Rush and Kiss Continue to Get Snubbed
Article first published as Diamond and Cooper Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; But Who’s Getting Snubbed? on Technorati.
Both artists possess an extremely full resume with five successful decades of music between them.
Diamond has sold forty eight million records in the United States alone, one hundred and fifteen million worldwide.
Cooper on the other hand has sold fifty million records worldwide and has twenty five gold records to show for it.
Although both artists are extremely deserving I can’t help but wonder why certain bands are not even offered a nomination into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Two bands that come to mind are Rush and Kiss. Honestly I am not a Kiss fan. I personally think their music is very basic however I cannot argue with success. Kiss in my opinion is the single best marketed band of our time.
Besides Alice Cooper, nobody delighted audiences the way Kiss did since the early 1970’s with their “comic book” style side show metal. They had a unique sound and look to them like nobody else, especially during the disco years.
Between their face paint, drooling blood effect and pyrotechnics, Kiss became an instant sensation. They were different from any band in the seventies and people not only loved their music, but they were also something to “see.”
As a result, Kiss who still make records and tour today have sold over one hundred million records worldwide and still counting.
In their thirty eight year career, they have made many “Top Lists” including #9 on MTV’s Greatest Metal Bands, #2 on Digital Dream Door’s Best Hair Metal Bands and #1 on Hit Parader’s Top 100 Live Bands. Kiss was nominated 10 years after they were eligible for the Hall of Fame back in 2009 but sadly did not make it in. They have not received another nomination since.
Rush, a Canadian based trio from Toronto has never been nominated. Since their debut self-titled album was released in March of 1974, Rush has sold twenty five million records in the United States and forty million plus worldwide.
They have twenty four gold records to their name along with fourteen platinum records, three of which reached a multi-platinum status. They rank third behind The Beatles and The Rolling Stones with the most consecutive gold or platinum studio albums sold.
Besides being inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1994, Rush has also achieved many Juno awards. These awards are given out annually in Canada to Canadian musical artists and bands.
Each band member has been perceived as one of the best musical talents on their respective instruments. Drummer Neil Peart not only has the reputation as being one of the masters on the drums, but his lyrics are written in a profound manner unlike most.
Rolling Stone Magazine once said that Rush’s fans are similar to Star Trek’s “Trekkies.” They have developed a cult following for thirty seven years, selling out venues around the world.
All three members have been voted the most proficient players on their respective instruments on many occasions.
Rush has defied the odds since their early years by plowing through negative criticism during their first three albums. Writers often compared vocalist, bassist and keyboardist Geddy Lee as sounding like Mickey Mouse on helium. Whether you love them or hate them, their success has not slowed down and they continue to tour and record today.
These are only two examples of many deserving bands that get snubbed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. One of the problems I see is that the nominating committee is controlled by a few individuals and no musicians.
My opinion is that there needs to be a little more versatility within the committee to choose which bands and individuals deserve to get nominated. Too many talented musicians with many years of success are getting snubbed by the Hall of Fame.
Obviously not every band or musician can get nominated every single year, but the amount of successful years that some bands achieved should be recognized.
