Prog Rock and the Hall of Fame

Last night was the annual induction ceremony for the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame. I watched most of the broadcast and let me tell you, the Oscars got nuthin' on these guys. The show was over 4 hours long.

It was very interesting to watch as quite a diverse group of musicians were ushered into the hall. The inductions of Metallica and Run D.M.C. were the focal points of the night but also inducted were the likes of Jeff Beck, Little Anthony & the Imperials, and rockabilly pioneer Wanda Jackson (who I thought was the highlight of the night).

I love the way the hall of fame includes so many diverse style of music that fall under this umbrella of Rock N' Roll. Though, one of my favorite styles, progressive rock, is sadly underrepresented in the hall. I can only think of two acts that can really be considered progressive rock that have been inducted into the hall...Pink Floyd and Frank Zappa, and Zappa is pretty much in his own genre. Of course, I would like to see my favorite band, Genesis, make the cut someday, but I'm not sure if they'd be considered "influential" enough. I actually think their former frontman, Peter Gabriel, stands a better chance of making it in as a solo artist. He's always been a bit more respected than his former band mates, while they have consistently outsold him.

So...Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame, it was a fun evening...but let's try to get some prog on the bill soon, ok.