Caught Between the Scylla and Charybdis: This Week at the Rock Hall

Usually this time is the relative calm before the storm with regard to the Rock Hall: Predictions made, we’re just eagerly waiting for the ballot announcement.

But this week, things got lively early with the announcement that Jann Wenner is stepping down from his position as chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s board of directors effective January 1, 2020. He’ll be replaced by John Sykes, a current board member and president of Entertainment Enterprises at iHeartMedia. Sykes’ long resume includes slots as label president at Chrysalis Records, Chairman and CEO at Entercom (formerly Infinity Broadcasting), and president of new network development at MTV (which he co-founded), now Viacom Media, among others.

Change is on the horizon. One of the first things Sykes said he’s planning is to recast the board to include more women and people of color. He’s also mentioned the need for the museum to grow physically, something that’s already underway with a $35 million, 50,000-square-foot expansion that will include indoor event facilities. (He didn’t take the usual care to draw the line between museum and Foundation; proof how faint it really is).

Both of these steps are immensely positive and long overdue.

But I’m wary. Sykes is essentially a marketing guy. And when marketing takes control, the tail wags the dog. It takes a view from 30,000 feet before getting into the weeds to pick the low hanging fruit and reach out to leverage partnerships to maximize the brand for the target market segment. The brand, the brand, the brand.

He’s talked a lot about the Hall needing to evolve to stay relevant, and not being about any one genre, but instead a reflection of “a spirit that connects with young people.” All of this is true. And on the face, positive. We’ll see more women, more artists of color, more genres, if for no other reason than the optics.

But between the lines, what does it mean? The Hall definitely needs to connect with young people. But how are we defining young? The Hall’s already essentially signaled that it’s done with the 60s, and now the nail is in the coffin for the chances of artists like the Clovers, the Shangri-Las, Connie Francis, Link Wray, Dick Dale, and others still overlooked. Classic rock from the 70s will likely have a gasp or two still left, because Boomers (Disclaimer: my demo) have padded wallets and a strong sense of nostalgia. They’ll want to see Boston, Foreigner, and the Doobies. Will there be a rush to gloss over much of the 80s for even newer acts? We’ll have to see.

The induction ceremony and HBO broadcast of same has driven many of these decisions for a while. But with the announcement that it’ll now be broadcast live, that’ll be written in stone. The goal will be an “optimized viewer experience.” Future Rock Legends has already touched on this, but if the show can’t be cleaned up on the back end, it’ll be cleaned up on the front, with a controlled, scripted show that manageable as possible. Time is money people; classes will be five…or less! And you’ll know all the acts. You probably saw them on MTV. The Replacements, Bad Brains, Big Star, the Meters, John Prine? And non-performers? Oh, a temporary exhibit can take care of those.

Sykes also wants to do more in L.A, so shows may return there. It does have a choice of big venues and more predictable weather at the time of year the Hall wants to do this. Sorry, Cleveland. On the plus side, this probably really does mean the end of the singles category.

It’ll be interesting to see just how the NomCom responds to all of this, and how and why its makeup may change in the near future. It seems even more likely now that it’ll be sharing its role with the kiosks at the museum. Will acts like Prine and the Meters still even make it to the ballot?

This is a gut reaction. I know a lot of people won’t like it and will think it’s too pessimistic. I truly hope I’m wrong–God knows I don’t have the inside story. If I am, no one will be happier than I am. Sykes deserves a shot. It’ll take some time to know how everything will shake out, and there are those who’ll think it’s about time things happened this way. Time will tell.

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Against this backdrop, the “Who Cares About the Rock Hall?” podcast dropped its latest episode, featuring Seymour Stein, Bob Merlis, and Andy Paley. I was psyched – had the earbuds on as soon as I woke up Friday.

Boomer that I am, I was all “Right on!” when they were talking about not giving up on older artists. And then, at 33:40 in, the topic turned to inducting more women. Their immediate response was “Well, more women who really deserve it…let’s not be gratuitous about it.” Really. Well, of course we don’t want to be gratuitous about it. But you know damn well that the word is only used if you don’t believe the subject of the discussion is on an equal footing, if the consideration is some kind of charity. People complain about KISS and Bon Jovi and country and pop, but that’s the word used for women and music by artists of color. And it’s bullshit. Working with women or advocating for one or two here and there notwithstanding.

Interestingly Jann “Lame Duck” Wenner was quoted in the press this week – for the first time in forever – as saying “I don’t think that’s a real issue…musical achievements have got to be race-neutral and gender-neutral in terms of judging them.” Yes, absolutely. I personally haven’t been on board with the idea of an all-female ballot because I believe that too. But when less than 8 percent of your inductees are female and when people just accept it as SOP that multiple women or people of color (let alone multiple women of color) can’t get on the same ballot, there’s a problem. White and male is the default, and everyone else is a “special class” and including them is “gratuitous.”

The guys’ take on Pat Benatar was nonsensical and not worth going into, and Stein’s knee-jerk dismissal of Cyndi Lauper an unpleasant surprise, given that he’s worked with her, but I guess her resume doesn’t get her out of the “gratuitous” category. But their view of Tina Turner as nothing but Ike’s little sidekick was nothing short of stunning. Poor Kristen Studard did her best to push back with respect, but I think she was as shook as most of the rest of us.

I’ve been reminded that the discussion did turn to some names of women they did feel should get in, so yes, it wasn’t a blanket dismissal. But I stand by my take on the implications of automatically responding with the g-word to the proposal.

So here we are at the turning point. The past with its knowledge and its dismissal of anything unlike itself, and the future, with forward thinking as a marketing strategy. What a choice.

Reading the Tea Leaves: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Ballot Predictions 2019

Well now that the NomCom is actually meeting, time to stop pondering and get going!

This year’s list is an actual prediction (guess) list, although it never gets any easier. It’s easy to get paralyzed by the possibilities, so I find it’s easier to just go on feel rather than try to analyze the proclivities of who we know to be on the Committee. Looking at the lists published so far, there are some clear trends that have been bubbling under since last year, and more than one shows up here.

Critics like to jab at the number of inductees, but when you try to make any kind of list and keep it under 20 names, you realize how constricting it is. I think most of us still operate under the idea that there are limits for women, artists of color and genres outside the boundaries of classic rock, which just shouldn’t be. I went without an R&B, singer-songwriter, or alternative entry this time around, regretfully.

A few random thoughts: cynical as it may be, I don’t think the Hall is going to make significant concessions to the calls for more women on the ballot. I think that unless it affects attendance at the Museum, they’ll stay on the present course. I had four but cut Kate Bush at the 11^th hour and am down to three. I’ve been an advocate for Pat Benatar the past two years but I have to admit I think she’ll wait another year – maybe my dream of a duet with Kate Bush on at least a few bars of “Wuthering Heights” can stay alive.

That brings me to the subject of Cher. Which brings me to the topic of the kiosks. Gosh knows, I adore her. Have since I was 9 years old, which makes it…a really long time. She’s a goddess. If she’s nominated, I’ll send some votes her way. And I’d love to be there to witness her speech before the HBO standards and practices crew gets to. She’ll sell tickets, would likely show up and perform, and draw a big-name inductor. But on musical merit, so many artists deserve it more. This could be the litmus test for the role the kiosk vote will play in ballots going forward. Either way, there’ll be a discussion that deserves its own post.

Without further ado:

1. Todd Rundgren: He has a vociferous fan base (if you’ve seen him live, you know just how much) that buoyed him up in the fan vote last year, although it’s not clear how he did with his peers after an often-fractious career. He IS the individualist. But his recent tour underscored the breadth and depth of his body of work as well as his performing ability at age 71. His run-ins with his peers are more of an impediment than any grumpiness about the Hall, but hopefully that fan base can persuade him to play if inducted.
2. Nine Inch Nails: Trent Reznor hit all the right notes with his induction speech for the Cure this year, he’s an Ohioan, and the NomCom clearly wants him.  
3. Doobie Brothers: Can the Azoff lightning strike over two consecutive years? The Doobies are still active and sound good, and they’re clear favorites of the still-powerful Boomer demo.
4. Duran Duran: Yes, they were inductors just last year, but the Hall’s been on a Brit-centric tear, the band has a huge and enthusiastic fan base, and the band they inducted – Roxy – opened the door for them.
5. The Go-Go’s: They were my last-minute cut last year, but the buzz about them hasn’t diminished.
6. Chaka Khan: Janet’s in now. Questlove will beat the metaphorical drum; just hard to say if they’ll try again with Rufus or go with her as a solo. Either way, it’s time.
7. Motley Crue: I’ve been expecting them to show up on a ballot for a few years now, and now that Bon Jovi and Def Leppard are in, they’re a logical choice. They had the hits, and their crude behavior towards then-Elektra Records head Sylvia Rhone won’t hurt them, although it should. In this instance, the kiosk vote is gravy.
8. Kraftwerk: One of the Hall’s most egregious snubs, and the NomCom’s been trying to rectify it. They’ve had an every-other-year pattern, but they may just try to push it through this year.
9. Devo: Like NIN, native Ohioans, which could bode well for them.
10. T. Rex: Again, the Hall’s been on a run of British artists, and many of those who’ve gone in — as well as their American counterparts — have been upfront about their debt to this band. In their short career, they left a lasting mark and are one of the Hall’s top five –maybe top three – snubs. If they’re on, they’re in.
11. Cyndi Lauper: Her body of work more than stands up, and Seymour Stein was the executive producer for her 2016 country album, Detour. If the committee really does opt to focus on women, he could throw his influence behind her. I’ve been pushing for Pat Benatar for the past two years, but I think she’ll be a bridesmaid this year with a good shot at next year. Just as an aside, she featured prominently in the “Stay Tuned: Rock on TV” exhibit that just wrapped at the Museum and was on the cover of the visitor guide last year for the period covering Member Appreciation Day.
12. Rage Against the Machine: Third time will be the charm. Maybe as an inductee/NomCom member, Morello can advocate for Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Motorhead.
13. Depeche Mode: Chart hits, sales, longevity, and undeniable influence. It’s time. I’m probably overstressing the Hall’s recent Anglophile streak, but if it’s still in effect, it certainly can’t hurt. They may just have five additional votes on the committee in the members of Def Leppard, fans who’ve covered “Personal Jesus” andused the song as pre-show warmup. Is it realistic to think that Kraftwerk, NIN, and Depeche could all be on the same ballot, let alone class? Think of the all-star jam. That’s still a thing, right?
14. Notorious B.I.G.: An FYE, as they say on “Who Cares About the Rock Hall? You have to wonder though if LL Cool J’s moment is over. And when will it be ATCQ’s turn? Or Queen Latifah, Salt n’ Pepa, and MC Lyte?We shouldn’t have to feel that only one hip hop artist will make the ballot in a year, but it still feels like it’s a truism.
15. J. Geils Band: Let’s just get it over with already. They’ve got friends in high places and it just seems like this could be the year. They’re NOT without merit, and they’ll kick the ceremony into another gear, but it just seems like there are so many other artists that deserve to go in ahead of them.

If we do get a couple more names:

1. Bad Company: They score on the longevity, sales and chart hits fronts. But in truth, it would be a nod for Paul Rodgers’ career in toto, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. And again, Boomers.
2. Lionel Richie: I’ve had him on my long list for the past three years now, and really think he’ll show up at some point. While the Commodores scored their first Grammy without him, he has four of his own, is in the Songwriters Hall of Fame and is a Kennedy Center honoree. Not sure who’d go to bat for him on the Committee but he’d be well received at the ceremony.

There it is. On the core 15, eight returnees and seven newbies (eight and nine counting the extras). Who might make it from this list? Crue, Biggie, Duran², Chaka, and the Doobies, with Cyndi and NIN in there if we get a bumper class.

Here’s to a a great ballot!