And The Nominees Aren't…

So the 2012 nominees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame were announced recently and as you might already know by now, (if you give a crap that is) both progressive metal pioneers Rush and Kabuki freaks KISS are absent from the list yet again. Disco queen Donna Summer made the list though, as did R&B group The Spinners, right along with rap pioneers Eric B. and Rakim. And they're all very deserving of the honor, I'm sure. It's just that I can't ever recall tuning in to a classic rock station and hearing some raspy voiced 60s reject deejay tell me: "Now it's time to rock out with Donna Summer's She Works Hard for the Money".

No, never happened. You know what I did get from stations like WPLJ and 99 The FOX? A steady diet of Rush's Spirit of Radio and Tom Sawyer, as well as more Led Zeppelin than anyone should ever be exposed to in one lifetime. And KISS for God's sake, Rock and Roll All Night, the biggest hit they ever had, one of the greatest rock anthems of all time, and BONUS, it has the words rock and roll right in the freaking title! Still they get nothing. WTF?

I'm sorry, I realize the Powers-That-Be are using "Rock & Roll" in the broadest sense of the term. I also realize that in the grand scheme of things it doesn't really matter. Both bands still have legions of loyal fans, KISS even has an army, watching Gene Simmons on reality TV and buying up anything the man will put their logo on. But… really? Jazz great Miles Davis was inducted in 2006. Madonna was inducted in 2008. Abba got inducted just last year, no doubt on the strength of the balls out power chords of Mama Mia alone. Yet these two throwbacks to the bygone days of arena rock are still waiting in the wings for the HoF voting committee to exhaust all other possible candidates before they get their shot at enshrinement. Fingers crossed boys, soon as The Osmonds and Barry Manilow get the nod, you're next.