The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame just announced the 2020 class of inductees, and I thought it would be good to do a mini “deep dive” on this class by discussing the positives as well as the negatives. First, here are the list of inductees:
Whitney Houston
The Doobie Brothers
The Notorious B.I.G.
T. Rex
Depeche Mode
Nine Inch Nails
The recent Oscar nominations got a lot of people hot and bothered (including me. Check out my Endgame snub for best picture blog here). The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's induction announcement also created a firestorm of strong opinions.
What the Rock Hall got RIGHT
The first thing that needs to be said is that all the nominees (and subsequently all the inductees) are very deserving of being in the Hall of Fame.
This is one of the most diverse induction classes in Rock Hall history when you consider the type of music being included: pop, rap, hip hop, R&B, glam rock, electronic rock, and traditional rock. Recognizing so many different genres of music can only allow for more diversity going forward.
Whitney Houston represents this year's answer to one of the Hall's biggest criticisms: female inclusion. Whitney also makes a strong case for the pop genre to get more respect in upcoming years. Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails open a door for the electronic/industrial rock genres to get more consideration. The Notorious B.I.G. makes a strong statement for rap and hip hop just ahead of some other prominent artists being eligible in the coming years (Jay Z and Eminem specifically).
I know many are upset that an institution known as the "Rock and Roll" Hall of Fame is including artists and genres that maybe only barely intersect with rock on the most minuscule level.
I'd like to remind those people that Rock is composed of many different types of music (blues, country, R&B, folk, etc) and that a variety of artists have always been included. For example, Aretha Franklin was inducted in the second ever class as predominantly a R&B and gospel singer. Johnny Cash was piling up hits on country radio before his induction in 1992.
Personally, I'm thrilled to see the most influential, artistic, innovative, and talented artists be recognized for their amazing work.
What the Rock Hall got WRONG
I'll just get right to it. There is no way that Pat Benatar should have been snubbed from this 2020 class. She checks every box that voters should have: Rocker, Classic Rocker, Name Recognition, Song Recognition/Big Hits, Female. Having her and Whitney go in the same year just after Janet Jackson and Stevie Nicks were inducted (2019) would go a long way in squashing those "Rock Hall is sexist" complaints. The only reasonable explanation I have for her not being voted in is that voters assumed she'd be a lock and left her off the ballot to give love to other nominees.
The other big component to the Rock Hall induction process is the fan vote. This was installed in 2012 and the top vote leader has been inducted each year since...until now. Not only did the leader of this year’s fan vote, Dave Matthews Band, miss the cut, but four of the top five did as well. The Doobie Brothers, who were inducted, finished third in fan voting.
The Rock Hall openly states that the fan portion only counts as one vote among over one thousand total votes for induction. However, in the past seven years, the top leaders for the fan vote were inducted. In the eighth year, when the most total fan votes were cast, only the third place finisher, The Doobie Brothers, was inducted. No matter how you spin it, it’s not a great look for the Hall.
Possibly the same reason I used for Pat Benatar being snubbed applies here as well. Maybe Dave Matthews Band and Soundgarden split voters enough where neither one of them ended up being inducted.
I think a great solution here that could cool down some of the backlash would be taking a page from Major League Baseball and showing exactly what the percentages were of the total votes. For example if, let’s say, 75% of the vote is required to make the Hall, then how close was Pat Benatar? Was she on 74%, 60%, or below 50% of the total ballots? It would certainly add a much needed sense of transparency to the induction process that most fans (and maybe even other voters) would appreciate!
Overall, I think the Rock Hall is moving toward a more progressive future, and I'm excited to see what the nominations look like going forward.
If you like what you read, make sure to comment and share! Let me know if you'd like me to do deep dives on the inductees, including possible album reviews!
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