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Nine Inch Nails, Smiths Fail to Make the Cut for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

In a development that I suspect troubles Trent Reznor and Morrissey not at all, neither Nine Inch Nails nor The Smiths were voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year. Neither did The Cars, Chaka Khan, Chic, The JB’s, Los Lobos, Yes or the Spinners. Instead, the voting went way over to the classic rock side–with one exception. See if you can pick it out in this list of inductees:

  • Chicago
  • Deep Purple
  • Steve Miller
  • Cheap Trick
  • NWA

From my position in the hecklers’ gallery, it appears that the RnRHoF voting committee was trying to counter criticisms that they’ve been snubbing commercial successful rock acts from the 70s who have since become staples of classic rock playlists. Okay, whatever. That means Journey has their hopes up. But to go with Steve Miller over Yes? That seems a bit…weird. It is, however, good to see that NWA has been acknowledged.

For whatever it’s worth, Chicago easily won the fan voting component with 37.7 million votes. In the end, though, the decision for who gets admitted to the club lies with the official voting committee.

The 31st Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will happen on Friday, April 8, at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn. HBO will be there to record everything and may or may not decide to show it in Canada. (Their record of broadcasting the show in Canada has been spotty in recent years.)

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 39997 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

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