2008 Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame inductees
The RnR Hall of Fame inductees were announced today: Madonna, John Mellencamp, Leonard Cohen, The Ventures and Dave Clark Five.
While the former Johnny Cougar has been eligible for a few years, it appears Maddie made it on the first try (artists become eligible 25 years after their first album). Some will question why a dance/pop artist like Madonna is being inducted, but the Hall has actually included various genres (jazz, R&B) in the past.
I think Mellencamp and Cohen are definitely deserving, but Madonna could have waited a bit, considering how many acts have yet to get in. As for the Ventures and Dave Clark Five, I had to consult a reference book to remember what hits they had beyond "Glad All Over" (DC5) and "Walk Don't Run" (Ventures). Turns out DC5 had 17 hits and the Ventures had six!
Now that we've entered the early-to-mid '80s as an eligibility period, there's going to be a lot of resistance to adding acts who came to prominence during the much maligned New Wave era, but I think Depeche Mode should get in there soon. Don't think they're "rock" enough? Try listening to "I Feel You" and "Personal Jesus" again.
Billy Idol and Def Leppard are also worthy in my opinion.
And what's up with only inducting 5 acts now instead of the 7-8 in the early days of the Hall?
Who do you think deserves to get in? Is the "rock" designation important?