Earlier this month, I had the honor of convening the first in what I hope will be a regular feature on the Northumbrian Countdown. I gathered some of the most insightful Rock Hall bloggers, tweeters, and podcasters to hash out the 2019 ballot, and where the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame needs to go from here. This particular edition includes Joe Kwaczala of the Who Cares About the Rock Hall? podcast, Nick Bambach of the Celluloid & Records Repository, Michelle Bourg of the Iconic Rock Talk Show, Donnie Durham, and myself. Of course, there’s no shortage of other experts like Philip from Rock Hall Monitors, Tom Lane, Charles Crossley, and many others, and I hope we’ll get to benefit from their insights in future editions.
Alex: Well, let me thank you all for participating in the first-ever Rock Hall roundtable.
Michelle: Thanks for having it!
Nick: Thanks Alex!
Donnie: Thanks for inviting me to be a part.
Alex: Maybe we could just start off with a brief introduction of who we are, and what drew us to the Rock Hall?
Nick: My name is Nick and I have been interested in the HOF for 6 years or so. I knew about it my whole life and of its existence, but given it little thought I begun seriously reading/writing about the HOF since the 2013 ceremony (when Donna Summer and Public Enemy were inducted).
Alex: I’m a historian who teaches for an American university in Singapore. From upstate New York– grew up in the Adirondacks, and live in Rochester, NY when I’m home. Essentially, I found the Rock Hall by…hating it, I guess! I was a big Chicago fan when I was in high school, and I couldn’t understand how a group that was so manifestly amazing to me kept not getting in. But eventually, I discovered Future Rock Legends, and got into looking at the nominees, and the processes in a more nuanced and less fan boyish way.
Nick: FRL was my discovery to seriously discussing the HOF as well.
Donnie: My name is Donnie. I first came to know of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, when they did a traveling tour, and there was some memorabilia of that year’s inductees at my mall. That was around the same time when I started listening to classic rock radio regularly which started my heavy interest/obsession with music and music history. Within a few years I found chat boards about the Rock Hall and started following it from then on. I found the Future Rock Legends site around 2009 ish, and that’s when I started discussing the Rock Hall more with fellow music fans. I also began watching the Rock Hall ceremonies on VH1 when they aired (back when VH1 was awesome in the late 90’s/early 00’s. I believe the first ceremony I saw was the 1999 one. And I also attened the Rock Hall for the first time in 2001 with my Dad.
Michelle: I’m in Atlanta, grew up in Iowa. I think I also started following the Hall back in 2013 or early 2014. I’m an adult onset Cars fan, and I was trying to figure out how to help get them in; discovered it’s just an endlessly fascinating/maddening topic. Rock Hall Monitors was the first site I found, FRL after that. My first Hall visit was in ’99-I remember the dark, silent plaque room at the top of the pyramid. It was deserted.
Joe: I’m Joe Kwaczala. I’m a stand-up comedian and writer in Los Angeles but originally from Pittsburgh. I’m a big music fan and oddly enough, a list fan, so the Hall and the inductions grabbed my interest at an early age. I’ve been watching the induction ceremonies and having varying degrees of “paying attention” and “following it” since the 2001 ceremony. I started to get more deeply back into it around 2014 and now I host a podcast called “Who Cares About the Rock Hall?” where I discuss it in-depth on a weekly basis.
Donnie: It seems like 2013/2014 was the turning point for most here on the roundtable as far as following the Hall at a serious level.
Alex: Yeah, let me just take this time to say, Joe, that your podcast has fundamentally changed the game. I learned more about “the room where it happens” from the work you’ve done than I have in the last several years on my own.
Nick: A lot of it started with the debate with my father about why Public Enemy should in the HOF and I think hip-hop should definitely belong in the HOF. He had no problems with Donna Summer because that was part of his generation though.
Donnie: Yes Joe, your podcast has changed the game of Rock Hall fandom and information for sure.
Michelle: Definitely – the most recent one had some excellent insights into fandom and the Hall for people of color; I’d love to ask him some more questions about that.
Joe: Let’s be clear: I am nothing if not a true game-changer
Alex: Maybe we could start by just offering our quick hot takes on the 2019 ballot. Most of us have had an opportunity to do so in our own blogs or other forums, but what are your thoughts?
Nick: 2019 is a step in the right direction. I think there’s more of an emphasis on post-1980s bands and bands that influenced the 80s/90s (Roxy Music, Kraftwerk especially). I wish there were more women and people of color. It’s great to Janet back on the ballot and hopefully this is her year. Happy to see The Cure back on the ballot and excited to see they’re in the top five of the fan vote.
Joe: Thank you for the kind words, everyone. And I agree that our most recent guest, Gerrick Kennedy, should have a ballot, given that he’s an extremely-informed music journalist for a major newspaper, who also happens to be young and diverse (something the Hall is apparently trying to include more of within the voting ranks)
Donnie: As for my general thoughts on the Rock Hall ballot this year, I like that they went back down to 15 nominees. I think that makes for better chances of the nominees to be inducted, and the list isn’t as cluttered and bloated. Also if you’re gonna have 5-6 inductees, 19 nominees is just way too much as a counter to that, IMO.
Nick: And 19 is such a weird number.
Alex: Yeah, I think backing off the classic rock by a few notches was a good choice. It’s still likely that we’ll have a class that is heavy in that genre anyway, but as a ballot of 15 acts? Solid.
Donnie: I’m pretty happy for everyone on the ballot. Devo and Todd Rundgren were particular happy surprises for me as I think Devo is a pretty overlooked band, while Rundgren is a “Renaissance” type of musical artist in that he can do it all. Obviously stoked to see Janet and Kraftwerk return to the ballot. The only weak points I feel are Stevie Nicks and John Prine. Although I get why both are on the ballot.
Alex: Nick is right, though…my sense is that they stacked the deck to get Janet and Stevie a path in, but it shouldn’t take these machinations to create a diverse class.
Nick: Definitely a solid ballot; more of a ‘critic’s’ ballot, not populist as in the last half-decade or so. There are no guarantees/slam dunks on this list. Very exciting since the last few have been so predictable.
Donnie: Well with the way the voting body is now, thats unfortunately how it is until changes are made.
Michelle: This ballot could serve as a bellwether for the future: the NomCom looks to be actively trying to make a move and have crafted a ballot to do that while still having to serve the corporate overlords with the Def Lep inclusion. The HOF is being hoisted on its own petard w/the “voting by peers” concept: artists can be as provincial as fans can be (You all saw Nick’s encounter w/Terry Sylvester?), so they’re having to do some scrambling before they lose all relevance. They’ve built in a fail-safe in that they don’t audit the results, though.
Donnie: I forgot about Def Leppard. Sorry to everyone here, but I’m ecstatic to see they’re on the ballot and they should’ve been inducted long before Bon Jovi.
Alex: Right– literally the 7th most important Hollie has a ballot and ain’t voting for anyone who recorded after the mid-70s.
Nick: Who would’ve thought I’d ruffle some feathers with a HOFer thou lol? I stand by my viewpoint and think his comments should be questioned, confronted and critiqued.
Joe: I really like this ballot. A good mix of deserving returning artists and “long-time-coming” new ones. Glad the number is down to 15. Mostly I’m very glad we don’t have some of those classic rock acts that have been dominating the inductions of the most recent years. Not to say bands like Jethro Tull or The Doobie Brothers aren’t deserving, but I think after the years we’ve just had, there’s no rush with them. We played catch up in that category– let’s do the same in other genres that have been passed over.
Donnie: Agreed. That’s a major problem with the voting process.
Alex: Well, let’s talk about it– maybe the weirdest thing about the ballot is its awkward mix of super-populist (Def Leppard, Stevie) with critics’ favorites like MC5 and Kraftwerk. So– Def Leppard….deserving or not? Donnie’s a yes, I’m a firm no.
Donnie: I’m a firm yes on Def Leppard! I’ll let everyone state their thoughts before I’ll defend my stance on them.
Joe: I think Def Leppard is very deserving! We’ll probably be doing an episode soon, but if you look at my categories: Pyromania and Hysteria are two MONUMENTAL albums. Both made RS’s 500 (although Pyromania dropped off when they redid it in 2012.) Tons of recognizable songs– with great riffs, if I may add. The late Steve Clark was a genius at that kind of thing. Hugely popular. Relevant for over a decade. I think they were influential, although that influence has probably waned. My mom knows them.
Michelle: Agree completely Nick. I like Def Leppard, but I don’t see how music is different because of them.
Nick: They are part of the ‘Fame’ aspect of the HOF. Popularity and commercial success is definitely a factor in Def Leppard’s candidacy. 2 Diamond-selling records in the 80s warrants their place on the ballot. Add some arena anthems and they are probably the only lock from this year’s ballot. If Bon Jovi got in, why not Def Leppard?
Donnie: My viewpoint on what the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and any HOF for that matter, is that it needs to tell the entire story of it’s subject based on it’s inductions. Meaning the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame needs to represent all styles, eras and trends of rock music’s history. And that includes hair metal which was one of the defining genres of the 1980’s music scene, like it or not. And Def Leppard is the band that really kickstarted that whole era. Pyromania breaking through on MTV and the pop charts in 1983 kickstarted metal (for that time)’s rise to the pop charts. In their wake Motley Crue broke through, Quiet Riot, Twisted Sister, Ratt, Poison and Bon Jovi became hugely successful acts. And while all of that was going on, Def Leppard remained the biggest act of that style and in that era.
Nick: I’m not a big DL fan but I can see why they warrant serious consideration. But I fear what will come in the wake of a DL induction.
Michelle: Excellent points
Joe: Anything bad that comes in the wake of a Def Leppard induction is already happening in the wake of a Bon Jovi induction
Michelle: True that, Joe.
Nick: Bon Jovi’s induction can summed up in one of their best-known songs: Bad Medicine. It isn’t what we need for the HOF.
Alex: right…my one big problem last year was “now that Bon Jovi kicked that door open, who follows”? So– we seem to think Def Leppard is a lock (I agree with that)– best guesses for…let’s say a 5-artist class?
Joe: I think that it will be a six artist class this year, but if I have to pick just five, I’m going with Def Leppard, Stevie Nicks, Todd Rundgren, Radiohead, and Janet Jackson. My sixth (which should maybe be in the five) is The Zombies
Alex: Working on the assumption that even hall of fame voters don’t know who is or isn’t already in the hall, Stevie stands out. My best guess is Stevie, Def Leppard, Janet, Todd Rundgren, and Radiohead. Hey- we match, Joe! And I’d also have the Zombies pegged at #6. They are doing well in the fan vote, and who are those rogue Vandellas and Ventures going to vote for?
Donnie: You know what? I actually think Todd Rundgren is the biggest lock of the class. [He] is critically acclaimed, has produced and worked with many Hall of Famers, is among the top 5 in the Fan Vote, and is one of the few “classic rock” acts on the ballot. I see a good portion of the voting body, both the artists and current HOFers and critics/writers voting for him.
Nick: Janet Jackson, Roxy Music, Stevie Nicks, Def Leppard and The Zombies (LL Cool J for the 6th spot).
Joe: I hope we’re not being too optimistic (no pun intended) with Radiohead and Janet!
Alex: wow– predicting a second Radiohead snub, Nick!
Michelle: Hmmm…Def Lep, Stevie, Janet, Zombies, Radiohead. I could see Todd getting an Excellence nod. I guess I’m afraid to think one of my fave artists could be an FYE, LOL
Donnie: I really don’t see why everyone thinks Todd is going to get a Musical Excellence award. Enough people will vote for him straight away.
Joe: I mean if Radiohead got snubbed already, why couldn’t it happen again? I guess the other line of thinking is maybe people last year thought they were a lock so didn’t vote for them but definitely will this time.
Nick: I feel that Rundgren might get lost in the shuffle and plus he’s fought with a lot of musicians in the past. It could come down to pettiness. He’s not as much of a lock as I thought 3 weeks ago
Michelle: You’re probably right…maybe support for Radiohead is as soft as it looks in the fan vote. If the Hall wants a “water cooler moment” Janet can provide that for sure, and Beyoncé is just one of many names who’d line up to induct her.
Donnie: Look at the trends of the Voting Body the last few years, rock artists from the late 60’s, 70’s, early 80’s mostly get voted in. Todd is one of the few artists from that era on the ballot.
Nick: I think Roxy Music has a far better shot this year. Brian Eno and Bryan Ferry are very well known and they are much respected. More so than any artist this year, I’ve seen more support for Roxy Music. They are a sleeper pick, for sure.
Joe: Also, I brought up Roxy Music to Seymour Stein, Bob Merlis, and Andy Paley, and they were not very responsive. Then I think Bob said “What about Slade?” and then we moved on.
Michelle: Their response on the podcast to Roxy and the Pixies shocked me
Alex: Well, on that line, any ideas for special categories this year? I know Questlove is trying to get Don Cornelius in as a non-performer.
Donnie: I have plenty of ideas for Early Influences, but whether the Hall will actually use that category this year, is doubtful.
Nick: Someone NYC based. Rick Rubin if LL Cool J doesn’t get in.
Joe: Maybe some of those old names Seymour Stein brought up like The Clovers or Ivory Joe Hunter? Not likely but we know they’re in the mix with his backing
Nick: I don’t think there will be an EIs this year
Donnie: I think it’d be pretty cool for Janet to get inducted as a Performer, and then same year they induct Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam in the Non-Performers
Joe: If it’s Burt Bacharach, I’m taking full credit
Nick: Jimmy Iovine would be good too (Stevie Nicks connection). Plus have Dr. Dre induct him.
Donnie: But when it comes to the side categories, anyone after 1980 is pretty much a no-go for the Hall.
Alex: I still think Willie Nelson as Musical Excellence would be a great way to honor a good artist and gin up some ratings– but he could easily get into the Hall the old fashioned way if only they nominate him.
Donnie: I’d love to see the Clovers and Ivory Joe Hunter go in as Early Influences, in addition to Roy Brown, Wynonie Harris, Amos Milburn, Big Mama Thornton, etc.
Alex: Big Mama. Absolutely.
Joe: I also discussed with those guys Carol Kaye (oddly not much of a response) and then they brought up Glen Campbell (pretty good pick!)
Nick: Kaye’s omission is a travesty
Donnie: I’m pretty annoyed at how inconsistent the side categories have been for the Hall over the last 15 years. There’s so many names for the Non-Performers, Early Influences and Sidemen/Musical Excellence, it’s ridiculous.
Alex: one side thing I wondered if we could discuss– given Joe’s love of the Cure– when are we going to see those 80s alternative acts finally break the logjam. I think we all agree on the general worthiness of Depeche Mode, The Smiths, The Cure and others…when will we start seeing acts like that get in?
Joe: It’s happening soon. The Cure is going to get close and maybe even has an outside chance of getting inducted this year. The path is being cleared.
Donnie: I think it will be either the Cure or Depeche Mode that breaks the logjam
Nick: I thought the Eurythmics would be the first
Donnie: In Depeche Mode’s case there’s a lot of HOFers on the hard rock side that like them. Which I was very sad to see them not get in. They were the first group I ever really liked, so I have a soft spot for them to this day.
Nick: At this point, probably the Cure. I love DM so much and I think they would be in the top five on the fan ballot this year if nominated again.
Joe: They’re doing very well in the fan vote!
Alex: The Cure certainly have the “time and place” factor going for them. And they certainly burned fewer bridges than various members of the Smiths.
Michelle: Love DM…they should be in, but WHY THE HELL CAN’T KRAFTWERK GET ANY LOVE??? Can’t say I’m a fan, but I know they may have more influence than anyone else on that ballot.
Nick: Kraftwerk should get in too. It’s maddening their not in already.
Alex: Kraftwerk is probably the single most deserving snub.
Donnie: I have hardcore love for Kraftwerk, and they’re the most important band in music history not yet in the HOF. Unfortunately their importance on music is mostly on modern music, which most of the Voting Committee could care less about, so they don’t get the votes. Look at people like Terry Sylvester. You got plenty of voters that don’t think anything after 1970 mattered and Kraftwerk’s music is so imprinted on all aspects of modern music, so the old fuddy-duddies on the Voting Committee just don’t see how groundbreaking, innovative, and important Kraftwerk are.
Alex: So– trim down the voting rolls. #LondonCulling.
Joe: I have been told they are actively trying to make the voting body younger and more diverse!
Nick: I think we can also diagnose it as the ‘Little Steven’ problem too. Only 60s/70s artists aka his generation.
Michelle: Trim the voting rolls or add category choices like Tom Lane’s Veterans Committee.
Donnie: Their influence was massive on 80’s music, then in the 90’s more traditional music came in vogue (from an instrumentation perspective) so it seems like their music (electronic) would be an 80’s fad, then as the 2000’s and 2010’s came along everything became electronic-based. Now Kraftwerk is the most important act ever on modern music.
Joe: Kraftwerk is going to either have to wait a long time or be on a “weak” ballot
Nick: Part of Kraftwerk’s problem is history: voters have to remember this was groundbreaking in the early 70s. We take them for granted.
Donnie: But again, most of the Voting Body hasn’t listened to anything new since the 90’s, so to them Kraftwerk’s style was a fad or irrelevant.
Michelle: I’ve heard they’re trying to quietly modernize the voters too…but they’ll still publicly say it’s “peers” because it looks better. For once the lack of transparency could be a good thing if they’re using the power for good.
Donnie: I don’t think that’s the issue Nick. A lot of the voting committee is so old they don’t even care about Kraftwerk’s impact.
Alex: well…I hate to cut things short, but it’s 1 am here in southeast Asia and I have a class to teach at 8:30 in the morning– I wonder if we might conclude with some brief thoughts on where we want the Rock Hall to go in the next few years and call it a successful roundtable?
Nick: More women, Alternative artists, people of color and most importantly less classic rock. And more R&B and Soul.
Donnie: I would like to see the Hall finally break through and induct more 70’s/80’s R&B and 80’s/90’s music in general. However I don’t want them to shut the door on the 60’s and classic rock music. I think 1-2 60’s/70’s rock acts with 3-4 modern acts would be a good balance.
Alex: to answer my own question, I think they’ll have to figure out how to balance populism with its mission to commemorate and curate history without going too far either way.
Michelle: More women, people of colors (with POCs repped in Hall management), a move into alternative rock (although as a Boomer, I hold there are a few from my era that still deserve), a nod to worthy metal acts and more non-performers.
Donnie: But it’s time for the Hall to start moving forwards on the 80’s and 90’s. Just don’t forget The Monkees, the Zombies, T. Rex, Jethro Tull, the Doobie Brothers, Bad Company, and Pat Benatar.
Joe: In conclusion, excited to see if the Hall goes down the path that this ballot seems to indicate. I bet it will but I also bet we’re looking at least one Foreigner or other classic rock band every year until climate change kills us all. Hope we creep into the modern era more and see a more diverse array of artists!
The Northumbrian Countdown 
Nicks is the one a lot of people are predicting that has had her chances wane over the last couple weeks in my own mind. I think most of the voters ARE very aware of her being an inductee with Fleetwood Mac, and like Sting, the solo career won’t pass the smell test.
Benatar would have been more unique and had the Classic Rock radio credentials to boot.
I predicted a very white and rather progressive class over on FRL. Somebody wrote today about how it’s a shame that so many people are saying “The Zombies are the last worthy act from the 60s”…I think they’re confused that a lot of us are saying they are one of the last that are actually COMPETITIVE at getting inducted. I’d throw The Monkees in there, maybe MC5, eventually.
But there’s no way Mary Wells or The Marvelettes can get enough votes to be inducted. In fact, they don’t even have a case to earn ANYBODY’S vote on these modern ballots that are chock full of much, much bigger snubs. The Marvelettes, in particular, are a huge snub that could have easily been inducted had they actually been on the ballot in the days when R&B and girl groups were being inducted in droves, but I digress.
Anyway, The Zombies seem like a total lock given that there’s nobody in “their lane” on this ballot. And the fact that they keep getting nominated tells me that their vote totals have been consistently good year-to-year. This year they aren’t blocked by a wall of Classic Rock acts like the last few years.
After that, Def Leppard seems kind of inevitable. Bon Jovi got in, DL has classic rock cred and support from rock bands. The only thing you could say works against them is if some voters see them as more Judas Priest than Bon Jovi. Which, ironically, to us would make them WAY more worthy of induction than they actually are. The more voters that think of Hysteria instead of Pyromania, the better DL’s induction chances.
I really feel this is going to be a breakthrough for post-punk of sorts. Godfathers Roxy Music, era stalwarts The Cure and their offspring, Radiohead, all seem like they can get inducted in 2019.
It would be a total white class and I predict Rundgren’s industry support either makes him #6 or the Musical Excellence “winner”…and sorry to his fans, but he fits the latter category much better.
Chaka and LL Cool J help divide the “urban vote” and by that I mean the small share of the voters that actually are willing to vote for R&B/Hip Hop, thus hurting Janet’s chances.
My theory? This sliver can easily put their weight behind a Bill Withers or Tupac or Nina Simone and get a no-brainer past the post. But the acts that stall out clearly don’t have a chance. If they have absolutely ZERO chance at getting the votes of people that aren’t sympathetic to their music, then why would it make a difference who is on the ballot in the first place from one year to the next? Janet, Chaka and LL Cool J clearly are then seen as second tier R&B/Hip Hop acts among the voting body and there’s no reason that will change anytime soon. After all, if Chic couldn’t get in, why would these acts?
That said, I agree that the results are going to be completely unpredictable and that any act could be inducted or not inducted next month. A phenomenal ballot that gives us a glimpse at where the ballots SHOULD be headed going forward.
Geez. Had to come back here because, correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t Donna Summer the only R&B/Hip Hop name to get in after multiple tries in recent years? And that was right after her tragic death. I’m counting Hip Hop as being AFTER the induction of Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five as I believe every inducted act got in on their FIRST ballot after the Flash induction.
In other words, you are either considered a longtime snub and get in right away or you don’t get in at all. There might be ZERO evidence of R&B/Hip Hop acts even gaining momentum on their later ballot tries.
Nina Simone – 1st ballot
2Pac – 1st ballot
N.W.A. – 3rd ballot (Here is the exception. It happened right AFTER the movie.)
Bill Withers – 1st ballot
Albert King – 1st ballot (kind of fits for R&B)
Donna Summer – 5th ballot (after cancer death)
Darlene Love is pop. Just in case an argument ensues.
Jimmy Cliff – 1st ballot (kind of fits for R&B)
Bobby Womack – 1st ballot
Little Anthony & The Imperials – 1st ballot
Run DMC – 1st ballot
So, ignoring the Grandmaster Flash induction which literally broke down a wall, you have to go back to the O’Jays taking two ballots to get in while Buddy Guy and Percy Sledge were first ballot inductees that year.
So, only two acts (aided by deaths and a movie) have really been VOTED in from the Hip Hop/R&B-sphere in the last ten or so years when it was not their FIRST ballot appearance. If none of Chaka/LL/Janet get in this year, my theory will continue to hold.
Forgot to toss in Public Enemy. Beastie Boys are kind of their own thing. Their first ballot was a missed opportunity but only occurred a mere year after the Grandmaster Flash induction. It also would have meant inducting them years before their actual Hip Hop years had become eligible.
You are underestimating John Prine, and I realize it may be generational. Prine was responsible for epic work that helped process the travesty of the Vietnam War and our failure to deal properly with returning veterans: Illegal Smile; Sam Stone; Paradise; Angel From Montgomery. If he is not inducted this year, I bet he comes real close…the older musicians in the RHOF voting body will know and profoundly respect him.
I probably am underestimating him, but I’m still not seeing how he deserves an induction more than Warren Zevon or Kris Kristofferson or (please don’t hurt me) Dan Fogelberg. But I love the idea that someone like Prine can get nominated.
Here are my final and official predictions for this year’s inductees (if six):
1. The Cure (it’s past time for an 80’s alternative band to get in and they just celebrated their 40th anniversary this year, so I really think that if they get in this year, they would break the 80’s alternative logjam for sure, and I really think that it’s going to happen this year)
2. Def Leppard (this year’s fan vote winner and they are the only populist Classic Rock act that’s on the ballot this year so they are a shoo-in for induction this year)
3. Janet Jackson (she will be the token female representative this year plus she’s had a big comeback year this year with many awards including the Billboard Icon Award at the Billboard Music Awards, the Impact Award at the Radio Disney Music Awards, the Rock Star Award at the Black Girls Rock event, being named a BMI Icon at the BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards and more recently, being named a Global Icon at the MTV Europe Music Awards and also a big tour and other publicity this year as well, so I just think that it’s her time this year)
4. LL Cool J (his recent Kennedy Center Honor plus the ceremony’s back in NYC (his hometown) this year and he’s also the only Rap/Hip-Hop act on the ballot this year for the second year in a row, so I really think that it’s finally his year for induction this year)
5. Todd Rundgren (well-known singer-songwriter and record producer who is highly well-respected by his peers and he will go in right away just like Steve Miller, Jeff Lynne and Mark Knopfler)
6. The Zombies (it’s a less Classic Rock-heavy ballot this year and they are truly one of the last ’60s acts that really needs to go in, so I really think that it’s finally their year this year)
Wild Cards/Dark Horses:
1. Radiohead (in all reality, they should be a shoo-in, but they still have too much controversy from last year going for them and the Hall certainly doesn’t want a repeat of last year’s Dire Straits situation, so I think that their lack of enthusiasm and continued apathy towards the Hall will keep them out once again this year, Still, I think that they’re a Wild Card/Dark Horse this year in spite of everything)
2. Roxy Music (Brian Eno and Bryan Ferry are both highly well-respected in the music industry but the problem that I have with Roxy Music is because that they were more popular overseas than they were in America and because of that, they’ll be hurt by it and they are probably too British for the voters at this point, plus as shown with Eurythmics last year, being loved by many living inductees doesn’t guarantee an automatic induction and I’m kind of certain that not a lot of people know that Brian Eno was once a member of Roxy Music as well, they’ll get in eventually but I think that it will take them a couple of nominations before they get an induction, Still, like Radiohead, I think that they’re a Wild Card/Dark Horse this year as well)
As for the rest:
Devo, Kraftwerk, MC5, Rage Against The Machine and Rufus With Chaka Khan won’t get in this year but most of them (except for MC5 who are more likely to get inducted via the Singles category now) will get in at some point.
I really hope that everyone is wrong about Stevie Nicks getting inducted this year, I really hope that she gets passed over simply because I frankly don’t feel her solo career warrants a solo induction, plus she’s already in with Fleetwood Mac, so I’m not seeing how she merits a second induction and because of that, I simply don’t feel her solo career is that noteworthy for a second induction, plus I just can’t see the Hall inducting two female solo artists in the Performers category in the same year and Janet Jackson clearly has more momentum and support right now than Stevie and I would also rather see Carole King and Tina Turner become 2-time inductees more so than Stevie as well, so I really hope that she doesn’t get inducted on name recognition alone.
As for John Prine, I just don’t think that he deserves a Performer induction, so I really think that the Hall made a big mistake by nominating him as a Performer this year, he’s far more remembered for being a songwriter/composer, his nomination as a Performer this year does an injustice to other ’70s singer-songwriters that have not been nominated yet and were much more well-known, namely Willie Nelson, Warren Zevon, Harry Nilsson, Carly Simon, Jim Croce and Emmylou Harris. so he’s easily the most obscure artist on the ballot this year and with the possible exception of Bad Brains, maybe that the Hall has ever nominated, plus he just said in a interview with Billboard yesterday that he thinks that The Zombies should go in before him and I agree with him absolutely on it, so I really think that he’s more likely to get inducted either via the backdoor (either the Ahmet Ertegun Award for Lifetime Achievement (aka Non-Performer) or the Musicial Excellence category) for his songwriting, rather than get an induction as a Performer or get inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame first (he’s just been announced as a 2019 Songwriters Hall of Fame nominee).
So that’s why those six acts that I’m picking as my final and official predictions for this year’s inductees (if six) (The Cure, Def Leppard, Janet Jackson, LL Cool J, Todd Rundgren and The Zombies) are the ones that I feel very strongly about and that’s why I’m consistent on all of them as my final and official predictions for this year’s inductees (if six) and because of that, I’m sticking with all of them as my final and official predictions for this year’s inductees (if six) until this year’s inductees are announced and I really think that those six acts that I just mentioned (The Cure, Def Leppard, Janet Jackson, LL Cool J, Todd Rundgren and The Zombies) will be this year’s induction class (if six).
Those are my thoughts.
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