I never really liked the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Even when I was young, I couldn’t help but totally despise this organization and all of the pseudo-ideals it represents. It always seemed to be an organization that cared more about who was most popular and mainstream, as opposed to most influential.
It never really resonated with me how groups like Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, the Moonglows, the Righteous Brothers and the Staple Sisters are in the Hall, but not Bon Jovi, the Smiths, Def Leppard or the Runaways.
This sort of unrestrained aggravation is shared among several rock critics and musicians, including historian Eddie Trunk, Metallica and Steve Miller — the latter two already inducted into the Hall.
Perhaps the most notable critic, however, would be the Sex Pistols, who refused to come to their own induction and referred to the Hall as “a piss stain” and “urine in wine.”
There’s no sign of it ending, either. Will it ever? Probably not.
Along with Cheap Trick, Deep Purple and Steve Miller, N.W.A. joined the inductees this year for the Hall.
This isn’t new. Rap groups like Public Enemy, Beastie Boys and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five are also notable previous inductees.
So what’s the problem? Well, despite the fact Kiss was inducted in 2014, Gene Simmons seems to be sour at the idea of a rap group being featured in the same organization as he is.
“I am looking forward to the death of rap,” Simmons said in a recent interview with Rolling Stone. “I’m looking forward to music coming back to lyrics and melody, instead of just talking.”
It’s probably safe to assume Simmons is suffering from Baby Boomer Entitlement Syndrome because I’m sure no one ever said anything like that about rock music.
Perhaps he thinks N.W.A. was only inducted because of the “Straight Outta Compton” movie, which made the band once more commercially successful.
Because, you know, I’m sure Simmons, a reality-television star and successful businessman, has never profited from commercialism.
Understandably, the former rap group didn’t appreciate these negative comments, so members Ice Cube and M.C. Ren called him out during their inductee acceptance speech last Friday.
“Hip-hop is here forever,” Ren said. “Get used to it.”
While I would absolutely love to attack pretty much anything Simmons says, as controversial and annoying as he can be, I can’t help but see the point Simmons is making: what constitutes rock and roll?
This is a question I have been pondering ever since I learned musicians like Madonna, Dusty Springfield and the Supremes were inducted in previous years.
At first, this made me sour because I figured inductees should only feature musicians that played, well, rock music. However, I then considered the term “rock and roll star” itself, which we as fans tend to use rather loosely.
A rock and roll star seems to be related to how beloved, explosive and ultimately memorable their lifestyles were. Hell, we even use it to refer to politicians and assassins. Maybe that’s why Jim Morrison referred to them as true “superstars.”
Cube probably defined the definition of rock and roll the best during his acceptance speech Friday.
“Rock ‘n roll is not just a musical style but a spirit that connects people, be they blues men or punk rockers,” Cube said. “Rock ‘n roll is not conforming to the people who came before you but creating your own path in music and in life.”
I won’t deny the Hall has its problems. I’ll be the first to argue against its very existence or necessity.
Less than 10 percent of inductees are female, and just a brief skimming of pop music history will tell you there isn’t that much of a scarcity in female-led acts.
I do think Jann Wenner, editor-in-chief of Rolling Stone and member of the Hall, is certainly biased in his choosing of certain inductees and may have even lobbied certain musicians in and out for consideration.
I won’t deny any of this. However, I can’t agree that the Hall is selling out just for being inclusive of other genres.
Rock and roll isn’t about discrimination or a pretentious behavior, after all. It’s about coming together with all the outcasts, lovers and dreamers to embrace a unique culture and play in our own bizarre Garden of Eden.
