In the next couple days, I'll be filling out my ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame. It's a winter ritual, and I take the duty very seriously.
I hope that voters from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame feel the same way.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its 2010 inductees this afternoon: ABBA, Jimmy Cliff, Genesis, the Hollies and the Stooges. The Hall of Fame's nominating committee -- comprised of managers, agents, label executives and other insiders -- determine the acts on the ballot. Five inductees are named, and they have to be 25 years removed from their first recording.
Now, I don't have a fundamental problem with the inductees who will be honored March 15 in New York. Genesis broke some ground with its music, sold a bazillion records and has a local connection with guitarist Daryl Stuermer. Jimmy Cliff was a reggae giant. The Stooges should have been in years ago. ABBA isn't much of a rock group, but sold a lot of record and had a resurgence with the recent "Mamma Mia!" franchise. The Hollies had a few hits and Graham Nash is cool, but that was a bit of a reach.
I'm just wondering how they could leave KISS off the list again. I have to believe that KISS, with its makeup and pyrotechnics, made about as much money in touring and merchandising as just about any group in the Hall. Musically, they may not have been stellar. Was ABBA?
Does anyone outside of Sweden list ABBA as an influence? Without Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, we might not have had hair bands like Bon Jovi, Poison, Ratt and others for ‘90s artists to rail against. Heck, we might not even have had Van Halen.
I think KISS deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. So do the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Darlene Love.
There's always next year, I guess. What do you think?
Host of “The Drew Olson Show,” which airs 1-3 p.m. weekdays on The Big 902. Sidekick on “The Mike Heller Show,” airing weekdays on The Big 920 and a statewide network including stations in Madison, Appleton and Wausau. Co-author of Bill Schroeder’s “If These Walls Could Talk: Milwaukee Brewers” on Triumph Books. Co-host of “Big 12 Sports Saturday,” which airs Saturdays during football season on WISN-12. Former senior editor at OnMilwaukee.com. Former reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
