Backstage

1. Berry Gordy Jr
2. Alan Lomax
3. Art Rupe

1. Aretha Franklin - Lady Soul. She's responsible for some of the finest soul records ever. Induct Aretha Now!

2. Jacques Brel - The first time he makes my top three, but if he won't make it this year, he'll be at the number one spot for quite some time. Rarily heard a singer that could move me more than he.

3. Howlin' Wolf - Greatest blues singer not yet enshrined, recorded some of the best blues standards and was an incredibly impressive performer.

4. Van Morrison - The Bob Dylan of blue-eyed soul. One of the finest songwriters, exploring with the greatest discipline every genre he could reach. Astral Weeks is one of the most poetic records released to date.

5. Charlie Parker - One of the most important jazz artists of all time. Bird was the mastermind behind innovative techniques in harmony and melody, not only in bebop, but in blues as well.

6. Diana Ross & The Supremes
7. Marvin Gaye
8. John Lee Hooker
9. Count Basie
10. Leadbelly

Backstage Wing:
1. John Hammond
2. Willie Dixon
3. George Gershwin

1. Aretha Franklin – The obvious first choice this year. Not much more to say.
2. Simon and Garfunkel – The more I listen to their albums, the more I appreciate them. Simon is so adept at the twee singer-songwriter stuff that he could have easily made a whole career of it; thankfully, he’s always been much more ambitious than that, right from the start. And his partner really is one of the great voices of all time.
3. Cream – Coincidentally, I’ve just been revisiting their albums as well. Overindulgent? Sure – the world didn’t really need the initial 6 ½ minute studio version of “Spoonful”, let alone the 16 ½ minute live one. But when they harnessed their triple-threat prowess to a streamlined pop-psych sensibility (thanks, Felix Pappalardi) they were unbeatable.
4. The Supremes – The ultimate Sixties singles act, the ultimate Motown act. Pop at its finest, and shiniest.
5. Howlin’ Wolf – If Muddy’s in, the Wolf rightly should be too. We’re at the stage now where the older guys and gals who haven’t gotten in yet probably aren’t going to; we might want to think at some point about creating some kind of Cooperstown-like “Veterans’ Committee”.
6. Bill Evans
7. Ornette Coleman
8. Sonny Rollins
9. Frank Zappa
10. The Doors

BACKSTAGE WING
1. Rudy Van Gelder
2. George Gershwin
3. Jerry Wexler

Nicolas, Berry Gordy's already been inducted.

1. ARETHA FRANKLIN. After last year’s inductees, the talent pool seems to have dried up a bit. Aretha hasn’t done all that much to improve her standing, but she’s still should sail in this year.

2. BILL MONROE. I feel like ol’ Bill might be making a late push, like a 46-year-old pitcher being trotted out to the mound for one last game…

3. HOWLIN’ WOLF. Another one who really ought to get in eventually, and there’s now a shortage of candidates to put in line ahead of him. I hope he makes it before his death (7 HOA years from now).

4. VAN MORRISON. The two sixties artists in my top four are probably people I couldn’t stand in person. So it goes. Astral Weeks is a little overrated, but not grossly so.

5. MERLE HAGGARD. Yes, I’m jumping on board—and bumping Merle up to Jimmie’s old spot. Going to summer camp in the Texas Hill Country in the 70s, you heard a hell of a lot of outlaw country. Merle’s politics might not be my cuppa, but he, Willie and Dolly are probably going to be the last country artists to show up on my ballot.

6. THE BAND
7. WILSON PICKETT
8. JEFFERSON AIRPLANE
9. MARVIN GAYE
10. FRANK ZAPPA/THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION. This last position was a push between Zappa/Mothers and Simon & Garfunkel…I went with Frank because he’s a million times cooler.

Backstage:

I continue to carry the flag for people not directly involved in musical production at all—my candidates tend to be people who were more cultural influences than musical ones. Might seem perverse to some, but hey, it’s an area I know better and I feel like somebody’s gotta do it…

1. BRIAN EPSTEIN
2. TIMOTHY LEARY
3. PETER MAX

I thought Brian Epstein made it...

1. The Monkees- How are the Monkees not on that top 50 list? More of the Monkees and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones came out in '67 (Headquarters as well, but that's not as great as those two). The only thing essential that's missing is Valleri. EDIT: And now Head is out too. It would be a shame if they don't make it in.

2. The Zombies- One of the greatest albums ever and a few other singles should put them in right now... I'm sure they'll get in later if not now.

3. Pink Floyd- The only album needed to get them in has been released. There's some good stuff on Saucerful of Secrets too and add in those early singles. This is the band that deserves to be enshrined.

4. Simon and Garfunkel- This is one of the few groups that grew better and better as time passed.

5. Herman's Hermits- One of my favorite singles bands from the 60's. Pick up a greatest hits and you'll realize how good of a pop band they really were especially if you're an early-mid years Beatles fan.

6. Neil Diamond- All of the essentials have been released and now he'll slowly slip into cheesiness minus Cracklin' Rosie.

7. Donovan
8. The Hollies
9. The Supremes
10. Lovin Spoonful

Close: Harry Nilsson, Art Blakey, Nico (I'm not counting VU + Nico because I wouldn't do that for any other artist's solo career), Cream, The Doors (Too much crap makes me want to keep them off my list...), Phil Ochs, The Turtles, Sly and the Family Stone

Backstage:

1. Brian Epstein
2. Bill Graham
3. D.A. Pennebaker

I choose to believe that the Experience was voted in with Hendrix. I'm not a huge fan, but where have the Nina Simone lovers been?

1. Django Reinhardt - That mini groundswell for Django seems to have waned. :(

2. The Impressions -- Deserve entry just for the cover of "This Is My Country." (Sorry don't know how to imbed pictures.)

3. Simon and Garfunkel -- Bookends is a really nice album.

4. Charlie Parker - I dropped him early on. But he's super-worthy.

5. The Supremes -- A monster singles collection.

6. The Temptations

7. Sly and the Family Stone -- Just wait til next year... but they put out a fun album with "Life" this year. Great fun.

8. Buffalo Springfield

9. Patsy Cline

10. Aretha Franklin -- Just released her greatest song, "Chain of Fools." Be careful, though, Aretha, Stevie Wonder (who is releasing a steady stream of treasures through the late 60's) is gonna pass you next year. The Band also...

Schleuse - I'm curious about Merle. Are you talking about the politics reflected by his lyrics or by his other political statements/activities?

I realize he has some conservative songs (i.e., Fightin' Side Of Me), but he also has some fairly liberal songs ("My Own Kind of Hat" "They're Tearing the Labor Camps Down").

I am by no means an expert on his political views, but my impression was that his conservative songs were in part tongue in cheek and in part efforts to cash in (always a factor in country music).

Paul, I'm no expert on his political views, either, but... I was thinking of Merle deliberately positioning himself as a real American rather than one of them damn hippies in the late 60s/early 70s (not that I particularly care to defend hippies).

I think the public position most country artists might be best classified as conservative populists--conservative on social issues, with a strong disdain for elites, including, especially, the wealthy. And you're absolutely right that there's an element of spin to that.

Ordinarily, I probably wouldn't even bring it up; I was mostly thinking of it since politics is kind of a big issue now (I voted this week), and I'm keenly aware of conservative populism, since it's the dominant political position in my home state.

Oh, and John, Brian's still outside the gates. The list of Backstage Wing winners to date is:

Sam Phillips
Alan Freed
Cole Porter
Leiber & Stoller
Harry Smith
Phil Spector
George Martin
Berry Gordy
Ahmet Ertegun

I've been thinking about politics a lot myself. I am definitely NOT in the conservative/populist camp. Sarah Palin will not be getting my vote. But I really love country music, especially Texas country music. So that's kind of funny.

Maybe it's my own projections, but I hear a lot more libertarian (i.e., live and let live) ideas in country music than socially conservative ideas. And if you look around, there are some darn right liberal country songs.

A few years ago, National Review magazine posted a list of the 50 most conservative rock songs, which was (I think) unintentionally funny. Google it. I remember seeing a comment that somebody should make a similar list of the 50 most liberal country songs. Maybe I'll do that...

01. SIMON & GARFUNKEL: folk-rock times. Simon & Garfunkel are one of the favourites in every college of today, they have a rock background Everly Brothers’ style (they began as the rock ‘n’ roll duo Tom & Jerry) and also a folk background Greenwich Village’s style. Paul Simon as the composer of sensitive songs (and excellent guitar player!) and Art Garfunkel as the singer of the sweetest voice are getting better and better with every album, with their last album as their peak so far, “Bookends”.
My favourite album: Bookends (1968).
My Top 5 Songs: America (196 , Mrs. Robinson (196 , The Sounds of Silence (1964), I Am a Rock (1966), Hazy Shade of Winter (1966).

02. ARETHA FRANKLIN: maybe she’s not the first one bringing the gospel to the soul, taking the church sounds to the clubs, but surely she is the one with the fiercest voice. Ladies and gentlemen, Lady Soul.
My favourite album: Lady Soul (196 .
My Top 3 Songs: I Say a Little Prayer (196 , Chain of Fools (196 , Respect (1967).

03. THE ZOMBIES: bad luck. They began as high as “She’s Not There” but, despite their continuous improvement in song-writing and performing, success has been elusive since then. And with a final injustice: the psychedelic pop masterpiece “Oddesey and Oracle” has been released to general indifference forcing the split-up of the band.
My favourite album: Odessey and Oracle (196 .
My Top 3 Songs: Time of the Season (196 , She’s Not There (1964), Hung Up on a Dream (196 .

04. JACQUES BREL: quand on n’a que l’amour (d’un petit mais fidèle groupe d’inconditionnels).

05. LOVE: am I the only one who loves Love?

06. THE DOORS.
07. THE SUPREMES.
08. BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD.
09. THE LEFT BANKE.
10. LEONARD COHEN.


And at the backstage:
01. ANDY WARHOL: well, it’s well-known that he’s not a musician and his involvement as a producer was walking into the studio to say hello to the boys, but his influence shows throughout the Velvet material, not to mention the groundbreaking Exploding Plastic Inevitable shows, including lights, dancers, films and, of course, rock and art. Favourite song: THE VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO All Tomorrow’s Parties (1966).
02. BRIAN EPSTEIN.
03. BURT BACHARACH & HAL DAVID.

here we go!

1) Bill Monroe
2) Howlin' Wolf
3) Merle Haggard - add to his resume of songs two of his best: "Mama Tried" and "I Take a Lot of Pride in What I Am"
4) Leonard Cohen - Cohen's musical debut at age 34 (he'd already written Beautiful Losers) is my 2nd favorite album of all time. Spare, minor-key folk with Biblical, darkly erotic lyrics and eerie production. There was nothing else like this at the time.
5) The Band - More Canadians (and Levon Helm). I like their second album even more, but at the height of psychedelia, this one too seemed to come out of nowhere. Much like CCR will do next year, they were singing about the American South with the clarity that sometimes only outsiders can attain. Plus they were the ultimate "band," sharing vocal and songwriting duties.

6) George Jones
7) Van Morrison
8) Aretha Franklin
9) Woody Guthrie
10) Antonio Carlos Jobim

Backstage:

1) Bacharach & David
2) Alan Lomax
3) Hoagy Carmichael

I forgot my backstagers this year:

1. George Gershwin
2. Alan Lomax
3. Nelson Riddle - I can't say that I'm entirely confident about this pick. He may drop off soon enough. But he did some wonderful arrangement work with Sinatra and Fitzgerald.

Honorio, The Zombies actually broke up before O+O was released. Even when Time of the Season became a hit, the band refused to tour around it and in fact, the first time they played the songs live was in 1997! The recent touring they've done on the state fair circuit is the first time they've ever played the O+O songs in the US.

Thanks a lot for the information, John. But this fact makes the injustice with The Zombies even bigger.