After nearly three months (which felt like an eternity), the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame have finally revealed its inductees for the Class of 2020–Depeche Mode, The Doobie Brothers, Whitney Houston, Nine Inch Nails, The Notorious B.I.G., T. Rex, Irving Azoff and Jon Landau (the last two will be given the Ahmet Ertegun Award in the Non-Performers category). The ceremony will take place at the Public Auditorium in Cleveland on May 2, 2020. For the first time ever, HBO will broadcast a live feed of the ceremony. 

Overall, I am very pleased with the artists selected for this year’s class. I mean, come on, Depeche Mode, Marc Bolan, Trent Reznor and Whitney Houston in the same year—that’s some incredible and influential talent there. This is the first class where all of the artists inducted achieved success in the post-1960s (technically, T. Rex did release a few records in the late 60s when they were a psychedelic folk-rock outfit. But come on, they’re getting honored for their 70s glam period). With no signs of pre-1960s rock music anywhere in sight, this might become the new norm at Rock Hall induction ceremonies going forward. All six of the latest inductees in the Performers category are very worthy of the honor. Most of them are longtime snubs across several genres (e.g., pop, glam, hip-hop, alternative, industrial, hip-hop). It’s a very diverse selection of inductees that should please any music fan.

But just like any Rock Hall induction ceremony, this is class is far from perfect. The dearth of women getting nominations, let alone inductions, is puzzling with each passing year and I don’t understand how the Rock Hall can remain deaf-tone to this issue. The fact that the rock only inducted ONE woman this year—and she’s deceased—-is enough for another blog entry (or ten). I challenge my fellow Rock Hall watchers to continue fighting for gender equality at the Rock Hall. That 8% statistic is only getting worse (in fact it did thanks to this year’s class), so please make your voices heard to any of the higher ups at the Hall (both at the museum and the members of the Nominating Committee). And before I go off the rails into an even longer rant, I’ll go back to discussing the 2020 inductees.

Just like last year, this is a very Classic Rock-lite class as The Doobie Brothers are the only Classic Rock band inducted (although one could argue T. Rex is played on Classic Rock radio too [e.g., “Bang a Gong,” “Children of the Revolution”], I don’t think most would consider them a Classic Rock band). And there were plenty of Classic Rock bands nominated in 2020 including Judas Priest, Pat Benatar, Todd Rundgren and Thin Lizzy. Although I think it’s great to see the Hall’s voters finally embracing more contemporary artists and focusing less on Classic Rock favorites, I hope the Nominating Committee pushes for more pre-1970s artists in future years. But this might be wishful thinking because the MC5 were the sole representative of the 1960s and they’ve failed 5 times already. It’ll be interesting to see which directions the Nominating Committee will take for next year’s ballot. 

This blog serves as my reaction to this year’s Rock Hall inductees. There’s a lot to process, but hopefully this blog opens some new discussions on the latest Rock Hall class. More blogs on the Class of 2020 inductees will come over the next few months, so that’s something watch out. 

Depeche Mode’s Induction and the Hall’s Sudden Embrace for 80s Alternative: I am so excited to see Depeche Mode finally enter the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. That’s right, one of my all-time favorite bands who I often considered one of the biggest Rock Hall snubs is earning their rightful place among the greats. The Cure’s induction helped pave the way for Depeche Mode’s entry this year and now the floodgates are wide open for the next 80s alternative and new wave act to appear on next year’s ballot (expect the likes of Duran Duran, Joy Division/New Order, The Smiths and the Eurythmics to appear on 2021 prediction lists this summer). I didn’t know how Depeche Mode would stack up against other rock bands (especially from the hard rock and metal genres), but these synth-pop innovators overcame all the odds. Although I predicted them last month, I’m still surprised they received enough votes for induction and it feels almost unreal. And to be honest, I was kinda on the fence if I was going to this year’s ceremony and told myself I’d only go if Depeche Mode was inducted. And guess what, they are and I’ll definitely be going! I’ve heard from several friends it’s hard to get tickets to the Cleveland ceremonies, but I will do everything in my power to go to the show. After all, a Depeche Mode induction is something I’ve been wanting since I became a Hall watcher years ago. 

Where’s Pat Benatar?: Along with The Doobie Brothers, almost every Rock Hall watcher predicted Pat Benatar because she seemed like a lock and with good reason. Her music videos were heavily played on MTV in its earliest years and she has a catalogue of songs still heard on radio stations and appearing in film and television programs. Perhaps most importantly, Benatar’s songs are played on Classic Rock radio and usually artists from that era get inducted almost immediately. And to boot, she’s a feminist icon who became one of the breakthrough stars of the 1980s. But despite finishing second on the fan vote (she was #1 for the two weeks before the Dave Matthews Band’s fans ran rampant and helped them climb to the top where they remained), Benatar ultimately did not get enough votes for induction. Along with Janet Jackson, Bon Jovi, and Kiss not getting inducted the first year they were nominated, Benatar’s snub is probably the biggest shock in a long time. Unlike those mentioned names, Benatar is not thought of as polarizing and someone who I thought would transcend to voters across different generations. And even if she wasn’t a critical darling, Benatar’s enough of a household name that usually equates to success in the voting body. Maybe it was stiff competition, but Benatar’s snub absolutely shocked me. I thought she was a shoo-in and I still can’t believe she’s not one of this year’s inductees. The Rock Hall only nominated three women this year and only one woman got inducted. To make matters worse, Whitney Houston is dead and thus cannot vote next year. If the Rock Hall inducted another class of seven performers this year, Pat Benatar would have been a perfect addition. The voters did not treat her right and I hope she returns again next year.

Let’s Talk About This Year’s Fan Vote: Since its inception in 2012 (for the class of 2013), the Fan Vote gives fans an opportunity to make their voices heard by casting a ballot (up to 5 names) each day. The creation of the fan vote allowed the Rock Hall a way to generate some much needed interest amongst the general public. The top-five vote-getters comprise one ballot that’s counted alongside the nearly 1,000 other ballots sent out to the larger voting body. I’ve wrote about the problems of fan vote at length, but it’s essentially meaningless when a ballot equates to 0.1% of the total—and that’s assuming all 1,000 voters even turn in their ballots (which is apparently very low some years). On average 3, sometimes 4, of the top-five artist on the fan vote receive induction in a given year. And traditionally, the winner of the fan vote got inducted every single time in the last 7 years. Well, this year only one artist from the top-five received induction—The Doobie Brothers (who finished third). The Dave Matthews Band, Pat Benatar, Soundgarden, and Judas Priest were all left in the dust and left their fans disappointed. It’s odd to think there’s such a disconnect between the voters and the fan vote this year and forced me to reconsider the importance (or lack thereof) of the fan vote. If this year taught us Rock Hall Watchers anything, it’s that an artist’s performance on the fan vote does not matter in the grand scheme of things. I predicted Dave Matthews Band based almost entirely based on their strong performance on the fan vote and they were ultimately passed over in favor of others who didn’t perform as strongly. Even more of a head scratcher is the fact that half of this year’s inductees finished outside the top-ten (#11-13—Nine Inch Nails, T. Rex, The Notorious B.I.G.), so I think next year’s class is gonna be very interesting and unpredictable. 

The Hard Rock and Metal Votes Split: When I first looked at this year’s ballot, I was surprised to see so many hard rock and metal artists nominated at the same time. Historically, those genres were wrongly unrepresented by the Nominating Committee (mainly due to their musical prejudices) and many of those artists are amongst the biggest Rock Hall snubs. Soundgarden, Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy, Motorhead, Pat Benatar, and the MC5–all 2020 nominees—all did not get inducted this year. Judas Priest, in particular, got the short end of the stick. They apparently didn’t perform well when they were first nominated in 2018, but the Committee decided to put them up again this year. But Judas Priest got a raw deal by oversaturating the ballot with hard rock and metal artists that would split the vote. And metal, in particular, is historically a tough sell for many voters so it’s gonna take some time for them to get in the Hall. I just  hope they did better with voters this year and they are renominated again. Or maybe, just maybe, the Nominating Committee will forget Priest and turn their attention towards Iron Maiden, a band who has performed strongly at the Rock Hall’s fan kiosk the past two years. Thin Lizzy and Motorhead would’ve done well if there were fewer hard rock and metal acts on the ballot. Given how many ballots mentioned these two bands (both on Who Cares About the Rock Hall? and on social media), I wouldn’t be surprised to see either one get another nomination in the near future. Although they’ve been eligible for nearly a decade, Soundgarden just doesn’t seem like a high priority at the moment (don’t worry, they will get inducted within the next 5 years) and the MC5 keeps striking out with voters. It will be interesting if any of these bands return to the ballot next year. 

A Conflict of Interest?: The Rock Hall will honor Irving Azoff and Jon Landau with the Ahmet Ertegun Award (in the Non-Performers category). Although I’m pleased the Rock Hall is exploring people outside the Performers category, Azoff and Landau’s pending inductions reek of cronyism that brings out the worst intentions of the Hall. Both men sit on the Hall’s board of directors and their inductions just don’t sit well with me. And to be clear, they’re both worthy of the honor but I question how much input they had in their own inductions. I predict either Bruce Springsteen or Steven Van Zandt (maybe both?) will induct both men into the Hall. Landau, the chairman of the Nominating Committee, is Springsteen’s longtime manager and Azoff owns the publishing rights to Springsteen’s catalog. Again, I’m just bored by these selections in the Non-Performers category. I’d rather see someone like Don Cornelius, Casey Kasem, Wolfman Jack, Bernie Taupin, or Rick Rubin inducted over Azoff and Landau. 

Kraftwerk’s Snub is Becoming More Egregious: I think almost every Rock Hall watcher and follower can agree Kraftwerk is the biggest Rock Hall snub. Even if electronic music isn’t your thing, there’s no denying Kraftwerk’s widespread impact on popular music in the last four decades. They have now been nominated six times for induction and failed every single time. It’s easy to blame the voting body’s prejudices against electronic music, but that isn’t the case. Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails, bands who were heavily influenced by the sounds of Kraftwerk, are both getting inducted this year, so now the question becomes why Kraftwerk is continually snubbed by the voters. Perhaps it’s a lack of name recognition, but I wager to think it’s a prejudice against non-guitar driven rock and roll. At one point or another, both Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails used guitars and other traditional rock instruments in their records. Kraftwerk, on the other hand, stuck with their computers and I think that’s part of the reason why the voters keep snubbing them. With those two bands getting inducted (in the same year no less), their inductions only highlight the absurdity of Kraftwerk’s absence in the Rock Hall and I predict they return to the ballot next year. Well, at least they didn’t get the Early Influence award which would’ve been absolutely preposterous. 

Biggie is an FYE Inductee: The Notorious B.I.G. achieved a rare feat this year when he became one of the few performers inducted in their first year of eligibility. Additionally, Biggie is just the 7th hip-hop artist inducted into the Rock Hall. Although the buzz for Biggie’s nomination was lukewarm at best, I knew he would be inducted this year. Ever since the Rock Hall started inducting hip-hop artists in 2007, they have never gone more than three years without honoring a hip-hop artist. Biggie is a major player in hip-hop and if 2pac got inducted as an FYE in 2017, then Biggie’s a no-brainer. I can’t help but think about LL Cool J‘s absence from the Hall. Nominated five times this past decade, LL Cool J is arguably the first solo hip-hop superstar and he should already be an inductee. Maybe the voters just aren’t interested in LL, but Biggie and other rappers owe so much of their fame and success to LL. With Jay-Z becoming eligible in 2021 and Eminem the following year, I don’t like LL’s chances for a Rock Hall induction anytime soon. Maybe the Nominating Committee will have the nerve to once again place two hip-hop artists on the same ballot next year. 

Will More Members of Nine Inch Nails Be Added?: Although Trent Reznor is listed as the sole member of Nine Inch Nails, I think there’s a strong possibility the Rock Hall will add a few members to their lineup. There’s no denying Reznor was always the creative force behind the band, but there were other musicians who helped shape the sound of Nine Inch Nails. Maybe Atticus Ross, Richard Patrick, and Chris Vrenna could added, but I’m not so sure about the more I think about it. 

The Importance of Whitney’s Induction: Whitney Houston is the greatest vocalist of her generation, there’s no doubt about it. Given this fact alone, I always thought she was a shoo-in the second she appeared on an official ballot. I am glad to see her peers recognizing the contributions she made to the music industry. It’ll be interesting to see who the Nominating Committee will put forth on next year’s ballot. The likes of Mariah Carey (fresh off the announcement she will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame this year), Tina Turner, Sade, Gloria Estefan, and of course Chaka Khan are the next female pop and soul singers that could be on a future ballot. Given how many contemporary vocalists were influenced by Houston, I except first-talent at her tribute performance. 

A Continuing Embrace of MTV-Era Artists: John Sykes, the new chairman at the Rock Hall, was one of the co-founders of MTV and it will be interesting if this will have any effect on future Rock Hall ballots. With the exception of T. Rex and The Doobie Brothers (at least before their comeback in the late 80s with Tom Johnston back at the helm), the other inductees became stars on MTV and this might’ve contributions to their nominations (and eventual inductions). I fully expect the Nominating Committee is to continue choosing artists from the MTV era going forward. This reason alone is why I still cannot believe Pat Benatar, who had the second-ever video played on MTV, was passed over this year.

Deceased Inductees, Possible Tribute Performances and Potential Reunions: When I looked at the 2020 ballot, I noticed the high number of deceased artists and wondered if the Rock Hall wanted to put on a show or a memorial service. All jokes aside, this year’s class includes three singers/rappers who are dead (T. Rex’s Marc Bolan, Whitney Houston and The Notorious B.I.G.), so I imagine the Rock Hall will orchestrate plans to get first-rate performers to pay tribute to these artists. I hope the Rock Hall doesn’t drop the ball and gives the fans a great concert. On the flip side, I don’t think that will be that much drama at this year’s ceremony. Now that Trent Reznor is in the Hall’s good graces, I expect him to play nice and perform at the show. Additionally, Depeche Mode could reunite with former members Vince Clarke and Alan Wilder. They will be humbled by the honor and play at the ceremony, with or without Clarke and Wilder. They will put on a hell of a show at the ceremony, that I can promise you. And The Doobie Brothers...please, they’re a middle-of-the road classic rock band who will take everything in stride at the ceremony. Expect Michael McDonald, who will be touring with them this summer, to perform a few songs at the ceremony. 

Regarding who I think will induct these latest Rock Hall inductees, here’s my guesses:

Depeche Mode—Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins)

The Doobie Brothers—Zac Brown

Whitney Houston—Alicia Keys

The Notorious B.I.G.—Diddy, aka Sean Combs

Nine Inch Nails—Maynard James Keenan (Tool)

T. Rex—Joe Elliott (Def Leppard)

Irving Azoff and Jon Landau—Bruce Springsteen

I do not see the Singles category returning this year. If it didn’t make the HBO telecast last year, then that’s not a good sign for its future. Plus it was handled so poorly. I say scrap it and move onto something else more worthwhile. 

Thoughts? Comments? Post a comment below and also follow me @NickDBambach on Twitter.