2012 Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame inductees announced

[Danny Tse]

Beastie Boys
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Laura Nyro
Donovan
Guns N' Roses
The Small Faces/The Faces

[shack]

Kind of a "ho hum" list. Nothing too exciting or too controversial...however I will say they are obviously stretching the criteria to find inductees. Think about it...are any of these REALLY HOF material? I could easily make a case against every one of them.

[heiney9]

Once again a band like Cheap Trick gets passed over. They are far more deserving and fit the criteria of "Hall of Fame" more than the Beastie Boys

Must be an Illinois thing, I guess like Ron Santo and his recent induction, maybe Cheap Trick members have to die before they get their recognition.

H9

[Obsession18]

The fact that RUSH once again was left off the list tells me the Hall of Shame is BS! The fact that ABBA is in the Hall backs up my point.

[Keiko]

The Beastie Boys. LOL!

They should rename it, The Rock n Roll Hall of Jokes.

[shack]

The fact that ABBA is in the Hall backs up my point.

Regardless of what your personal opinion may be of their music...the FACT that ABBA had record sales of over 300 million and is one of 8 artists to do so (all of which are in the HOF) says they deserve to be there. ABBA certainly has more "FAME" than Rush and had had more influence on music in general that Rush.

[heiney9]

I agree with Shack, but I also think Rush should be in as well, but not at the expense of ABBA.

IIRC, Abba is right up there with Led Zeppelin as far as being offered the highest amount of money to reunite and tour.

H9

[nooshinjohn]

This offer was made to ABBA a decade ago...

ABBA's Billion-Dollar Rejection
Wed., Feb. 2, 2000 5:35 PM PST by Julie Keller

"Mamma Mia" is right.
In perhaps the largest rejection in history, '70s Swedish pop group ABBA has turned down a $1 billion offer to reunite after 17 years.

"It's a hell of a lot of money to say no to, but we decided it wasn't for us," Benny Andersson, ex-leader of the four-member group, told Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet today.

The staggering offer came from an American-British consortium that reportedly wanted the group to reunite for 100 concerts and cash in on a recent revival of several of their hits. (Currently, the teen band A-Teens has covered "Mamma Mia" and "Gimme Gimme," and a musical based on several songs is a hit in London's West End.)

Anderson and bandmate Bjorn Ulvaeus both say the recent reincarnation of their music has been successful because the group never reunited.

"We have never made a comeback," Ulvaeus told the paper. "Almost everyone else has. I think there's a message in that."

The group--Andersson, Ulvaeus, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Faltskog--was founded in 1966 by Andersson. They shot to fame after winning a Eurovision song contest in 1974, endured years of internal conflict and officially disbanded in 1982 following the release of their final album, The Visitors.

Thanks to the smash success of hits like "Dancing Queen," "Knowing Me, Knowing You" and "Money Money Money," ABBA was he most commercially successful pop group of the 1970s. Regardless, $1 billion is a lot of freaking money.

Even the Beatles, the biggest band ever, was only offered a paltry $30 million in the mid '70s to reunite (though they never did).

And successful as they inevitably are, the fleeting reunion tours of Rock and Roll Hall of Famers never break the billion-dollar mark.

The Eagles' 1995 Hell Freezes Over reunion tour raked in relatively measly $61 million, and the just-launched Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young reunion--the group's first tour as a quartet since 1974--would have to sell lots of tickets (from $39 to $200 a pop) to be in ABBA's league .

The fact that RUSH and more than a few others are not there is just stupid, but yes... ABBA has earned their place and I appreciate the fact they stayed home when they could have cashed in on their legacy alone. They were not very good at stage shows back in the day, and I doubt they would be any better today.

[frdranger]

I agree with Shack on this.

In the mainstream there really aren't and truly epic, great rock artists/bands. Most of todays mainstream media is crowded and consists of pop and hip-hop. You really need to go underground to find the better rock bands of today.

[nspindel]

The fact that RUSH once again was left off the list tells me the Hall of Shame is BS! The fact that ABBA is in the Hall backs up my point.

I agree 100% with you on the fact that RUSH has been dissed for years for no apparent reason. You have the same trio going for over 30 years, consistently putting out great music and selling out tour after tour. I just don't get why they continue to be shunned by the hall of fame.

[zombie boy 2000]

The Beastie Boys. LOL!

They should rename it, The Rock n Roll Hall of Jokes.

Really? I think you should delve a little deeper into their catalog instead of just referencing "Fight for your Right" and other such nonsense. Most would agree that their influence and innovation are first-class. Just reference how many best-of lists Paul's Boutique finds itself on.

[nooshinjohn]

The Beatsie Boys suck straight up.


Word!

[heiney9]

I agree they had some level of influence, but at this point in time there are far more deserving artists that should get their due before the BB's.

[SolidSqual]

I'm actually shocked that 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G. aren't on this list.

[zombie boy 2000]

I agree they had some level of influence, but at this point in time there are far more deserving artists that should get their due before the BB's.

And that's a completely understandable concern. I just think too many people would easily dismiss the BB's as "just another rap group" - or even worse, "that group that did No Sleep til Brooklyn or Fight for Your Right" (both of which were ironic, novelty songs). Anyone who's given them a fair listen throughout their career would have to say otherwise.

[inspiredsports]

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame used to be pretty cool at inception, but I've long since let my charter membership run out.

I just wish they would stick to the purity of the words "Rock and Roll" when considering inductees.

I'm not positive what ABBA was, but I guarantee 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G. don't belong there.

[BlueFox]

What does Abba have to with Rock and Roll? Nothing. That is the problem with the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame". There are many in it who have nothing to do with Rock and Roll. But almost from the start they have been inducting groups who have nothing to do with Rock and Roll so as not to offend anyone. Fine, just don't call it Rock and Roll.

[chumlie]

Rush, Steve Miller, Grand Funk and on and on.

[heiney9]

What does Abba have to with Rock and Roll? Nothing. That is the problem with the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame". There are many in it who have nothing to do with Rock and Roll. But almost from the start they have been inducting groups who have nothing to do with Rock and Roll so as not to offend anyone. Fine, just don't call it Rock and Roll.

Are the Beastie Boys r-n-r?

Abba had great influence and the genere Rock n Roll spans lots of styles. Just because you don't define it as rock-n-roll doesn't mean it isn't to the larger population.

What is Rock n Roll? If that's the case than 60% of the members inducted should be kicked out.

H9

[shack]

What does Abba have to with Rock and Roll? Nothing. That is the problem with the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame". There are many in it who have nothing to do with Rock and Roll. But almost from the start they have been inducting groups who have nothing to do with Rock and Roll so as not to offend anyone. Fine, just don't call it Rock and Roll.

Is Michael Jackson R&R? Madonna? Johnny Cash? Nat King Cole? etc, etc, etc?

All are in the R&R HOF and all could be considered genres that are something other than what some purists consider R&R...be it pop, blues, R&B, country.

R&R has crossed all the boundries and is really all inclusive of everything mentioned above as well as things like jazz and rap.

There is no such thing as "pure" R&R...never was. It has always been a constant melding and morphing of different styles and genres and constantly evolving and changing. ABBA is as much R&R as Elvis... R&R defies labels...of course this is JMO.

[codyc1ark]

Beastie Boys? Platinum in the 80's, 90's, and 00's. How many bands can say they've done that? I agree that they are not a true rock band, but they do crossover into multiple genres. I don't see much of an argument against them being in HoF, but there are groups that should be in ahead of them.

[nspindel]

Well, if Platinum albums is the criteria, Rush have:



Fly By Night - Platinum, 1973
2112 - 3x Platinum, 1976
Farewell To Kings - Platinum, 1977
Hemispheres - Platinum, 1978
Permanent Waves - Platinum, 1980
Moving Pictures - 4x Platinum, 1981
Signals - Platinum, 1982
Grace Under Pressure - Platinum, 1984
Power Windows - Platinum, 1985
Roll The Bones - Platinum, 1991

Eight consecutive studio albums went Platinum in the US. Only two other bands have had more consecutive studio albums reach Platinum. Those two bands are The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.....

I'd list the gold albums, but my fingers are too tired.

[codyc1ark]

^ Nice.

My comment was pointing to going platinum in three decades, only a handfull of groups have done that to my knowlage, I may be wrong though, feel free to correct me. I'm with you though, I think they should be in the HoF as well. See below...

I don't see much of an argument against them being in HoF, but there are groups that should be in ahead of them.

[nspindel]

Oh, I'm not trying to accuse you of being argumentative. Just supportin' boys from up north. They have been ripped off for far too long. Over 40 million albums sold, and still going strong, yet they continue to be dissed by this hall of shame.

And they're obviously in that three decade platinum category!

[zombie boy 2000]

Rush fans are a lot like Red Sox fans. What the hell are you guys going to complain about when they finally are inducted?

[nspindel]

Well, if Platinum albums is the criteria, Rush have:



Fly By Night - Platinum, 1973
2112 - 3x Platinum, 1976
Farewell To Kings - Platinum, 1977
Hemispheres - Platinum, 1978
Permanent Waves - Platinum, 1980
Moving Pictures - 4x Platinum, 1981
Signals - Platinum, 1982
Grace Under Pressure - Platinum, 1984
Power Windows - Platinum, 1985
Roll The Bones - Platinum, 1991

Eight consecutive studio albums went Platinum in the US. Only two other bands have had more consecutive studio albums reach Platinum. Those two bands are The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.....

I'd list the gold albums, but my fingers are too tired.

And that's just the studio albums, and only the ones that went Platinum in the US. Forgot about live albums and compilations:

All The World's A Stage - Platinum, 1976
Archives - Platinum, 1978
Exit Stage Left - Platinum, 1982
Chronicles - 2x Platinum, 1990

In Canada (in addition to the albums that went Platinum in the US):

Hold Your Fire - Platinum, 1987
Presto - Platinum, 1989
A Show Of Hands - Platinum, 1989
Counterparts - Platinum, 1993
Different Stages - Platinum, 1998

And again, haven't even mentioned Gold, there are eight of those...

[nspindel]

Rush fans are a lot like Red Sox fans. What the hell are you guys going to complain about when they finally are inducted?

Oh believe me, I am NOTHING resembling a Red Sox fan

[nspindel]

Taken by me in my full-season seats when the Yankees won the World Series in 2009

[zombie boy 2000]

My bad. I assure you that I had not intended to strike such a low blow.

[nooshinjohn]

Attachment 63520

Taken by me in my full-season seats when the Yankees won the World Series in 2009

Do they supply kleenex up there in the nose-bleed sections? I saw my Twins win the '91 Series. Something special about being in seats watching your home team do good.