About the 2026 Inductees, Matthew wrote:
The 60s induction is still pretty confusing. You have Dave Clark Five, The Young Rascals, then you have to ask why Tommy James & the Shondells, Steppenwolf, The Turtles, Paul Revere & the Raiders, and Herman's Hermits are not in? Their success at that time is comparable.
Probably it should be blamed on Little Steven, why he prefers some acts over the others. So yeah, DC5 and The Rascals were pushed in successfully when oldies still controlled the nomination and voting committee, and some of the others mostly won't be nominated because oldies are not as powerful as before. I could see most of the latter names being voted in if they were in the latter spots (DC5 or The Young Rascals).
Also have to mention that most of these acts are, of course, a tier below the A-tier acts of the 60s. And of course, some of this level (DC5, The Rascals) were pushed in at the right time, while some of them will be snubbed for no explainable reason. Then you will have, "Why are The Rascals in, but X/Y/Z... are not?"
Steppenwolf is probably the most arguable case among these acts. "Born to Be Wild" is probably the single most impactful hit among the songs of that group. They were also kind of pioneers of hard rock and heavy metal (not direct fathers of heavy metal). Yeah, I think they are the most deserving among that group.
Talking about Tommy James & the Shondells, I have always felt they were snubbed because they were not in New York or Los Angeles, that kind of more connected circle. They were a Michigan band, so yeah, they were isolated. That was probably part of the reason they were forgotten.
Also, talking about "influence", I do not see covering their songs and having a hit with them as "huge influence". Joan Jett and Billy Idol covered the songs and made them hits, but that was not decisive to their careers, especially for Billy Idol. Joan Jett had "I Love Rock n Roll" first, and the Tommy cover helped her maintain her success. Billy Idol had multiple other big hits before "Mony Mony".
You can still argue that Tommy James should be in. I won't totally disagree, and yes, he has a case. You have The Young Rascals and DC5 in, and Tommy James of course has a case compared to them. But it is not that much of a crime if he is not in. His songs were covered by future stars and became hits, but they were not that important to the style and sound of those future stars. He did not alter the music direction as Kate Bush or Bjork.
Realistically, yes, their case may be improved a bit, especially if Billy Idol says something good about Tommy at the ceremony or even invites Tommy on stage. That could be somewhat similar to how Def Leppard and Roxy Music's inductions reminded people of T. Rex.
How about The Monkees? The Monkees should be the single most deserving 60s snub. I know John Sykes has openly expressed his bias against them in interviews, but still, The Monkees are a better candidate than every other 60s rock act that is not in yet. |
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omar wrote: