I was not going to watch this.

No one does hype like old media. They carpet bomb in every publication known to man and by time the event transpires, you’re worn out.

Meanwhile, the lionization of Lorne Michaels just rubs me wrong. He comes across as so smug.

But when I saw Paul Simon sing poorly in the opening…

I was brought right back to 1975, when SNL debuted.

You see SNL used to be the outside, the counterculture, the antidote, a club you belonged to with the hippest people and the hippest jokes. We all caught the references. It was like someone was paying attention, the show was not homogenized like the rest of network TV.

And that was all we had. Along with a few independent channels with reruns.

TV was the idiot box. Now that’s social media. If you watched TV you were déclassé, and then along came SNL.

The marijuana revolution penetrated the youth culture back in the sixties. By 1975 if you hadn’t smoked dope, you never would. As for the cocaine the cast members were doing…most people didn’t catch on until later in the decade.

But those cast members…

They were instant heroes, instant stars, known by everybody within months. The only thing I’ve seen similar to this is the cast of “The Sopranos.” This little Mafia show on HBO…got it exactly right and suddenly even secondary mobsters like Paulie Walnuts were heroes.

But things have changed in the ensuing fifty years.

Now no one gets the references. There are hosts you’ve never heard of. This is not SNL’s fault, it’s the change in the landscape. Now TikTok is hip. Knowing the right influencers makes you an insider. And the power is not from the top down, but the bottom up. There are no string-pullers like Lorne Michaels anymore.

But old media keeps writing about him and his show. Like the zombies who go to the mall in “Dawn of the Dead,” it’s instinct. And now even the malls are extinct.

So every Sunday you read about what happened on last night’s SNL as if it was tablets handed down from heaven. But except for a few moments, the show does not resonate. Because once you do something long enough without change the paradigm becomes stale. We like the new, the innovative. But…

Tonight’s program was live. In a world where live is everything, where we treasure the experience. And it seemed live. And that was electric. So after taking a shower and seeing a funny joke on Black Jeopardy, I settled in.

Eddie Murphy was as funny as ever. And Woody Harrelson would have been a good cast member in the first season. Not worried about keeping up with the Joneses, but enmeshed in the alternative culture that started with the Beats and evolved into Richard Brautigan and William S. Burroughs and a whole host of musicians. It wasn’t about how rich you were, but what you had to say, what you stood for.

Now it’s all about your job and how much money you make.

But the people in attendance… This was Lorne’s club and you’re not a member, and you want to be. It was his Bar Mitzvah. Or a premature wake. Everybody came out of the woodwork. And it was like Hollywood in 1939.

But it’s 2025.

There was Jerry Seinfeld. And Larry David. And Cher. You were looking at the audience picking out stars like studying the cover of “Sgt. Pepper.”

But the biggest star of all was Jack Nicholson. Because he’s been hiding for years. And Jack always did it his way, he’s the epitome of cool, and it was great to see him.

And Meryl Streep was hilarious.

But mostly the skits fell flat.

But I stayed tuned in. Because this was like Sunday night TV back in the sixties. When we watched “Bonanza, when we tuned into “Ed Sullivan” for the Beatles. It was cold outside, we were all home settled in front of the screen. And when you went to school the next day what was on TV was the topic of conversation. Actually, mostly Tuesday morning in high school, everybody was cracking jokes from the previous night’s “Laugh-In.”

But those days are gone.

But tonight’s show felt like a cultural rite, it felt like the old days.

Only…

Some of the performers were truly old. And it was disillusioning. It was like Lorne couldn’t tell these emperors they had no clothes.

It wasn’t only Paul Simon who couldn’t sing. And Paul McCartney’s performance was worse, because he seemed to have no knowledge that those of us watching were wincing.

So I expect the ratings to be pretty good. Because the Boomers and Gen-X’ers who grew up on the program needed to tune in on this cold winter night. To relive the past.

But their children?

They could do without it.

So I have mixed feelings. Seeing the endless cast members gave me a thrill, irrelevant of how they looked today. And one of the absolute highlights was the Bronx girls talking to Mike Myers. This show evidenced that the truly talented, the true stars, stand out, heads and shoulders above the rest.

Like Maya Rudolph. Even Alec Baldwin had the right attitude.

And then there was Bill Murray. He’s one of the few cast members who never changed, never sold out, and we love him for that. He’s presently in sexual harassment limbo, but when he delivered the Weekend Update Top Ten… The attitude, the sneer, the taking it seriously while winking and indicating it’s irrelevant… That’s the essence of what the show once was.

But Bill and his compatriots created the paradigm. It was like seeing a new act create an album each week.

Now it’s like going to an oldies show. You might enjoy the new SNL episodes, but they’re not going to titillate you, thrill you, because it’s all been done before.

And watching it was clear that the show was the true star. You could be in people’s living rooms every Saturday night for years and then you could disappear from the radar screen. Even if you became a star in movies. Because you can’t be in a new movie every Saturday night.

But that’s show business. The talent is fungible. Talent is the engine that makes the whole enterprise fly, but no single performer is necessary to make it all work. You can be replaced.

And some stay in the game and some don’t.

It’s hard to make it, it’s even harder to sustain.

And those of us at home… These SNL stars embodied our dreams. We wanted to do it their way. Making fun of the status quo, performing for millions and partying until dawn.

But now we’re older and our lives are set. We are not going to become famous, we are not going to be on TV.

So despite the new skits, this show was pure nostalgia. But we like nostalgia, because it gives us context for our lives.

But today’s nostalgia means nothing to tomorrow’s generation.

Furthermore, the younger generations are never going to have this experience, of everybody being on the same page.

But it was that way in 1975. Actually, it wasn’t until the spring of ’76 that most people caught on. But when they did, they didn’t let go. It was like buying a new Beatles album, you had to.

And you remember those old songs, but…

That was a long, long time ago.

Watching tonight’s program just reinforced how much time had gone by.

But that’s the experience if you live long enough, if you don’t pass prematurely through misadventure.

SNL isn’t threadbare, but it’s close.

Yet tonight we were reminded of what once was.

But that was in the past and it’s never coming back.

Live from New York, it’s…

Oligarchs and exclusivity? Living in Manhattan is like being selected to slip past the velvet rope at Studio 54. All of us nobodies have been pushed aside, we’re not even thought of.

But once upon a time we had a program all our own, that started at 11:30 PM, when our parents were asleep.

Oh, what a great memory that is.

We were reminded tonight.

But SNL and exclusivity are moribund. Today the hoi polloi create the content, and you can reach anybody online.

We’re all in it together, but never have we been more disconnected.

The dream is over.

Long live the dream.

I like bad weather.

Not the kind that scares you, but the kind that makes you feel isolated, at the mercy of Mother Nature’s power, that makes you think at most you’re a cog in the universe, and all that concerns you on a regular basis just isn’t that important.

We got thirty inches of snow in the past three days. And now it’s snowing again.

Don’t believe the hype. Not all snowstorms in Colorado deliver the powder you see in pictures. If you want really light powder, go to Little Cottonwood Canyon in Utah, or maybe even Big Cottonwood Canyon, even though the ski areas there are not as good. But not Deer Valley and Park City. The altitude is lower and they’re not in a box canyon and all of these places are not that far from Salt Lake City.

So you never truly feel isolated, civilization is just a hop away.

But it wasn’t this way in college, when I spent four years in Middlebury, Vermont. Before FedEx, never mind Amazon. You felt you were living in the boonies, in your own world, and I liked that. But sometimes I didn’t. Sometimes small towns have small town values, and… I grew up fifty miles from New York City and I’ve got an innate desire to feel the pulse, and you cannot feel the pulse in the country.

Which is why I now live in the city. All those people leaving California… Maybe you get lower taxes, but you lose a lot too. That feeling of being on the edge, the pulse, the feeling of freedom.

But to each his own.

Now in Utah, it can dump. That’s what they used to say when I lived there. Four inches an hour. Very occasionally five. It’s like God is shaking out a down pillow in the sky. You can barely see.

But it doesn’t happen that way in Colorado. Instead, we tend to get a slow steady storm. It’s coming down, but it’s not overwhelming.

And it’s not always light. The first day of this storm the snow was more akin to what you get in Vermont. They call it powder, but it’s heavy. Real powder, the kind in your dreams…  You can ski right through it like it’s soap flakes. It’s an amazing feeling. You feel your skis floating, they’re not settled on the ground, and the snow is spraying and…you feel like you’re in harmony with Mother Nature.

We had that kind of powder yesterday.

And I broke out my new powder skis.

The right tool makes all the difference, don’t let anybody tell you otherwise. You wouldn’t race Formula One in a Pinto and you wouldn’t drive over Loveland Pass in a snowstorm in a rear wheel drive pickup with all season tires.

Of course people do this. There are those who believe snow tires are a rip-off. Despite endless YouTube videos delineating their ability to stop much more quickly.

And these same people believe one pair of skis is enough.

And we can talk about money, but the truth is many can afford the snow tires and the multiple pairs of skis, but they believe they’re unnecessary.

They’re just harming themselves. Undercutting the experience. With a fat enough pair of skis it’s a completely different world.

So yesterday was one of those days where you didn’t want to quit. And when I woke up today my body was as creaky as the Tin Man’s in “The Wizard of Oz.”

Yesterday I skied on 116s (that’s millimeters, it represents the width of the ski at its waist). Today I took out my 104s, because I expected there too be some smooth areas as well as crud, but very little powder.

And the first few runs… Man was I stiff. But that’s something many people don’t learn from their parents, to persevere. What starts out unappealing oftentimes delivers rewards if you just stay at it.

And I did.

And then it started to snow. Heavily.

Now yesterday there was a moment… Well, about half an hour, where it snowed as heavily as it ever does in Vail. Meaning you have no idea where you are or where you’re going. The trick is to ski near the trees, they add definition, but I was hitting an untracked spot and then I crossed a small roll and lost all perspective. Where was I? I stopped to reorient.

And then there was that moment at the top of the mountain when I was on the road I take ad infinitum and I wasn’t quite sure where I was, which is intellectually impossible, but I was doubting myself there for a second, my emotions got the best of me.

And I did not get an early start today. And they did predict some snow at the end of the day. So I took my powder poles with the big baskets just in case… My everyday poles will sink.

And I’m out there with the holiday masses, who won’t touch the crud (cut up powder) even if it’s right in front for them, and it can be frustrating, but then…

It started coming down. Heavily. Not quite as heavily as that half hour period yesterday, but close.

It was like someone draped a blanket over the mountain. Everything got quieter. You felt more and more alone.

Many people peeled off. But the hard core remained.

We were all in our own bubbles.

Now when I grew up it still snowed in Southern Connecticut, oftentimes prodigiously. School got canceled. We played board games. We went out in the snow in our flannel-lined jeans and when they were soaked through we came back in and our mothers made us hot chocolate.

And the Middlebury College Snow Bowl was open seven days a week.

Now it’s only open five. There’s not enough business otherwise.

But I used to go every day.

I still go every day.

And it’s snowing so hard that there starts to be powder. I was taking Overeasy, a connecting slope between Chair 2 and Chairs 3 & 4, and it was totally untracked. Only about two inches deep, but still there was that sensation, and it was effortless.

And ultimately riding up Chair 4 it was snowing and blowing and all I could do was steel myself against the elements.

Now if this was not a ski area with infrastructure, I’d be scared. Get yourself caught in a snowstorm in the middle of nowhere and…good luck.

Of course maybe you’ve got a new smartphone that speaks to the satellite, but…

It’s kind of like FedEx not existing in the seventies, it would have been better if it did, but without it there’s this feeling of man against nature. And you know nature is in control.

And as people are packing it in I’m fighting for every last run. I’m timing it out. I want to ski Overeasy once more but still have time for one run after that, to ski the mini-pow in what I call the Green Village. An easy area where the beginners won’t touch the unpacked and the experts would never deign to go.

And I’m crossing the ridge from the top of 3 to the top of 2 and…

I can’t see a f*cking thing. Sometimes they put up lights, on poles, so people have a frame of reference, but this storm came out of the blue.

It’s just me and the elements.

I’m dressed appropriately. What is the Boy Scout motto, BE PREPARED?

But still, the snow is stinging my face and…

I feel so alive.

You never feel so alive as when you’re close to death.

And you never feel so alive as when you’re at the mercy of the elements.

Life is about individuals searching for connection. Can you really ever know someone, what’s going on in their head?

And then there are those like Jerry Maguire, who can’t bear to be alone.

But that feeling of peace, of knowing it’s only you in the elements.

I love that.

@bernie

What kind of crazy, f*cked up world do we live in where an octogenarian from Vermont is hipper and more in touch with the zeitgeist of the country than Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries and the rest of the Democratic party honchos.

In case you missed the memo, TikTok is once again available in the Apple and Google app stores. So if you haven’t yet signed up…

Then again, today’s “New York Times” reviews two anti-internet books. What chance does our country have when its left wing intelligentsia is completely out of touch with the populace and furthermore looks down upon it?

Last week I spoke with Terence Reilly, president of HeyDude shoes, an $800 million dollar business. But you may know him as the man behind the surge in adoption of the Stanley Quencher, you know, that tall thermos-type cup that seemingly every woman has. Reilly improved sales of said Quencher by ten times when he was president of that company. And before that he was the man who brought back Crocs.

You may or may not like any of these products, but Reilly boosted the sales of all of them via social media. Forget traditional print, TV advertising. Reilly combs social media every day, not all day, but a lot of it. That’s where he gets his ideas. That’s where he was inspired to do a Lainey Wilson Stanley cup. And Reilly says he addresses women first, because they set trends. They decide what is cool. They’ve got groups, they talk, then they act. This is not what men do, they’re too busy jockeying for position.

Reilly also emphasizes “fast.” This is one thing the techies understand that most politicians do not. Then again, Trump is now associated with Musk and they’re acting so fast that the Democrats are blinded by the light.

But all we’ve got is the usual suspects bloviating in print and on cable TV news. Sometimes with brilliant insight, but oftentimes seen by few.

I point you to David Brooks’s column last week:

“Can We Please Stop Calling These People Populists? – Trumpism is not a working-class revolt against the elites. All I see is one section of the educated elite going after another section of the educated elite”

Free link: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/13/opinion/trump-populism-elites.html?unlocked_article_code=1.xU4.klaF.EbE_iGqRfmqz&smid=url-share

Things are not looking good for the less educated and the less wealthy.

“People without college degrees die about eight years sooner than people with four-year degrees.”

It’s been well documented, poor people don’t live as long as wealthy people. Why? The rich get better health care.

But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. No one is standing up for the less fortunate in America, whether it be Bill Clinton pushing NAFTA, high-paying blue collar jobs disappearing with no retraining, or Trump’s efforts today.

Except for Bernie Sanders. Who has a long history of standing up for the little guy.

And what did Hillary Clinton say about Bernie?

That he doesn’t play nice with others.

Isn’t that the rock and roll ethos? We don’t want someone who plays along to get along, but someone who speaks truth. And that has been Bernie, consistently.

That’s what we’re all looking for, someone and something to believe in. This is where music has abdicated its power. It’s become the pursuit of the almighty dollar, first and foremost. The only people taking a stand are those with no traction. Everybody else is triangulating first. I hear it from musicians all the time, they’re fearful of alienating part of their potential audience, so they stay silent.

Everybody stays silent.

So Bernie Sanders has taken to TikTok, and understanding the paradigm, he posts regularly, every other day, sometimes more frequently. You must stay in touch with your audience. This is something oldsters hate, whether they be musicians or politicians or business people. This isn’t the way it used to be. They want to massage the message and market it over a long stretch of time. Make an album and drip out singles for years. Be so fearful of making a mistake that your message comes out mealy-mouthed and infrequently.

And this is something I hate about the left wing intelligentsia. They’re almost worse than the Trumpists. It’s the left wing that wants to return to a fantasy past, with no smartphones, no social media, everybody at home reading books in near darkness.

But we ain’t returning to that era, ever.

Kind of like Sam Kinison telling starving people in Africa to move where the food is, the Democrats have to go where the people are, instead of insisting the people come to them.

And the people are on social media. A fast-moving medium that despite all the naysayers, most of whom have never been on TikTok, runs on authenticity.

Terence Reilly says that’s what works. First and foremost.

And if you watch one of Bernie Sanders’s videos…the authenticity steams off the screen. This is what he believes.

We don’t want you to tell us your hands are tied. We want you to go straight to the gut, from your heart, then you have a chance of connecting, of resonating.

So, if you’re a Democrat… You almost can’t look at the news, it’s just too depressing. And then you’ve got Kamala Harris continuing to e-mail for money. Talk about out of touch.

And if you’re a Trump fan… Wait until the other shoe drops. Trump got rid of the government service that helps people sign up for Obamacare. They don’t care about you. They care about themselves. Did you see how much money the President has made from his election? That insane deal with Amazon for Melania’s documentary? $40 million. Have you ever heard of a documentary with that kind of budget?

Amazon wants to curry favor.

As for you?

You’re screwed.

So I’m scrolling TikTok just now and a video comes up of Bernie Sanders talking about oligarchy and authoritarianism and the end goal of Trump and Musk’s endeavors.

Ironically, no matter which side of the political fence you are on, you will resonate with this message:

@bernie

What is the end goal of the Trump/Musk administration? It’s to make the richest people even richer. How do they do that? By cutting the programs — Medicaid, Social Security, Section 8 — that working people use to get by.

? original sound – Bernie Sanders

Hearts and minds come first. Income inequality is rampant. Who is looking out for the little guy? For you and me? Honest people working for a living and paying taxes? If you think it’s Trump…why don’t you buy his sinking meme coin. No, most of D.C. is not, which is why we’re disillusioned.

One person can make a difference. Certainly Trump on the right, and not a single Democrat on the left.

But Bernie Sanders is out in the wilderness playing by his own rules, like a rock star of yore, and with this we resonate.

We need hope.

And it’s not only about left vs. right, or vice versa, but as people, citizens. Our own families, our own futures.

And right now it’s hard to find.

But watching Bernie Sanders today I found it.

And I bet you will too.

Unless you’re a rich robber baron yourself.

I’ve never written to you before, but I have been in the industry a long time. But, a music fan even longer.

Bad Company is one of my all time favorite bands – forever. If they aren’t a slam dunk to be inducted, I am taking it to the streets in protest with a boombox playing Rock Steady.

Cynthia Parsons

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What about Davey Johnstone, Nigel Olsson, Dee Murray & Ray Cooper?!?

Dexter

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BadCo at last…certainly not least!!!

RIP Sam Aizer!!!   He would be so happy to see his boys finally acknowledged…Mick, Boz, Simon and the greatest white blues rocker of all time!!!  Nice to see them there!!!

Mitchell Fox

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Sykes and the boys got it right this year.

Paul Rogers is absolutely that greatest rock singer of all time!!

From Free to Bad Company to the Firm to Queen, he is the GOAT!!

And Joe Cocker is the definition of Rock and Roll!!

And do you know what Paul Rogers and Joe Cocker have in common ?

One of the greatest record men of all time, Chris Blackwell, who developed real artists and not puppets.

And maximum respect to one of the greatest front men of all time, Chris Robinson.

The Maestro Jimmy Page could have picked any artist on the planet to work with.

But he picked the WICKED Robinson Brothers.

Just listen to the Crowes version of Bob Marley’s Time Will Tell from “The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion”

And kudos to the haunting voice of Chris Cornell who was the purest voice of the grunge generation.

The Rock n Roll Hall is now in safe hands!!

Native Wayne Jobson

Ocho Rios

Jamaica

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Bad Company. It’s an insult all members of Mott The Hoople. Think about it. Soundgarden? One good song; the rest is dross. Where is Blue Oyster Cult?

David Ames

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Not gonna pimp this guy cuz I know Bob knows….Bill Champlin…one of the greatest… songwriter and vocalists…

Tom Clark

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NEW YORK DOLLS

( door slam )

Mark Flores

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Phil Collins

Joey Sasson

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You nailed it! I agree with including Bad Company, Cindy Lauper & Joe Cocker…and

others.

Russell Dugoni

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Richard Thompson and Fairport Convention for that matter.

Harold Love

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I don’t know Tim Clary but I think he and I could get along just fine. One more shout out for The Replacements!

You know they wouldn’t show up. It would be a disaster. They’d come out on the wrong instruments with “Hootenanny” then play “Everything’s Coming Up Roses.” “I hate music” and walk off stage.

Would Johnny Reznik do the honors of inducting them?

Bobbo

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I saw Joe Cocker perform at Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University in April of 1970. It was the most fantastic concert. I read his managers fleeced him and he earned little from that 1970 tour. Cry Me a River, Something, Feelin Alright, Darling Be Home Soon, Space Captain, Just Like a Woman, With a Little Help From My Friends-such fantastic music.
Thank you and stay well,
Mark D. Luther

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Love Bad Co. AND Free before!

Jim Guy

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Free , Traffic , Little Feat , Procol Harum.   Come on already.  Pariah Carey?

Alan Childs

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No “Grand Funk”…..sad.

Marshall Block

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As always you are bang on with your insight.
Where is Sting? He’s up there with Phil Collins!
White Stripes nominated….really before Phil and Sting???? That’s messed up.

Best regards,
Juri Raiska

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The Smiths! Talk about influential.

Jeez…..

Larry Eisenberg

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Here’s my list:

The New York Dolls

Thank you,

Marvin Etzioni

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Great Takes Bob.

Here are mine:

My Friend John Sykes is truly doing a Great Job that I am sure is as Gratifying as it is Thankless. Keep it Goin’ John!

Omissions:
LITTLE FEAT
THREE DOG NIGHT
STEPPENWOLF

I am GUARANTEEING that all 3 of those bands will get in sooner than later –
especially LITTLE FEAT – easily the most omitted band per Your mailbag.
Runner-Up: Iron Maiden

FINALLY – MUSIC is ROCK N ROLL

I have NO PROBLEM with Rap, Pop Divas and even Country Artists allowed entry per Career Impact and Greatness.

Last years induction was really good.
This years will be even better!
Bravo! – Fantastico!

Long Live Rock N Roll!

Terry Anzaldo
TA Entertainment

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Apparently a lot of people care about the RRHOF. I don’t.

Joseph Barbarotta

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Wiser Time and Good Friday by the Crowes always floor me.

Patrick V. Cook

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I agree with Paul Flattery. Any hall that includes Cyndi Lauper but not Phil Collins should be burned to the f*cking ground. And I am not even a Phil Collins fan. Don’t own a single one of his albums. Furthermore, the snubs of Jan and Dean, Tommy James, and WARREN effing ZEVON destroy any semblance of credibility the Hall ever had.

Joel Saunders

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Lennon,
Jagger,
Cobain,
Fishman.

Rock Gods!

Noah K. Lesser

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Thanks Bob, great piece, and yes, Joe Cocker and Chubby Checker should be in. Open that door Hall of Fame for the two of them. They are more than deserving and long overdue.

Jerry Redmond.

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Much ado about nothing! The only thing that matters is the hall of fame in your own head, informed solely by your own personal responses to the music you hear. The rest, especially an elaborate marketing trick judged by people you’ve never met, is bullsh*t. Getting exercised by who’s in and who’s not is a total waste of time and energy.

Cheers,
Mike

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Good to see White Stripes nominated. Jack is such a good ambassador for music and central to the vinyl records revival. Which benifits everybody on the list. Happy for Joe Cocker, too. Saw him with SRV. Bob, thanks for keeping such great discussions going. You bring behind the scenes legends out of the shadows who tell great stories.

John Kauchick

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I can’t believe you are wasting pixels writing about such a bullsh*t organization.  You know there are

years no one is admitted in the Baseball Hall of Fame, because they have standards.  It is not a

marketing organization for itself and lame event.

Yours most sincerely,

David Leonard

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THE ASSOCIATION got more people laid than joe cock er.

Walter Sabo

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OutKast had 5 great albums and 3 of them were massively successful not just 1. Arguably the greatest hip hop group of all time and certainly the most consistent. Way ahead of their time musically with the production by organized noise  and put southern hip hop on the map. Certainly deserving

Also, oasis made a huge impact if you were growing up in the 90s. Not what it is over there true but still a big deal as evidenced by there sell out stadium shows here this summer

Best,
Jarred Arfa

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You are 100% right. I saw the first tours by Bad Company, The Black Crowes, Billy Idol and Cyndi Lauper, but gotta say, Cyndi’s live vocal performance on Money Changes Everything is maybe the most affecting thing I’ve ever seen/heard.The power of it made me tear up.

Mike Campbell
Programming Director

thecarleton.ca

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OUTKAST

“they were innovative and successful, albeit not for that long.”

Pretty undermining take on a duo with the rare 4 back-to-back-to-back-to- back classic releases, with each one elevating the artform with one-of-a-kind hit singles.

Capped off year TEN with one of the biggest songs of 21 Century with “hey ya”.. and took home a little Grammy for Album of Year in 04. One of only two hiphop albums to get this honor.

In terms of influence, Andre 3000  is considered by many as the greatest lyricists of his generation. In essence, we don’t get to Kendrick without Outkast.

In closing, they’re legends of the highest order.  Put some respeck on their name.

Riggs Morales

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Reading CJ Vanston’s reply to your piece is an excellent example of the irrelevancy, and at-times mean-spiritedness, of the RRHOF’s selection process. Do we really need some self-appointed arbiters to keep Joe Cocker crackling through speakers/headphones for the next decades? I think he has done that already (with a little help from his friends).

A space to celebrate rock&roll, its antecedents and the next waves, is a wonderful pursuit. As time passes, however, the more I think Alex Lifeson’s acceptance speech expresses the true value of the RRHOF process. Those who can’t talk; those who can rock!

Vikas Sharma

Ottawa, Canada

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There’s so much love for Bad Company  and never a mention of Mott
I find that strange,and, unfortunate

JB
Bronx NYC

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I think the Hall is overdue for a year of “reckoning” where they can expand the number of inductees to clean up some of these longstanding omissions.

Vinny Malvarosa

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Good list, but why is the greatest guitarist of the 20th century is not nominated-Derek Trucks-First album 1997

James Johnson

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“Why are we still waiting on Little Feat?” –

Good question, I still miss Lowell and he’s been dead for 46 years. Hell, Inara’s 50.

Liz’s property at the peak of Topanga with views down both sides, one to the valley, the other to the Ocean is a special place. Liz buried Lowell’s ashes in the winding garden. So we can eat “Lowell Vegetables.”

“Why are we still waiting on Los Lobos?”

Not worthy

“Why are we still waiting on The Meters?”

Another good question. The first time I saw The Meters and The Neville Brothers at Tipitinas I was in heaven.

Rob – vrpmusic

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If the R&R HOF was similar to sports HOF only one of these bands would be nominated…Bad Company.  But that’s not the case…I love these acts to…however, it seems that anyone that has more than one hit is eligible…well even one hit wonders are now eligible, I understand they now allow single songs a place in the R&R HOF.

Reminds me of the quote from Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles.

– All right! We’ll give some land to the *blacks*  and the * chinese*… but we don’t want the Irish!

– No deal.

– Ah, prairie sh*t! Everybody!

Ed Kelly

P.S. Your readers got it right…I didn’t know some of these acts were not in…given they let everyone in…

Bule Oyster Cult

The Guess Who

Smashing Pumpkins

Supertramp
ELP
Jethro Tull

Phil Collins (solo)

I suspect their day will come…

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Rock n Roll Hootchie coo! The one common thread through all the comments about the RRHF is people really give a damn. Music is the driving force in the universe! If only we had such passion about our country we wouldn’t be in the mess we are today…..  Oh, and f@ck Jan Wenner.

Rick Klufas

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and still no mention of Doug Sahm…….

Frank Brandon

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Although the RNRHOF finally has a list worth looking at they lost their relevance years ago. Far too many omissions over the years and they did little to rectify anything this year.  Stopped paying dues years ago.

R W Tussey

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I’m joining in on the Warren Zevon omission being a crime.  Incredible body of work, influential, with iconic songs that many out there don’t even know he wrote.   A true original artist.  Excitable Boy is among the best albums the late 70’s had to offer.

Richard B. Levy

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Johnny Rivers

Walter Stewart

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I totally agree about Joe.  I have the Mad Dogs set with all live concert nights and I listen to it all the time noting the nuances among the shows.  The original Mad Dogs.. album probably my favorite of all time starting in high school.  Almost makes me cry when i listen to it.  Also agree about Oasis.  Still quoting “please don’t put your life in the hands of a rock and roll band” to my 30-something daughters.  Also agree about the Super Bowl.  I would have liked to see the Turnpike Troubadours alongside Chris Stapleton. As a Chiefs fan that might have redeemed the night.  Otherwise it was so depressing I had nightmares.

Best,

Barbara B. Chapman

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Yeah, Eyes Without a Face is the best Billy Idol song. . . . at the change or course. And I love every White Stripes song, and fortunately saw them live twice.

Chris Flesher

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Ridiculous the little ol band from east LA -Los Lobos- isn’t in
-Bill Tibbs Canada

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a merely perfunctory scan of this piece compels me to wonder if it was written in exchange for an all-access press pass to the main event!?!?

DOUG COLLETTE

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Mr. Lefsetz:

While we’re on the subject – for your amusement – something I posted to social media a couple of days before the ’25 nominees were announced:

I was looking over the list of Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Inductees the other night – so many great names, so many conspicuous omissions.

I came up with my own list of nominees that in a perfect rock ’n’ roll world would make it into The Hall.

I planned to limit it to 50 but you can see how well that worked out. I could make a compelling argument for each of these choices:

1. Albhy Galuten

2. Mike Nesmith

3. Dick Dale

4. Jackie DeShannon (Songwriter)

5. Mick Ronson (Musical Excellence)

6. Free/Bad Company

7. Little Feat

8. Buck Owens & His Buckaroos

9. Connie Francis

10. Teo Macero (Producer, Influence)

11. Johnny Burnette & The Rock ’N’ Roll Trio

12. Squeeze

13. Fairport Convention

14. Tom Wilson (Producer)

15. The Clovers

16. Spirit

17. Doug Sahm/Sir Douglas Quintet/Texas Tornados

18. Carpenters

19. Iron Maiden

20. De La Soul

21. George Goldner (Ahmet Ertegun Award)

22. .38 Special

23. Captain Beefheart

24. Outkast

25. Mott The Hoople/Ian Hunter

26. Jim Peterik (Songwriter)

27. Wolfman Jack (Ahmet Ertegun Award)

28. Bryan Adams (Artist, Songwriter)

29. J.J. Cale

30. Bjork

31. Big Star

32. Marianne Faithfull

33. Thin Lizzy

34. The Stranglers

35. Ted Templeman (Producer)

36. Roberta Flack

37. Tommy James & The Shondells

38. Nick Lowe

39. Darian Sahanaja (Musical Excellence)

40. Joe Osborn (Musical Excellence)

41. Joan Armatrading

42. Paul Revere & The Raiders

43. Carole Kaye (Musical Excellence)

44. Grace Jones

45. Three Dog Night

46. Bill Szymczyk (Producer)

47. Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks

48. Waylon Jennings

49. Cozy Powell (Musical Excellence)

50. Esther Phillips

51. Culture Club

52. Eddie Kramer (Engineer, Producer)

53. Cyndi Lauper

54. Siouxsie & The Banshees

55. Larry Norman

56. Los Lobos

57. Patti LaBelle/The Bluebelles/Labelle

58. Arthur Lee/Love

59. Kenny Loggins

60. Joy Division/New Order

61. Joe Jackson

62. Norman Petty (Producer)

63. Leslie Gore

64. David Foster (Producer, Songwriter)

65. Anthrax

66. Joan Osborne

67. Morris Levy (Ahmet Ertegun Award)

68. Mose Allison (Influence)

69. Paul Kelly

70. Miriam Makeba

71. Wu-Tang Clan

72. Curt Boettcher (Producer)

73. Judee Sill

74. J.M. Van Eaton (Musical Excellence)

75. Rick Rubin (Producer)

76. Jesse Ed Davis (Musical Excellence)

77. Ry Cooder (Musical Excellence, Musicologist)

78. Fanny

79. John Coltrane (Influence)

80. Crowded House

81. Fela Kuti

82. Tom Jones

83. David Lindley (Musical Excellence)

84. Opeth

85. Shemekia Copeland

86. Toto/Steve Lukather, Jeff Porcaro and David Paich (Performers, Musical Excellence – take your pick)

87. Foghat

88. Rory Gallagher

89. Herb Abramson (Ahmet Ertegun Award)

90. The J. Geils Band

91. Gordon Lightfoot

92. The Robert Cray Band

93. Hugh Masekela

94. Ravi Shankar (Influence)

95. Johnny Pacheco & Jerry Masucci (Ahmet Ertegun Award)

96. Paul Weller/The Jam

97. The Flatlanders

98. Kim Wilson (Musical Excellence)

99. David Van De Pitte (Arranger)

100. Johnny Maestro/The Crests/The Brooklyn Bridge

101. Rick James

102. King Crimson

103. Danny Korchmar (Producer, Songwriter)

104. Flo & Eddie/The Turtles (Performers or Musical Excellence – take your pick)

105. Jimmy Webb (Songwriter)

106. Warren Zevon

107. The Scorpions

108. Patsy Cline

109. Lucinda Williams

110. Beck

111. Slayer

112. The Pixies

113. The Dead Kennedys

114. Phil Collins (Performer, Producer, Songwriter)

115. Harry Nilsson

116. Tears For Fears

117. Procol Harum

118. Tim Buckley

119. The Monkees

120. Stan Ridgeway

121. Blue Oyster Cult

122. Rodney Crowell

123. Olivia Newton-John

124. Emerson, Lake & Palmer

125. The Smithereens

126. Margo Price

127. X

128. John Hiatt (Songwriter)

129. Poco

130. Louis Prima (Influence)

131. Barry White

132. INXS

133. Dwight Yoakam

134. Daft Punk

135. Tom Werman (Producer)

136. NRBQ

137. Little Steven (Musicologist)

138. The White Stripes

139. Peter Guralnick (Music Historian)

140. Carmine Appice (Musical Excellence)

141. Pantera

142. The Meters

143. King’s X

144. Faith No More

145. Elliott Smith

146. The Replacements

147. Fiona Apple

148. Nick Cave

149. The Smiths

150. Eric B & Rakim

151. Scott Walker

152. Husker Du/Bob Mould

153. Television

154. Sade

155. Taj Mahal

156. Canned Heat

157. The Neville Brothers

158. Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels

159. Neil Sedaka & Howard Greenfield (Songwriters)

160. Jr. Walker & The All-Stars

161. The Pointer Sisters

162. Pet Shop Boys

163. The Memphis Horns (Musical Excellence)

164. Weird Al Yankovic

165. Sam “The Man” Taylor (Musical Excellence)

166. Donnie Hathaway

167. Ashford & Simpson (Songwriters)

168. John Cale

169. James Guercio (Producer)

170. Micky Most (Producer)

171. The Searchers

172. 10cc

173. Burt Bacharach and Hal David (Songwriters)

174. Lee Hazlewood (Producer)

175. Bob Ezrin (Producer)

176. Elton John’s Band: Nigel Olsson, Davey Johnstone, Ray Cooper, Dee Murray

177. Hank Garland (Musical Excellence)

178. Johnny “Guitar” Watson

179. Air

180. Bert Jansch

181. Miriam Abramson (Ahmet Ertegun Award)

182. Alice In Chains

183. Herbie Flowers (Musical Excellence)

184. War

185. Tommy Bolin (Musical Excellence)

186. Status Quo

187. Mickey Baker (Musical Excellence)

188. Joe Lala (Musical Excellence)

189. Patrick Cowley

190. Rick Derringer (Musical Excellence)

191. Charles Connor (Musical Excellence)

192. Richard Thompson

193. Jeffrey Foskett (Musical Excellence)

194. Waddy Wachtel (Musical Excellence)

195. The Section: Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkel, Craig Doerge, Danny Korchmar (Musical Excellence)

196. Jim Keltner (Musical Excellence)

197. Bootsy Collins (Musical Excellence)

198. Buddy Miles (Musical Excellence)

199. Scott Thurston (Musical Excellence)

200. J.D. Souther (Songwriter)

201. Paul Williams (Songwriter)

202. Kenny Aranoff (Musical Excellence)

203. Art Laboe (Ahmet Ertegun Award)

204. Philip and Raymond Kives (Ahmet Ertegun Award)

205. Jim Ladd (Ahmet Ertegun Award)

206. Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman (Musical Excellence)

We All Live In A Yellow Snubmarine: While we’re at it, let’s go back and right some Rock ’N’ Roll wrongs: Bob Welch, Nick Simper, Ronnie James Dio, Anthony Phillips, Billy Cox, Dave Navarro, Peter Banks, Doug Yule, Eric Carr, Steve Morse, Warren Haynes, Patrick Moraz and all the other founding or key members of inducted bands who somehow got the shaft and didn’t make it in the first time around.

Vince Welsh