Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame "As It Should Be" - 1997, Part Three - The Inductees

1997 was what I like to call a "clean-up" year for the Hall Of Fame. A weak class opens up the door for previously snubbed artists to take their rightful place in the Hall.

Seven artists were inducted into the real Hall in 1997. Three artists were inducted into my Hall in their first year of eligibility. There are no more "ASAP" inductees waiting until next year at this point.


The following "Class Of 1997" were inducted in their first year of eligibility:

Billy Joel - One of the greatest songwriters of the classic rock era, Billy Joel was a hit machine throughout the 70's and 80's, cranking out great music with tremendous popular appeal.

Lou Reed - The former lead singer of The Velvet Underground enjoyed a successful solo career, especially during his Berlin period. He's not in the actual hall yet for some reason, but he makes my list with no waiting.

Roxy Music - Roxy Music was a huge figure in the glam rock scene in the 1970's as well as being one of the earliest influences on the alternative rock genre. Their music was incredibly well-produced and made an iconic mark on the middle period of classic rock.


The following artists has been inducted into the Hall Of Fame in 1997:

Deep Purple - The last band from the "Class Of 1993"s "ASAP" list to make my Hall, Deep Purple were a tremendously influential band and one of the first heavy metal bands. Their "Smoke On The Water" is such a famous beat that it's traditionally the first riff that anyone practices on when they learn the guitar.

Alice Cooper - The master of shock-rock, Alice Cooper became a controversial figure in rock n roll because of his audacious lyrics and wild stage antics. The band's music was surprisingly well-written and represents some of the most interesting music of the classic rock era.

The Band - The Band was actually formed to back Bob Dylan in the early days of his career. After a few albums, they broke off on their own and had a short but significant career during the late 60's and early 70's, producing all-time classics like "The Weight" and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down".

Parliament-Funkadelic - George Clinton, Bootsy Collins and the rest of the P-Funk crew created some of the wildest and greatest funk music ever made with their separate and then collective outfits in the 70's.