If organizers of the Rock Hall Of Fame had their heads screwed on straight they would have realized that inducting too many artists each year would cause them to run out of credible candidates too soon. That timeline got even worse when so many of the groups that should have become the next generation of great Rock bands turned into roadside wreckage due to drugs, internal conflicts, a lack of sustainable talent or a combination of problems. Instead of reducing each year's crop of inductees, the Hall elected to start expanding the scope of music. If broadening the appeal boosted attendance we're not sure, but it sure has angered and alienated a lot of Rock fans to see Pop, Hip-Hop, Rap and Country, Jazz and Folk acts gain consideration and in many cases entry to the Hall ahead of acts most Rockers consider far more deserving.
Sadly, this year appears to be no different. No gripe that Heart, Joan Jett and the Small Faces are in contention - even if several more significant bands are not. We're okay with Blues Man Freddie King and Donovan. A case could be made for Guns N' Roses, even though the group imploded after only a couple of good albums and is now universally viewed as a modern version of Spinal Tap. We're lukewarm on Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beastie Boys, the Cure and Laura Nyro, but are willing to concede they deserve spots. But the idea that any one of them or this year's clearly unworthy nominees Donna Summer or the Rap duo Eric B & Rakim would get into the Hall before Bad Company, the Moody Blues, Rush, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Yes, Jethro Tull, Todd Rundgren and dozens of other acts is pathetic enough to make it easy to understand why the Hall seems so far off the mark to so many real Rock fans.
