After six years of eligibility, The Smiths were nominated today for induction as part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2015, joining a list of nominees that includes Green Day, Nine Inch Nails, the late Lou Reed, Kraftwerk, Sting, and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.
The rest of the 2015 nominees include N.W.A., Stevie Ray Vaughan, Chic, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, The Marvelettes, The Spinners, War and Bill Withers.
To be eligible, artists must have released their first single or album in 1989 or earlier; of the 2015 nominees, only Nine Inch Nails and Green Day have been nominated in their first year of eligibility. A number of this year’s nominees, including Chic, N.W.A., Joan Jett and Kraftwerk, previously have been nominated.
It remains to be seen whether a hugely influential, but commercially “alternative,” band such as The Smiths can land in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Cure was among the 2012 nominees, but Robert Smith and Co. were not inducted and have not made the ballot since. Similarly, The Replacements were nominated this time last year for the 2014 class, but didn’t make the cut.
An even bigger question: If The Smiths are inducted, would they reunite to perform at the ceremony? That answer is almost certainly no, and perhaps presupposes that the band would even show up. It’s entirely likely we’d see Gene Simmons-like histrionics from Morrissey at the prospect of even standing onstage alongside Andy Rourke and, in particular, Mike Joyce.
The Class of 2015 will be announced later this year, with induction set for April 18 in Cleveland.
Once again this year, the public will be allowed to vote alongside artists and industry insiders via RollingStone.com. The top five acts will be labeled as a single “fan’s ballot” and will count as just one of the more than 700 ballots that ultimately will select the Class of 2015.
I would have preferred to see Kate Bush and Depeche Mode nominees. I agree with the nomination of the Smiths.
in theory, it’s well deserved. but in reality, it’ll never happen.
Whatever about the Smiths, its great to finally see Kraftwerk getting a look in! As for Nine Inch Nails, well they certainly deserve it but maybe not until Depeche Mode has been inducted?
Agreed about Depeche Mode. I saw a list years ago stating DM was all but a shoe in for the Hall of Fame, yet the actual nomination is allusive.
Mott the Hoople! Ian Hunter! Dammit!
Green Day?
that’s exactly what I was thinking
For The Smiths to get in you need to go vote for the fan ballot consideration. Let’s do this:
http://rockhall.com/voting/2015-rock-hall-nominees-fan-vote/
Green Day? NIN? Sorry but Husker Du and Pixies should be in before them.
Rock and roll hof is a joke. I could care less.
Definitely Kraftwerk before Depeche Mode, and DM before NIN…but they all deserve to be inducted.
More like Hall of Lame, No Depeche Mode or The Cure, it’s a joke.
Greenday and Kraftwerk in the same sentence? Blasphemy.
The smiths before the Cure? Seriously? 5 bucks says Morrissey cancels anyway…
I agree that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a total fucking joke. Any respectable bands/artists should flat out turn a nomination down.
Just wondering, would anyone object to INXS being inducted? It seems unlikely as they are way behind the Cure, Depeche Mode, Smiths etc in the pecking order and they did kind of tarnish their reputation with that horrible reality show. But i’m a big fan of theirs and their late 80s – early 90s was amazing and enough to warrant a nomination at least.
I think it would be an appropriate nom., but not before The Cure.
I say : NO REUNION. Marr doesn’t need Morrissey, Morrissey doesn’t need Marr, and any reunion would be diminished returns.
How the %^@#$% is Lou Reed not already in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?
Amen!
Yeah I was surprised to learn that Lou Reed wasn’t already inducted. It also kinda surprises me that Huey Lewis & The News have yet to be entered either. Its a strange institution, no doubt. However I do think the American acts are getting way more priority when it comes to induction, there is no doubt in my mind that bothy Green Day and NIN will make it an d the Smiths & Kraftwerk wont.
Sorry about my grammar at the moment, dodgy laptop :(
My picks for 2016, if it were up to me: Kate Bush, Joy Division, Depeche Mode, Alice In Chains and The Cars. (In a toss up between Depeche Mode and the Cure, its obvious who I would vote for!)
The Smiths….really. HOF slipping.. Green Day?
I’m losing interest for the simple fact that Green Day are even considered or taken seriously at all…but The Cure are never even mentioned…
Green Day but not The Cure?
The Police are in. Sting should be locked out for his hideous solo work.
The Smiths … o.k, but what about Ringo??
It don’t come easy imagining him being voted in based on his solo work. Thank you, thank you, I’ll be here all week.
Green Day…. really?
The Smiths and Chic in ’15. Cheap Trick, A Tribe Called Quest, and My Bloody Valentine in ’16. And chances of any of that happening? Zero to six percent. Screw the Hall.
People, people!
You’re ignoring the true miscarriage of justice here. We all know who really belongs in the hall based on their performance at the US Festival alone.
When, oh, WHEN will Triumph be admitted?!!?
MAGIC POWER!!! MAGIC POWER!!! FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT, EVERYBODY!!!!!!
Well at least lotus and I are still having fun with this. X-D
Triumph should also get mad props for what their US Festival “Magic Power” performance alone has done for the paddle boat industry. Shortly after the DVD came out in ’13, paddle boat sales and rentals absolutely skyrocketed! Now that is some kind of magic!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfFjU4gPIqQ
To debate The Smiths inclusion is futile. They could care less. The last thing The Smiths want is to be “honored” and “celebrated” by the very establishment they harangued. Look how Steve-O treats his fan base…the ones he apparently adores. Can you see him sharing the stage with N.W.A. ? c’mon. This will undoubtedly give him another platform to pontificate.
Although it appears they are currently 9th in the voting. (top 5 make it)
How is it even conceivable there’s no J. Mascis or Dinosaur, Jr., no Meat Puppets, no Alex Chilton, no Big Star in any of the RRHOF nominations? Very few of the “essentials” ever get nominated. Why not?
Because more than anything, it’s a popularity contest.
You can get in with a combination of critical stature and popularity (e.g. REM), or by popularity alone (e.g. shit bands like Kiss, and many others). But it’s a rare day when an unpopular band gets in on critical stature alone, like VU somehow did in 1996. So, probably no Big Star anytime soon.
Now if it was the folks at CREEM (RIP) running things instead of Rolling Stone, the first induction ceremony might’ve looked something like this:
* Velvet Underground
* Iggy Pop
* Big Star
* MC5
* The Faces
* The Replacements
* Pink Fairies
The faces are in
Yes, as are the Velvets. I’m going back to the first induction back in the 1980s and a “What If?” scenario. CREEM were the champions of punk/post-punk/college radio before their demise in 1989. Had they held on and been in charge instead of Wenner, I imagine that first class would look much MUCH different.