Rock Hall 2017: ELO, Journey, Pearl Jam, Tupac Shakur, Joan Baez, and Yes

[twonabomber]

Sure, Journey sold a lot of records, but are they influential?

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Joan Baez is one of five first-time nominees who will be going into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2017.

Eligible since the inaugural class was inducted in 1986 induction, the folk singer, activist and peer (and former lover) of inductee Bob Dylan is the biggest surprise in a group that will include Electric Light Orchestra, Journey, Pearl Jam, Tupac Shakur and Yes in the performer category, and Chic's Nile Rodgers in the non-performer award for musical excellence slot.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation CEO Joel Peresman on satellite radio station Sirius XM - a Rock Hall and induction ceremony sponsor - at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 20.

Eddie Vedder's Pearl Jam and Shakur both are going into the Rock Hall in their first year of eligibility, and their induction was pretty much expected, though the late rapper's enshrinement is likely to bring out the usual catcalls against hip-hop artists being installed in the Rock Hall.

Jeff Lynne's ELO, eligible since 1996, and Journey, which qualified for induction in 2000, are the other first-time nominees who will be enshrined in ceremonies at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on Friday, April 7.

Four of the inductees - Journey, ELO, Pearl Jam and Yes - finished in the top five in the Rock Hall's online fan balloting. Yes, the groundbreaking British prog-rock group, actually won the balloting last year, but was omitted from the inductees.

Rodgers is the face and brains behind the groove-creating disco-era band Chic, which itself was nominated for a record 11th time, but failed to gain entry.

Also missing the cut were Bad Brains, Chaka Khan, Depeche Mode, Jane's Addiction, Janet Jackson, the J. Geils Band, Joe Tex, Kraftwerk, MC5, Steppenwolf, the Cars and the Zombies.

Bad Brains, Depeche Mode and Steppenwolf also were first-time nominees.

The Rock Hall will announce the on-sale date and prices for tickets to the induction ceremony in January. At that time, the institution also will reveal prices for the simulcast that will be aired at the Rock Hall itself.

Rock Hall members - those who are currently members or who sign up before Dec. 31, 2016 - will be able to get tickets in advance of the public on-sale date. Information about those presales will be announced at a later date, the Rock Hall said.

Artists and bands become eligible for the Rock Hall 25 years after their first recording is released. A 29-member nominating committee that is chaired by public relations veteran Jon Landau and includes the Rock Hall's president and CEO, Greg Harris, chose the nominees. Among the others are Hall of Famers Steven Van Zandt of the E Street Band and Robbie Robertson of the Band.

The final choices were made by about 900 voters in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, including all living Rock Hall inductees and industry insiders, among them a few current and former music journalists.

[twonabomber]

I figured Depeche Mode would have gotten in. They have a new album coming out next year, and the Rock Hall loves inductees with something new to promote.

Tupac? meh.

Yes inductees will be Jon Anderson, Bill Bruford, Steve Howe, Trevor Rabin, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman, Alan White, and Tony Kaye. Trevor Horn was only on one album (Drama) and that must not count.

Journey: Jonathan Cain, Aynsley Dunbar, Steve Perry, Gregg Rolie, Neal Schon, Steve Smith, and Ross Valory. Cain had said he wanted his scab singer to be inducted, and the first thing I thought of was Simmons and Stanley calling for the induction of Thayer and Singer.

Pearl Jam: Jeff Ament, Matt Cameron, Stone Gossard, Dave Krusen, Mike McCready, and Eddie Vedder.

Glad to see Nile Rodgers get in for his production work.

I doubt the HBO telecast will be a ratings winner. I think we get the show here in 2018.

[FORD]

Figures that pussy Cain would get inducted with Journey, even though he's the one who ruined the band. I'd really like to see Gregg Rolie punch him right in the face on stage.

And if they can't perform live with Perry & Rolie in the band, then they shouldn't bother playing at all. Same with Yes, if they try to keep Jon Anderson off the stage.

Looks like Pearl Jam will be the only band nominated where the guys on stage are the same ones who played on most of the records. The only thing they ever changed was drummers, and ironically only found a "full time" drummer after Soundgarden broke up. (As far as I know, Matt still plays with both bands now that SG is back together).

Incidentally, Soundgarden should have been eligible before Pearl Jam. Their first record came out in 1987.

[FORD]

And is ELO even considered a band, or was this just a way for the music "establishment" to get Jeff Lynne inducted, since they all seem to love him so much?

[BITEYOASS]

No Motorhead?!?! Fuckin' bullshit!

[Mr. Vengeance]

Fucking Tupac but no MC5? Fucking joke HOF.

[twonabomber]

Yeah, MC5 way more influential. And obviously more rock and roll.

Some shitty writer for the Plain Dealer keeps bringing up Bon Jovi, and how many records they've sold. It's not supposed to be about sales, more about influence.

[twonabomber]

Rick Wakeman says he's not going:

Former Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman has spoke out on the band's upcoming induction into the 2017 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and revealed that "under no circumstances" would be taking part in the ceremony.

Wakeman and several members of the pioneering progressive rock group, including Jon Anderson, Bill Bruford, Steve Howe, Trevor Rabin, Alan White, Tony Kaye and the late Chris Squire will be honoured at an April ceremony in New York alongside Pearl Jam, Journey, Electric Light Orchestra, Joan Baez and Tupac Shakur.

Asked if he was pleased at the Rock Hall news, Wakeman said via his website: "Well I would have been if it had happened years ago when it was really well deserved. I find it hard to come to terms with the fact that so many bands are inducted into the Hall of Fame too late in their careers after key members have passed away. Classic examples are The Who and John Entwistle, Deep Purple and Jon Lord and now Yes and there will be no Chris Squire."

Regarding his plans for the event, Wakeman adds, "I have no idea if there will be any sort of reunion, but whatever happens under no circumstances will I be any part of it, neither will I be attending."

Wakeman joined Yes in 1971 for their fourth album, "Fragile", and served several short stints in the line-up before his final exit in 2004.

Yes were formed in London in in 1968 by Jon Anderson and Chris Squire. The band have seen many changes in their members and started out as a group who covered rock, pop, blues and jazz songs.

It was their change of direction into the world of progressive rock and art-rock that saw them make their mark.

The band have won many awards, topped music charts and now are set to receive the highest accolade as they get an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Rick Wakeman is the one member of the band who springs to mind when you mention the trailblazing group, it is a shame that he will miss out on being there to celebrate their hard work and determination in the world of music.

https://www.gigwise.com/news/108833/rick-wakeman-says-no-to-yes-hof-induction

Wakeman is wrong about the Who's induction. The Who were inducted in 1990, and Entwistle died in 2002. The first induction class was in 1986.

[DONNIEP]

Pearl Jam sucks and Tupac?? Gimme a freakin break. How in the hell are the Go Go's not on the damn list?? First all chick band to play their own instruments, write their own songs, and have a number one record. And the singer was hotter than hell!

[cadaverdog]

Sure, Journey sold a lot of records, but are they influential?

Is that a requirement? At least Journey's music somewhat meets the definition of rock and roll. Hard to believe Steppenwolf hasn't been inducted yet.

[twonabomber]

Is that a requirement?

Uh, yeah.

Besides demonstrating unquestionable musical excellence and talent, inductees will have had a significant impact on the development, evolution and preservation of rock & roll.

Sales and/or popularity aren't cited at all.

And before anyone else brings it up...that doesn't explain Tupac getting in. That's the HOF Foundation's decision.

[FORD]

Journey titled one of their albums "Evolution". Apparently that qualifies? (Though at least they made that record before the pussy Cain destroyed the band.)

[cadaverdog]

How in the hell are the Go Go's not on the damn list?? First all chick band to play their own instruments, write their own songs, and have a number one record. And the singer was hotter than hell!

The Go Go's sucked but they did write their own songs and played their own instruments. Belinda Carlisle (skinny version) was hot but the singer for The Bangles was way hotter. Chunky Belinda was kind of cute too but I know you don't dig fat chicks.

[twonabomber]

Journey titled one of their albums "Evolution". Apparently that qualifies? (Though at least they made that record before the pussy Cain destroyed the band.)

Journey's induction is kind of puzzling. They were never critical favorites, and those are the people on the HOF board making the decisions. They're from San Francisco, and I think Jann Wenner hates them. Kind of a token induction for the fans, I guess. But then there are Moody Blues and Jethro Tull fans crying for years that their favorite bands haven't been inducted.

Most of the big names are already in. We'll probably see a lot more of these "filler" induction classes from here on out. I'm still waiting for the New Wave acts to get in.

[FORD]

The Go Go's sucked but they did write their own songs and played their own instruments. Belinda Carlisle (skinny version) was hot but the singer for The Bangles was way hotter. Chunky Belinda was kind of cute too but I know you don't dig fat chicks.

The GoGos were better before they let the record labels soften them up too much. Belinda used to be in The Germs, for fucks sake. They should have stayed punk.