan base is limited to the metal community, and more people own Iron Maiden t-shirts than own Iron Maiden albums. Moreover, metal bands often take a few tries to get into the Hall, and Judas Priest–in my own opinion a superior ensemble–hasn’t made it yet. However, Iron Maiden has the hard rock lane all to itself this year, and winning over their massive corps of devoted fans has to be making Greg Harris see dollar signs in his sleep. I think they have a much stronger chance than my peers currently imagine. Suggested Inductor: Scott Ian of Anthrax.

Mary J. Blige (Worthiness: 6, Preference: 5, Likelihood: 11, Bottom Line: 10). I’m not humble enough to aver the fact that I was one of the only Rock Hall people who predicted her for the ballot. She was definitely a Hail-Mary pick–literally in this case–, and I’m still surprised I was right. Despite the unexpected appearance, Blige is eminently worthy. She was one of VH1’s 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, but consider this as well… Can you tell the story of 80s pop without Tina Turner? Possibly. Could you tell the story of 90s R&B without Blige? Not a chance. It won’t matter, but she’s an extremely deserving candidate. My Suggested Inductor is perhaps her most unlikely collaborator but one of her most consistent boosters: Elton John. While the Rocket Man is in the building, this would be a great opportunity to induct Bernie Taupin as a non-performer, but that’s a post for another day.

Fela Kuti (Worthiness: 15, Preference: 10, Likelihood: 14, Bottom Line: 11). Speaking of surprises…Fela Kuti? He was #100 on my original list of 100 Rock Hall prospects, and among these sixteen nominees, he’s only second from the bottom in terms of worthiness. I’m not going to vote for him, and I doubt he’ll get in, but I love the idea of nominating Kuti. It’s one of those picks like Los Lobos or John Prine, where you aren’t gonna vote for ’em, but you really respect that the committee thought highly enough about that artist to give him this kind of public acknowledgment. I could, though, be counting him out too early. Thanks to a grassroots campaign coming from Kuti’s native Africa, he’s been leading the Fan Vote. It’s uncertain if he’ll stay there, but this is a crafty choice if the intention was to put the Rock Hall on the radar of the developing world. Suggested Inductor: Bootsy Collins.

Kate Bush (Worthiness: 4, Preference: 2, Likelihood: 10, Bottom Line: 16). She’s back after a three year absence. When it comes to women who should be in the Rock Hall, Bush has to be near the top of the list. There has been no one like her: a wünderkind from England who drew ideas from progressive rock and classic literature to make dreamy soundscapes, who churned out great album after great album for a dozen solid years. The Kick Inside is easily on my list of the best albums of all time, and as indie music allows creative misfits let their freak flags fly, Bush has only become more impactful. Her notorious reclusivity means she won’t be in Cleveland, but maybe Lorde and Bjork can perform her tracks after Big Boi’s speech.

Carole King (Worthiness: 1, Preference: 1, Likelihood: 1, Bottom Line: 2). When I started following the Rock Hall, I was a stalwart advocate for: Chicago. Nina Simone. The Zombies. Joan Baez. Bill Withers. Dire Straits. Janet Jackson. Carole King. Well, now they are all in- as performers, except Carole King. Her influence as a singer-songwriter is far-reaching and expansive, virtually everybody in that genre owes something to her work. Given how revered Tapestry is on its 50th anniversary, given her impactful legacy, and given how fondly the 60s old-timers remember him, Carole King is as sure as a sure thing can be. I can’t wait to see her get into the Hall on her own merits. Suggested Inductor: Sara Bareilles.

Follow your own arrow, but on the Rock Hall’s site, I’m voting for Carole King, L.L. Cool J, Mary J. Blige, Kate Bush, and Todd Rundgren.

For ease of reference, my rankings were:

Worthiness:

1. Carole King
2. L.L. Cool J
3. Jay-Z
4. Kate Bush
5. Iron Maiden
6. Mary J. Blige
7. Tina Turner
8. The Go-Gos
9. Rage Against the Machine
10. Foo Fighters
11. Chaka Khan
12. Todd Rundgren
13. Dionne Warwick 
14. New York Dolls
15. Fela Kuti
16. Devo

Ranking favorites:

1. Carole King
2. Kate Bush 
3. Todd Rundgren 
4. Chaka Khan 
5. Mary J. Blige
6. Dionne Warwick 
7. The Go-Go’s
8. Foo Fighters
9. Tina Turner
10. Fela Kuti
11. Jay-Z
12. L L Cool J
13. Iron Maiden 
14. Devo
15. Rage Against the Machine 
16. New York Dolls

Likelihood: 

1. Carole King
2. Tina Turner
3. Jay-Z
4. Todd Rundgren
5. Foo Fighters
6. Iron Maiden
7. Dionne Warwick
8. The Go-Gos
9. Devo
10. Kate Bush
11. Mary J. Blige
12. L.L. Cool J
13. Rage Against the Machine
14. Fela Kuti
15. New York Dolls
16. Chaka Khan

Bottom line:

1. Iron Maiden
2. Carole King
3. Jay-Z
4. Tina Turner
5. Rage Against the Machine
6. Go-Go’s
7. Foo Fighters
8. LL Cool J
9. Dionne Warwick
10. Mary J Blige
11. Fela Kuti
12. Devo
13. Chaka Khan
14. New York Dolls
15. Todd Rundgren
16. Kate Bush

My #RockHall2021 Predictions

Although I am blogging this only two days before the Rock Hall is set to make its official predictions, I wrote most of these write-ups several months ago, and published them as a sequence on twitter. It occurred to me, however, that not everybody who reads this blog necessary follows @alex_voltaire on twitter. If you don’t, here is my list of #RockHall2021 predictions. If you ~do~ follow me on twitter, there’s very little new for you here, except for one replacement in my 16 predictions.

Jay-Z: Eminem may be the ~best~ rapper of all time, and LL Cool J may be the first significant solo rapper, but Jay-Z might have the case as the most successful rapper ever. Rolling Stone and VH1 both listed him as one of the 100 Greatest Artists fairly early in his career, and he is likely to join the exclusive club of first-year-eligible inductees.

Foo Fighters: We know that the Nominating Committee has no qualms about putting forward its own members. And David Grohl might be the most universally liked figure in rock and roll today. Foo fighters have been involved in Rock Hall proceedings for decades, and might be the last traditional guitar-bass-drums rock band nominated their first year. And let’s get Nadia Bushell to give the speech if they get in, huh?

Judas Priest: Last year’s ballot produced a surfeit of hard rock and heavy metal acts and Judas Priest didn’t prevail. Although Lemmy is remembered fondly, Judas Priest, with two nominations, seems to be in the Fastpass lane for the neglected heavy metal genre. Glenn Tipton’s Parkinson’s diagnosis makes it clear that the Hall can’t keep dragging their feet.

Rufus w/ Chaka Khan: Khan–with or without Rufus–might be the new Chic: a perennial and deserving nominee representing 70s R&B who can’t quite win over a quorum of voters. Righteous anger over her elimination from The Masked Singer may well translate into righteous anger over her absence from the Rock Hall.

Dave Matthews Band: A surprise choice last year, DMB made history as the first artist to win the fan vote without getting inducted. It would be bad publicity, to say the least, if they were not given a second chance to get into the Rock Hall. Their broad fan base and reputation as a transcendent live act make them a compelling choice for the Rock Hall’s bottom line.

Jethro Tull: It seems as though every year, there is at least one longtime-snubbed, classic rock radio staple nominated to appease an aging contingent of baby boomers. With the Doobies filling that role last year, Tull is, intuitively, next in line. Ian Anderson’s recent COPD diagnosis lends an air of urgency to this critically-detested bastion of Dad Rock.

Kraftwerk: Kraftwerk continues to be the “thinking person’s choice” for the worst Rock Hall snub, and generally, the more one knows about music history, the more likely it is that one supports them. The death of co-founder Florian Schneider should remind voters just how much contemporary music is playing in their sandbox.

Duran Duran: As original VJ Martha Quinn once remarked, “Everyone says ‘MTV made Duran Duran, but you know what? Duran Duran made MTV too.” With an MTV honcho chairing the Rock Hall these days, and with other synth acts from the 80s like Depeche Mode already in, this enduring guilty pleasure favorite may have their moment.

Soundgarden: Predating Nirvana and Pearl Jam, Soundgarden holds the lane on grungy 90s alternative groups. Chris Cornell’s suicide is still reverberating through the music industry years after the fact, and their nomination was one of the most well received of last year’s batch. There’s every reason to think they’ll get another shot.

Tina Turner: When our community of Rock Hall followers held a mock nomination meeting, Tina Turner earned a spot and ultimately won the most votes. No one in the actual Rock Hall might care, but it does show her viability as a solo artist. Turner simply pulled off the single biggest reinvention in the history of rock music.

The Go-Gos: Induct More Women. If public pressure and a change in leadership have any impact, The Go-Gos might well appear on a ballot for the first time. A formidable option any year, they currently have the wind at their backs with a new documentary chronicling the first all-female band to make a #1 record entirely on their own.

New York Dolls: For several years now, MC5 has been nominated without much forward momentum. Perhaps another band whose career was short, capricious, iconoclastic, and highly influential will take their place. Their raw sound, contempt for industry standards, and shameless androgyny give them a significance that overshadows their brief time in the spotlight.

Sonic Youth: With the Hall chipping away slowly but surely at the alternative backlog, we are now at a point where Sonic Youth takes its place among the most important bands ever nominated. It’s not hard to see someone–Lenny Kaye? Dave Grohl?–making a persuasive case for a band that has influenced artists ranging from Beck to Yeah Yeah Yeahs to Pavement.

Mary J. Blige: How much change will the John Sykes era bring? Although Jay-Z may be a runaway favorite for induction, don’t assume he’ll be the only artist in his genre. The Rock Hall has never nominated a female hip-hop or rap act, and Bluge–one of VH1’s 100 Greatest Artists of All Time several years ago–just might get a spot on the ballot.

Kool & the Gang: Often sampled, never duplicated, this band has been cranking out industry-best live shows for decades and have accumulated a great deal of influence and respect in that time. The death of one of their founding members this past year makes it clear that it is time that this band be recognized even though, like J. Geils Band, their biggest chart hits don’t really do them justice.

The B-52s: Carole King: I’m modifying my list at the eleventh hour to replace ersatz alternative dance group The B-52s (who I love) with Carole King (whom I practically worship). King has been very visable during this pandemic and finding new ways to connect to a wider audience. And it has not escaped my notice that the nominations are to be announced on the 50th anniversary—to the day–of Tapestry‘s release.

What happened to my first senate?

You never forget your first. Your first Congress that is. I initially began following U.S. politics in some depth during my senior year of college- ironically, when I was out of the country working as a teaching and resident assistant for my college’s honors program in London. This was in January of 2005, at the beginning of the 109th congress.

I say Congress, but really, it was usually just the Senate that fascinated me; the arcane procedurals, the easy-to-remember composition of two persons per state. It’s been 16 years now, and I thought it might be interesting to collate what happened to the senators from that first congress I followed. This is some back-of-the-envelope research here, and it’s probable that I forgot some people in some of the categories, but here is, to the best of my recollection, what befell these senators:

Still in the Senate:

1. Maria Cantwell (Washington)
2. Patty Murray (Washington)
3. Dianne Feinstein (California)
4. Ron Wyden (Oregon)
5. Mitch McConnell (Kentucky)
6. Dick Durbin (Illinois)
7. Jack Reed (Rhode Island)
8. Patrick Leahy (Vermont)
9. Deb Stabenow (Michigan)
10. Richard Shelby (Alabama)
11. Lindsey Graham (South Carolina)
12. John Thune (South Dakota)
13. Jim Inhofe (Oklahoma)
14. Richard Burr (North Carolina)
15. Charles Grassley (Iowa)
16. Mike Crapo (Idaho)
17. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska)
18. Jon Cornyn (Texas)
19. Chuck Schumer (New York)
20. Tom Carper (Delaware)
21. Susan Collins (Maine)

Died:

1. Craig Thomas (Wyoming)
2. Ted Kennedy (Massachusetts)
3. Robert Byrd (West Virginia)
4. Arlen Spector (Pennsylvania)
5. Ted Stevens (Alaska)
6. Daniel Inouye (Hawaii)
7. Robert Bennett (Utah)
8. Jim Bunning (Kentucky)
9. Daniel Akaka (Hawaii)
10. Jim Jeffords (Vermont)
11. Frank Lautenberg (New Jersey)
12. Pete Domenici (New Mexico)
13. Conrad Burns (Montana)
14. Richard Lugar (Indiana)
15. John McCain (Arizona)
16. Tom Coburn (Oklahoma)
17. Thad Cochran (Mississippi)
18. Paul Sarbanes (Maryland)

Became governors after:

1. Jon Corzine (New Jersey)
2. Lincoln Chafee (Rhode Island)
3. Mike DeWine (Ohio)
4. Sam Brownback (Kansas)
5. Mark Dayton (Minnesota)

Ran for president after 2005:

1. Barack Obama
2. John McCain
3. Hillary Clinton
4. Christopher Dodd
5. Joe Biden
6. Sam Brownback 
7. Rick Santorum
8. Lincoln Chafee 
9. Lindsey Graham

Became president:

1. Barack Obama
2. Joe Biden

Became Vice President:

1. Joe Biden

Served in the cabinet:

1. Hillary Clinton
2. Ken Salazar 
3. Chuck Hagel
4. John Kerry 
5. Jeff Sessions 

Lost re-election: (* were losses in their party’s primaries)

1. George Allen (2006)
2. Lincoln Chafee (2006)
3. Mike DeWine (2006)
4. Rick Santorum (2006)
5. Conrad Burns (2006)
6. Jim Talent (2006)
7. John Sununu (2008)
8. Gordon Smith (2008)
9. Ted Stevens (2008)
10. Norm Coleman (2008)
11. Elizabeth Dole (2008)
12. Arlen Spector (*) (2010)
13. Robert Bennett(*) (2010)
14. Russ Feingold (2010)
15. Blanche Lambert Lincoln (2010)
16. Richard Lugar (*) (2012)
17. Mark Pryor (2014)
18. Mary Landrieu (2014)
19. Bill Nelson (2018)

(Lisa Murkowski and Joe Lieberman both lost primaries but were re-elected anyway)

Chose not to run for re-election:

1. Paul Sarbanes (2006)
2. Mark Dayton (2006)
3. Bill Frist (2006)
4. Jim Jeffords (2006)
5. Chuck Hagel (2008)
6. Pete Domenici (2008)
7. Wayne Allard (2008)
8. George Voinovich (2010)
9. Chris Dodd (2010)
10. Kit Bond (2010)
11. Evan Bayh (2010)
12. Jim Bunning (2010)
13. Judd Gregg (2010)
14. Byron Dorgan (2010)
15. Olympia Snowe (2012)
16. Ben Nelson (2012)
17. Kent Conrad (2012)
18. Jon Kyl (2012)
19. Joe Lieberman (2012)
20. Kay Bailey Hutchison (2012)
21. Daniel Akaka (2012)
22. Jeff Bingaman (2012)
23. Saxby Chambliss (2014)
24. Carl Levin (2014)
25. Tom Harkin (2014)
26. Tim Johnson (2014)
27. Jay Rockefeller (2014)
28. Barb Boxer (2016)
29. Harry Reid (2016)
30. Barbara Mikulski (2016)
31. Orrin Hatch (2018)
32. Michael Enzi (2020)
33. Pat Roberts (2020)
34. Lamar Alexander (2020)

Resigned mid-term (for reasons other than taking a higher office)

1. Mel Martinez 
2. Trent Lott
3. Jim Demint 
4. Tom Coburn
5. Johnny Isaksen 

At the Center of a Sex Scandal:

1. Larry Craig
2. John Ensign
3. Pete Domenici

Gayest Cabinet Ever!!

History was made with the announcement that Pete Buttigieg will be nominated as the Secretary of Transportation in the upcoming Biden administration. This is the first time an openly LGBT person will be in a Senate-confirmed cabinet pick. (If you note that I am choosing my words carefully here, it’s became FDR’s Secretary of Labor, Frances Perkins, was quietly bisexual. Meanwhile, one of Trump’s appointments is technically of cabinet rank, although they are not really “secretary” of anything and they did not require senate approval.)

All this makes me wonder– could I construct an entirely LGBTQ cabinet? Let’s see….

• Secretary of State: Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTI Persons, Randy W. Berry
• Secretary of Treasury: President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Raphael Bostic
• Secretary of Defense: Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning
• Attorney General: Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey
• Secretary of the Interior: Kansas congresswoman Sharice Davids
• Secretary of Agriculture: Urban Oasis Project founder Art Friedrich
• Secretary of Commerce: Apple CEO Tim Cook
• Secretary of Labor: Fmr. Maine Congressman Mike Michaud
• Secretary of Health and Human Services: United Therapeutics CEO Martine Rothblatt
• Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Ford Foundation CEO Darren Walker
• Secretary of Transportation: Fmr. Houston mayor Annise Parker
• Secretary of Energy: SUNY Chancellor Kristina Johnson
• Secretary of Education: Superintendent of Seattle Public Schools, Denise Juneau
• Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs: Fmr. South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg
• Secretary of Homeland Security: Oregon governor Kate Brown

Year is Ending List Dump, pt. 4: Elton’s 100 Best

For the fourth part of YIELD, I am redoing my Top 100 Elton John Songs list. I’m perfectly fine leaving whole albums (Leather Jackets, Ice on Fire, Wonderful Crazy Night, Empty Sky, 21 at 33) off, and similarly okay with keeping some hits off as well. Don’t expect to see “Nikita,” “Little Jeannie,” “Island Girl,” “I Don’t Wanna Go On With You Like That” and others on here.

1. Tiny Dancer (Madman Across the Water)
2. Rocket Man (Honky Chateau)
3. I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues (Too Low for Zero)
4. Ballad of a Well-Known Gun (Tumbleweed Connection)
5. Your Song (Elton John)
6. Latitude (Made in England)
7. Come Down in Time (Tumbleweed Connection)
8. Carla/Etude (The Fox)
9. Better Off Dead (Captain Fantastic)
10. Can You Feel the Love Tonight? (Lion King soundtrack)
11. Sixty Years On (Elton John)
12. Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding 
13. Levon (Madman Across the Water)
14. Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds (single)
15. Pinball Wizard (single)
16. Hey Ahab (The Union)
17. Wake Up Wendy (South Park: Chef Aid)
18. Believe (Made in England)
19. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (GYBR)
20. Madman Across the Water (Madman Across the Water)
21. Amoreena (Tumbleweed Connection)
22. Breaking Down Barriers (The Fox)
23. Crocodile Rock (Don’t Shoot Me…)
24. Border Song (Elton John)
25. Blessed (Made in England)
26. Mona Lisa’s and Mad Hatter’s (Honky Chateau) 
27. Bitter Fingers (Captain Fantastic)
28. Chameleon (Blue Moves)
29. Take Me to the Pilot (Elton John)
30. Philadelphia Freedom (single)
31. The Circle of Life (Lion King soundtrack)
32. Oscar Wilde Gets Out (The Diving Board)
33. The One (The One)
34. The Emperor’s New Clothes (Songs from the West Coast)
35. Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word (Blue Moves)
36. Don’t Go Breaking my Heart (single)
37. I’m Still Standing (Too Low for Zero)
38. Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me (Caribou)
39. I Feel Like a Bullet (in the Gun of Robert Ford) (Rock of the Westies)
40. If the River Can Bend (The Big Picture)
41. Grey Seal (GYBR)
42. Honky Cat (Honky Chateau)
43. Elton’s Song (The Fox)
44. Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting (GYBR)
45. Teacher I Need You (Don’t Shoot Me…)
46. Skyline Pigeon (b-side)
47. Are You Ready for Love (Thom Bell Sessions)
48. Where to Now, St. Peter? (Tumbleweed Connection)
49. Tower of Babel (Captain Fantastic)
50. The Bitch is Back (Caribou)
51. I Want Love (Songs from the West Coast)
52. Sixteenth Century Man (El Dorado soundtrack)
53. Something About the Way You Look Tonight (The Big Picture)
54. Original Sin (Songs from the West Coast)
55. Sacrifice (Sleeping With the Past)
56. I Need You to Turn To (Elton John)
57. Country Comfort (Tumbleweed Connection)
58. Bad Side of the Moon (b-side)
59. Michelle’s Song (Friends soundtrack)
60. Healing Hands (Sleeping with the Past)
61. On Dark Street (The One)
62. Tonight (Blue Moves)
63. Made in England (Made in England)
64. Live Like Horses (Big Picture)
65. The King Must Die (Elton John)
66. Postcards from Richard Nixon (Captain and the Kid)
67. Burn Down the Mission (Tumbleweed Connection)
68. Crazy Water (Blue Moves)
69. Too Many Tears (Peachtree Road)
70. Legal Boys (Jump Up!)
71. Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (Captain Fantastic)
72. The Last Song (The One)
73. A Woman’s Needs (Duets)
74. Tinderbox (Captain and the Kid)
75. Candle in the Wind (GYBR)
76. The Simple Life (The One)
77. The Trail We Blaze (El Dorado soundtrack)
78. Passengers (Breaking Hearts)
79. Right Before My Eyes (Lestat musical)
80. Roy Rogers (GYBR)
81. I Never Knew Her Name (Sleeping with the Past)
82. Recover Your Soul (The Big Picture)
83. Whitewash County (The One)
84. Holiday Inn (Madman Across the Water)
85. Pain (Made in England)
86. First Episode at Hienton (Elton John)
87. Look Ma, No Hands (Songs from the West Coast)
88. The Fox (The Fox)
89. Amazes Me (Sleeping with the Past)
90. Jimmie Rogers’ Dream (The Union)
91. Big Dipper (A Single Man)
92. The Heart of Every Girl (Mona Lisa Smile soundtrack)
93. Did Anybody Sleep with Joan of Arc? (b-side)
94. Saint (Too Low for Zero)
95. Rotten Peaches (Madman Across the Water)
96. Freaks in Love (Peachtree Road)
97. Sleeping with the Past (Sleeping with the Past)
98. The House Fell Down (Captain and the Kid)
99. Heavy Traffic (Reg Strikes Back)
100. Blues for Baby and Me (Don’t Shoot Me…)

Year is Ending List Dump, pt. 3

Here’s the third part of the Rock Hall trilogy of the list dump– this one exploring future eligibles who I think have a good chance to receive consideration for the Hall of Fame. This list will include artists who are eligible for the upcoming Class of 2021. I can’t wait to see who the nominees are in…late January? early February?

Anyway, here is my commentary-free list of artists who are not yet eligible who I think might have a shot.

1. Beyonce 
2. Jay-Z
3. Eminem 
4. White Stripes 
5. Foo Fighters
6. Coldplay 
7. Amy Winehouse 
8. Rihanna 
9. Adele 
10. Kendrick Lamar
11. Destiny’s Child 
12. Missy Elliott 
13. Taylor Swift 
14. Lady Gaga 
15. Kanye West
16. Shakira 
17. Janelle Monae 
18. Britney Spears 
19. Bruno Mars
20. Vampire Weekend 
21. Chemical Brothers 
22. Fiona Apple 
23. John Legend 
24. Puff Daddy
25. Nicki Minaj
26. St. Vincent 
27. Justin Timberlake 
28. Black Keys
29. LCD Soundsystem 
30. Alicia Keyes 
31. Katy Perry
32. Lauryn Hill
33. Lana del Rey 
34. Drake
35. The Killers
36. Modest Mouse 
37. Nelly Furtado 
38. 50 Cent 
39. Marroon 5
40. Neko Case 
41. Queens of the Stone Age 
42. Erykah Badu 
43. Alabama Shakes 
44. D’Angelo 
45. Brandi Carlile 
46. Belle & Sebastian 
47. Black Eyed Peas
48. Billie Ellish
49. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings 
50. Yeah Yeah Yeahs
51. Mumford and Sons 
52. John Mayer. I Guess. 
53. Tame Impala 
54. Sigur Ros 
55. Sufjan Stevens
56. Lin Manuel Miranda 
57. Arianna Grande 
58. MIA
59. Muse 
60. Kacey Musgraves 
61. Danger Mouse 
62. Jennifer Lopez
63. Ed Sheeran 
64. Florence and the Machine 
65. Rhiannon Giddens 
66. The Weeknd 
67. Tedeschi Trucks Band 
68. The Strokes 
69. System of a Down
70. Miley Cyrus 
71. Arctic Monkeys 
72. Drive -By Truckers 
73. Pussy Riot
74. Old Crow Medicine Show 
75. Childish Gambino 
76. Christina Aguilera 
77. Franz Ferdinand 
78. Death Cab for Cutie 
79. OK Go
80. Pharrell Williams 
81. Bon Iver
82. Zac Brown Band 
83. Fleet Foxes 
84. Lorde 
85. Lizzo 
86. Against Me!
87. Harry Styles 
88. Sara Bareilles 
89. Adam Lambert
90. Sturgill Simpson 
91. Avril Lavigne 
92. Greta Van Fleet 
93. Sia   
94. The National
95. Fall Out Boy
96. Gary Clark, Jr.
97. The War on Drugs
98. Jars of Clay
99. Dua Lipa
100. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes 

Year Is Ending List Dump, pt. 2

No, I will not YIELD.

Anyway, here’s part 2 of my end-of-year compilations of lists. The first was on the top 100 already-inducted Rock Hall artists, here’s a simple list of my own Top 100 Rock Hall Prospects as they currently stand. This is not, in any way, intended to compete with my friend Nick’s ongoing Hall of Fame Prospects project on his blog- for which he is doing some excellent writing and fine analysis.

This list is a good demonstration of how my own ideas of what a qualified prospect is have changed through the years. Also, a good many of my original 100 have been inducted, and 3 or 4 years of newly-eligible prospects have shaped it as well. Soon, I’ll have pt. 3 up- my Top 100 future eligibles.

1. Kraftwerk
2. Carole King
3. LL Cool J
4. Judas Priest
5. Mariah Carey
6. The Smiths 
7. OutKast 
8. Smashing Pumpkins 
9. Big Mama Thornton 
10. Kool and the Gang 
11. The Spinners 
12. Dolly Parton 
13. Chic 
14. Monkees 
15. Weezer 
16. Eurythmics
17. Kate Bush
18. Duran Duran 
19. Willie Nelson
20. Sonic Youth
21. Pixies 
22. Todd Rundgren 
23. The Go-Gos
24. No Doubt
25. The B-52s 
26. Rage Against the Machine 
27. Weird Al Yankovic 
28. Iron Maiden
29. Beck 
30. Mary J Blige 
31. Pat Benatar 
32. Peter, Paul and Mary 
33. Jimmy Buffett 
34. Jethro Tull
35. Solo Tuna Turner 
36. Soundgarden 
37. Cher
38. Joy Division/New Order 
39. Dr. Dre
40. Dead Kennedys 
41. Dave Mathews Band 
42. War 
43. The Replacements 
44. Motörhead 
45. Big Star 
46. Ozzy 
47. Bjork 
48. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds 
49. Snoop Dogg
50. Black Flag
51. New York Dolls
52. Jane’s Addiction 
53. Salt N Pepa 
54. Toots and the Maytals 
55. Indigo Girls 
56. The Commodores 
57. TLC
58. Phish 
59. Selena 
60. The Shangri-Las
61. Dick Dale 
62. Peter Tosh 
63. A Tribe Called Quest
64. Tool 
65. Gloria Estefan 
66. Sleater-Kinney
67. Patti Labelle 
68. Wu-Tang Clan 
69. The Meters 
70. The Jam
71. PJ Harvey 
72. Dionne Warwick 
73. Chuck Willis 
74. The Pogues 
75. Tori Amos
76. Bikini Kill
77. Brian Eno
78. The Clovers 
79. Erik B and Rakim 
80. Flaming Lips
81. Los Lobos 
82. The Roots
83. Daft Punk
84. Sade 
85. Cliff Richard’s and The Shadows 
86. Sting 
87. Lucinda Williams 
88. The Buzzcocks 
89. Bad Brains
90. Harry Nilsson 
91. They Might Be Giants 
92. Aphex Twin 
93. Richard Thompson 
94. Emmylou Harris 
95. Johnny Burnette and the Rock’n’Roll Trio 
96. Pet Shop Boys
97. Siouxie and the Banshees
98. The Chicks 
99. Portishead 
100. Fela Kuti

Year Is Ending List Dump, pt. #1

I know I haven’t been on the Countdown as much as I would have liked to have been. I’ll make up for some lost time and give myself some space for the next big project (ranking the failed presidential candidates) by doing a series of lists and rankings to close out the year. The first is a three-parter centered around the Rock Hall. I’ll start with my list of the Top 100 acts currently in, and I’ll try to follow with an updated list of 100 prospects (eligible acts that aren’t in) and for the first time, my list of top 100 future eligibles. What are my criteria? Who the hell even knows anymore!

And now, a list that I’m sure won’t cause any disagreement or acrimony, the top 100 inducted acts:

1. The Beatles
2. Bob Dylan
3. James Brown & Famous Flames
4. The Rolling Stones
5. Bruce Springsteen
6. Aretha Franklin
7. Chuck Berry 
8. Elvis Presley 
9. Led Zeppelin 
10. Michael Jackson 
11. Prince 
12. The Beach Boys 
13. The Who
14. Marvin Gaye 
15. Jimi Hendrix 
16. Nirvana 
17. Elton John 
18. Stevie Wonder
19. Queen 
20. David Bowie 
21. U2
22. Bob Marley 
23. Johnny Cash 
24. Madonna 
25. Talking Heads 
26. Pink Floyd
27. The Clash 
28. Simon and Garfunkel 
29. Public Enemy 
30. Ramones
31. Black Sabbath 
32. Ray Charles 
33. Muddy Waters
34. The Police 
35. REM 
36. Radiohead
37. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers 
38. Otis Redding
39. Buddy Holly & the Crickets
40. Little Richard 
41. Tupac Shakur
42. The Band 
43. B. B. King
44. The Doors 
45. Sly and the Family Stone 
46. Metallica 
47. Velvet Underground 
48. Fleetwood Mac 
49. The Supremes 
50. Santana
51. Parliament/Funkadelic
52. Joni Mitchell 
53. Van Morrison
54. Aerosmith 
55. Janet Jackson
56. Sam Cooke 
57. Neil Young 
58. Allman Brothers Band 
59. Nina Simone 
60. Eagles
61. The Bee Gees 
62. Nine Inch Nails 
63. The Temptations
64. ABBA
65. The Kinks 
66. Whitney Houston
67. Elvis Costello & the Attractions
68. The Cure
69. Bo Diddley
70. AC/DC
71. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
72. Creedence Clearwater Revival
73. Fats Domino
74. Patti Smith 
75. Ike & Tina Turner
76. Crosby Stills & Nash
77. Run DMC 
78. Roy Orbison 
79. Van Halen 
80. Grateful Dead 
81. Genesis
82. Dire Straits 
83. Paul McCartney 
84. Alice Cooper
85. Heart
86. Guns N Roses
87. Peter Gabriel 
88. Ruth Brown
89. Green Day 
90. Red Hot Chili Peppers 
91. NWA
92. Hall and Oates 
93. Donna Summer 
94. Leonard Cohen 
95. Bobby Darin 
96. Blondie
97. Earth, Wind & Fire
98. The Stooges
99. Pretenders
100. The Cars

Biden cabinet predictions

Ah, crap! I forgot to post on here for a month. Since I’m fascinated with presidential cabinets, and previously posted my “wish list” or recommendations or whatever you want to call it, it’s time to delve more in the realm of the prognostic.

President-Elect Biden is slated to announce his first cabinet picks before Thanksgiving. Before this happens, I’ll post my predictions of who he will pick. Remember–this is me trying to “think like Biden,” and not my personal preferences for who will hold these offices.

State: Former NSA Susan Rice (gets bogged down in Senate) —> Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia

Treasury: Former Fed chair, Janet Yellen

Defense: Fmr. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, Michele Flournoy

Attorney General: Former acting attorney general, Sally Yates

Interior: Congresswoman from New Mexico, Deb Haaland 

Agriculture: Former senator from North Dakota, Heidi Heitkamp

Labor: Boston mayor, Marty Walsh

Commerce: Former governor of Ohio, John Kasich

HHS: Former surgeon general, Vivek Murthy 

HUD: Atlanta mayor, Keisha Lance-Bottoms

Transportation: Los Angeles mayor, Eric Garcetti 

Energy: Department of Energy physicist, Njema Frazier

Education: National Education Association president, Lily Eskelsen Garcia

Veterans Affairs: Former congressman from Maine, Michael Michaud 

Homeland Security: California attorney general, Xavier Beccara 

In the extremely unlikely event that I correct guessed all 15 cabinet picks, we would have a majority-female cabinet for the first time in U.S. history, and also its most diverse: two African-American women (Lance-Bottoms and Frazier), one South Asian-American (Murthy), three Latinx (Beccara, Garcia, and Garcetti), one Republican (Kasich), the first Native American in a cabinet seat (Haaland), and the first openly gay cabinet secretary (Michaud). I also like the regional diversity as well….New England gets some love with Walsh and Michaud, the South is very well represented with Lance-Bottoms, Yates, Kaine, and Murthy (who grew up in Miami). Kasich and Heitkamp represent the furthest western and eastern extents of the Midwest, California gets three people (Yellen, Beccara, and Garcetti), and the interior West is nailed down with Garcia (Utah) and Haaland (New Mexico).

I’m probably wildly wrong on almost all counts, but this is where I think things stand on 22 November.

If I Had a Ballot…(Rolling Stone 500 Albums Edition)

So Rolling Stone magazine, with little advance warning, dropped its updated list of 500 Albums a week ago. Truthfully, I don’t feel qualified to comment on it; there’s a LOT of albums on that list that I have not listed to, and my brainspace is occupied elsewhere at the moment. My understanding, though, is that everyone who was asked to vote on this project was given an opportunity to simply list 50 albums they wanted to be considered for this project.

Since I am an obscure, non-tenured faculty member at a merely above-average state university who doesn’t specialize academically in music, I was understandably not given a chance to contribute. But if I was, here’s the list I would have given them. These are not my candidates for the 50 Greatest Albums of All Time. Lots of great artists aren’t on my list because I was pretty confident that the Bowie-wanking, Bono-fellating, Springsteen-salad-tossing folks in Rolling Stone’s orbit had those bases covered. Nor are they my 50 favorite albums (my second favorite–Elton John’s Captain Fantastic–and my third favorite–Paul McCartney’s Flaming Pie–aren’t on the list.) Instead, these are the 50 albums whose prospects in the final ranking I wanted to boost– albums that I thought needed an advocate and deserved to either make the list or be ranked higher than they might otherwise have been.

1. A Tribe Called Quest- Midnight Marauders (1993)
2. Adele- 21 (2011)
3. Alabama Shakes- Sound & Color (2015)
4. Alicia Keyes- Songs in A Minor (2001)
5. Amy Winehouse- Back to Black (2006)
6. Aretha Franklin- Young, Gifted & Black (1972)
7. Beatles- Abbey Road (1969)
8. Beyonce- Lemonade (2016)
9. Brandi Carlile- The Story (2007)
10. Brian Eno: Ambient 1: Music for Airports (1978)
11. Carole King- Tapestry (1971)
12. Carolina Chocolate Drops- Genuine Negro Jig (2010)
13. Chicago- Chicago Transit Authority (1969)
14. Coldplay- X&Y (2005)
15. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young- Deja Vu (1970)
16. David Crosby- If I Could Only Remember My Name (1971)
17. De La Soul- 3 Feet High and Rising (1989)
18. Depeche Mode- Violator (1990)
19. Dire Straits- Making Movies (1980)
20. Drive-By Truckers- Southern Rock Opera (2001)
21. Elton John- Elton John (1970)
22. Eurythmics- Touch (1983)
23. Fairport Convention- Liege and Lief (1969)
24. Flaming Lips- Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002)
25. Jam- All Mod Cons (1978)
26. Janelle Monae- The Electric Lady (2013)
27. Janet Jackson- Control (1986)
28. Judas Priest- Killing Machine/Hell Bent for Leather (1978)
29. Kate Bush- The Kick Inside (1978)
30. Kraftwerk- Trans-Europe Express (1977)
31. Linda Ronstadt- Heart Like A Wheel (1974)
32. Left Banke- Walk Away Renée/Pretty Ballerina (1967)
33. Los Lobos- How Will the Wolf Survive? (1984)
34. Mumford & Sons- Sigh No More (2009)
35. Nina Simone- I Put a Spell On You (1965)
36. Otis Redding- The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul (1966)
37. Peter Gabriel- So (1986)
38. Pogues- If I Should Fall From Grace with God (1988)
39. Ray Charles- Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (1962)
40. Roots- Phrenology (2002)
41. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings: Give the People What They Want (2014)
42. Stevie Wonder- Innervisions (1973)
43. They Might Be Giants- Flood (1990)
44. TLC- Crazysexycool (1994)
45. Tool- Aenima (1996)
46. Van Halen- Van Halen (1978)
47. War- The World is a Ghetto (1972)
48. Wendy Carlos- Switched-on Bach (1968)
49. Yes- Fragile (1971)
50. Zombies- Odessey and Oracle (1968)