Discussion: Rock-n-Roll Hall inductees, year 11

[SAT-I need more room!!]

1996

Performers

David Bowie
Gladys Knight and the Pips
Jefferson Airplane
Little Willie John
Pink Floyd
The Shirelles
The Velvet Underground

Early influences

Pete Seeger

Non-performers

Tom Donahue



Seven seems to be the magic nuber as this is the second of three years in a row that that many artists went in. This was kindof a lost year for me. I didn't hear much about who was going in beforehand, and this was the last year the ceremony WASN'T televised. I remember reading in Rolling Stone though that Madonna inducted Bowie with David Byrne and said he was "Fn' gorgeous". ICK. Not a Bowie fan at all, but I understand him going in. Maybe not this soon though. Gladys had a good sound, but I think she kinda got cocky at the ceremony, saying it took too long. Now if the Airplane in, and that's fine, and they eventually branched out to Starship, the later careers of artists like Chicago and Poco should not keep them out!! Little Willie John, I know was in the Rock era, and had hits like Fever (and Lennon thought enough of him to record Leave My Kitten Alone around 65), but I just question him going in. Floyd, a no brainer. I actually had forgotten about them going in before this. I had forgotten the Shirelles got in. Ok, so after the Supremes, they put in Martha and now the Shirelles. They did the same thing with the Invasion artists, but each had an unique sound. Did each of these groups? Velvet Underground I cannot understand. Them going in before so many others is appalling. I'd keep them out.

Good Pete Seeger went in-a forefather of folk.

[djdave]

Pretty much echo your sentiments, Adam. The Underground had that "banana" album in 1967 that many critics loved, but if they are in, so should Love and possibly Moby Grape.

[55dodger]

David Bowie - Not a huge fan, like his music. Belongs in the Hall, wouldn't throw him out of this group.
Gladys - Might the one I'd throw out of this group, belongs, but again, I'm not a fan.
Airplane - About time, three or four years late
Little Willie John - Good choice
Pink Floyd - Great choice
Shirelles - Would have put them in last year & Martha this year
Velvet Underground - Belongs, not this quick.
This would have been the year that the Moody Blues & Chicago should have been getting serious consideration. Still outside looking in. It will only get harder for them.

[Dawn]

A pretty good class overall. I absolutely agree with your reasoning about the Airplane/Chicago and Poco, and can't understand why it's taking so long for those latter two to be inducted. I would have waited a few years to induct the Velvet Underground - they were influential, but I think there are quite a few artists more deserving of their spot in this class.

[Pete70s]

Velvet Underground has always been a critics "darling", yet all my life I'd NEVER known ANYONE who'd owned one of their albums. About ten years ago, I picked up a CD out of curiosity, basically to see what the big deal was. I got on a kick for a couple of months where I was listening to them a lot. But now I realize I was really just buying into the hype. They weren't that good, "Sweet Jane" and a few other songs were OK, "Loaded" was a decent album, but not as earth-shattering as the critics want you to believe. Lou Reed is the most over-rated person in rock, I've come to that conclusion. One more reason to hate Rolling Stone, and the HOF...

[Triple J]

Can I just say this...

BOWIE RULES!!!

That is all.

[H2IZCOOL]

Never was a fan of Bowie, and honestly can't see the greatness.

I'd have put Gladys in at the same time as the Supremes (MUCH more body and depth to Gladys' sound compared to the Supremes, where everything sounded alike.) and certainly before Martha.

Airplane - yeah, they deserve it - maybe even for Surrealistic Pillow alone.

Little Willie John - Very good R&B singer. Love his version of Fever (by far the best, IMO). Had a couple other hits (I love Woe Is Me). But the Hall? No way.

Floyd - D'uh. Yeah!

Shirelles - Remember. They were The Original '60s Girl Group that all the others copied. Should have been in much earlier.

Velvet Underground? Lou Reed? You gotta be kidding me.

Pete Seeger - About time.

[lora]

Excellent list.