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The nominees list for the 2019 inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was released this week.
Below are the candidates, ranked in order of merit.
For background on the hall and its procedures, and all the previous inductees, clickhere.
This is the bands second year of eligibility.
I think they are a top-tier band, musically adventurous, and innovative in all sorts of ways.
I can still remember where I was the first time I heard Paranoid Android.
From the point of view of the organizers of the induction ceremony, this means one less big-ticket headliner.
Kraftwerk
The industrial Germanic sound is much favored in some critical conclaves.
Todd Rundgren
Rundgren is a consummate pop craftsman and yet still a rock artiste.
Rufus featuring Chaka Khan
Classy funk-pop outfit from the 1970s.
They kept at it and the world came to them and they ended up global superstars.
John Prine
Prine is a postmodern folkie with a minor critical corner.
That said, theres not that many great ones.
Whip It was a big novelty single and then the novelty wore off.
Leader Mark Mothersbaugh has gone on to do notable film soundtrack work.
Kick Out the Jams is quite a song.
And thats the bands career!
This is a minor band.
Rage Against the Machine
They rock very hard and who doesnt like Tom Morellos guitar playing?
I like Marxist rock as much as the next guy, but I want songs too.
Theres nothing wrong with that, but hacks dont belong in the rock hall of fame.
And even by a hacks standards, his smarmy hostings of the Grammys are pretty extreme.
We have to take them at their word.
(They need to be anadvocate, Peresman told me of the nominators.
They need to tell a story to sell to the others in the room.)
I spoke to one nominating committee member who said … No.
Theres a lot of support for Def Leppard in the group.
No one went [gagging sound].
There are some nominations where I think, You have got to be kidding me.
I didnt notice anybody cringing.
2019 could be Def Leppards year.
