A "WTF??" article...

[Lee]

From Blabbermouth.net:

According to the Chicago Tribune, the nominees for the March 2008 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame were announced yesterday (Thursday, September 27) and they are MADONNA, THE BEASTIE BOYS, JOHN MELLENCAMP, DONNA SUMMER, LEONARD COHEN, AFRIKA BAMBAATAA, THE DAVE CLARK FIVE, THE VENTURES and CHIC. Five will be chosen.

Not on this year's ballot is the band that the web site Future Rock Hall considered the heaviest favorite to be inducted in 2008: METALLICA. Other acts that were snubbed include RUSH, KISS, JETHRO TULL, STYX, YES, GENESIS/PETER GABRIEL and ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA.

[Big Media]

Good god. That's just backwards.

[The People's DJ]

Someone needs to do a hostile takeover!!! And fast!

Edit: From Wiki:

The main criticism is that the nomination process is controlled by a few individuals, such as founder Jann Wenner, former foundation director Suzan Evans, and writer Dave Marsh, reflecting their tastes rather than the views of the rock world as a whole. A former member of the nominations board once said:

At one point Suzan Evans lamented the choices being made because there weren't enough big names that would sell tickets to the dinner. That was quickly remedied by dropping one of the doo-wop groups being considered in favor of a 'name' artist ... I saw how certain pioneering artists of the 50s and early 60s were shunned because there needed to be more name power on the list, resulting in 70s superstars getting in before the people who made it possible for them. Some of those pioneers still aren't in today — but Queen is.[2]

Petitions with tens of thousands of signatures were also being ignored and some groups that were signed with certain labels or companies or were affiliated with various committee members have even been put up for nomination with no discussion at all.[2]

Another criticism is that too many artists are inducted, allowing for several lesser acts to make it in. In fifteen years, 97 different artists have been inducted. A minimum of 50% of the vote is needed to be inducted, although the final percentages are not announced and a certain number of inductees (5 in 2007) is set before the ballots are shipped.[3]

There are very few progressive rock bands in the hall, with Pink Floyd[4] being the only true progressive rock group inducted. This has been noted by the columnist John Sinkevics, who notes the genre has more fan backing than any other.[4]

Letter sent to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame from the Sex, inducted in 2006, refused to attend the ceremony, calling the museum a "piss stain."[5]

[jag]

According to the Chicago Tribune, the nominees for the March 2008 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame were announced yesterday (Thursday, September 27) and they are MADONNA, THE BEASTIE BOYS, JOHN MELLENCAMP, DONNA SUMMER, LEONARD COHEN, AFRIKA BAMBAATAA, THE DAVE CLARK FIVE, THE VENTURES and CHIC. Five will be chosen.

Not on this year's ballot is the band that the web site Future Rock Hall considered the heaviest favorite to be inducted in 2008: METALLICA. Other acts that were snubbed include RUSH, KISS, JETHRO TULL, STYX, YES, GENESIS/PETER GABRIEL and ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA.

Good god. That's just backwards.

Wellllll...
Let's consider that Leonard Cohen really has had some serious influence on the genre. So has Afrika Bambaataa. The Dave Clark Five? They were one of the first really loud rock bands, a stylistic characteristic that everybody else seemed to follow. The Ventures did have a far-reaching instrumental sensibility. And, Chic was blessed with some of the finest musicianship in any rock/pop group before or since.

As to the snubs, well, I do agree that Jethro Tull, Rush and Electric Light Orchestra (even with Lynne's sometimes too pervasively familiar signature "sound") should be represented in the RRHOF.