Song remains the same

With latest list of nominees, Rock Hall continues to cater more to Baby Boomers than Generation X

There are two trains of thought when it comes to hall of fames: Either a high bar is set where only the elite gain entrance or it’s more of a formality before everyone under the sun is inducted.

Apparently the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is taking more of the latter approach, as evident with its recently released list of 15 nominees that, once again, seem to cater more toward baby boomers artists than Gen X-era acts.

The Class of 2019 inductees will be announced in December, with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony following March 29 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Only two of the nominees, Rage Against the Machine and Radiohead, are from the ‘90s, which is the current decade of eligibility. From artistic and influential stand points, both bands dominated the alt-rock genre and defined the decade with Radiohead continuing to push boundaries with sold-out arena tours.

That leaves the vast majority of remaining nominated acts as having been previously overlooked time and time again. While ‘80s acts Janet Jackson, LL Cool J and The Cure have been Rock Hall-eligible for the better part of this decade, Def Leppard, Devo, John Prine, Kraftwerk, MC5, Roxy Music, Stevie Nicks, Todd Rundgren and Rufus & Chaka Khan have been eligible for 10 years or more.

Coupling that with the fact six out of 15 nominees are on the ballot for the first time (Def Leppard, Devo, John Prine, Roxy Music, Stevie Nicks and Todd Rundgren) makes one wonder whether there are any ‘80s or ‘90s acts (Whitney Houston, Joy Division, Pixies, Nine Inch Nails, Tori Amos, Outkast, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Beck, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Sheryl Crow) that would have been more deserving. Nevertheless, here we are and the Rock Hall is finally making good on a few nominee choices. Let’s start with Northeast Ohio’s own Devo. The highly influential art-punk act from Akron has been a blemish on the record of Rock Hall voters for a while. However, having equally influential electronic act Kraftwerk on the inductee list could be problematic — they could split the vote, which means neither becomes a nominee.

It sure feels like this year Def Leppard will play a role previously held by popular recent inductees Bon Jovi, Journey and Chicago. Considering the public gets a vote (Rockhall. com/vote or in person at the Rock Hall), it wouldn’t come as a surprise to see the “Pour Some Sugar on Me” band get the nod.

As for Detroit’s protopunk band MC5, having founder Wayne Kramer and a star-studded group of guest musicians touring the country celebrating the 50th anniversary of the group’s definitive release “Kick Out The Jams” doesn’t hurt its chances.

Because diversity often defines a Rock Hall class, Rufus & Chaka Khan probably will be selected to bring the funk and disco sounds to the induction ceremony. Also, Rock Hall voters likely will maintain integrity by including singer-songwriter John

Prine, who may not be a household name, but is a musicians’ musician worthy of induction.

That leaves Stevie Nicks, Roxy Music and Todd Rundgren. While there is a strong argument to be made more women need to be inducted into the Rock Hall, Nicks is not a token selection. The Fleetwood Mac singer’s solo career has substance.

As for Roxy Music and Rundgren, the former still influences bands today while the latter tours a lot.

The most perplexing band remains The Zombies, which have been nominated multiple times. The British band has is known for a couple of hits (“She’s Not There,” “Tell Her No” and “Time of the Season”) and one critically-acclaimed album, “Odessey and Oracle.”

How this qualifies for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is suspect at best. Open this door and expect to see Boston and Eddie Money. Also, odds are the baby boomer voters have the “More Than a Feeling” band and “Two Tickets to Paradise” singer on a short list.

That’s what Northeast Ohio has to look forward to when the ceremony returns in 2020 to Cleveland’s Public Hall.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE Thom Yorke of the band Radiohead performs in concert during their “A Moon Shaped Pool Tour” at The Wells Fargo Center in July in Philadelphia. Radiohead, an alt-rock giant, is among recently released nominees for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE Stevie Nicks of the band Fleetwood Mac perform at the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Festival Day 1 held at T-Mobile Arena last month in Las Vegas. Nicks is up for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist.

LEFTERIS PITARAKIS — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE Def Leppard performs before an NFL football game between the Miami Dolphins and the Oakland Raiders.