10 Great Rock Bands Snubbed From The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame
The Overlooked Rock Heavyweights.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a great honor for any musician. The idea of singling out rock royalty to show their impact on the culture is very respectable...most of the time.
Over the years, many fine acts have been brought into the Hall of Fame, but many fantastic acts have not been on the nomination ballot or outright ignored by the Hall. While there is a limit to how many people can go in at one time, some bands that have slipped through the tracks have etched their name into rock history with their records.
Granted, there are guidelines to the Hall. The Hall of Fame has a certain waiting period for acts like those of sports stars. The band's first recorded output has to have been out for at least 25 years before they are looked at for consideration. Regardless of time, many bands have revolutionized the rock genre and have not been recognized for it.
As we move closer to this year's induction ceremony, let's take a look at 10 great acts who have been snubbed by the Hall but have certainly earned their place in rock history.
10. MC5-29 years
The Motor City 5 burst out of the rock scene in Detroit in the late 60's along with alums The Stooges and Alice Cooper. With their raucous live shows, the band delivered the spirit of rock and roll at its most feral.
Along with inventing garage rock, the band wrote what has got to be one of the definitive rock live songs with "Kick Out the Jams." As a result of the MC5's power, music started to shift to heavier genres and tested the boundaries of what was allowed in the hard rock sphere. One could make the argument that without the MC5, the genres of punk rock and metal would not exist as it is today.
The influence of the MC5 can be felt in later years, when the band has reunited and performed with rock stars like Slash, Jerry Cantrell, and Ian Astbury (all of whom list them as an influence). While the band has been on the Hall of Fame ballot numerous times throughout the years, their lack of true star power has led to them slipping under the bar year after year. If you're going to describe the unfiltered power of hard music, you can't do much better than this band.