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It's that time of year again, the list of those being enshrined in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF hereafter) has been released, and right on schedule, people are screaming about it. Why was this ban left off? Why was this artist who was never a rocker let in? People are never happy. But I don't care, because I've known from nearly the start that the RRHOF was going to be a shitshow of distinction.
There are two main reasons why. First of all, no one at the RRHOF bothered to define what they were honoring! What is rock music? Is disco rock, or an outgrowth of soul and funk? With no clear guidance, the RRHOF has inducted some people and acts that only brushed the edges of rock while having fine careers in other genres of music.
I know classifying music is a lot like defining porn, "I know it when I see it," but I think we can all agree that some of the acts added to the RRHOF simply don't belong there. It dilutes the brand to have Donna Summer celebrated for her achievements in rock music. She sings soul and disco! Those and other odd choices make it hard to understand how these selections are made.
Then there is my second, bigger point. I can explain it in one sentence:
The 1927 New York Yankees are not in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Considered perhaps the greatest team ever assembled, the '27 Yankees finished with a record of 110–44, winning their fifth pennant and finishing 19 games ahead of the Philadelphia Athletics and were tied for first or better for the whole season. In the World Series, they swept the Pittsburgh Pirates. This Yankees team is known for their feared lineup, which was nicknamed "Murderers' Row."
The 1927 Yankees batted .307, slugged .489, scored 975 runs, and outscored their opponents by a record 376 runs. Center fielder Earle Combs had a career-best year, batting .356 with 231 hits, left fielder Bob Meusel batted .337 with 103 RBIs, and second baseman Tony Lazzeri drove in 102 runs. Gehrig batted .373, with 218 hits, 52 doubles, 18 triples, 47 home runs, a then-record 175 RBIs, slugged at .765, and was voted A.L. MVP. Ruth amassed a .356 batting average, 164 RBIs, 158 runs scored, walked 137 times, and slugged .772. Most notably, his 60 home runs that year broke his own record and remained the Major League mark for 34 years until Roger Maris broke it by one with 61; however, this was done in a 162-game schedule, a fact that Commissioner Ford Frick wanted to be noted when the single-season home run record was to be referenced.
The 1927 Yankees pitching staff led the league in ERA at 3.20, and included Waite Hoyt, who went 22–7, which tied for the league lead, and Herb Pennock, who went 19–8. Wilcy Moore won 16 as a reliever. Three other Yankee pitchers had ERAs under 3.00 that season.
If you don't speak baseball, let me translate: they were fucking unstoppable. Even if you hate the Yankees, you have to admit that 1927 is a year the likes of which we may never see again. Yet the '27 Yankees aren't in Hall of Fame. Why is that?
Because the Baseball Hall of Fame inducts people, not teams. Of that storied team, six players were eventually enshrined in Cooperstown. Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Earle Combs, Tony Lazzeri, Waite Hoyt, and Herb Pennock. Know who isn't in the Hall of Fame? Cedric Durst, who as part of the team that year batted only .248 with almost no power.
Which is where the RRHOF blew it. Look at almost any rock band's Wikipedia page, and there will be a long list of former members. For example, The Doobie Brothers have a hugely complex history of people coming and going. If they were to be voted in, who exactly are you honoring? Willie Weeks? He was the bass player from 1980-82 and came back for about five minutes in 1993.
We saw this happen last year when KISS was inducted. For most people, KISS means those first ten years or so, with the original line-up. Do you realize that Mark St. John, who was with the band just long enough to record Animalize before being sacked, is technically in the RRHOF?.
If I were in charge, the rule would be people and people who played rock music as their main musical output. We'd have a jury to keep things tightly defined. There would be categories like Performer (everything you do to make music. Play, sing, whatever you are doing to make rock music,) Songwriter (if you were a regular contributor to the craft of building rock songs,) Producer (the skill or making the song come together in the studio,) and Influencer (those who helped rock grow without being directly part of the talent. The late Bill Graham would fit in this category, as would Alan Freed.) I'd also be open to nominating albums or moments for special awards. Queen's performance at LiveAid deserves to be in the Hall. Can you imagine a theater where you get to watch the ten greatest performances in rock history?
If they had done this, they still could have inducted bands by nominating and voting them in as a group. That way the Beatles come in, but Paul McCartney's plaque also lists Wings and his solo work.
That's my rant, hope you enjoyed it, and always remember . . .
LONG LIVE ROCK! BE IT DEAD OR ALIVE!
There are two main reasons why. First of all, no one at the RRHOF bothered to define what they were honoring! What is rock music? Is disco rock, or an outgrowth of soul and funk? With no clear guidance, the RRHOF has inducted some people and acts that only brushed the edges of rock while having fine careers in other genres of music.
I know classifying music is a lot like defining porn, "I know it when I see it," but I think we can all agree that some of the acts added to the RRHOF simply don't belong there. It dilutes the brand to have Donna Summer celebrated for her achievements in rock music. She sings soul and disco! Those and other odd choices make it hard to understand how these selections are made.
Then there is my second, bigger point. I can explain it in one sentence:
The 1927 New York Yankees are not in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Considered perhaps the greatest team ever assembled, the '27 Yankees finished with a record of 110–44, winning their fifth pennant and finishing 19 games ahead of the Philadelphia Athletics and were tied for first or better for the whole season. In the World Series, they swept the Pittsburgh Pirates. This Yankees team is known for their feared lineup, which was nicknamed "Murderers' Row."
The 1927 Yankees batted .307, slugged .489, scored 975 runs, and outscored their opponents by a record 376 runs. Center fielder Earle Combs had a career-best year, batting .356 with 231 hits, left fielder Bob Meusel batted .337 with 103 RBIs, and second baseman Tony Lazzeri drove in 102 runs. Gehrig batted .373, with 218 hits, 52 doubles, 18 triples, 47 home runs, a then-record 175 RBIs, slugged at .765, and was voted A.L. MVP. Ruth amassed a .356 batting average, 164 RBIs, 158 runs scored, walked 137 times, and slugged .772. Most notably, his 60 home runs that year broke his own record and remained the Major League mark for 34 years until Roger Maris broke it by one with 61; however, this was done in a 162-game schedule, a fact that Commissioner Ford Frick wanted to be noted when the single-season home run record was to be referenced.
The 1927 Yankees pitching staff led the league in ERA at 3.20, and included Waite Hoyt, who went 22–7, which tied for the league lead, and Herb Pennock, who went 19–8. Wilcy Moore won 16 as a reliever. Three other Yankee pitchers had ERAs under 3.00 that season.
If you don't speak baseball, let me translate: they were fucking unstoppable. Even if you hate the Yankees, you have to admit that 1927 is a year the likes of which we may never see again. Yet the '27 Yankees aren't in Hall of Fame. Why is that?
Because the Baseball Hall of Fame inducts people, not teams. Of that storied team, six players were eventually enshrined in Cooperstown. Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Earle Combs, Tony Lazzeri, Waite Hoyt, and Herb Pennock. Know who isn't in the Hall of Fame? Cedric Durst, who as part of the team that year batted only .248 with almost no power.
Which is where the RRHOF blew it. Look at almost any rock band's Wikipedia page, and there will be a long list of former members. For example, The Doobie Brothers have a hugely complex history of people coming and going. If they were to be voted in, who exactly are you honoring? Willie Weeks? He was the bass player from 1980-82 and came back for about five minutes in 1993.
We saw this happen last year when KISS was inducted. For most people, KISS means those first ten years or so, with the original line-up. Do you realize that Mark St. John, who was with the band just long enough to record Animalize before being sacked, is technically in the RRHOF?.
If I were in charge, the rule would be people and people who played rock music as their main musical output. We'd have a jury to keep things tightly defined. There would be categories like Performer (everything you do to make music. Play, sing, whatever you are doing to make rock music,) Songwriter (if you were a regular contributor to the craft of building rock songs,) Producer (the skill or making the song come together in the studio,) and Influencer (those who helped rock grow without being directly part of the talent. The late Bill Graham would fit in this category, as would Alan Freed.) I'd also be open to nominating albums or moments for special awards. Queen's performance at LiveAid deserves to be in the Hall. Can you imagine a theater where you get to watch the ten greatest performances in rock history?
If they had done this, they still could have inducted bands by nominating and voting them in as a group. That way the Beatles come in, but Paul McCartney's plaque also lists Wings and his solo work.
That's my rant, hope you enjoyed it, and always remember . . .
LONG LIVE ROCK! BE IT DEAD OR ALIVE!
