Who Will Join Mr. Cliff in the Hall?

There are twelve artists nominated, and five traditionally make the cut. I believe Mr. Cliff will make it. I believe his influence is undeniable. Reggae is poorly represented in the hall, and Mr. Cliff should Join Bob Marley as the Jamaicans who have shaped this important genre. I think it will happen. We'll see, but I believe strongly.

So who from the nominating class will join Mr. Cliff. here are my predictions...

KISS- Hard to argue with their impact, even if they are artistically kind of iffy. They were the logical extension of the sort of things the New York Dolls did, though less effeminate. I saw them live when I was ten, and they were a great night of music for a kid who wanted to see it loud and dangerous. They have sold tons of records and always seem to have a final tour in the works

Genesis- Again, hard to argue with the impact. Some may argue they were better with Peter Gabriel as the theater-esque lead singer. But many also know them for their Phil Collins days. They managed to go from an art rock act to a sales force in pop music in the process. I think they earned their spot with a range that is impressive over the course of a career. It will be interesting to know what the voters think.

Red Hot Chili Peppers- I will be very happy to see them make it, and I think they will. Few bands have hung around long enough to be acknowledged for creating somewhat of a genre...but the Peppers put rock/funk into the CD player of a lot of white kids who had never heard Parliament Funkadelic. I saw them play a bar in Tuscaloosa, Alabama in 1985 in front of about 400 people. They were brilliant. They have survived the deaths of memebers, addiction and trends in music to be considered influential beyond whar most acts have done. Put them in. Adn perhaps Jason & The Scorchers for similar reasons one day.

The Stooges- It was once said of The Velvet Underground that the few people who bought their records all started bands. This is true of The Stooges. The force of what they did was undeniable. They could blister your ears with an energy that was rare then and now. This kind of powerful rock & roll deserves a place so that future generations will listen. Count me in for the Rockband version of The Stooges. That will scare the hell out of a lot of parents.

So who won't make it...this time- There are future votes, and some of these folks will get in eventually- ABBA, The Hollies, The Chantels, Darlene Love, The Chantels, Laura Nyro, Donna Summer

Best wishes to all of these artists. I have fond memories of some of them.

This is Mr. Cliff's year!!