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Tag: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

  • The 2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

    Until a couple years ago we all had to wait a couple months for HBO to broadcast the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (except the lucky few who actually attended the event). Then in 2023, Disney+ started streaming the event live and the telecast moved to New Year’s Day on ABC. Since I’m not a subscriber to Disney+, I taped the ABC show to avoid the commercials. This wasn’t one of the strongest classes of inductees, although super fans of the bands might disagree. It’s undeniable, however, that the telecast is a shadow of its former self.

    Here are the 2024 Inductees:

    Performer Category

    • Mary J. Blige
    • Cher
    • Dave Matthews
    • Foreigner
    • Peter Frampton
    • Kool & the Gang
    • Ozzy Osbourne
    • A Tribe Called Quest

    Musical Excellence Award

    • Jimmy Buffett
    • MC5
    • Dionne Warwick
    • Norman Whitfield

    Musical Influence Award

    • Alexis Korner
    • John Mayall
    • Big Mama Thornton

    A brief rundown…Dua Lipa started the show singing “Believe,” as Cher joined her shortly for a duet. (I’ll let you wrestle with the image of Dua Lipa and Cher opening the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony.) Zendaya took a quick break from movies and award shows to induct Cher. Rapper Chuck D inducted Kool & the Gang who can still throw a party with “Jungle Boogie” and “Celebration.” Sammy Hagar had the honors for Foreigner. The original band is no longer touring, so Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Slash, and Demi Lovato cranked out “Feels Like the First Time” and “Hot Blooded” while Kelly Clarkson took the lead on “I Want to Know What Love Is” with lead vocalist Lou Gramm. Dionne Warwick was inducted by Teyana Taylor (the actress who played her in the film biopic). Jennifer Hudson belted out “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” and “Walk on By” accompanied by Warwick who still showed some chops. Roger Daltrey took the podium for Peter Frampton who performed a sit-down “Do You Feel Like I Do” with Keith Urban, complete with dueling guitars and the talk box. James Taylor honored Jimmy Buffett and performed a sweet version of “Come Monday” with Kenny Chesney and Mac McAnally. Dave Chapelle heralded A Tribe Called Quest and Dr. Dre and Method Man welcomed Mary J. Blige. Ozzy sat in a black leather bat throne while Jack Black extolled the experience of discovering Ozzy as a young teenager. In what was easily the highlight of the evening for me, he spoke directly to today’s 13-year-olds, admonishing them first to put down their phones, followed by this wisdom, “Sure you could go stream Post Malone and Taylor Swift and get all the warm hugs you need for your broken hearts, or you can stay up all night and get your minds blown by Ozzy’s entire catalog for the first time.” Billy Idol, Chad Smith, Wolfgang Van Halen, and Jelly Roll collaborated on “Crazy Train” and “No More Tears.” For the closing act, super fan Julia Roberts gushed over Dave Matthews. As younger inductees, the full band was in good form on “Crash into Me,” “So Much to Say,” “Too Much,” and more.

    The ceremony typically runs about five hours. Over the years, the HBO telecasts ran three to four hours. Of course, that was uninterrupted time devoid of commercial breaks. ABC devoted a three-hour block for the event that with advertisements equals about 2:15. While the HBO program was always seamless, ABC’s was a choppy mess. Compounding the awful editing of the presented material was what was left out. I would have enjoyed a brief acknowledgement of the “godfather of British blues,” John Mayall. When I saw Tom Morello in the audience, I knew he could only be there to induct the highly influential MC5. Nope. At least not for us to see on network TV. The In Memoriam tribute also met the chopping block. A given of the ceremony since its inception is the all-star jam finale with the inductees gathering to perform a rock classic. It can be cheesy, but still a fitting communal conclusion for the evening. There wasn’t one this year, but Dave Matthews came back for an encore and played “Burning Down the House.” To see them covering the Talking Heads would have been pretty cool. But not to be on ABC.

    Well, there you have it, a little bit of everything – pop, country, rap, hip-hop, R&B, and oh yeah, rock and roll. The continual tilt away from rock, and now the diminished telecast, has me questioning my investment into the Rock Hall. But I’m a loyalist, especially when it comes to awards programs and the Hall of Fame ceremony has often uplifted me with its unifying spirit of rock and roll. So, I guess I need to sign up for Disney+ or just shut the f*&! up.

    2024 Nominees Who Will Have to Try Again: Daft Punk, Oasis, Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, Chaka Khan, Sonic Youth, Soundgarden, The Smiths, Joy Division, and Iron Maiden

    Trivia: Who was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice?

    Trivia: Who designed the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame building?

    Answers below

    Author (left) and friend at the Hall in 2007

    Answers: Stevie Nicks (Fleetwood Mac and solo) and I.M. Pei (designer of numerous monumental structures worldwide, most notably the glass-and-steel Louvre Museum pyramid)

  • Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2023 Induction Ceremony

    The Rock Hall continued moving on from old white guys to a more diverse group of artists and musical styles, exemplified no better than this year’s headline inductee, Missy Elliott (on the heels of last year’s Dolly Parton). Here’s a complete list of the 2023 inductees:

    • Performers: Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, George Michael, Willie Nelson, The Spinners, and Rage Against the Machine.
    • Musical Influence Award: DJ Kool Herc and Link Wray
    • Musical Excellence Award: Chaka Khan, Al Kooper, and Bernie Taupin
    • Ahmet Ertegun Award (non-performing industry professional): Don Cornelius

    For the first time, the Induction Ceremony was livestreamed (Disney+ on November 3rd). The telecast was also later than usual (New Years Day) and on ABC instead of the customary HBO. I know not everybody likes Awards shows, but this one, along with the Emmys and Oscars have always been on my radar. I usually discuss the Hall of Fame show chronologically, but this year I’m highlighting the good, the bad, and the mixed.

    The Good

    An unannounced Jimmy Page channeling Link Wray and shredding “Rumble.” Don’t recognize “Rumble?” You will when you listen to it. An iconic instrumental that Page played all the way through accompanied by standup bass and drums.

    Sheryl Crow – Inducted by good friend Laura Dern, joined by Peter Frampton and Stevie Nicks on “Everyday is a Winding Road,” singing “Crazy” with Willie Nelson, and joining Elton John, Chris Stapleton, and Brittany Howard on “The Weight,” in memory of Robbie Robertson.

    New Edition’s sweet performances of The Spinners‘ “I’ll Be Around” and “Could It Be That I’m Falling in Love.” The stage was transformed into Soul Train in tribute to Don Cornelius.

    Elton John performing “Tiny Dancer” as part of Bernie Taupin’s induction.

    The Bad

    No Super Jam: Although kind of forced and cheesy at times, the all-star finale is a longstanding tradition at the Hall of Fame. It’s a fitting conclusion to the evening that brings together the different sounds and styles for what is typically a feel-good sing-along number. (Over the years everything from “Green Onions” to “Rockin’ in the Free World.”) Last year Rob Halford, Simon Le Bon, Annie Lennox, Pat Benatar, and more accompanied Dolly on “Jolene.” Sheryl, Willie, Elton, Missy, Tom, and Chaka could have elevated any rock standard (and Jimmy, Stevie, and Peter were there hanging around, too).

    Adam Levine: I may have been inclined to give Levine a hard time after watching his awful performance on CNN’s New Year’s Live. But his lackluster take on “Faith” as part of George Michael’s induction doesn’t bode well for the future of Maroon 5.

    The Mixed – The No Shows

    I’ve never been a fan of the inductees who don’t bother to show up at the ceremony. Todd Rundgren and Mark Knopfler are two recent examples. Despite the problems they may have with the Rock Hall’s criteria, politics, or legitimacy, can’t they put that aside and accept what many musicians believe is the honor of a lifetime. If nothing else, why not show up for the fans that helped vote them in. There were two shows this year; 3/4 of Rage Against the Machine and Kate Bush.

    Rage Against the Machine. If you think (as I do more and more) that the Rock Hall doesn’t do blistering rock and roll anymore, look no further than these guys to dispel that notion. The best word I’ve come up with for them is incendiary. The full band would have burned the house down. So, thank you Tom Morello for at least being there and graciously accepting on your band’s behalf.

    Whereas the three members of Rage made their “no thanks” abundantly clear, we can’t say the same for Kate Bush. She didn’t say why she wasn’t there, and she expressed great thanks, humility, and love for her fellow inductees. She’s also notoriously reclusive and lives in England, so maybe I’ll give her a break. Big Boi of Outkast (huh?) inducted her and St. Vincent did another memorable performance at these ceremonies with “Running Up That Hill.” (Her “Lithium” as part of Nirvana’s induction in 2014 is worth checking out.)

    Trivia: Who was the first inductee into the Hall of Fame?

    Trivia #2: Who is the only artist to be inducted three times?

    Answers Below

    Here’s Jimmy Page inducting Link Wray and playing “Rumble.”

    Answers: Chuck Berry (inducted in 1986) and Eric Clapton (The Yardbirds, Cream, and solo)