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.

Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame "As It Should Be" - 1997, Part Two

The following "Class of 1997" artists are worthy of consideration, but are unlikely to make it in any time soon:

10cc
Bette Midler
Eric Carmen and the Raspberries
Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes
Kim Carnes
Loggins & Messina
Neu!
Pete Townshend
The Blossoms
Triumvirat


The following "Class Of 1997" artists are worthy of induction, but may have to wait awhile for their turn:

Atlanta Rhythm Section
Big Star
Foghat
Hall & Oates
Peter Frampton
Richard Thompson


The following "Class Of 1997" artists are worthy of induction and will likely make it in the near future, but didn't quite make the cut this time around (*="ASAP" inductee status):

Blue Öyster Cult
Bonnie Raitt
Joe Walsh
Scorpions
Styx

Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame "As It Should Be" - 1997, Part One

The "Class Of 1997" is the weakest Hall Of Fame class so far, as only two members of the class are in the actual Hall Of Fame.


The following artists from the "Class of 1997" have been inducted into the actual RNR Hall Of Fame:

Billy Joel
Bonnie Raitt


The following artists from the "Class of 1997" have been removed from consideration from my hall:

Dan Fogelberg
Joan Armatrading

Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame "As It Should Be" - 1996, Part Three - The Inductees

Seven artists were inducted into the real Hall Of Fame in 1996. In my Hall, only four rookies were inducted in 1996, meaning that three artists who had been previously snubbed made it in this time around. At this point Deep Purple is the only "ASAP" nominee that has yet to make the Hall, though next year seems like a lock.


The following "Class Of 1996" were inducted in their first year of eligibility:

Black Sabbath - The best metal band between Zeppelin and Metallica, Black Sabbath were a decade ahead of their time with their intense black metal propelled forward by great vocal performances by lead singer Ozzy Osbourne and some of the greatest guitar solos of all-time.

Eric Clapton - Clapton has been involved in many bands that have received consideration for the Hall (Derek and the Dominoes, The Yardbirds, Blind Faith) and one that has been inducted (Cream), but he didn't become a legend until he topped all of those accomplishments off with an incredible solo career that started in the 70's and continues to this day. Clapton is one of the great figures of classic rock and his solo career has been one of the most successful in all of rock n roll.

Electric Light Orchestra - They're not in the actual Hall, but ELO is one of the greatest bands in all of classic rock, as they've adapted to several genres throughout their long career and always managed to stay interesting and maintain a high level of quality.

ZZ Top - The best boogie blues rock band of the 1970's, ZZ Top achieved a large following with their early albums only to explode with the Eliminator album in the early 80's. Their iconic images combined with creative videos and some of the band's best songs made the band one of the most unlikely heroes of the early days of MTV.


The following artists has been inducted into the Hall Of Fame in 1996:

The Steve Miller Band - They were never one of the most artistic bands of their era, but when it comes to making classic rock hits on a consistent basis, few were better. Since the songs were mostly of a high level of quality, I'm not about to discount the band because there were a lot of them.

Traffic - A classic rock band that has frequently been overlooked, Traffic was only together for a few albums, but they were hugely influential and made some of the most creative classic rock of the 1960's.

Leonard Cohen - Not much of a rock singer, but definitely one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th Century, Leonard Cohen's somber style and deep voice made him one of the most influential performers of his generation.

Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame "As It Should Be" - 1996, Part Two

The following "Class of 1996" artists are worthy of consideration, but are unlikely to make it in any time soon:

America
April Wine
Black Oak Arkansas
Dr. Hook
Faust
J.J. Cale
Mahavishnu Orchestra
Mudcrutch
Nazareth
Olivia Newton-John
Rory Gallagher
The Stylistics


The following "Class Of 1996" artists are worthy of induction, but may have to wait awhile for their turn:

Bill Withers
Budgie
Carly Simon
Fela Kuti
Gerry Rafferty
Little Feat
Sparks
Thin Lizzy


The following "Class Of 1996" artists are worthy of induction and will likely make it in the near future, but didn't quite make the cut this time around (*="ASAP" inductee status):

Curtis Mayfield
Earth, Wind & Fire
Kraftwerk
Meat Loaf
Parliament-Funkadelic
REO Speedwagon
Steve Winwood
The Doobie Brothers
War

Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame "As It Should Be" - 1996, Part One

1971 wasn't a great year for rock n roll with the exception of the R&B, funk and metal genres. Seven artists will be inducted, meaning that there will be some catch-up from previous years.


The following artists from the "Class of 1996" have been inducted into the actual RNR Hall Of Fame:

Parliament-Funkadelic
Curtis Mayfield
Earth, Wind & Fire
Eric Clapton
ZZ Top
Black Sabbath


The following artists from the "Class of 1996" have been removed from consideration from my hall:

Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen
England Dan and John Ford Coley
Robert Wyatt
The Osmonds
Yoko Ono

Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame "As It Should Be" - 1995, Part Three - The Inductees

Seven artists were inducted into the Hall Of Fame in 1995 and five members of the "Class Of 1995" made it into my Hall on their first try, opening the door for the top two previously snubbed artists from past years. There are still four "ASAP" inductees in the waiting line at this point.


The following "Class Of 1995" were inducted in their first year of eligibility:

Led Zeppelin - My personal favorite band and widely regarded as the greatest hard rock band of all-time, Led Zeppelin released a string of brilliant blues rock before branching off into heavier sounds in the mid-70's. Led Zeppelin was practically an all-star team with one of the best players in history at each of the four positions in the band.

Neil Young - One of the great songwriters of the classic rock era, Neil Young's protest songs were some of the most pointed and intelligent of the genre. He was also a brilliant songwriter in general, as some of his best songs were ballads and love songs. Neil is also widely credited as the Godfather of the Grunge movement, as many of the great bands of the 90's list him as a major influence, especially future inductees Pearl Jam.

The Allman Brothers Band - The Allman Brothers Band are one of the greatest blues rock bands of all-time and certainly the best of the Southern Rock genre. Unlike The Charlie Daniels Band or Lynyrd Skynyrd, the band didn't beat their status as Southerners into your head, but what they did bring to the table were amazing guiter players and great lyrics.

Crosby, Stills, Nash And Young - Another fantastic folk rock band that plowed into the mainstream in the wake of Bob Dylan's mid-60's success, Crosby, Stills, Nash and sometimes Young created some of the best songs of the late 60's, including the protest classic "Ohio" and the Woodstock favorite "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes".

Santana - Carlos Santana is one of the greatest guitarists of all-time and is most certainly among the most creative and influential. Santana has been his band for nearly 40 years now and while there have been downtimes, the band's prime in the late 60's and 70's featured some of the most dynamic work of the classic rock period.


The following artists has been inducted into the Hall Of Fame in 1995:

Genesis - The band was one of the more well-known bands in the early days of British prog rock when they were under the leadership of original frontman Peter Gabriel. Their music was bold and innovative if not particularly easy to listen to. In the early 1980's, Gabriel left for a solo career and Phil Collins took over the band, taking them in a more radio-friendly direction and churning out a long string of hits before the band broke up for good in the mid-90's.

Joni Mitchell - One of the greatest singer-songwriters of the classic rock era, Joni Mitchell had the lyrics of a poet and a sweet voice to deliver them with, carving out a tremendous legacy in the hippie days of the folk movement.