The Sykes Shift: Redefining (still Misdefining) Rock
Break it till ya make it
Get ready, if we can count on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for anything, it’s consistency. They’re consistent in disappointing rock and roll/rock music fans. It’ that time of year where we’re probably days away from the announcement that will explode all of our heads and not because it’ll be good.
That’s right, the Rock Hall has historically announces the “Nominees” for induction to the hallowed halls. With zero concern for the true and original definition of “rock and fucking roll”.
This year’s first time eligible nominees include:
Alicia Keys
Avenged Sevenfold
Blake Shelton
The Decemberists
Gojira
India.Arie
Jack Johnson
Jadakiss
Mastodon
Miranda Lambert
N.E.R.D.
Norah Jones
PSY
The Strokes
T.I.
Tenacious D
Will.i.am
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, ...
Now before predicting who will be the new darlings of the Hall that will at minimum be nominees on their first year eligible and show up on the short list to could be included in this year’s induction, let me make something very clear. There is not ONE artist or band on this list that even deserves a thought, let alone a nomination as a “first-round draft pick”. Seriously? With all the artists and bands still riding the pine waiting and waiting and waiting for their call to the bigs, the names here are a joke to be considered, but I am sure one or two will.
The sad reality is the ones that the hall would choose, would not be considered “rock and roll”. Neither by a hall of fame career or the definition of, even by my forgiving standards.
With John Sykes being appointed to the Dark Prince of Gatekeepers, Darth Jann Wnner, the though or imaginative belief was, Sykes would definitely make up for lost time. Technically, he did. By inducting more hip-hop, country, and pop artists that don’t have a rock and roll pedigree.
In today’s blog, I’m going to break down the inductees, the years that Sykes was head of this shit show and who’ve gotten their inductions. I’m only going to include the musicians and artists, not side players or others. I will give you my thoughts on their induction and will rank by a running total of R&R; which one’s are actually rock and roll from the original definition of such with the popular definition of what rock and roll is. Ready? Yeah, me either, but what the hell, I’m as bored as you today.
Inductees from 2020 to 2025; the Sykes reign of shame and inclusivity:
2025-Bad Company-One of the far too long snubs. It would have been epic if the members were alive or healthy enough to attend, but hey, “you’ll get in soon enough” attitude prevented that. R&R-1
2025-Chubby Checker-You call it one song; I’ll call it one song that gave Chubby a hall of fame career. He should have been inducted long before as well. R&R-2
2025-Cyndi Lauper-Like Chubby Checker’s career, the 80’s were a different time for rock and roll. You can argue all you want, but Cyndi was at worse, a sub-genre of 80’s rock music. Sure, did she move into more pop or adult contemporary music, yes. It doesn’t change the fact that she has continually been an arena act for decades. She also had an influence of future female rockers and on pop culture. R&R-3
2025-Joe Cocker-While the Mad Dog was much bigger overseas and his hits were a couple cover tunes and a love song duet for a movie; he was still a rocker. His interpretations of those cover songs was actually a talent. Would I have voted Cocker into the Hall if I was a voter, honestly, no. But hey, at least he’s R&R-4.
2025-Outkast-Outkast are one of my favorites from the alternative hip-hop world of the 90s. There are certainly elements of rock and roll mixed in those songs, and a rock n roll attitude. To me, they aren’t a “get the fuck outta here” inductees, but I would probably not voted for them with all the artists and bands that actually identify a rock/rock and roll music. I’m not counting this induction in the truest sense of R&R (NOPE)
2025-Soundgarden-Alt rock that morphed to what the industry wanted us to buy as “grunge”, Soundgarden was there from the start. Not a long career, but then again, the “grunge” era had a much shorter run than “hair metal”. Most will argue they should have been inducted long before, I would not be the one arguing that, however. Their musicianship, undeniably top shelf, Chris Cornell’s vocals, top tier elite. Definitely deserving, but some still in wait, should have gone in before. At least the hall inducted a rock and roll music act. R&R-5.
2025-The White Stripes-rock music, yes. Innovators in an alternative genre of rock, yes. Influence, yes. They certainly check all of the boxes and yes, there is a but. But, so do many, many, many others who’ve waited much longer than 2-years out of their first year of eligibility. A classic move on the hall’s part to be ‘relevant’ in the current days. They should not have been inducted this early, not before so many fucking others. But, all the same, it’s still R&R-6.
2025-Salt N Pepa-Get the fuck out. Again, I’m a fan of music and not all music is rock and roll. Certainly in some demented way, rap and hip hop grew from the same DNA that’s rock and roll, but it doesn’t make it rock and roll. Ask yourself, why are they erecting a Hip-Hop Hall of Fame? What’s the need, oh yeah, the music isn’t rock and fucking roll. Nothing against any of these artists outside the lines of rock and roll that aren’t or didn’t have “hall of fame” careers, but not ones without breaking down in some insane “new math” way that can be confused with rock and roll. NOPE
2025-Warren Zevon-I certainly can’t say I was a fan… but I respected what Zevon brought to music. Though I’d seen him in concert a few times back in the late 70s and early 80s, not a superfan, but you know what I’m saying. Fact of the matter is, his music and career was rock and roll music. I don’t have to be a fan of all of these artist, but unlike the Hall of Fame nominating committee, I can separate my personal connections to look at each objectively. Still Warren Zevon check all the boxes, without huge commercial success, which seems to be a huge plus to the Hall. R&R-7.
2024-A Tribe Called Quest-If ATCQ was a rock and roll act, do they check all the boxes? 100 percent. The one box they don’t check? Being a rock and roll band. Rock and roll if you think about it, is music that isn’t supposed to be “all-inclusive”, they Hall should realize that, since they represent it and all. (NOPE)
2024-Cher-Like it or not, in the 60’s, Cher with then husband, Sonny Bono, were rock and roll, at least at the time. In the 70’s, they/she still had elements of rock and roll, but their mainstream persona, not so much. In the 80’s, Cher did offer up some “Pop” rock, then she dropped the rock for pop. It still doesn’t negate Cher being a rock star. R&R-8.
2024 – Dave Matthews Band – Dave and his DMB bandmates? Stellar. Absolutely Hall of Fame worthy. To deny they belong is pure silliness. But to say they should be inducted barely five years after their first year of eligibility? Some would call that crazy. I’d be one of them. No way, not when artists with greater success, greater impact, and decades more historical weight are still waiting outside. No fucking way does DMB get a fast‑pass. Why do you think that is? Because DMB is only 25+ years out, a blink of an eye and still fresh in the minds of committee members and voters. And that’s the problem. Bands with more impact and more history are 45+ years out, long gone from the memory or even the knowledge of the current Hall voting body. R&R 9
2024-Foreigner-This induction should have taken place during the Gatekeeping Evil Empire run by Wenner. Since “Rolling Stone Magazine” was the rag that tagged bands like Foreigner, Styx, Journey, REO Speedwagon, Boston, etc., “Faceless” or “Corporate Rock”, it was enough that Journey was the only one of these bands that got their due under Wenner’s stronghold. Whether he was in charge or not, Darth Wenner pulled the strings. From comments from Mick Jones and Lou Gramm, Wenner said to Jone’s face, “You will NEVER be inducted”, whether fact or fiction, it’s odd how through that era, they never were. Foreigner literally checks every single box that the Hall uses and should use for induction.
Sure they got their nod, but Ian McDonald (rhythm guitar/keyboardist) and Ed Gagliardi (bassist) have passed. Founder, leader, songwriter, Mick Jones, debilitated in the last stages of Parkinson’s Disease, unable to attend. Singer, Lou Gramm who’s had plenty of health issues of his own that have affected his singing was able to attend and sang a song, partially. Along with Gramm only Al Greenwood (Keyboards) and Dennis Elliot (drums) were the only ones who could perform. And the Hall’s usual motto, ““wait, their turn will come” should be edited to add, “hopefully in their lifetime”. R&R 10
2024-Kool & the Gang-As a music lover and growing up in the 60s , 70s and 80s, I still listened to R&B/Dance music and bands like Kool & The Gang. Hell, you could say I was a superfan of such, but that doesn’t make it rock and roll. Did it rise from similar inspiration of rock and roll, sure. Having to connect the dots to rock and roll like you’re splitting the atom, doesn’t make it rock and roll. Kool & the Gang didn’t influence anything rock and roll, except some twisted way they did in David Lee Roth. I enjoy, respect, and listen to Kool & the Gang even today (woo hoo), rock and roll? (NOPE)
2024-Mary J. Blige-Superior vocal talent, influence on rock and roll artists? You’d be hard pressed to find ONE. MJB, hip-hop worthy? Yes. Rap? Slightly. Rock and roll? (NOPE)
2024-Ozzy Osbourne-Take the Sabbath connection and induction out of it. Blizzard to Patient No. 9, no mistake, rock and roll. From metal to poppier styles, still rock and roll. I don’t need to defend this induction, other than to say, shame on whoever kept “Ronnie James Dio” from the Sabbath induction…and if I were a betting man, it was from Ozz’s camp, not Ozzy himself. R&R 11
2024-Peter Frampton-“Comes Alive” has been part of my Holy Trinity of rock albums. Certainly, the songs on that album came from Peter’s first 4 albums. I had (and still) have those original albums in my collection. Which by the way, I bought when they were originally released. I got turned on to Frampton whilst he was part of the great and underrated and underappreciated, Humble Pie. Certainly, “I’m In You” the follow-up to “Comes Alive” hit me like Kiss’s “Dynasty”, it’s in my collection, but never spins on my turntable. What the hell was I gonna do, toss out something I paid $4.99 for? I didn’t hate the “Sgt. Peppers” movie, well, the movie not so great, but the interpretations of those iconic Beatle songs? Some of those were hits, Aerosmith, E,W, & F, and don’t even come at me for the Bee Gee’s, unashamed that I’m a fan. Frampton was long fucking overdue and certainly written off similar to artists of the AquaNet generation.
Though his releases after “Breaking All the Rules” may have matured if you will, I’d go as far to say, those are some Masterclasses on Guitar 101. Bowie loved Peter enough to bring him to the studio to lay down guitar tracks on “Never Let Me Down”, then take him out on the Glass Spiders tour. Face it, their friendship was one thing, but Bowie’s expectance of excellence was uncompromised. After that, Frampton was back in small arenas and amphitheaters, never looking back. After 1986, no one, including Tommy Chong never asked, “Hey man, didn’t you used to be Peter Frampton”.
R&R 12
2024-Dionne Warwick-Ms Warwick was never rock and roll. Talented, mainstream, pop at times? Yes. Influence on rock and roll music, GTFO. (NOPE)
2024-Jimmy Buffett-“Musical Excellence”, should have been performer. Seems the Gatekeepers won’t budge, but hey, the Parrotheads got what we wanted; Jimmy is in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Buffet made a career based basically on touring or did he? 10 -Top 50 singles; 20-Top 25 albums, 8-Gold albums, and 9-Platinum albums (with 1- 2x, 1-4x, and 1-7x Platinum). Granted those include, live albums and compilations, but that is a pretty great number. Over 50 years of touring, with at least over 25 of those years being sell-out tours. My question is why wasn’t Jimmy inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame under the more prestigious, “Performer” category? How do we know the actual votes, before anyone says, “He didn’t get the votes!”, I’m going to call bullshit. You think these rap and hip hop artists actually got an overwhelming amount of legitimate votes?
And THIS is something my book is addressing, trans-fucking-parency! Buffet should have been inducted long ago. These fucking ballots almost, dare I say, “doctored” or are there that many fucking hip-hop, rap, and pop voters on the voting committee? This is the shit that make us fans mental. Still…R&R 13
2024-MC5-Once again, the “wait” was too damn long. Wayne Kramer and Dennis “Machine Gun” Thompson passed away in February and May of 2024, eight and five months prior to the announcement of their inductions. Real fucking cool RRHoF, you waited until they were all dead, including the other original members, Rob Tyner (1991), Fred “Sonic” Smith (1994), and Michael Davis in 2012. Perhaps not a household name per se, but their influence was undeniable. “Kick out the jams motherfuckers…” is what the Hall needs to do with it’s voting and nominating committee member (not all of them), along with the lack of transparency and at least some qualifiers outside of 25-years. R&R 14
And trust me, I have a whole chapter dedicated to legitimate ideas that could easily be adapted in the future book that I’m penning.
2024-Big Mama Thornton-This late of induction is almost as bad as Sister Rosetta Tharpe waiting as long as she did. Big Mama Thorton , forget “Hound Dog” as the go to example simply because of Elvis, when it fact, Elvis was who he was because of Big Mama Thorton. His vocal attitude, his stage swagger, defiance, and phrasings, all born part from Big Mama. If there were no Queens, there would be no King. Elvis was built on Big Mama Thornton’s attitude, Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s electricity, Ruth Brown’s rhythmic phrasing, LaVern Baker’s attack, Big Maybelle’s shout, Bessie Smith’s emotional weight and Mahalia Jackson’s gospel gravity. Elvis was more an amalgamation of Black female musical tradition than any male before him. R&R 15
2024-John Mayall-His Bluesbreakers were the pipeline that built British Rock! He was the bridge between American blues and British Rock. There needs to be no explanation of his importance to rock and roll, there needs to be more explanation of why it took an institution of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame so long to acknowledge it. R&R 16
2023-George Michael-“Pop Rock” is still a sub-genre of ROCK, make no mistaken in understanding that. WHAM!, popularized a new 80s rock aimed at a younger target market, what was “rock and roll originally? Here’s a hint, popular dance music of the teens with electric instruments…I give you WHAM! But Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou was more than that. He had a depth and maturity far greater than “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go”. It wasn’t straight pop music, it had elements of everything, all packed into one big, gorgeous , and beautiful package and with a voice that could melt ice. His album “Faith” was probably in 80% of rock fans album collections back in the day, though none will admit it. (whether anyone want to admit it or not; Grohl and Taylor Hawkins had no problem pledging their love to George and his music) R&R 17
2023-Kate Bush-If Kate Bush were a male rock performer; her induction would have be a lot sooner. The Gatekeeping Boys Club and their lack of respect for women in rock is legendary. As much as they want it to be a silent one, it shows and speaks volumes. Kate was in innovator in her style of music and influenced more than some bands and artists inducted before her. She might not be your style of “rock music”, but her contributions to and her music was…R&R 18
2023-Missy Elliott-great, influential, trendsetter, yes. Rock and roll? NOPE
2023-Rage Against the Machine-A Hall of fame career? Undeniably, but before others who’ve had greater or equal impact? No, but take it as a win.
R&R 19
2023-Sheryl Crow-Again, a female rock artist that checked every single box that the Hall of Fame can find, yet…The White Stripes waited less time to get in. Hell, Lesley Gore who had similar impact and checks all the boxes from the 60s, still sits in the dugout and not even close to the on-deck circle. R&R 20
2023-The Spinners-Motown, that doesn’t negate them from being rock and roll per se. Their music however wasn’t and isn’t rock and roll, not by the standards set in the 70s when they were popular. Influence on rock and roll? Not enough that would set their bar at Hall of Fame standards for the Hall of Fame. I am a fan of the Spinners, I saw them when the originals were still performing in the 70s and decades later with less and less members over the years. Are they rock and roll? I would say, hell yes. R&R 21
2023-Willie Nelson-The Outlaw, the songwriter, the performer, his impact on country music, undeniable. His impact on rock and roll, underappreciated. Willie is one of the Godfathers of country rock so…R&R 22
2023-Chaka Khan-With all the respect in the world, NOPE
2023-DJ Kool Herc-Again, with much love and respect to his contribution to rap, to hip hop, to R & B, no argument. A major enough impact to rock and roll? NOPE
2023-Link Wray-It’s funny how we can diminish almost any artists contribution without really seeing the impact they had over the years. Link Wray deserved to be inducted earlier, much earlier as an “Influence”, but here we are in 2023 finally giving the honor. Link Wray absolutely has the pedigree of a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame artist. Not because he had hits, not because he was famous, but because he changed the sound of the electric guitar, and by extension, the sound of rock itself. He is one of the few musicians whose influence is structural and baked into the DNA of every loud, distorted, aggressive rock record that came after him. SO R&R 23
2023-Carly Simon-The sound of 70’s female rock voices. It’s silly that it even needs to be explained, Wenner kept this one buried for far too many decades. He gets ousted and immediately Simon gets inducted, strange? No, this isn’t some anomaly, this has been a Wenner/Hall trend for far too fucking long. Carly Simon was everything you’d want from a rock and roll artists of the easy listening 70s sound. R&R 24
2023-Dolly Parton-Ms. Parton said it herself, as I said she would when the nomination list first came out that year. NOPE
2022-Duran Duran- They didn’t fit the agenda that Rolling Stone Magazine set the bar at in the 80s for cool rock and roll. They were basically writing off as a fad, a boy band, everything the Beatles were described as when they came on the scene. They also matured and grew as artists and definitely are R&R 25
2022-Eminem-Slim certainly had the rock and roll attitude. But nothing on the level as his predecessors, P.E., RDMC, and N.W.A., so NOPE
2022-Eurythmics-Great career, but again, in my record collection; outside of Annie’s vocals and Dave’s musical genius, to me they aren’t “Hall of Fame”. At least not before many others who came before them or in their day. Deserving, of course, it just pains me that seniority doesn’t play into these inductions with all things equal. Still…R&R 26
2022-Lionel Richie-“Outrageous” that they couldn’t offer a Commodores/Lionel induction. But, tastes aside, Richie was the voice and face of the 80s “pop rock” world. The output during his time in the Commodores was a bit more rock and roll, but Lionel deserved to be in. Let’s face it, too many thing “rock and roll hall of fame” equals “Rock” or harder rock, that’s a big misnomer. R&R 27
2022-Pat Benatar-Long time coming, rock artist on all fucking levels for the Hall to check all of the boxes, except one…”male”. Everyone beating the “all inclusive” drums, you should be ashamed worrying more about genres than you do the genders. Ooops, can I even think that, let alone say it? Fuck off with that, identity of gender is your hang up, not mine. Females, like it or not, have been swept under the rug for far too long by the Hall, the recording industry, the list goes on. Pat should have been in on her first year of eligibility. Guaranteed if she had a balls and a cock, she would have. R&R 28
2022-Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis-When it comes to rock and roll, the tie in would be Prince, outside of that (and save the Janet Jackson shit for someone else), music hall of fame, sure, but rock and roll…NOPE
2022-Judas Priest-Backdoored with the “Musical Influence”, funny thing about this category…they’re still being inducted, why not “Performer” is it genre bias? If you don’t think so, you’ve got another thing coming…R&R 29
2021-Carole King-Her contributions as an artist, “Tapestry” alone is a feat unlike any other. She was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a songwriter, BUT…it was a combo “MALE slash female” induction. Carole King is rock and fucking roll on her own. That being said, some gender bias is really starting to look legit…get a mirror rock hall, Wenner did as much damage as he did good; that’s not acceptable ANY LONGER!! R&R 30
2021-Foo Fighters-This is one that just though they met the 25-year eligibility, seems to go against everything the Hall hides behind. How do Foo Fighters go in the same year as The Go-Go’s. One waited 15 years, the other, first time eligible. I’m literally shaking my head typing this. As much love and respect I have for Grohl, Taylor, and Smear, they would have to agree with me, take care of the ones before you before you get your seat and dinner plate at the table. Still, it’s R&R 31
2021-The Go-Go's-We’ve seen it far too many times already. They’ve been decades deserving, let’s hope the hall picks up a rock and roll history book (shameless pre-plug). R&R 32
2021-Jay-Z-Kindly fuck off-NOPE
2021-Tina Turner-I sound like a broken record at this point. But thankfully these overlooked and discriminated women are getting their dues. R&R 33
2021-Todd Rundgren-Not the most loved artist in the world, but you cannot deny his pedigree in rock and roll. Long overdue. R&R 34
2021-Billy Preston-The 5th or is he the 6th Beatle? Doesn’t matter, agree or not Billy was a rock and roll star. R&R 35
2021-LL Cool J-No, no, no, no, fuck no. I love LL, have loved LL since he popped into my ears in the 80’s but not rock and roll. He’s more rap than rock and roll, his rock and roll attitude, not even on the level of other rap artists inducted, RUN DMC, Public Enemy, or N.W.A.. At least those guys had the rock n roll attitude. NOPE
2021-Randy Rhoads-Much respect for Tom Morello for single handedly making this guitar God getting his due. “Music Excellence” is deserving, certainly you’d be hard pressed to have inducted him in the “Performer” category. Certainly deserving of that prestige, but frankly, if that were to happen, none of us would be alive to see it. R&R 36
2021-Kraftwerk-Inovators of Kraut Rock/electronic-industrial, going in after 26 years of eligibility. Influenced the music of one Trent Reznor and many others, yet…inducted after NIN. Not to mention, Kraftwerk didn’t go under the “Performer” category, they went through the less prestigious, “Early Influence”. Didn’t even get the God damned courtesy to perform or thank the fucking shitheads for finally inducting them. R&R 37
2020-Depeche Mode-Nominated 3 times in their 13 years of eligibility, again, not my first choice for the genre, but it’s still rock and roll music. R&R 38
2020-The Doobie Brothers- FINALLY after over 20+ fucking years of eligibility, The Doobies got their day. That’s a 45+-year career at the point of their induction. What the fuck changed the minds of the Hall’s nominating committee? I’ll give you a hint, it wasn’t Sykes, it was the departure of Wenner. R&R 39
2020-Nine Inch Nails-Zero argument for this induction, even though plenty more influential and successful artists are still exclude but at least is rock fucking music. R&R 40
2020-Notorious B.I.G.-not only not rock, was inducted by the notorious P.I.G., Sean "Diddy" “Puff Daddy” “Oily Perv” Combs NOPE
2020-T. Rex-deserving and long over fucking due. R&R 41
2020-Whitney Houston-not a note of rock and roll in Whitney’s catalogue. Great career, hall of fame career indeed, but not RRHoF. She was inducted by (drumroll and hint) Alicia Keys. Foreshadowing perhaps? NOPE
So if you made it this far, 57 inductions, of which 16 are not rock and roll, not in the popular sensible definition anyways. That 28% of inductees over the 6 years with Sykes at the helm were wasted on rap-hip hop-and a country artist who agreed she wasn’t rock and roll, that could have gone to other equally deserving, not to mention, fit the “rock and roll” brand, could have finally got their call.
When the announcement came in the early 80s, there was no “all inclusive” fucking participation trophy qualifier. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was being built for “our generation of rock and roll”, they pitched it, not me. Rock stations across the globe rejoiced, not R&B stations, not Country Music stations, not stations that were jumping on the rap bandwagon, ROCK STATIONS.
I know if you’re reading this, I’m preaching to the choir. Well, the choir needs to make their voice heard and scream like Bruce Dickinson; who by the way, he and his Maiden brethren told the hall to fuck off with their institution, are still not inducted as of this writing.
