The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2025 nominees were announced recently. They are Bad Company, The Black Crowes, Mariah Carey, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Billy Idol, Joy Division/New Order, Cyndi Lauper, Oasis, Outkast, Phish, Soundgarden, and The White Stripes. Nominees in italics are considered for the first time. Of course, it doesn’t matter, but I vote anyway; we get seven picks daily.
I’ve supported Joy Division/New Order (Love Will Tear Us Apart – Joy Division) and Cyndi Lauper (Time After Time) in the past, so I will again.
In 1970, I went to the movie theater with a bunch of my friends and watched Woodstock. It was a hypnotizing experience. Joe Cocker’s With A Little Help From My Friends performance was epic. Later, I bought the Mad Dogs and Englishman album. That’s a YES.
The White Stripes (We’re Going To Be Friends): I have the one album. I’m pulling for them because a friend of mine who worked in the music biz liked him and disliked folks who were schmucks. Frankly, I wish Jack White had gotten into that fuzzy category of musical excellence, which “shall be given to artists, musicians, songwriters, and producers whose originality and influence in creating music have had a dramatic impact on music.” He’s worthy because of his innovations and collaborations. He produced Loretta Lynn! His involvement in restoring and preserving deteriorating sound recordings on media is impressive. YES. BTW, a few days ago, I went to his Wikipedia page, and someone added: “He’s a bit racist…” and with no context (e.g., a citation). I removed it.
The Black Crowes (She Talks To Angels): The same friend worked well with this band. I have a couple of their albums. YES.
Mexican pop rock
Maná (Labios Compartidos): I had no idea who they are, and neither does much of the public. In the fan voting, at 11 pm EST on 2/15, The White Stripes were in next-to-last place with 23,000 votes, while Maná had fewer than 9,000. (Conversely, Phish had about 70,000, over 2,000 more than second-place Billy Idol.)
Wikipedia: Maná is a Mexican pop rock band formed in 1981… The band is considered one of the best-selling Latin Mexican music artists and the most successful Latin American band of all time with over 25 million records sold worldwide. Moreover, Maná has earned four Grammy Awards…” and a bunch of other accolades. Selva Negra Foundation (“Black Jungle Foundation”) is a foundation formed by Maná in 1995… they finance and support important projects aimed at protecting the environment.” I like their politics. Even though they’re unlikely to get in, that’s a YES.
My seventh vote goes to the group that started first, Bad Company (Shooting Star), in 1973, even though I own none of their music. If Jack White got in as a Musical Excellence, I’d support Billy Idol (Dancing With Myself); I don’t have any of his albums.
Twist
Chubby Checker (Let’s Twist Again): My buddy Johnny Bacardi wrote: “Genial fella… but what else did he do but endless variations on that one hit of a lifetime?” NO
I didn’t vote for Mariah Carey (Vision Of Love) last year because she uses her five-octave voice unnecessarily, to the music’s detriment. And I likely a bias against her seeming to co-opt Christmas every November 1.
Oasis (Don’t Look Back In Anger): I have the one album most people own. Frankly, I’m fascinated how some folks have gone gaga over their re-forming. Meh.
Outkast: I have one of their albums. Hey Ya is my first favorite song of the 21st century not performed by Johnny Cash. Not enough for me.
Phish (Bouncing Around the Room): They had a massive foolwing among my Grateful Dead friends. Never got into them.
Soundgarden (Black Hole Sun): a I have a couple cuts on a couple compilation albums. NO.
More musical excellence
I pull for John Prine and Warren Zevon, and I’d like to see more of the Wrecking Crew picked, particularly Carol Kaye, who created the bass line for Sonny and Cher’s The Beat Goes On in the studio. They should also pick Glen Campbell, a mighty guitarist, before having success as a singer.
I plug Estelle Axton, the co-founder of STAX Records, as I have been nagging about since 2015. As I noted, her brother, Jim Stewart, was inducted in 2002! My late friend Dustbury opined: ” So why is Stewart in the Hall and Axton not? Because Stewart, who couldn’t comprehend contract law, signed all those early Stax masters over to Atlantic, and at the Hall, Ahmet Ertegun sits at the right hand of God. Estelle, had she seen the paperwork, would have figured out the deal from day one.”
Estelle Axton for the ROCK HALL. Estelle Axton for the ROCK HALL. Oh, and Estelle Axton for the ROCK HALL.