The pantheon of rock 'n' roll legends just might be seeing Green.
Green Day, Nine Inch Nails, The Smiths and Bill Withers are among the first-time nominees for 2015 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The field also includes German electronic band Kraftwerk, hip-hop collective N.W.A., blues singer/guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan and Motown girl group The Marvelettes, all of whom show the versatility of rock 'n' roll, says Joel Peresman, president and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. This year's ballot 'represents a broad, diverse group of artists and demonstrates how rock 'n' roll has evolved over the years,' he says.
While less-traditional nominees such as Kraftwerk and N.W.A. may continue their empty-handed runs, Lou Reed holds a fair shot of posthumous induction, given that his death last fall is still fresh in many voters' minds. Although he's already an inductee with the Velvet Underground, 'this nomination acknowledges not just the significance of his solo career, but the huge influence he exerted on younger generations of artists, which became movingly clear with the outpouring of grief around the world after his death,' says Rolling Stone contributing editor Anthony DeCurtis, who is writing a biography of Reed.
Nine Inch Nails and the long-disbanded Smiths might also benefit from recent exposure: Reznor for co-writing popular film scores ( Gone Girl and The Social Network) and The Smiths for singer Morrissey's recent album and canceled tour dates. And Green Day, nominated in its first year of eligibility, has 'enjoyed massive commercial success while also making cutting-edge music,' says DeCurtis, which could put them in the forefront of voters' minds.
Inductees will be determined by more than 700 artists, historians and music-industry professionals. The public can participate in the process by casting votes through Dec. 9 at USA TODAY, Rolling Stone and the official Rock Hall site. Their top five artists will make up a fans' ballot, which counts as a single vote.
Artists are eligible for consideration 25 years after releasing their first single or album (no later than 1989).
The induction ceremony will be held April 18 in Cleveland, home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
This year's hopefuls:
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band. The Chicago band, powered by Butterfield on harmonica and Mike Bloomfield on guitar, led '60s rock lovers to the wellspring of Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf.
Chic. With dance-floor classics like Le Freak and Good Times, Nile Rodgers and company gave disco a brilliant, soulful upgrade and influenced generations of pop and rap artists.
Green Day. The Billie Joe Armstrong-led pop-punk trio proved they're more than American Idiots - selling 75 million-plus records and lighting a fire in the bellies of countless rebellious adolescents with hits such as Welcome to Paradise and Boulevard of Broken Dreams.
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. The founding member of the all-girl Runaways forged a gritty mix of rock, punk and metal with the Blackhearts, serving up the timeless chart-topper I Love Rock 'n' Roll.
Kraftwerk. The hugely influential synth-rock outfit, founded in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hutter and Florian Schneider, has shaped every electronica-shaded act of the past 40 years.
The Marvelettes. Gladys Horton, Katherine Anderson, Georgeanna Tillman and Wanda Young never reached the heights of The Supremes, but they enjoyed a supreme moment in Motown history with 1961 No. 1 hit Please Mr. Postman.
N.W.A. Dr. Dre's ambitious, angry rap group, dubbed The Beatles of hip-hop, electrified fans, stunned city fathers and attracted the FBI's attention with gangsta rap classic F--- Tha Police and aggressive albums Straight Outta Compton and N-----4Life.
Nine Inch Nails. They may have reached their Billboard Hot 100 peak 15 years ago with The Day the World Went Away, but these industrial rockers have remained a progressive force in music, thanks in part to frontman Trent Reznor's film work as an Oscar- and Grammy-winning composer.
Rock icon Lou Reed, photographed Jan. 17, 2003, in New York.(Photo: Todd Plitt, USA TODAY)
Lou Reed. The rock pioneer, who died last October at 71, walked on the wild side, from his days as a founding member of the Velvet Underground to the lyrical poetry of his solo music to his deep dive into heavy metal on joint Metallica album Lulu in 2011.
The Smiths. They were only together five years, but the British pop quartet released four influential albums in the '80s, distinguished by Morrissey's baritone howls and Johnny Marr's finesse as guitarist.
The Spinners. The Detroit-bred R&B group helped shape the smooth-funk sound of Philadelphia soul in the '70s, charting hits such as Could It Be I'm Falling in Love, I'll Be Around and Mighty Love.
Sting. Gordon Sumner got his start as lead singer and bassist of new wave/reggae superstars The Police (inducted into the Rock Hall in 2003), but has since forged an esteemed path as a solo artist, human-rights activist and composer of new Broadway musical The Last Ship.
Stevie Ray Vaughan. The singer and guitarist, whose life was cut short by a helicopter accident in 1990, invoked the awe of collaborators David Bowie, Jeff Beck and B.B. King, and is best remembered for his own Pride and Joy, Texas Flood and the vicious licks of Jimi Hendrix cover Voodoo Child.
War. The multi-ethnic group took late-'60s Los Angeles by storm with its blend of blues, funk and Latin music, scoring hits with Why Can't We Be Friends? and Spill the Wine and being sampled by rappers such as 2Pac and Ice-T.
Bill Withers. His recording career lasted only 15 years before he dropped out of the music industry, but the soul singer's songs have stood the test of time, from the bittersweet Ain't No Sunshine to the stirring Lean On Me to the cool groove of Lovely Day.
Contributing: Edna Gundersen
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Posted by Unknown on Thursday, October 9, 2014 - Rating: 4.5
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