For the first time since 2011, no artists will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility. That's because no newly eligible act was nominated for the Class of 2016 on Thursday, which both is and isn't surprising. The past four years have seen first-ballot Hall of Famers like Green Day, Nirvana, Public Enemy and Guns N' Roses make it in. A few years before that, there was Run DMC, Madonna and R.E.M.
This year's list of newly eligible acts included Smashing Pumpkins, Mariah Carey and Blur, among others. All are great artists in their own right. But none of them scream first ballot Hall of Famer. Still, Smashing Pumpkins and Mariah Carey impact may have actually been felt on this year's ballot, as certain questions likely came up like: How can you nominate Mariah Carey when Janet Jackson hasn't been nominated? Can Smashing Pumpkins really get inducted before Deep Purple or Cheap Trick? Would there even be a Blur without The Smiths?
In Mariah Carey's case, it forces the nominating committee to take a look at other pop/R&B divas, which likely helped Jackson and Chaka Khan earn nominations this year and could bode well for someone like Whitney Houston. Smashing Pumpkins are up against a backlog of influential late 1980s/early 1990s rock acts that's only getting more crowded. Sonic Youth and Soundgarden are widely considered two major snubs, while Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine, and Radiohead will all be eligible in the next few years.
That probably led the nominating committee to focus on several 1970s bands - The Cars, Chicago, Deep Purple, etc. - that haven't been inducted yet. The Smiths have been nominated two years in a row now. If there was any thought that Blur deserved a nomination it was surely squashed by the fact that The Smiths haven't had their day yet.
The same goes for A Tribe Called Quest. The 1990s hip-hop group's name is now floating out there with other names like LL Cool J, De La Soul and Eric B & Rakim. But rest assured N.W.A.'s possible induction in 2016 would open the door wider for all of them.
Other acts eligible to be nominated for the first time in 2015 were Hole, Alice in Chains, Ice Cube and Kid Rock. Given the long list of snubs from the 1970s and 1980s, each of those acts will have to wait a longtime to receive a nomination (if ever). Still, their candidacy should shine a light on earlier influencers who have been overlooked.
(Cleveland.com)
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