2020 Rock Hall Nominee Predictions (Special Edition)
Evelyn McDonnell's piece on the lack of women in the Rock Hall was so persuasive in its argument for an all female 2020 ballot, that when it came time to make my yearly predictions I had no other choice but to follow her lead.
No I don't think the NomCom has the guts to do a women-only ballot. But look at the Hall numbers: only 7.7% of inductees are women, and (as of this post) only 6!! out of 29 NomCom members are women. And even worse, last year out of 15 nominees, only 3 were women. See a problem, solve a problem? But it won't happen. For the 2020 ballot we may see a couple more female nominees, but not a majority.
So, here's a ballot of 20 deserving women from the 1950's-90's. What I tried to do was shape my final nominations the same way the NomCom does. Various genres covering different decades.
In the end, I realized this was one hell of a loaded ballot, with a bunch of legendary Icons scattered throughout. It would be hard to just vote for 5. So, how about a big 2020 class of 7-10 inductees?
One thing Evelyn McDonnell pointed out in her post was that the system of allowing every living Hall inductee a vote needs to change. Her idea that a group of, say 5 band members, would have their percentage reduced to one fifth of a vote, is worth looking at. But it must be pointed out, that longtime Hall Watchers, have been griping about this particular voting system for years.
Quite a few of these names below have already been nominated, many more haven't. And others will end up getting a nomination. Some will think it’s too much of a gimmick or stunt to attempt an all-Female ballot. But for this year at least, I just didn’t feel like contemplating the nomination of, lord help us, Motley Crue.
I also realize that a year of women only nominees means that long-snubbed acts Kraftwerk and the Spinners would be left out once again. But for this year, I’m willing to wait. How about you?
B-52's - The party never ended with their mix of New Wave/Surf and 60's Girl Group Pop. Might suffer the same fate as Devo, i.e., seen as too much of a novelty by some voters. Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson sang and co-wrote on their greatest songs.
Carole King - Inducted with Gerry Goffin as a songwriter in 1990. But her own recording career demands its just reward. Let's talk influence. One word: Tapestry.
Chaka Khan - By now her name is a familiar one on the Rock Hall ballot. Twice solo and 3X with Rufus. It's sad she can't get in, because she was one of R&B's powerful vocalists of her era.
Cher - Some will say Sonny has to go in with Cher.. And that's fine. But solo Cher is where she cemented her icon status.
Diana Ross - I've probably overused the word Icon to describe certain names that the Hall has snubbed. Here's another one. Just like Stevie Nicks, Ross had enormous success as a solo act.
Dionne Warwick - Burt Bacharach and Hal David should be in as songwriters. And Dionne, who was the greatest interpreter of the Bacharach/David songbook, should be in as well. Past her Bacharach/David peak of the 60's she continued to have hits, but veered even closer to the Adult Contemporary world. Some will find her music too mellow for a Rock Hall (something that will keep the Carpenters out), but play those 60's records again and you will a unique voice that sounded like no other.
Dolly Parton - The last artist with any Country leanings to be inducted (and nominated) was Linda Ronstadt in 2014. Dolly Parton is more than just a great singer/songwriter. She's an Industry all by herself. Plus her songs have crossed over to the Pop charts and have been covered by Rock and R&B singers.
Eurythmics - Nominated once back in 2018. Has to be back on the ballot again soon. Annie Lennox solo career is fine, but it was with Dave Stewart that she was a pioneer.
Go-Go's - One of the first great female bands to come from the New Wave/Punk era. Just a matter of time before they get nominated.
Kate Bush - A surprise (shocking?) nominee in 2018, Bush's catalog dating back to the late 70's has only grown in stature. An inspiration to many female alternative singers.
Labelle - The Labelle records in the 60's, sound nothing like what they would become. With Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash, they cut a visually electric R&B/Funk/Rock vibe in the 70's.
Marvelettes - I often think that Motown fatigue is what has kept the Marvelettes out of the Hall. They've been nominated twice before (2013, '15). But a Girl Group bias could be at work as well. But I would advise anyone who's still skeptical to go back and listen to their back catalog. They belong.
Pat Benatar - One of the biggest Rock singers during the first part of the 80's. And turned out to be an influence on many female singers decades later.
Patsy Cline - Once she found her calling in the new genre that would be called Nashville Sound she was off and running. Needless to say, has influenced many Pop and Country female singers.
Salt-N-Pepa - When talk comes to the next Hip Hop artist to be inducted, its usually male names that come up. Why doesn't this trio ever get mentioned? Here we have one of the first female Rap acts to cross over to the Pop charts and help pave the way for other women who followed them after their mid-90's peak.
Shangri-Las - See my Marvelettes entry above. But let me add that their greatest songs, were as a critic said, "Dark, three minute symphonies."
Sheryl Crow - For about 10 years starting in the mid-90's she was Rock's biggest female singer. Now at age 57, she's being embraced as a Heritage act. Bonus: she's a friend of the Rock Hall, having performed on induction night a couple of times. Oh, and she just released a new album. I've seen people write that it might be too soon to induct her. But as a rebuttal I give you one name: Green Day.
Sonic Youth - Critical favorites don't always get nominated. Which may explain how these Alternative/Post-Punk/Avant-Garde Indie legends continue to be passed over. Kim Gordon is now a much revered figure in Indie Rock circles.
Tina Turner - What a disgrace that Tina has not been rewarded for one of the great (greatest?) musical comebacks ever
Whitney Houston - Somebody mentioned on the Who Cares About the Rock Hall? Podcast that 80's R&B singers like Whitney are seen as too slick/Pop compared to the pre-80's R&B vocalists. But Houston was one of the biggest singers in the World from the mid-80's to mid-90's. She was a crossover artist who just happened to be blessed with a one of a king voice. Don't know how the NomCom can continue to ignore her.
Early Influence
Big Mama Thornton
Carter Family
Musical Excellence
Carol Kaye
Non-Performers
Estelle Axton - Co-founded Stax Records
Vivian Carter - Founded Vee-Jay Records (w/James C. Bracken)
No I don't think the NomCom has the guts to do a women-only ballot. But look at the Hall numbers: only 7.7% of inductees are women, and (as of this post) only 6!! out of 29 NomCom members are women. And even worse, last year out of 15 nominees, only 3 were women. See a problem, solve a problem? But it won't happen. For the 2020 ballot we may see a couple more female nominees, but not a majority.
So, here's a ballot of 20 deserving women from the 1950's-90's. What I tried to do was shape my final nominations the same way the NomCom does. Various genres covering different decades.
In the end, I realized this was one hell of a loaded ballot, with a bunch of legendary Icons scattered throughout. It would be hard to just vote for 5. So, how about a big 2020 class of 7-10 inductees?
One thing Evelyn McDonnell pointed out in her post was that the system of allowing every living Hall inductee a vote needs to change. Her idea that a group of, say 5 band members, would have their percentage reduced to one fifth of a vote, is worth looking at. But it must be pointed out, that longtime Hall Watchers, have been griping about this particular voting system for years.
Quite a few of these names below have already been nominated, many more haven't. And others will end up getting a nomination. Some will think it’s too much of a gimmick or stunt to attempt an all-Female ballot. But for this year at least, I just didn’t feel like contemplating the nomination of, lord help us, Motley Crue.
I also realize that a year of women only nominees means that long-snubbed acts Kraftwerk and the Spinners would be left out once again. But for this year, I’m willing to wait. How about you?
B-52's - The party never ended with their mix of New Wave/Surf and 60's Girl Group Pop. Might suffer the same fate as Devo, i.e., seen as too much of a novelty by some voters. Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson sang and co-wrote on their greatest songs.
Carole King - Inducted with Gerry Goffin as a songwriter in 1990. But her own recording career demands its just reward. Let's talk influence. One word: Tapestry.
Chaka Khan - By now her name is a familiar one on the Rock Hall ballot. Twice solo and 3X with Rufus. It's sad she can't get in, because she was one of R&B's powerful vocalists of her era.
Cher - Some will say Sonny has to go in with Cher.. And that's fine. But solo Cher is where she cemented her icon status.
Diana Ross - I've probably overused the word Icon to describe certain names that the Hall has snubbed. Here's another one. Just like Stevie Nicks, Ross had enormous success as a solo act.
Dionne Warwick - Burt Bacharach and Hal David should be in as songwriters. And Dionne, who was the greatest interpreter of the Bacharach/David songbook, should be in as well. Past her Bacharach/David peak of the 60's she continued to have hits, but veered even closer to the Adult Contemporary world. Some will find her music too mellow for a Rock Hall (something that will keep the Carpenters out), but play those 60's records again and you will a unique voice that sounded like no other.
Dolly Parton - The last artist with any Country leanings to be inducted (and nominated) was Linda Ronstadt in 2014. Dolly Parton is more than just a great singer/songwriter. She's an Industry all by herself. Plus her songs have crossed over to the Pop charts and have been covered by Rock and R&B singers.
Eurythmics - Nominated once back in 2018. Has to be back on the ballot again soon. Annie Lennox solo career is fine, but it was with Dave Stewart that she was a pioneer.
Go-Go's - One of the first great female bands to come from the New Wave/Punk era. Just a matter of time before they get nominated.
Kate Bush - A surprise (shocking?) nominee in 2018, Bush's catalog dating back to the late 70's has only grown in stature. An inspiration to many female alternative singers.
Labelle - The Labelle records in the 60's, sound nothing like what they would become. With Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash, they cut a visually electric R&B/Funk/Rock vibe in the 70's.
Marvelettes - I often think that Motown fatigue is what has kept the Marvelettes out of the Hall. They've been nominated twice before (2013, '15). But a Girl Group bias could be at work as well. But I would advise anyone who's still skeptical to go back and listen to their back catalog. They belong.
Pat Benatar - One of the biggest Rock singers during the first part of the 80's. And turned out to be an influence on many female singers decades later.
Patsy Cline - Once she found her calling in the new genre that would be called Nashville Sound she was off and running. Needless to say, has influenced many Pop and Country female singers.
Salt-N-Pepa - When talk comes to the next Hip Hop artist to be inducted, its usually male names that come up. Why doesn't this trio ever get mentioned? Here we have one of the first female Rap acts to cross over to the Pop charts and help pave the way for other women who followed them after their mid-90's peak.
Shangri-Las - See my Marvelettes entry above. But let me add that their greatest songs, were as a critic said, "Dark, three minute symphonies."
Sheryl Crow - For about 10 years starting in the mid-90's she was Rock's biggest female singer. Now at age 57, she's being embraced as a Heritage act. Bonus: she's a friend of the Rock Hall, having performed on induction night a couple of times. Oh, and she just released a new album. I've seen people write that it might be too soon to induct her. But as a rebuttal I give you one name: Green Day.
Sonic Youth - Critical favorites don't always get nominated. Which may explain how these Alternative/Post-Punk/Avant-Garde Indie legends continue to be passed over. Kim Gordon is now a much revered figure in Indie Rock circles.
Tina Turner - What a disgrace that Tina has not been rewarded for one of the great (greatest?) musical comebacks ever
Whitney Houston - Somebody mentioned on the Who Cares About the Rock Hall? Podcast that 80's R&B singers like Whitney are seen as too slick/Pop compared to the pre-80's R&B vocalists. But Houston was one of the biggest singers in the World from the mid-80's to mid-90's. She was a crossover artist who just happened to be blessed with a one of a king voice. Don't know how the NomCom can continue to ignore her.
Early Influence
Big Mama Thornton
Carter Family
Musical Excellence
Carol Kaye
Non-Performers
Estelle Axton - Co-founded Stax Records
Vivian Carter - Founded Vee-Jay Records (w/James C. Bracken)
Labels: 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Predictions, 2020 Rock Hall Nominmee Predictions
posted by Tom Lane at 5:39 AM
