The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland will induct Tom Waits, Neil Diamond, Alice Cooper, Dr. John, and Darlene Love, according to the New York Times. Jac Holzman, who founded Elektra, and Art Rupe, who founded Specialty Records, will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award, which is given to music-industry executives. Pianist Leon Russell will receive the Award for Musical Excellence. The ceremony will be held in March.
Dec 15
2010
08:58 AM ET
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2011 inductees include Neil Diamond, Alice Cooper: who else made the cut?
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When KISS, Judas Priest, and Rush are inducted, this Hall will get respect from me (and Eddie Trunk of “That Metal Show”). Failing to recognize their influence on rock music is just plain failure.
Had KISS made it before Alice Cooper, I might have staged a revolt myself. You wouldn’t have had KISS without Alice.
True
Hasn’t KISS already been inducted?
No, KISS is not in the HOF.
Amazing band and ShortPeopleDate was perfect
No group that claims to recognize quality rock music is legitimate if it routinely ignores Rush.
Is this Alice Cooper the indiviual, or “Alice Cooper” the band? It was the band that had the classic hits “School’s Out”, “No More Mr Nice Guy”, “I’m Eighteen” etc.
I have to defend Neil Diamond. His 60′s and early 70′s records were pretty rocking. Also, he wrote some great songs covered by others like The Monkees’ “I’m A Believer” and “Look Out, Here Comes Tomorrow”, Deep Purple’s “Kentucky Woman” and UB40′s “Red Red Wine. really…”Thank the Lord for the Nighttime”, Cherry Cherry” etc are not rock?
Here are some more-Korn & Staind recorded “Love on the Rocks”.HIM and Johnny Cash recorded “Solitary Man”.Phish recorded “Cracklin Rosie”.Dave Matthews and U2 recored “Sweet Caroline”.Weezer and Coldplay recorded “I’m A Believer”.
Correct. Neil was THE go-to hit writer in the mid 60′s.
Bands that really need to be inducted: The Replacements, Rush, Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Velvet Underground!
Velvets were inducted in 1996.
CMI I seem to agree with a lot of your opinions. Just not that Alice Cooper comment. Replacements and Husker Du need to be in the Hall. Also, Alex Chilton and T Bone Burnett.
I’m with you DN. When Rush, Yes and E.L.P. are inducted I will care. KISS should have been inducted long ago.
well i suppose neil diamond was inevitable but the others are great choices
Why in the hell are Neil DIamond Madonna, and ABBA in the RRHOF? No, I am not saying those artists have noo musical merit, and I know they have been hugely successful and influential. But what’s Rock and Roll about Dancing Queen, Like A Virgin and Sweet Caroline?
I’m with you. Neil Diamond? Seriously? He’s not even much of a rock influence.
Neil Diamond has more talent in his little finger than most of the singers out today…He’s the man!
They need to just make it the Music Hall of Fame but then they couldn’t exclude rappers and hicks.
They don’t exclude rappers.Probably don’t exclude hicks as well.
They don’t? Well Music Hall of Fame it is!
If by ‘hicks,’ you mean country artists, then yes, artists like Hank Williams and Johnny Cash are in the Rock and Roll HOF. All told, I believe there are 11 artists who are in both the rock and country halls of fame — Brenda Lee is the only female solo artist in both.
I would suggest doing some research on what rock and roll is before acting like you do.
I’m still wondering why the hell he’s in the Last Waltz? He is not Rock and Roll.
I am a rock n roll fan who likes everybody from System of a Down to Pink Floyd to the Ramones.Please educate me as to what rock n roll is if Neil Diamond in the Last Waltz (playing a song he wrote and recorded with half of the Band for his Beautiful Noise album) is not!
You can apply that “What is Rock N Roll about” then mention their big pop hit to any hall of fame rock n roller.I find it nuts how you lump a Brill Building guitar playing singer songwriter who started in the 50′s with disco era Abba and Madonna.It is so ignorant.
Amen, Maga. Glad someone here has some sense. I love when people are shocked that someone they don’t consider rock n’ roll is inducted, and they can’t understand the idea of rock n’ roll being more of an attitude than a genre. They can’t fathom someone like Neil Diamond being rock n’ roll, but at the same time they have no problem at all saying that Jerry Lee Lewis and The Clash are definitely the same genre. Get over it guys. People have different tastes and sensibilities, and a lot of the voters for the hall are musicians, so they have very wide ranges of taste and influence. Also after being in rock radio for quite some time, I can assure you that most musicians consider Kiss to be a complete joke. If there’s ever a merchandising hall of fame, they’ll have a shot at it, but for the most part the voters are much more inclined to induct Alice Cooper and Rush before Kiss ever gets in. Also consider that they have to induct 5 artists every year, so there will be a lot of weak groups of nominees and most borderline bands will eventually get in. Right now they’re still filling gaps of people not yet in who came LOOOOONG before Kiss. Hence the inductions of people like Neil Diamond and Darlene Love. You should also consider not giving a sh*t who’s in and who isn’t. It doesn’t dictate taste or quality, and it’s just a museum. Get over it and go turn the music up loud.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those that like Neil Diamonds, and those that don’t.
I see. So, what you’re saying is that even though you are an almost-paralyzed, multiphobic personality who is in a constant state of panic, your wife did not leave you, you left her because she… liked Neil Diamond?
So you don’t have a problem then with the inductions of Michael Jackson, The Mama’s and Papa’s Beach Boys, & Beatles? They are all pop too…..
Valid point. People get so stuck on what rock and roll is. I mean, RUN DMC are not rock and roll either and people didn’t pitch a fit when they got in. (Must have been the duet with Aerosmith.)
These pop artists are in the Rock and Roll HAll of Fame because pop music is a part of rock and roll. just like r&b, blues, rock, and rap!
Why would anyone doubt or question Madonna being inducted into the HOF? Her influence is unparalleled.
What about Chicago?
Amen to that. They’ve been snubbed too many times.
Double Amen!! Chicago invented an entire sub-genre and they have been kicking since the 60′s.
I would say Blood Sweat and Tears created that sub-genre…though Chicago was more successful.
Triple Amen! A travesty they are not in.
Great band! I love Chicago!
Chicago and Blood, Sweat, and Tears should both be in the HOF, but Chicago (the city and the band have never gotten the respect they deserve)
Ch…still no Janet Jackson?
Nasty!
Well….At least they put Waits in there. So any other oversight is forgiven.
Yeah, the Hall got a tiny bit more legitimate by adding Waits finally.
Those of you who don’t recognize Neil Diamond’s contributions to rock and roll need to do more research.
Absolutely!! He was as influential on rock in the seventies as Elvis was on the sixties!!
Neil Diamond was the first rocker to 1)Put out an african concept album long before Paul Simon 2)The first rocker to put out a live album in modern quadraphonic sound 3)The first successfull solo singer-songwriter to get that revolution rolling in the early 70′s 4)the first rocker to play broadway…I can go on an on.It is like judging the fat Elvis for the influence he had in his 20′s and 30′s.Totally unfair.
What about the Moody Blues????
All of you idiots complaining about Neil Diamond are idiots. Neil Diamond had just as much influence in 60′s and early 70′s in rock and roll as anyone else. The man was one of the great songwriters in the 60′s at the Brill Building with the likes of Carole King and then struck it out on his own with numerous Top 40 hits. Did he become a little cheesy in the 80′s? Absolutely. But for two decades he just as popular as any other artist during that time period.
so true!!!
Yup, nothing says rock & roll like the name “Brill building”.
At last, Alice Cooper is in! As Eddie Trunk stated so eloquently, it should have been done the first year he was eligble, but better late than never! ‘I WANNA BE ELECTED!!!!!!!!’
And BTW, Alice is going in the same year as Neil Diamond?!?!? Perfect! They should perform together and do a medley of ‘No More Mr. Nice Guy’ and ‘Sweet Caroline’!!!!!
KISS should have been inducted long ago, but Alice always should have been inducted first.
No Rush = Epic Fail. Jann Wenner can bite me.
Amen Tor…Saw them a few months ago and man they brought the house down! Seeing them again in March. Jann Wenner, Dave Marsh and Jon Landau, they’re to blame for the snub of the finest working mans band ever!
WHAT HAPPENED TO BON JOVI????????????????????????
Give them time. They’ll get there. I think a band or artist should reach has-been status before being recognized by the Hall. Since Bon Jovi has continuously top 10 grossing tours, they’re not ready to be considered statesmen of R&R. And they’re just now at the longevity point, KISS precedes them by at least 5 to 10 years. Let KISS in first.
Please no KISS, they absolutely blow…The Hall finally got some more cred by including Tom Waits, and I guess Alice Cooper is a decent choice, but still no Rush?! Wtf?! The one other group they need to include is The Replacements! Even though a lot of people don’t know who they are, they’ve been incredibly influential among other acclaimed rock musicians and their music and legacy is simply astounding. I’m gonna let the hall slide because this is the ‘Mats’ first year of eligability, but after this, I at least expect a nomination.
KISS and the Replacements are not mutually exclusive. I happen to like both. There is room for each in the Hall.