ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME SABERMETRICS
There are two ways at looking at the annual announcement of the nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The first is the usual caterwauling about the Rock and Roll Hall of “Lame” and how come this band is nominated while this band isn’t or the famous misconception that only rock acts should be in the Hall. The second is being analytical about it and applying the equivalent of baseball’s sabermetrics to the new nominees.
The Hall has gotten it mostly right. The acts that need to be in are there. While the Hall has made some mistakes (Solomon Burke, The (Young) Rascals, Del Shannon, The Lovin Spoonful, Gene Pitney, Percy Sledge, The Dave Clark Five, Bobby Womack, and The Hollies) most of the inductees have made their marks on modern music. But the Rock Hall has major gaps in those hallowed has, mostly due to the nominations committees apparent disdain for progressive rock and metal. Metal fans are particularly outraged about the omission of icons like Kiss, Rush, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. While all those bands may or may not be deserving (okay, one of those bands is a massive oversight and another one is totally undeserving) the fans have a point. Discussion is needed and a more objective system can be used to show actual worth in music history.
There are 5 categories in which the nominees should be judged: longevity, musicianship, influence, album sales and artistic intent. Each of these are important facets to consider when judging whether an act is worthy.
LONGEVITY: This is the most straightforward category. Has an act been active and relevant for a fair amount of time? There are extremes on both sides. There are bands that have one album (yes, they’re still albums) in the Hall and bands that have been together for eons. This doesn’t count the “phantom bands” out there with one original member (I’m looking at you Steppenwolf). Twenty years is the benchmark. Longevity is not the most important factor, but it’s one that can mark another notch in the belt.
EXAMPLES: Aerosmith, The Allman Brothers, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
MUSICIANSHIP: This category boils down to how well can you sing? Play the guitar or drum? Are you considered one of the greatest of all time in your chosen field? Freddie Mercury is arguably one of the greatest singers in music history, but the rest of Queen weren’t slouches either. Songwriting is part of this classification as well. Bob Dylan receives negative points for his voice, but his catalogue contains many of the finest songs ever written.
EXAMPLES: The Who, Bob Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Bobby Darin
INFLUENCE: Are you a trend setter? Did a thousand bands get launched in your image? Did you create a movement? The Ramones and Sex Pistols set the world on fire in the Seventies and created a template that was followed for years. Would young Mick Jagger (I know, I know) ever sing without Buddy Holly? Would Keith Richards play the guitar without Chuck Berry? It’s easy to achieve immortality if you’ve left a footprint.
EXAMPLES: Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Sex Pistols, The Ramones
ALBUM SALES: Did you move copies? Are platinum albums being used as dinner plates in your house? Were you the biggest band in the world at some point? This is the most deceiving category since popularity doesn’t always translate to excellence. I’m sure that all those N’Sync fans would disagree with that statement, but in a country where there are McDonald’s on every corner, the best music can be ignored. In some cases, album sales do come along with brilliance. Those cases are usually the most important artists ever.
EXAMPLES: Elvis Presley, AC/DC, Madonna, U2, The Beatles, The Police, The Beach Boys, Michael Jackson
ARTISTIC INTENT: The question here boils down are you trying to color inside the lines or outside them? What are you trying to accomplish? Do you have big plans to get rich or to have the most avant-garde piece of music of all time? While being somewhat tied to influence, it doesn’t always go hand in hand. Is writing the ultimate love song so you can buy a new mansion? Or is it to paint a picture?
EXAMPLES: The Velvet Underground, Frank Zappa, The Talking Heads, The Clash, Steely Dan, Parliament-Funkadelic.
Stay tuned for part 2 where I analyze the upcoming nominees and a few others that are eligible but have been left out so far.
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