2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominees Announced; KISS, Nirvana, Hall & Oates, Chic Gets a ‘Kiss on the List’
Next batch of Rock Hall nominees announced; includes KISS, Nirvana, Hall & Oates, Chic, Linda Ronstadt, Peter Gabriel
Daryl Hall & John Oates recorded “Kiss on My List” back in 1981, becoming their second No. 1 hit to take the Billboard Hot 100. More than thirty years later, the Grammy-winning duo, known for their amazing rack of ’80’s hits and sweet blend of pop and soul, earns a kiss from the board of directors at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when it was just announced that they landed on the list of nominees to be inducted into the coveted hall.
And appearing on that list of nominees is the flamboyant, costume-raging, tongue-wagging hard rock band KISS.
The reaction of the news has been pretty amazing over the choices for this year’s candidates. But some people naturally assumed that KISS, championed by their larger-than-life bass guitarist Gene Simmons, a band that transformed the face of hard rock and metal in the late-’70’s with big jams like “Rock and Roll All Night,” “Detroit Rock City” and “I Was Made for Loving You,” were already inducted into the hall. That bit of shock was also felt when Nirvana – the grunge band that featured Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl on drums and the late Kurt Cobain – was also announced. Many had assumed, because of their legacy to ’90’s rock, that they were already inducted. To be inducted or to be considered, according to house rule, an artist or band has to have at least 30 years of work on them. Nirvana only became eligible when they reached the age of consideration. Although their iconic major label debut, Nevermind, was released in 1991, they recorded indie albums for Seattle’s Sup Pop Records with their first single (“Love Buzz”) being released in 1988. That would then make them eligible for nomination.
The eleven-time Grammy-winning Linda Ronstadt, best known for her iconic No. 1 hit “You’re No Good,” also learned that she, along with former Genesis singer and prog rock icon Peter Gabriel (“Sledgehammer, “Shock the Monkey”), were also on the list.
Amazingly, half of that potential Class of 2014 – Peter Gabriel, Hall and Oates, Nirvana, Link Wray, the Replacements, Linda Ronstadt,Yes and the Zombies – are first-timers on the ballot. Disco band Chic, believe it or not, has been on the nominee list seven times in the past. But the band, fronted by guitarist wiz/producer Nile Rodgers, may have a shot this year. After Donna Summer entered into the hall last year (posthumously), the idea that more disco-related acts can make the grade seems possible. Recently, Rodgers’ popularity has surged well beyond the norm thanks to his association with hitmakers like Daft Punk, Avicii and Adam Lambert.
Here’s a list of the other nominees to rock the nomination poll (along with some important factoids):
The Replacements (American rock band, pioneers of alt-rock, featured Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson)
Yes (prog rock favorite, English rock band, known for their No. 1 pop hit “Owner of a Lonely Heart”)
Link Wray (Rock and roll guitarist, died in 2005)
LL Cool J (Hip-hop rapper/actor; one of the early stars to record on Def Jam)
Cat Stevens (Brit singer-songwriter; now known as Yusef Islam)
Deep Purple (English rock band, known for selling over 100 million records worldwide and for recording “Smoke on the Water,” a song inspired by Frank Zappa’s performance at the Montreux casino which burned down by a fire accident).
N.W.A. (Hip-hop act featuring Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, Ice Cube, MC Ren and the late Easy-E; initals stands for “Niggaz With Attitude”)
Paul Butterfield Blues Band (blues band fronted by harmonica musician Paul Butterfield, who died at the age of 44 in 1987)
The Zombies (’60’s rock band, best known for “Time of the Season” and “Tell Her No”)
The Meters (New Orleans-based funk/R&B band; recorded for acts like Dr. John, Allen Toussaint, Patti LaBelle, Robert Palmer)
Mark your calendars. The next class will be announced sometime in December.
