Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
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The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at sunset. |
The
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a
museum and
institution in
Cleveland, Ohio,
United States, dedicated, as the name suggests, to recording the history of some of the best-known and most influential
rock and roll performers, producers, and other people who have in some major way influenced the industry.
A handful of artists are inducted into the Hall of Fame in an annual
induction ceremony in
New York City. The first group of inductees, inducted on
January 23,
1986, included
Chuck Berry,
James Brown,
Ray Charles,
Sam Cooke,
Fats Domino,
the Everly Brothers,
Buddy Holly,
Jerry Lee Lewis,
Little Richard, and
Elvis Presley.
Currently, groups or individuals are qualified for induction 25 years after the release of their first record. Nominees should have demonstrable influence and significance within the history of rock and roll. Four categories are recognized: Performers, Non-Performers, Early Influences, and since 2000, Sidemen.
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The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, showing Lake Erie in the foreground. |
Performers
Performers include
singers and instrumentalists.
A nominating committee composed of music historians selects names for the Performers category, which are then voted on by roughly 1000 experts, including academics, journalists, producers, and others with music industry experience. Performers receiving the highest number of votes greater than 50% of the votes received are selected for induction; each year, about five to seven nominees make the cut.
Non-performers
Non-Performers include
songwriters,
producers,
disc jockeys,
music industry executives,
journalists, and other professionals.
A separate selection committee selects inductees directly in the Non-Performers and Early Influences category.
Early influences
Early Influences includes artists from earlier eras, primarily
country,
folk, and
blues, whose music inspired and influenced rock and roll artists. The most recent of this category to be inducted were
Nat King Cole and
Billie Holiday in 2000.
Sidemen
The Sidemen category includes veteran
session and
concert players who are selected by a large committee composed primarily of producers.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was created in 1983. The groundbreaking ceremony was
June 7,
1993, with
Pete Townshend and Chuck Berry doing the honors. The museum opened on
September 2,
1995 in a building designed by
I. M. Pei. After discussions of a location site, including along the
Cuyahoga River, it was decided to be built on the shore of
Lake Erie in
downtown Cleveland just east of
Cleveland Browns Stadium and the
Great Lakes Science Center. The city lobbied to be chosen because one-time Cleveland
disc jockey Alan Freed is widely credited with promoting the new genre (and the term) of "rock and roll". After a petition drive that was signed by 600,000 fans favoring Cleveland, and a
USA Today poll which Cleveland won by 100,000 votes, the hall of fame board voted to site the museum in Cleveland.
The museum documents the entire history of rock and roll, regardless of induction status. Hall of Fame inductees are honored in a special exhibit inside the museum's spire.
While the museum is located in Cleveland, Ohio, the induction ceremony is held in New York City. This has been a source of controversy and signifies tension between the Foundation's commitment to a yearly showcase and the Hall of Fame itself.
Not everybody is happy with the selection process, which some feel is effectively controlled by a few individuals, including founder
Jann Wenner and writer
Dave Marsh, and therefore reflects their tastes, rather than the views of the rock world as a whole. Hence, there are a disproportionate number of lesser known 1950s acts, as opposed to, for example,
progressive rock and
heavy metal acts. In addition, most of the inductees are American or are British that were successful in the US.
The
Sex Pistols, inducted in 2006, refused to attend the ceremony, calling the museum a "piss stain".
["Were not coming. Were not your monkey and so what?" (sic) Official announcement from the Sex Pistols regarding the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 24 February 2006 ]*
Inductees of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame*
500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll*
Fortune Battle of the Corporate Bands*
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – official site
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Future Rock Hall – list of artists' eligibility dates
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Images and architectural information*
Expanding Rock Hall Could Cause Problems - criticisms of selection process, including too many less-notable performers, and entire genres overlooked
