Rev. Todd Baker’s Picks for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2020/2021
Well, it’s that time again. Every October I wait for Rolling Stone to list the new RRHOF nominee’s and every year I get more pissed off at their choices. First of all, FUCK Jann Wenner! I for one am glad he is “retiring.” He has always been a self-centered, arrogant douchebag who likes to hold grudges against people based on his personal opinions. Although, I’m not too thrilled that the head of I-Heart Radio is replacing him. Could it possibly get any worse? Now, I have had a problem with the whole nominating process for over two decades. Mainly for the fact they stopped inducting artists based on chronology! For the first ten years or so they strictly followed rock and roll’s timeline, but somewhere things went askew. That’s how we got such undeserving members as Madonna, Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Janet Jackson and Radiohead!
I also feel “THEY” need to do a better job of choosing who gets to induct the lucky winners. Is it too much to ask for a presenter with even an inkling of connection to the artist being honored? How many times is Kid Rock or Tom Morelli going to give another speech? Even worse, some up and coming band the Hall felt the need to promote. Fuck that! We need better presenters, preferably current/future members of RRHOF! And what ever happened to the big JAM at the end? That idea seems to have faded away. These people aren’t dead. Well, many aren’t. Get them on stage! Ace Frehley and Joe Walsh jamming with Eddie Van Halen and Slash! Hell, why aren’t these bands touring together for fun? Mix it up! Springsteen opening for Cheap Trick!
Obviously, this whole selection process is subjective, as are my opinions on the topic. However, I am basing my choices (mostly) on hard, cold facts: Can you name three hits? Did they have a platinum record? Are they still performing or on the radio? Groundbreakers are different. They get a pass on hits and sales. My goal here is to correct several obvious snubs made on the part of RRHOF and Jann Wenner specifically. It is time to stop letting the New York music critics cock block the rock and let the PEOPLE have their say. In that spirit, I would like to submit my list of 25 bands, sidemen, producers, solo artists and singer/songwriters who deserve to be inducted NOW. Unfortunately, these days the dummies running this joint can barely induct five bands each year. They USED to induct a dozen or more…bring that back. I think all 25 could be inducted in two classes! So, here is my list of worthy members. Fuck Kraftwerk, The Smiths, Depeche Mode, Sonic Youth, Soundgarden, Blink 182 and especially Biggie Smalls until THESE bands are in!
Class of 2020 and their presenters
1) The Meters: (Inducted by Trombone Shorty)
Considering “Sissy Strut” has been sampled by nearly every wanna-be d.j. in the history of hip hop,
there should be NO more rappers until THESE guys are inducted!
2) The Swampers/Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section: (Patterson Hood)
They backed up Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, Staple Sisters, Paul Simon and more.
Skynyrd sang their praise. The Stones and Bob Seger recorded at their studio.
3) Jim Croce: (A.J. Croce) Accepted by his wife Ingrid
Died too soon. Plane crash. Like Otis, had his biggest hit after his death.
Bad, Bad Leroy Brown, Time in a Bottle, Don’t Mess Around With Jim
4) Ted Nugent: (Kid Rock---Hey, He DESERVES this intro)
Yes, when it comes to politics, he is bat-shit crazy but you can’t deny him. He meets all the criteria and even at his age Ted is still a bad-ass guitar player. The Nuge belongs in! Cat Scratch Fever, Stranglehold, Wango Tango, Great White Buffalo, Free For All
5) Blue Oyster Cult: (Will Farrell—More Cowbell!)
Huge in the 70’s! KISS opened for THEM. STILL on tour and the radio every day!
Godzilla, Burnin’ For You, Don’t Fear the Reaper, Cities on Flame, Joan Crawford
6) Judas Priest: (Axl Rose)
Breaking the Law, Living After Midnight, Screaming For Vengence. Boom!
Created the “Heavy metal look”. First band to be sued for killing their fans.
7) Ozzy Osbourne: Solo Artist (Sharon Osbourne)
If Ringo Starr is in for his solo work, Ozzy deserves to be for his!
“Crazy Train” is now in car commercials and played at every NFL game.
8) Randy Rhoads: Sideman (Ozzy Osbourne)
Played in Quiet Riot before joining Ozzy. Still considered one of the greatest.
9) Bob Ezrin: Producer (Alice Cooper)
Produced ALL of Alice’s greatest hits: I’m 18, School’s Out, Billion Dollar Babies…
Lou Reed: Berlin, KISS: Destroyer (and The Elder), Pink Floyd: The Wall and more.
10) Warren Zevon: Singer/Songwriter (Jackson Browne) Accepted by Jordan Zevon
LONG overdue. Musical genius. I miss him nearly every day.
FINAL JAM: Jackson Browne / Bruce Springsteen / Bob Dylan / Bonnie Raitt / Stevie Nicks / Joe Walsh / Don Henley / Waddy Wachtel / Patterson Hood
NO Werewolves! Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me>Play it All Night Long>Keep Me In Your Heart
Not a dry eye in the house.
CLASS OF 2021 (Classic Rock and 80’s Metal)
11) The Doobie Brothers: (Cheech and Chong)
They deserve to be in for the name alone. Plus, their episode of “What’s Happening”.
China Grove, Black Water, Listen to the Music, Jesus is Just Alright
12) Foreigner: (Rod Stewart)
Headknocker, Hot Blooded, Urgent, Double Vision, Cold As Ice, Juke Box Hero
Classic rock, mega hits, still touring, unlike Rage Against the Machine!
13) Pat Benetar: (Neil Gilardo) Although, he will probably demand to get an award, too.
Female Rock Pioneer. Heartbreaker, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Fire and Ice, You Better Run
14) Joe Walsh: (Jimmy Bufffett)
James Gang. Coolest member of Eagles. Should have been President in 1980!
Turn To Stone, Rocky Mountain Way, Life’s Been Good, The Confessor
15) The Runaways: (Rodney Bingenheimer)
Groundbreakers! First female rock band launching Joan Jett/Lita Ford.
Cherry Bomb (RIP Kim Fowley), You Drive Me Wild
16) Bad Company: (Jimmy Page)
Paul Rogers on vocals. First band Zeppelin signed to Swan Song Records.
Bad Company, Feel Like Making Love, Moving On, Good Loving Gone Bad
17) Meatloaf: (Jim Steinman)
Bat Out of Hell sold 43 Million copies! Only Back in Black and Thriller sold more.
Two out of Three Ain’t bad, Paradise By the Dashboard Light, I Would Do Anything..
18) Boston: (Todd Rundgren)
Two big records with half a dozen hits that are STILL on the radio every day!
More Than A Feeling, Rock and Roll Band, Peace of Mind, Don’t Look Back, Smokin’
19) REO Speedwagon: (Neal Schon)
Kinda lame now, but in their day they ROCKED! Once Gary Richrath left it was over.
Riding the Storm Out, Roll With The Changes, Keep On Loving You, Take It on the Run
20) Styx: (Rick Neilson)
Very similar story to REO, which is why they tour together so often. Can’t deny the hits.
Babe, Lady, Crystal Ball, Come Sail Away, Blue Collar Man, Renegade, Mr. Roboto
21) Twisted Sister: (Alice Cooper)
Paid their dues the hard way, eventually got their hits and made a career out of it.
You Can’t Stop Rock and Roll, I Wanna Rock, We’re Not Gonna Take It.
22) Quiet Riot: (Eddie Trunk)
Technically, two big hits, but they were pioneers of early L.A. metal and deserve a spot.
Metal Health, Cum On Feel the Noise, Mama Weer All Crazee Now
23) Motley Crue: (David Lee Roth)
Bad Boys of 80’s metal. Took rock decadence to a new level. Retired before they died.
Shout at the Devil, Looks That Kill, Home Sweet Home, Girls-Girls-Girls, Dr. Feelgood,
24) Motorhead/Lemmy: (Scott Ian)
Groundbreaker. Only one big hit, unless you count the cover of Louie Louie, but c’mon. He was a legend. There will never be another
Lemmy. Ace of Spades.
25) Ronnie James Dio: Solo Artist (Ritchie Blackmore--How BAD-ASS would that be?)
ENCORE: Man on the Silver Mountain / The Mob Rules / Rainbow in the Dark
CLASS OF 2022 and Beyond
Iron Maiden, Rainbow, UFO, Scorpions, Ratt, Poison, Ministry/Trent Reznor, Megadeth, Anthrax, Slayer, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Tool, Rage Against The Machine, Pantera, The Replacements, Big Star and Devo.
After THAT you can let in Sonny & Cher, The Monkees, The Carpenters, Peter Frampton, George Thorogood, Foghat, Bachman Turner Overdrive and Kansas. (And I fucking HATED Kansas)
After THAT you can let in Chic, Todd Rundgren, Kraftwerk, Puff Daddy and whatever lame-ass douchebags the people who run I-Heart radio deem worthy. My work here is done. Discuss. - Rev Todd.