The Not So Rock 'N' Roll hall of.....Top 40?

Have the folks over at The Rock and Roll Hall of fame lost their ever loving minds? As of last night, the ultimate pop tart Madonna was inducted into The Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, mind you via pop “peer” Justin Timberlake. When I found out that this was going down last week, I really wanted to jam my mouse into my computer screen. Oh, and you know what else I found to be ludicrous, and almost blasphemous? Yeah, the fact that Iggy and The Stooges shook their hairy old asses to Madonna’s insta-puke “Ray of Light” while Madge sat there, next to her pet, Timberlake, like a queen that must be entertained by her own “lyrical genius” by one of the, eh hm, lesser than’s. Give me a break. Yeah, Madonna, that’s REAL rock and roll now that you’ve somehow finagled it so that Iggy and the Stooges are performing one of your TOP 40 hits. In fact, way to prove my point….

I mean, hell, The RNR HOF IS located in Cleveland, after all but the city is not exactly a rock 'n' roll hotbed for starters. So, I feel like the museum’s board’s judgment is certainly a bit questionable here. Well, ok, maybe one exception can be made about the area in that famed '50's rock 'n' roll promoter and DJ Alan Freed made a home there, but still, I don't think this justifies this kind of museum’s current locale. Either way, I am covering this more on the principal of representation based on who’s "in" rather than any geographical criticisms I may want to inject here. And honestly, I admire and listen to pretty much every single one of the past inductees, so really, this isn't even about the performers whose stories and pictures are currently being preserved there. More or less, this is my argument that the folks in the building need to vote on a name change for the museum.

If you take look at the list of previous inductees then it'd be hard to argue the fact that yes, this hall of fame is comprised mostly of top 40 acts. Granted, when we take a look at the original list of inductees at the very first ceremony back in 1988, the folks receiving the honor were and are legends. However, they all began their music careers in the world we now know as rock and roll in a time when there wasn't really a division on radio stations per genre of music. You listened to pretty much everything, with the blue grass and gospel certainly being set on a different dial than the top 40 music and news radio programs, of course. And, really that was OK in the beginning, considering the legacies and circumstances. BUT! It’s 2008. I think we have a pretty GOOD definition of what IS and IS NOT rock and roll music! I mean, last year, I really thought it was going to be the year for Rush to finally get some recognition and get inducted. Also, what is rock and roll about Paul Simon? Seriously, can someone please explain this to me? Whenever I hear his name, all I think of, well first anyway, are ‘60’s era beatniks, and then bongos. Oh, and Chevy Chase, too. I mean, please, don’t get me wrong, they have been known to make some good choices from time to time, like in 2004 when they inducted ZZ Top, and then pretty much the entire list from 2003. However, in 1997 when THE BEE GEES got inducted before Grand Funk Railroad, Chicago and The Moody Blues, well, it just goes to show ya that The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, really, REALLY needs to change its name to The Not Quite Rock and Roll Hall of Top 40!

This is a YouTube (posted for public consumption, mind you) of Madonna NOT shutting the "F" up about the people who "believed in her", of course only following Timberlake's intro brimming over with a slew of REALLY bad, school boy innuendo laden jokes. Perhaps these people who believe in Madonna (aka the one's whose heads are all crammed into her ass, fighting for air) are good friends with the people who "believe in" Brittney Spears. Enjoy...