First all of all, can I get a big “Hell Yeah!” from all my fellow rock heads out there! I think that with all these country and rap articles going around it’s time good ole rock music got some recognition.

Now that I have your attention, you may or may not have heard about this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions. Notable inductees on this year’s ballot include KISS and Deep Purple, both trying to finally get in this year, and Nirvana, who is making its first appearance on the ballot.
Personally I think that KISS and Deep Purple should have been in years ago and it will just continue to be an atrocity if neither one are inducted this year.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Nirvana and think they should be in the Hall, but at the same time they’re overrated and should not be in before the latter two bands are. Kurt Cobain was still in diapers when Gene Simmons and Ian Gillian were selling out stadiums.

But the real reason for this article is to talk about how many non-rock bands are on the ballot this year. Sure, there’s KISS, Deep Purple and Nirvana, but there’s also RAPPER LL Cool J, DISCO band Chic, and FUNK duo Oates and Hall. Anyone else seeing a pattern here?

This isn’t the first year there’s been controversy about the inductees. Many non-rock acts have gotten in the Hall in the past and many more will likely be inducted in the future. Some controversial acts that have gotten into the Hall include Michael Jackson and Madonna (the king and queen of “pop”), The Bee Gees, Donna Summer and the Beastie Boys, none of whom have done anything for rock and roll. I think it should be noted that most of these groups were pop and disco, once considered the mortal enemies of rock and roll music.

I hate what the Rock and Roll HOF is doing to true rock bands; they seem to be just electing bands that are more popular than more worthy bands. But it’s not just my opinion that matters, so I reached out to some fellow rockers to see what they thought on the subject.

I asked fellow junior and rock head Steven Ashworth what he thought on this year’s inductions.

“I think that it’s stupid that pop and rap are being nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,” said Ashworth.  “It’s kind of an insult to the bands already in. But I don’t think they will actually ever make it, and they will always be overshadowed by real music.”

Another rock head at Elder, junior Pete Folzenlogen, also agreed about this year’s inductees.

“That flat out doesn’t make sense!,” said Folzenlogen. “I think the only logical way to change it is by only having rock bands on the ballot.”

I was also able to reach out to one of my female rock head friends, Mercy senior Theresa Schill, who summed up the whole article in one quick but effective comment.

“That’s BS! LOL!,” said Schill. I couldn’t have said it better myself.

On a more personal note, I think that in order for the Hall of Fame to regain its glory it has to cut out the popular MTV crap and start giving bands like KISS and Deep Purple the respect and recognition they deserve. Otherwise they might as well just drop ‘Rock and Roll’ from its name and put up an ad for the 2014 VMA’s. Just one more ugly thing stuck in Cleveland until it decides to back its bags and take its talents to South Beach.