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Frankly, how could it not at this point?
Its time to move on, man.
Theyre definitely running out of geezers, one voter tells us.
Its long been embarrassing how few women are in, another voter explains.
Voter 1 has been an active voter for seven years and Voter 2 sits at five to six years.
Theres never been a better moment.
Mind you, that may not work.
Chic never got in including the year Nile Rodgers had a massive hit with Get Lucky.
I was grinding my teeth last year that season four ofStranger Thingsappeared two months after the voting period ended.
IfStranger Thingshad been on television earlier, I think she wouldve stood a really, really good chance.
Now I think she stands the best chance ever.
A better analogy might be with N.W.A.
It tookStraight Outta Comptonbeing a major film blockbuster for everybody to realize they deserved to be in.
Kate is my No.
1 priority before anyone else.
Think of the women at Lilith Fair or hitting the charts in the 90s.
Picture everyone from Tori Amos to Fiona Apple.
And its not just women.
Big Boi of OutKasthas spoken rapturouslyabout her influence on his music.
Maxwell turnedThis Womans Workinto a chart-topping R&B hit because of his love for Kate Bush.
She was a titan.
She brought a strange sensibility to rock by writing these sturdy and beautiful songs.
Kate Bush is the easiest pick.
They have to let in King Crimson.
They have, like, 60 people in the band.
Beyond that, its anybodys guess.
Whoever Robert Fripp is talking to this week is potentially eligible.
Its a free-for-all and I dont really give a fuck.
But yeah, King Crimsons got to be in there, and theyve got a decent shot.
Theres a big documentary about them.
They just celebrated their 50th anniversary.
I like prog and dont think its had fair representation.
I think Emerson, Lake & Palmer should be in there.
Theres room for more acknowledgement of prog.
The legacy lingers on.
I mean, without prog rock, there would be no Mars Volta, to pick just one example.
It filters into the culture.
Talk about a great recorded legacy thats influential and vital to the development of hip-hop.
Im not as offended about how the nominating committee has handled the genre as others are.
Its game theory by the nominating committee.
Theyre trying to clear a lane to ensure that, say, Jay-Z gets in on his first ballot.
OutKast and Missy, just like Eminem, are probably easier to sell, given their hitmaking stature.
Tribe never had crossover hits, per se.
Missy and OutKast absolutely pass that test.
Dionne Warwick
Voter 1:I really hope they keep trying with her.
You know what I think shes most underrated for?
Her vocal technique.Its singular and influential.
Shes the best soloist in We Are the World.
Because shes subtle; shes underrated.
She belongs in the lineage of rock and roll.
Also, I hate to say it, but: The woman is still alive.
Lets give her flowers while shes here.
Motorhead
Voter 2:Theyve belonged for a long time.
Its more than a 25-year span with those members.
Plus, if you induct Motorhead, its a guaranteed Dave Grohl induction speech.
Thats good for traffic and its good for ratings.
Lemmy Kilmister was the spirit animal of rock and roll for so many decades.
But there was never, in his entire life, a Me Too story about the dude.
He wrote songs with them and he performed with them.
He had tremendous respect for female rock and rollers.
I feel like thats an argument in his favor as well, in a weird way.
Iron Maiden
Voter 2:They let Judas Priest in,albeit through the side door.
So now theyve got to let Iron Maiden in.
They totally deserve it.
Theyre the best live act in metal and one of the best live acts in music, period.
Theyre playing arenas worldwide.
They slumped for a little while 20 years ago, but then they came back.
They have the greatest mascot slash symbol in rock history.
Everybody knows who Eddie is, and they have a bunch of genuinely great songs.
Can you imagine hearing The Number of the Beast at the induction ceremony?
Ive seen Maiden live five times.
They do an unbelievable show.
The Hall just has to acknowledge some metal.
I accept that Slayer is never going to make it in, as amazing as they were.
But yeah, Maiden, come on.
It blew my mind, and I was so happy.
I believe were at a point where George Michael can get the rock-and-roller respect he deserves.
Hes a great vocalist and a Phil Spectorlevel talent in the studio.
Go back and listen toFaith.The guy wrote and almost single-handedly recorded and produced that album entirely by himself.
Its packed with hits and indelible songs, as are his other albums.
He proved that he could do anything by himself.
Both ABBA the ultimate pop group and Madonna got in with their first ballots.
The Supremes didnt write their own material.
They didnt play instruments.
They were kind of Svengalied.
Yet they got into the Rock Hall on their first ballot and deservedly so.
Its not rocket science.
Fishbone
Voter 2: The best live band on the planet from 1985 to 1992.
They made at least two amazing albums:Truth and SoulandThe Reality of My Surroundings.
Theyre a secret influence on Black rock artists and plenty of R&B acts and rappers.
Theyre one of those bands that are not nearly as acknowledged as they should have been.
It was completely head-spinning to listen to their stuff.
Angelo Moore was one of the greatest front men to ever hit a stage.
Devo
Voter 1:Im a little ashamed of not voting for Devo in the past.
I thinktheyre influential and important.
I feel bad that theyre not in.
Devo is perceived as an MTV act even though they well predate the data pipe.
Theyre perceived as synth-poppers even though theyre fundamentally a guitar-rock act.
The way their guitarssoundlike synthesizers.
But its highly caffeinated guitar-rock.
People think theyre one-hit wonders.
Technically speaking, they are.
There are some hangups about the cultural footprint of Devo and what they stand for.
Because they wear flower pots on their heads, people think theyre gimmicky.
If you listen to the albums, whetherFreedom of ChoiceorQ.
Are We Not Men?
A: We Are Devo!, theres deep thought there.
Boomers should be advocating for them more, because they were formed out of the ashes of Kent State.
The backstory of Devo was that they were a hippie-protest act, effectively, without being hippies.
If you value protest, Devo deserves it.
Janes Addiction
Voter 2: This is somewhat controversial for a couple of reasons.
Perry Farrell pretty much invented alternative rock when he invented Lollapalooza, which was a genuine culture-shifting phenomenon.
That really was the feeling.
Janes Addiction brought all those people together under one umbrella.
But theres something that must be reckoned with.
If you dig a little below the surface, Perry Farrell is a creeper.
Theres a dark side to Janes Addiction beyond the rock-critic cliches of drugs and hedonism.
Thats a dark motherfucker.
But the cultural impact is undeniable.
So you take the good and the bad.
There would be no alternative nation without them.
Id call her a quintessential rock-era vocalist.
It kills me that shes been on the ballot so many times with no success.
Ice-T
Voter 2: I think Ice-T belongs there.
Body Count is a legit metal band and theyre great.
Hes a rock dude.
Ice-T has demonstrated a way to age gracefully that would not have occurred to a lot of people.
If you follow him on Twitter, hes fucking hilarious.
He offers profane wisdom, lets say, but its heartfelt and serious.
If you follow his career advice, you might actually not be steered wrong.
Hes not out there trying to sell people crypto.
Hes offering people advice on how to be a better person in the world.
Whats interesting is that he hasnt really softened his image in any way.
Okay, in the last year he has, because now hes doing Cheerios commercials.
Theyre like, I love Ice-T.
I want him to be in this ad.
Its not a question of him reaching out; its the culture that has come to him.
I can respect that.
If the culture comes to you, say yes.
