The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this past week announced the nominees for their 2019 induction. I know many will say, 'who cares! the RRHOF is a shame" and I would agree one hundred percent with you. There are many cool artists that still haven't gotten in and probably never will. In fact, I never wrote about last year's inductees at all (I wanted to , but never got around to it). I am indeed glad that in recent years, old favorites of mine like Chicago and Electric Light Orchestra and Yes made it in, and Bon Jovi (I was going to wrote a separate blog on why people either love or despise them, and still may do so) and The Moody Blues last year.
Of course, it's okay to at least talk about it somewhat, since this is a music blog. So, without further adieu, here are the official nominees for 2019:
- Def Leppard
- Devo
- Janet Jackson
- John Prine
- Kraftwerk
- LL Cool J
- MC5
- Radiohead
- Rage Against the Machine
- Roxy Music
- Rufus featuring Chaka Khan
- Stevie Nicks
- The Cure
- The Zombies
- Todd Rundgren
Far be it for me to decide who is worthy and who is not, especially since, like watching the Grammys or who tops the weekly charts, it's all about what *I* like, which is the reason why I started this blog altogether. I will go ahead and name my favorites in this list, not necessarily who will or who should get in.
Let's say that if I had to pick two artists, I'd go with (1) The Cure, and (2) Rufus featuring Chaka Khan.
The Cure was an awesome band (and I say "was" because in my opinion they haven't been much since 1998), and in their prime they rocked it. When Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, came out in 1986, there were some catchy singles playing on the radio from it that weren't like much of the stuff on the radio at that time. In fact, hey were responsible in part for me getting into alternative rock. "Just Like Heaven", 'Why Can't I Be You" and "Hot Hot Hot!" from that album was enough to do it. A friend back then was into it, and had an early 1979 compilation including the title track, "Boys Don't Cry" which I loved. 1989's Disintegration was one of my first CD purchases and contained "Fascination Street'" and their biggest hit, "Lovesong", which reached #2 on Billboard's Hot 100 as well as the same position on my year end list. It's been covered by 311 and Adele among others. 1992's "Wish" yielded a big favorite "High" (#2 on my year end list for '92), and the end-of-the week anthem "Friday I'm In Love". Another favorite, 1996's "Mint Car" (from Wild Mood Swings) capped off a great repertoire of music.
Rufus featuring Chaka Khan is another favorite of mine. While many people refer to this artist as "Chaka Khan", the band was very important as well. It had evolved form the late 1960's band The American Breed of "Bend Me, Shape Me" fame. And after the modest sales of the band's self-titled 1973 album, the band hit pay dirt the following year with "Tell Me Something Good". "You Got the Love" followed that, but by 1975 and '76 the band really started to cook with "Once You Get Started", a tour-de-force, and the sultry "Sweet Thing". While their popularity waned a bit after that, their music didn't. Some favorites of mine by then were "At Midnight (My Love Will Life You Up)" from 1977, it's sultry follow-up "Hollywood" and the equally sultry "Stay" from the following year being back so many memories. As does the chugger "Do You Love What You Feel" from 1979 and the capper, 1983's "Ain't Nobody". All these songs have had some memories brought back. And yes, Chaka solo was great too, but in my opinion her and the band were even more great together.
So, if I had to pick anyone else, who would it be? I'd go with Todd Rundgren next. He is a very underrated artist, and his contributions to music go far beyond performing. Beginning with the band Nazz, he then went solo with great songs like "I Saw the Light" and "Hello It's Me", a personal favorite "If Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference", and like the Cure's "Friday I'm In Love", an end-of-the week anthem "Bang The Drum All Day". You can add to that work as leader of the band Utopia who made inroads on its own. He was also a big producer, everything from Grand Funk Railroad (he produced both their #1 songs, "We're An American Band" and "The Locomotion", to Shaun Cassidy, Badfinger to Meat Loaf, Hall & Oates to Psychedelic Furs, and the Tubes, Cheap Trick and The New York Dolls. He also briefly formed the "New Cars" in the mid 2000's until Ric Ocasek got the original band back together. Great resume.
Others? Well, with the current success of EDM (electronic dance music), Kraftwerk needs recognition. I have their debut, Autobahn, and the follow-up Trans-Europe Express. They need a mention. Devo was a key new wave band, and those who say they were a one-hit wonder ("Whip It") are missing the point of this. Def Leppard was one of the biggest metal bands of the 1980's with two huge albums, and they, along with Bon Jovi were one of the few such bands to survive the end of the hair-metal era and into the age of grunge. Radiohead are one of those alternative "underground" bands whose presence is always visible. Roxy Music, the brainchild of innovative artist Bryan Ferry deserves consideration. Ditto with John Prine and MC5. Rage Against the Machine defined the rap-rock and nu-metal eras.
As for Janet Jackson? If Madonna got in, then definitely Ms. Jackson should get itas she is much more deserving; her string of hits encompassing almost 20 years continuously, should get a mention. While there is debate on whether hip hop artisst should be included, LL Cool J should get in as he predated the age of gangsta rap, and if N.W.A. and Public Enemy are in, then he should too. Finally, I'm on the fence with Stevie Nicks. She's already in with Fleetwood Mac, and she's had a big solo career, but her current situation with keeping former bandmate Lindsay Buckingham out of the band during their current tour doesn't sit right with with me. And sorry, Zombies fans, but I don't think that British band is worthy of the hall. Yes, they had hits like "She's Not There", "Tell Her No" and several years later "Time of the Season", and Rod Argent would also head up the band that bears his name in the early 1970's, but I don't think it's enough for consideration.
There you have it! What do you think?
THE CURRENT STATE: Donna Missal's "Keep Lying" holds the top spot for a fifth week, but, as the song still is not on any chart, it loses its bullet. Meanwhile, Elle King's "Shame", still bullets at #2 and closes the gap; the song also vaults to #1 on the Adult Album Alternative (Triple-A) chart, displacing "All My Friend" by The Revivals. That song still is gaining and moves to #4, ahead of the equally moving Real Estate and "Time". Any of these four can take the top spot next week. Nick Waterhouse gets his third top 10 as "Katchi", featuring Leon Bridges moves from 13 to 10. Meanwhile, Lucius gets its third top 20, Curtis Harding his second, Anna Calvi, her third, and Parquet Courts, its second.
Florence + the Machine as the big mover with "Patricia" 58-36, while debuts include The Essex Green, an indie rock/pop psychedelic band that has been around since 1997 (including a hiatus from 2006 to 2015) from the Brooklyn NY scene, with "Smith & 9th", a song I heard a few week ago at a friend's bonfire on the Internet station he had on, Snow Patrol, "Empress", the outfits first in awhile, and Sara Jaffe, Tash Sultana and popper Selena Gomez.
ALTERNATIVELY SPEAKING: This week marks the 30th anniversary of Billboard's Alternative Songs chart and there was a series of articles on the chart's history. I plan to talk more about this on my next blog. Until then, Happy Listening!
Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100
October 7,
2018
| This Week | Last Week | ARTIST-Title | Weeks on List |
| 1 | 1 | NUMBER ONE: 
"Keep Lying"
Album: This Time
(5 weeks at #1)
|
9 |
| 2 | 2 | Elle King - Shame | 8 |
| 3 | 3 | James Hunter Six - I Don't Wanna Be Without You | 7 |
| 4 | 5 | The Revivalists - All My Friends | 4 |
| 5 | 10 | Real Estate - Time | 4 |
| 6 | 4 | Shannon Marsyada - Tough Girl | 8 |
| 7 | 6 | King Princess - 1950 | 11 |
| 8 | 8 | The Kooks - Four Leaf Clover | 8 |
| 9 | 11 | Jeff Rosenstock - 9/10 | 7 |
| 10 | 13 | Nick Waterhouse f. Leon Bridges- Katchi | 5 |
| 11 | 14 | Spinn - Crazy For You | 8 |
| 12 | 7 | Weezer - Africa | 13 |
| 13 | 9 | Greta Van Fleet - When the Curtain Falls | 10 |
| 14 | 12 | Ed Sheeran - Happier | 8 |
| 15 | 19 | Lord Huron - Never Ever | 5 |
| 16 | 25 | TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:
"It's Not
Over"
(Single Only)
|
4 |
| 17 | 21 | Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats - A Little Honey | 13 |
| 18 | 22 | Lucius - Neighbors | 10 |
| 19 | 24 | Anna Calvi - Don't Beat The Girl Out of my Boy | 7 |
| 20 | 26 | Parquet Courts - Almost Had to Start | 6 |
|
|
Songs
with the greatest increase in favorite points over the prior week.
● Songs
with 25 or more plays on my iPod.
▲ Songs with 50 or more
plays on my iPod.
The “Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100” is a list
of current and recent song playlist which I am listening to.
No comments:
Post a Comment