Yesterday, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced this year’s nominees for induction into the distinguished institution.
This 2022 list of nominees reads as follows,
Beck
Pat Benatar
Kate Bush
Devo
Dolly Parton
Duran Duran
Eminem
Eurythmics
Judas Priest
Fela Kuti
MC5
New York Dolls
Rage Against the Machine
Lionel Richie
Carly Simon
A Tribe Called Quest
Dionne Warwick
While many of this year’s nominees have been nominated in the past, there are a number of first-time artists on the list. These include Beck, Duran Duran, Lionel Richie, Eminem, A Tribe Called Quest, and Dolly Parton.
The final list of inductees will be revealed in May, amd the annual induction ceremony we be held in the Fall. The specific date and location of the induction ceromony has not been announced, and will purportedly be revealed at a later date.
The institution has faced criticism in the past for its selection process, with many citing the influence of industry politics as a significant factor in the final decisions. A widespread point of contention has also been the definition of the phrase “rock & roll” as it pertains to musical genre.
KISS bassist Gene Simmons has been highly critical of the hall in the past. In 2014, the year KISS was inducted, Simmons criticized the nomination of hip-hop pioneers N.W.A. alongside them. N.W.A. member Ice Cube responded to Simmons directly, stating that rock & roll was not a genre of music, but a spirit. Simmons himself fired back,
“Cube – I stand by my words. Respect NWA, but when Led Zep gets into Rap Hall of Fame, I will agree with your point.”
Artists become eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first commercial recording. Many criticisms have been levied at the decision to neglect inducting significant artists well past their eligibility date.
Controversial oversights have included acts such as Iron Maiden, Warren Zevon, Motorhead, and Ozzy Osbourne. Osbourne was inducted in 2006 as a member of Black Sabbath, but many feel that his highly successful career as a solo artist warrants a second induction. This practice is not uncommon, and artists such as Neil Young (Buffalo Springfield, solo,) Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters,) David Crosby (The Byrds, Crosby Stills & Nash,) Lou Reed (The Velvet Underground, solo,) and many others have seen multiple inductions over the years.
Seminal 90s band Rage Against the Machine has also been at the center of nomination controversy. Despite only having been nominated for induction this year, the band has been eligible for nomination since 2017, having released their self-titled debut album in 1992.
Never one to shy away from voicing his opinion, Gene Simmons also had much to say on this topic as recently as last year. Through Twitter, the bassist posted,
“Sadly, Rage Against The Machine shut out of RR Hall of Fame. The Hall should be ashamed of themselves….”
The singer also took the opportunity to give his thoughts on the exclusion of heavy metal pioneers Iron Maiden from the list of nominees, tweeting,
“RR Hall of Fame is a sham not to include Maiden. Disgusting!”
This year’s list of nominees satisfies a number of perceived oversights in past years, including MC5 and Judas Priest.
A comprehensive list of nominees and inductees throughout the years can be found at https://www.rockhall.com/inductees.