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Having sevenvotes is the bureaucratic version of going electric.
It totally changes the game, one voter says.
You have to make less difficult choices.
How that increase will affect the newest class, however, remains to be seen.
Still, the switch hasgone over positively, whichisnt always the casefor the organizations decisions.
But back to the actual nominees.
And divas lots of divas.
Some nominees seem to be there to help drive the television broadcast, another voter explains.
Theres a desire to get very big stars to keep eyes on it.
it’s crucial that you keep interest up somehow.
But the overall ballot feels less than the individual parts.
Voter 1 has been casting ballots for 14 years, while Voter 2 has been involved for 16.
As one of them urges us to remember about the Rock Hall: They dont have rules.
There are no rules.
They make up their own rules.
Mary J. Blige
Voter 1:Shes somebody who I can see getting in.
I respect her and shes an absolute talent.
Shes somewhat of a blindspot for me in terms of knowing the overall career.
I havent diligently kept up.
Shes an R&B act that rock guys like.
I would be happy to see her get in but shes not going to make my ballot.
Shes not someone I have a personal interest in.
Voter 2:Im going to vote for her.
Im so glad to see her back on the ballot.
Shes had such an incredible career you absolutely hear her in the tradition of great soul singers.
Coming out of hip-hop and the way she sustained her career as an album and singles artist?
Yeah, shes a no-brainer.
Mariah Carey
Voter 1:Heres where the matter of taste comes in.
Mariah Carey takes the next step fromWhitney Houston.
The pop world wouldve looked different without her the way-over-the-top vocals that almost exist outside of a song.
Influence wise, I certainly get it.
My problem is I dont care for much of her music.
From the start, she was an industry darling.
Shes not getting my vote and shes a hard one for me to root for.
Voter 2:Im excited to see her name.
I think those types of artists belong.
Mariahs not going to get my vote, because theres other people I feel more strongly about.
Im looking backwards at people who still havent been taken care of.
But, my God.
The talent and reach.
Look at how long she sustained her career and what she means to people.
If Whitney Houston is in, Mariah Carey is in.
These big figures whose voices tower over us.
Cher
Voter 1:Her fame is bigger than her discography in some ways.
That said, she has had very iconic singles for each decade.
Her biggest hits transcend the overall mediocrity.
Well, thats a little rough, but her records are pretty spotty.
Her tentpole hits have built endurance.
She doesnt need my support on the ballot.
She said she doesnt want to be inducted, but that provides drama.Its a good storyline.
I think she would show up.
Voter 2:I dont think Im going to vote for Cher and Im trying to think about why.
She belongs in the Rock Hall.
I just feel stronger about other people.
Shes always been around rock and roll.
Shes on these great, weird Sonny & Cher hits.
Shes a backup singer on Phil Spector records.
She recorded an album in Muscle Shoals when she was transitioning into her career.
She comes from a generation whom the Rock Hall ignored.
Im sure Cher carries some of that sting.
Dave Matthews Band
Voter 1:Ive warmed to them over the years.
Theres something excessive about Daves voice more so than the band.
He can have these histrionic runs.
The Rock Hall hasnt done well by jam bands outside of the Grateful Dead.
Dave Matthews Band is weirdly a jam band they groove for a very long time.
He has a reputation of being a nice and good guy, which helps.
Also, anything thats considered alternative rock or adjacent hasnt done well.
I consider Dave Matthews Band to be in that area.
It would be weird if they got in before other bands of their ilk.
Voter 2:The B-team.
They dont bug me, but theyre boring to me.
I know they mean a lot to people, particularly as a live act.
But I dont get it.
I have no ill will, its just two thumbs down.
Eric B.
& Rakim
Voter 1:Rakim is one of the greatest rappers ever.
This is a surefire name on my ballot and a nomination I care about.
Artistically, theyre deep and influential.
I dont think theyre going to get in, though.
Voter 2:Theyre absolutely getting my vote.
Theyre so important in the evolution of hip-hop.
The number of artists that cite them as essential building blocks are countless.
If youre going to have hip-hop in the Rock Hall, you have to have Eric B.
But Im worried they wont get the votes.
Maybe this is a case where theyll get in that way.
You just cant tell the story of hip-hop without them.
Foreigner
Voter 1:Foreigner is the epitome of anonymous classic rock.
Theyve been touring over the past few years without any original members and it doesnt seem that anyone minds.
Its a brand, not a band.
The brand gets a boost by being in the Rock Hall.
Hooray, I guess.
Mutt Lange produced4.He captured the sound of pre-MTV album rock.
Foreigner is the last vestiges of the classic rockers holding on within the nominating committee.
Theyll probably get in because of it.
Voter 2:I wont vote for Foreigner.
Ive lived through all of their hits there were a lot of them.
But nothing was innovative.
When I think about 70s hard-rock bands, theyre in a league below the rest.
There are some fun songs in there.
Feels Like the First Time and I Want to Know What Love Is are karaoke standards.
Theyre just so unworthy to me.
But youre scraping the barrel.
Hes a perfect contender because he grew up in the British invasion scene with a lot of important peers.
It inaugurated the double album as a popular piece of media.
Voter 2:Poor Peter.
He wont be getting my vote, but I imagine he could get in.
He wasnt very well-known when that record came out and for whatever reason the stars aligned.
Everybody had that record when I was in high school.
Hes a good guitar player and hes a cool-looking dude.
I dont hear any innovation or influence.
It sort of ruined him, in a weird way.
Fine just doesnt get my vote.
Janes Addiction
Voter 1:I dont like this band.
They do have some influence on the emergence of alternative rock as a force in the 90s.
Perhaps it wouldve played out differently without Lollapalooza, but Perry Farrell had a big force there.
They stand for all of the tiresome, sleazy aspects of Los Angeles.
You see that in the caricature Dave Navarro became after Janes Addiction broke up.
They were bigger after the breakup, really, and became more of a legend.
Theyve always gotten under my skin.
Theyre not getting my vote.
Since theres a limited amount of rock on this ballot, they could possibly get in.
But I dont understand why we have to get Janes Addiction before so many other alternative-rock and indie-rock bands.
Where are the Pixies?
Voter 2:I think theyre worthy and super creative.
Those records didnt sound like stuff that came before.
Their rhythms were interesting and they had distinctive visuals.
It was before grunge, but wasnt grunge.
It was a new kind of sound.
They meant so much to people, and of course Lollapalooza was huge.
I wouldnt be sad if they got in.
Kool & the Gang
Voter 1:Theyre amisunderstood band.
Everybody knows the really big hits, like Celebration and Jungle Boogie.
They could really play it all and adapt to the decades.
Ill likely be voting for them.
Voter 2:Im very excited for Kool & the Gang and Ill be voting for them.
I look at the Commodores and the Ohio Players.
Everybody knows Kool & the Gangs hit singles, but the albums also hold up.
Those 70s albums are incredible from front to back.
They shouldve been in long ago and they absolutely get my vote.
Hes a one-man Rock Hall.
He dabbles in a little of Jimi Hendrix, Curtis Mayfield, John Lennon, and Prince.
He does it pretty well.
He has a great ear and makes good melodies.
But hes a caricature of rock.
Personally thats what I enjoy about him because he does it well.
It would just be a little silly to have him inducted.
Ill get shit for that, but whatever.
Voter 2:A hard no.
Another member of the B-team.
Hes a cool guy who has some cool songs.
He plays the role of a rock star perfectly.
Hes made a few nice records.
I dont see the influence.
He seems more of a symbol of rock rather than something really new.
How can you put Lenny Kravtiz and Kool & the Gang next to each other?
Oasis
Voter 1:Ill absolutely be voting for them.
I unabashedly love Oasis.
The band had a huge cultural impact not just in Britain but stretched across the world.
Wonderwall has remained a pervasive hit and theyre far from being a one-hit wonder in America.
As rock stars, Noel and Liam Gallagher are as good as anybody on this list, including Cher.
I dont think theres a chance in hellLiam will show up.
I remember when Oasis toured with the Black Crowes their presence far outweighed their peers.
Theyre rock stars, their records hold up, and they have influence.
Voter 2:Im definitely considering voting for Oasis.
They were a huge band in the U.K. and Europe and less so here.
They were clearly influenced by the Beatles, Kinks, and Hollies.
They had big anthemic songs that a ton of people reacted to.
They left a huge explosion out there.
It would be great if they showed up.
I mean, look at the Foo Fighters.
They went in way too early.
Again, if youre going to put value on guitar-driven bands, how do you leave out Oasis?
It feels very American to do that.
Shes more beloved in her death than she was when she was alive.
Now its easier to praise her because you’re able to see the full arc of her career.
Voter 2:I have mixed feelings about this.
Shedid extraordinary workand Id love to see her in the Rock Hall.
Ill very likely vote for her.
Why didnt the Rock Hall want to honor her rebellious spirit before?
Im a little salty about it.
Its weird, right?
Given all the bullshit she went through from all of us, I guess.
What an electric performer with a unique voice.
She had a willingness to be genuinely and recklessly brave onstage.
That said, I have a problem with double-dipping inductees in general.
Hes probably going to get in.
But there are so many artists that need to get in and hes already in the Rock Hall.
We dont need to put him in a second time.
Its also the Rock Halls way of pretending to care about metal when it doesnt.
Sade
Voter 1:This nomination baffles me.
I dont know how they got in there and I cant imagine there will be enough support.
I like them, but I dont feel strong enough to mark them on my ballot.
Voter 2:I was pleasantly shocked to see their name.
Their catalogue is small but so good.
Their mix of cool jazz and R&B is still captivating and sounds fresh to me.
Nothing else sounded like that.
I dont think they have a chance, but its a creative and forward-thinking nomination.
They captured a very specific point in time with their records, includingWe Got It From Here …
Thank You 4 Your Servicefrom a few years ago, which puts their whole career into perspective.
Musically, theyre the greatest on this list.
Theyre a shoo-in and I dont think theyre going to get in.
Hows that for a bummer?
Voter 2:I love Tribe.
