Of course the annual Rock Hall ceremony is an irrelevant way for some music industry tools to feel hip by giving out awards to (mostly) good musicians. That said, with the just-announced induction of METALLICA, I'll definitely be on youtube looking for the show's highlights. I can't wait to see if they'll blare "Dyers Eve" and send Jann Wenner racing to the exit, or if they'll bore us with a more industry-palatable song from Load. What will KIRK say when they finally give him a microphone? Will DAVE MUSTAINE be allowed in? Will there be a collaboration with fellow inductees JEFF BECK and/or RUN-DMC? Which brings me to my point…
OK, even the most fervent rap-hater can tell you that Run-DMC are a great band. They're easily one of the most influential music groups of all time, they ushered hip-hop into the mainstream by making their own rules, and best of all, they gave us "It's Tricky," "Rock Box" and a whole bunch of other really great songs. But no matter how much they helped RICK RUBIN make a name for himself or made AEROSMITH popular again, they are not rock n' roll. Run-DMC deserve all the respect that they get and then some, but they shouldn't be lumped in with bands like THE ROLLING STONES. This would be like throwing ANTHRAX into the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame–as much as they rule, "I'm the Man" and "Bring the Noise" alone shouldn't earn SCOTT IAN a spot next to ICE CUBE.
Before you argue that Run DMC transcended hip hop and should count as a rock band, remember that IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST, MOTORHEAD, THE STOOGES, KISS, RUSH, ALICE COOPER and solo OZZY OSBOURNE are still being ignored. Whether or not you like any of these bands (SLAYER are also eligible but probably a lost cause) they have all undeniably shaped rock n' roll as we know it and have written more than enough great songs to be Hall-worthy. Rock n' roll is awesome, and there are plenty of great bands to talk about before we start naming hip-hop bands that kind of sound like rock. Metal is basically a loud, fast and proficient version of rock n' roll–how about giving it some respect?
Yes, the Rock Hall is lame, and of course we don't need a ceremony to explain why any of these bands are great. But it'd still be great to hear Maiden inflict "The Number of the Beast" on a roomful of RIAA folks, or to hear LEMMY tell the crowd where to stick their induction.
