I watched last night’s 2022 Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which was shown on HBO (it actually happened back on Nov. 5th). It’s been many years since I’ve watched a program like this all the way through (three hours). Here are some takeaways:
(1) Yeah, even having a Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame seems contrary to the whole spirit of rock and rebellion. Moreover, the “rock n’ roll” genre is now blurred to the point of indistinction. I’m totally good with this — music/art/songwriting should *not* have borders or guardrails. Expanding the platform of R&R is a wise decision, and it’s good to see the RRHOF fostering broader inclusion into musical styles not considered as “rock” music, not to mention this is a smart business decision. Unless other genres of music and artists are included in the RRHOF, it risks fading from memory and becoming irrelevant.
(2) Interesting story told at the microphone by one of the honorees (Allen Grubman), arguably the top music lawyer in the country. First, I’m glad to see some non-musicians included in the full ceremony and given a chance to share their history. The contributions of non-performers are every bit as important as musicians (though critics can rightly argue giving more praise to the business side of the music industry only distances it more from its artistic roots). Anyway, sometime in the late 70s, Grubman was eating lunch at a Chinese restaurant with the late great Ahmet Erdoğan. The founder and head of Atlantic Records said, “there’s a baseball hall of fame, a football hall of fame — so, why not a rock n’ roll hall of fame?” And so, the RRHOF was conceived and four years later, was born. Grubman stood there onstage and said he never expected ordering Kung Pao chicken to end up looking like this.
(3) Pat Benatar really impressed me. I mean, everything about her. She was huge when I was growing up, one of the voices on the soundtrack of my youth. That said, I was never a Benatar fan. I don’t think I’ve ever bought one of her records, not that she isn’t talented, but she was so prominent on FM radio in the late 70s-early 80s, that you didn’t even need to buy her music to hear most of it. Like many things in life, once I learned more about the subject (her), my admiration increased exponentially. She married her guitarist Neil Giraldo (who was included in the official induction). The rocker couple has been married for 40+ years and has two children, and grandchildren, too. Pretty cool to be a kid and point to kickass Pat Benatar, who can still rock, and say — “that’s my grandmother.” Oh, and this will be the first of a few times you will read this line: What? Pat Benatar isn’t ALREADY in the RRHOF?
(4) Judas Priest was inducted, as well, which I didn’t know first formed as a band 54 years ago. I just didn’t realize they were practically in Rolling Stones territory so far as a lifetime timeline. Released in 1980, the album British Steel was to metal as “Rock Around the Clock” was to R&R. I also didn’t know Judas Priest introduced “the look” of metal — the leather jackets, studs, and motorbikes. I guess I just assumed it was always there, but according to the commentary from the ceremony last night, Judas Priest basically did all that and gave the music more than just the identity of sound, but also a sense of unapologetic presence. In his speech, lead singer Rob Halford (one of only two original members still with JP) talked about coming out as gay years ago, which was pretty shocking to metal culture when that happened given the demographic. Halford said some surprising things (to those who don’t know the culture), about how surprised and happy he was to be so openly and instantly accepted by metalheads, which outsiders might mistakenly think is homophobic. This was one of the pleasant surprises of the night (hearing that story about acceptance) in a night filled with pleasant surprises.
(5) Carly Simon finally got in, which brings me to the redux of the earlier comment: “What??? Carly Simon isn’t ALREADY in the RRHOF??? What a singer and songwriter! Simon was at the crossroads of the 70s singer-songwriter era, a one-woman dynamo responsible for the inspiration, writing, orchestration, lyrics, recording, and ultimately live performances of her music. The coolest story was Simon (on video) recalling that she was about to go out on a date, and she had about 45 minutes until he was about to pick her up (the date was with James Taylor, by the way). She decided — “let me use this time constructively, and write a song.” So, while waiting on a date with James Taylor, in just 45-minutes she wrote “Anticipation,” which many will remember became the soundtrack to a ketchup commercial. Loved hearing about that. Too bad Simon wasn’t present. She suffers from a really acute case of stage fright which has probably cost her a fortune since she could easily be a marquis headliner in las Vegas or sell out any world tour if she chose to record and perform live.
(6) Okay, now to Lionel Richie. Confession: Never been a fan. Syrupy songs. Way too milquetoast for my tastes. But — wow, what a velvety voice and what a golden career. Play the sound of my voice again: “What??? Lionel Richie isn’t ALREADY in the RRHOF???” That’s INSANE. Richie is up there with the all-time greats, easily Top 20, in every conceivable category: Overall record sales, The Commodores, a solo performer, philanthropy (he co-organized “We Are the World”), and a stellar songwriter (he’s written numerous hits for other artists). What has he sold–like 200 million records? Seriously, why wasn’t Richie inducted like 20 years ago? This is crazy.
(7) Shows like this can’t be considered truly memorable unless there’s some controversy. John Mellencamp provided it when he used his introduction of one of the inductees to call out anti-Semitism. That normally wouldn’t be considered an oddity, but the timing and placement of his remarks were somewhat misplaced (concern is–detracting from the honoree). Nonetheless, it was a message that REALLY needed to be blasted out because there’s a very vocal and ugly element within the music industry that’s doing some really bad shit, and echoing very dangerous messages, right now. Mellencamp received a standing ovation, which was awkward but also necessary. Someone needed to say it. A ceremony like this shouldn’t be entirely about feeling good and pretending. It can also be about confronting hard truths and taking a stand.
(7) Eminem was inducted. I don’t have much of a comment. I suppose he’s well-deserving for several reasons. Most insider music people consider him an icon, and a revolutionary force. Even people I wouldn’t normally associate with stereotypical Eminem fans have shared their intense feelings for his music, message, and style. Again, it’s never broken through for me. However, I’m very comfortable with others knowing far more than I do about a performer singing their praises. Maybe I’ll “get” Eminem and his music someday. I’d like to think I’m open-minded to it.
(8) Dolly Parton was the show stopper. That was to be expected. Initially, there were lots of raised eyebrows about picking Parton, known to most as a “country” singer-songwriter for inclusion in an institution known for rock n’ roll. She just didn’t fit. But upon greater reflection of her extensive 60-year career, her many talents, her extraordinary cross-generational and genre influences, and personification of the panoply of musical Americana, how can she NOT be inducted in the RRHOF? I was glad to see Parton change her mind a month ago, famously recalibrating her thoughts after saying something to the effect that “putting Dolly Parton in the rock hall of fame would be like putting AC/DC in the country hall of fame” (hey, there’s an idea!). Of course, Parton was perfect. Everything worked, and having her on the show, and inducted amongst so many great artists just makes perfect sense, like fitting the last elusive piece of a puzzle.
(9) I’ve always loved the Eurythmics. I had all their music in the 1980s, even though I rebelled against that genre of music at the time. The more I heard them, the more impressed I was, and even their non-hits were/are often better than the songs most of us know. Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart — such a perfect symbiosis of style and sound. New wave. But kinda’ rock, too. The look. A presence. It’s David Bowie, who lives in two bodies. Loved seeing The Edge (U2s guitarist) give the intro. He’s not usually a frontman, so that was a nice bonus for us U2 fans. And oh, one more time: “What??? The Eurythmics aren’t ALREADY in the RRHOF???
(10) Finally, I’m usually in the “keep them out” club. If there’s any question about an artist belonging, the answer should be a resounding — NO. Inducting marginal artists only cheapens the award and dilutes the honor. Once any Hall of Fame starts recognizing mediocrity, then greatness becomes irreverent. I could list dozens of such examples in sports. For instance, there are some acts that are hot topics for debate. If The Monkees are ever inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame, well, that’s the end for me. I’m done. I’d have no interest in watching or visiting. It’s just dead and buried to me. So, I hope the RRHOF keeps it real. Leaving this on a high note, I think every artist this year was well deserving. And, several honorees were long overdue.
Lots of fun. Learned a lot. Lots of great music and talent. Looking forward to next year.