After a delay to perform some maintenance on the HOA, we’re back with the 1989 election!

Choose the ten most deserving artists, based on records released through the end of 1988.

It’s been a few weeks since the last election, so to refresh your memory, you may want to check out the top 100 eligible candidates. For a reminder of who’s already been inducted, see the results thread or this list (it's the second post on the thread).

For your ballot to be eligible, submit a ranked list of your ten most deserving artists.

Please please please please remember that for your top FIVE artists (at least), you must explain why they deserve to be in the HOA. You may recycle your comments from past elections if you wish, but I want us to have a context for WHY we're selecting these artists. Ballots without comments for the top five will NOT be counted!

In addition, you have the option to nominate up to three people for the Backstage Wing. This isn't required.

With the HOA relaunch this week, I'll make a transparent plea for new voters--we're in the late 80s now, which is certainly within the lifetimes of the majority of posters on this forum (I assume). This would be a great time to jump on board!

Deadline for ballots is Sunday, April 5, at 6:00 pm US Central time (midnight GMT).

Voting is now open.

1. Public Enemy – I don’t know about you, but my 98’s boomin’ with a trunk of funk.

2. George Jones – If you assembled a team of experts to determine the best country song ever performed, several of George Jones’ songs would be in the discussion. My vote for now would go to “A Good Year For The Roses.” Just killer stuff. “The lawn could stand another mowing. Funny. I don’t even care…” (listen)

3. XTC – These boys made some great pop songs.

4. NWA – I don’t know about you, but I don’t drink brass monkey, like to be funky, nickname Easy-E yo 8-ball junkie…

5. The Zombies – See answer to number 3 above.

6. Jonathan Richmond/Modern Lovers – Their first record alone puts them ahead of the Pixies, who are sure to be enshrined this year.

7. Pixies – Notwithstanding answer above, they’re still good with me, and don’t get any better than Surfer Rosa, so might as well vote now.

8. Herbie Hancock – No chance, but worthy.

9. Lynyrd Skynyrd – Turn it up.

10. Sonic Youth – Scared my niece once.

1. Public Enemy
2. Pixies
3. Cream
4. Sonic Youth
5. N.W.A
6. Deep Purple
7. Grandmaster Flash
8. The Eagles
9. Paul McCartney
10. The Grateful Dead

SR, you need to comment your votes or they won't be counted !!

Okay thanks for letting me know.

1. Public Enemy - Either the first second greatest rap group of all time.

2. Pixies - Amazing band, Surfer Rosa may be one of the top 3 most influential albums of the 80s.

3. Cream - A personal favorite, by far the best of Clapton's work, I think they should get be in.

4. Sonic Youth - Again, hugely influential.

5. N.W.A - Very influential? Noticing a pattern? These guys basically said gangster rap is here.

6. Deep Purple - 3rd greatest hard rock band.

7. Grandmaster Flash - Arguably the most important MC in the hip-hop genre.

8. The Eagles - I've never really understood their incredible success, but I think they're a pretty good band and are certainly very cherished..

9. Paul McCartney - Though it's certainly true that majority of Paul's solo stuff is horrible, he had a few gems. Also he seems like the type that should be inducted twice for musicianship alone.

10. The Grateful Dead - The dead are a way of life. They were a little behind the pack music wise, but it's possible to get very into them.

Welcome back, HOA! Schleuse, you shouldn’t worry about the momentum, I think most of the posters will stay till the end. At least this is going to be my case. Let’s go then…

01. THE POGUES: roots-punk. Yes, Shane MacGowan and The Pogues are the living proof that traditional Irish folk and punk rock are not contrary styles but even shares many aspects. The incorruptible and radical attitude (not hiding social, political and antiwar subjects), the vandal and twisted sense of humour and some peculiar romanticism tie both styles. And the alcohol too…
My favourite album: If I Should Fall From Grace with God (1988).
My Top 5 Songs: Fairytale of New York (1987), And the Band Played Waltzing Mathilda (1985), Fiesta (198 , A Pair of Brown Eyes (1985), Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six (198 .

02. PATA NEGRA: Raimundo and Rafael Amador are two gypsy brothers that are simultaneously true to the secular traditions of their ethnic group (just see them in a fragment of a TV documentary) and musically innovative incorporating rock and blues in an raw way.
My favourite album: Blues de la frontera (198 .
My Top 3 Songs: Pasa la vida (198 , Ratitas divinas (1982), Morao mellizo (1986).

03. PUBLIC ENEMY: it seems that finally the revolution will be televised. On MTV. Public Enemy along with other hip hop bands are leading a music revolution, with a style based in beats, samples, scratches and rap, and even a social revolution too, with proud messages about the social injustice suffered by the black America.
My favourite album: It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (198 .
My Top 3 Songs: Don’t Believe the Hype (198 , Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos (198 , Bring the Noise (1987).

04. TALK TALK: the last album of Talk Talk is the highest point of a fascinating evolution, from the interesting synth pop of their beginnings to their actual indefinable style, creating from influences of jazz or avant-garde a more personal, organic, strange and minimalistic sound.
My favourite album: Spirit of Eden (198 .
My Top 3 Songs: The Rainbow (198 , Such a Shame (1984), I Believe in You (198 .

05. THE GO-BETWEENS: an Australian band with a sixth sense for finding new ways for classic pop music , with a contrasted but complementary styles of the two singers and song-writers, the more sweet Grant McLennan and the more caustic Robert Foster.
My favourite album: 16 Lovers Lane (198 .
My Top 3 Songs: Streets of Your Town (198 , Bachelor Kisses (1984), Spring Rain (1986).

06. SONIC YOUTH.
07. NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS.
08. DEPECHE MODE.
09. PIXIES.
10. XTC.

And a special edition of the backstage wing (today: UK independent labels part 2):
01. IVO WATTS-RUSSELL: he’s the founder of 4AD label, initially a sub-label of Beggars Banquet Records that has developed a very characteristic style, dreamy and evocative as showcased by the works of Cocteau Twins, This Mortal Coil or Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares, but with a hard edge too, like the works of Birthday Party and their newest band, the Boston-based Pixies. Favourite song: THIS MORTAL COIL Song to the Siren (1983).
02. PAUL SMITH: he rules Blast First Records, the English home of many bands coming from the US alternative scene that are helping to redefine the music of the end of the decade in an innovative and raw way, bands like Dinosaur Jr. or Sonic Youth. Favourite song: DINOSAUR JR. Freak Scene (198 .
03. MARTIN MILLS: the founder of Beggars Banquet Records, one of the pioneers of the independent labels along with Factory or Rough Trade. The first successful band-artist of the label was Gary Numan/Tubeway Army but later they had released works from bands and artist as Bauhaus (and post-Bauhaus Peter Murphy or Love and Rockets too), The Cult, The Fall or The Go-Betweens. Favourite song: BAUHAUS She’s in Parties (1983).

Honorio!

During my visit, when you said you would have a backstage special about founders of record companies, I regret afterwards that I didn't push for Ivo Watts-Russell. But you put him at number one anyway -- wonderful!

Without Ivo Watts-Russell, a large portion of the music I love would probably not exist today. Long live 4AD!

Thanks Henrik. In fact I thought of voting for him earlier but finally I’ve decided to wait till “Surfer Rosa”.
You’re right: long live 4AD!

1. The POGUES : not much to add to what Honorio said. Great songwriters and song makers.

2. PUBLIC ENEMY : the first giants of rap. They gave the style that real threatening sound, with huge basses, conscious lyrics, and the great voice of Chuck D

3. TELEPHONE : the greatest French group of the 1980's in terms of popularity and consistency… then Noir Désir came to replace them (then Daft Punk ?). There's always one big French group per era. Never more.

4. SONIC YOUTH : sort of Velvet Underground of the '80s and '90s, coming from the same arty NY background. And contratry to a lot of indie acts, I can stand them !!!

5. GRANDMASTER FLASH : needs to be inducted as rap's pioneer

6. NWA : 1988 is a rap year. 2 masterpieces at least.

7. RENAUD : I love his lyrics, especially when he became a father. Great father songs (Baby stting blues, Mistral gagnant, etc..)

8. The EAGLES : this site is too elitist (or indie-punk righteous, which is about the same) for them

9. Philip GLASS

10. Linton KWESI JOHNSON : political dub poet. Sort of British Gil Scott-Heron

1. PUBLIC ENEMY. In this year, the greatest rap act of all time released the greatest rap album of all time. If that’s not #1, what is?
2. BUZZCOCKS. I hope they’re not running out of juice around here.
3. SONIC YOUTH. A serious, important band, so let me make a trivial observation--why is it that so many of the great art-rock bands have one—but only one—female? Maureen Gordon, Tina Weymouth, Kim Deal, Kim Gordon…and, I suppose, Debbie Harry (you might could throw Exene Cervenkova and Karen O in the mix, too).
4. VAN HALEN. Indie-punk righteous? Moi?
5. KATE BUSH. Strange and wonderful. I’m pretty sure she’ll get in at some point.
6. THE POGUES
7. PIXIES. If they don’t get in this year, they’ll top my ballot next year. Anybody hear Kim Deal on NPR this past weekend?
8. THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN
9. XTC
10. PET SHOP BOYS. They made it OK for me to like disco.

#11 and #12 are Talk Talk and Dinosaur Jr. (my vote for Lyle last year was kind of a goof).

It's "arty" to have one female in a band, but two females and you're starting to get "poppy."

(Please don't take my comment too seriously.)

Like the B-52's, huh?

Of course, Kim Deal later turned the concept inside out with the Breeders--three women and one man (at least in the Last Splash era). And Elastica followed suit, although that ended badly. Good night.

same as Paul
Please don't take my comments...
I was only joking, my dear (Rod Stewart)

1. Public Enemy - For all the obvious reasons. The definitive hip-hop act, bringing political consciousness back to the forefront, creating some of the most delicious and innovative music along the way.
2. Cream - Fantastic fusion of blues, psychedelia and pop rock from the first supertrio.
3. Janis Joplin - Fantastic voice that could handle every genre. That's especially true for her later years, shortly before her dead, as her voice matured and became more subtle.
4. Eagles - Sadly underestimated by the "serious music lover", but these guys could really play and recorded a couple of gems along the way.
5. Deep Purple - I have no idea what line-up they're touring with these days, but this nomination goes for their best years, the first half of the 70's.
6. Jefferson Airplane
7. Sonic Youth
8. The Pixies
9. N.W.A.
10. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Backstage:
1. Juan Atkins
2. The Bomb Squad
3. Gamble & Huff

Klauw - How can The Eagles be "underestimated"? They have received sufficient publicity to be heard by everyone over and over again.

Sure, but that doesn't mean they get the appreciation and respect they deserve. Sometimes it takes a little more than listening to something over and over again to understand the greatness of it.

1. PET SHOP BOYS - I just find their music so delightfully catchy, I can't help myself.

2. LOVE - Glorious album, that Forever Changes. Should have been in years ago. What's wrong with you people?

3. N.W.A. - There were an amazing amount of great rap in the 80s, and this is what it lead to. They made the Appetite For Destruction of rap albums.

4. KATE BUSH - Really sexy in every way, but meant as creepy as sexy possibly can get.

5. ERIC B. & RAKIM - The best rapper to ever walk the face of the earth. Possibly the best rapper on earth, even if we count those who cannot walk, those who fly and those who live underground too.

6. JEFFERSON AIRPLANE
7. VIOLENT FEMMES
8. SONIC YOUTH
9. ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN
10. PUBLIC ENEMY

Many difficult decisions this time. Had a hard time choosing only 10.

Same ol' scene from Moonbeam! I have a feeling Björk will become eligible and change my list before an induction will.

1. Eurythmics

2. Grace Jones

3. Siouxsie and the Banshees

4. Depeche Mode

5. Janet Jackson

6. Donna Summer

7. Can

8. Echo and the Bunnymen

9. Joan Jett

10. Kim Wilde

1. Public Enemy – The most important and influential hip-hop group of all time. The combination of Chuck D’s righteously angry lyrics and imposing presence and The Bomb Squad’s relentless, astonishing soundscapes truly was Louder Than a Bomb, and the best of it still hits with titanic force today.

2. Sonic Youth – As influential as they’ve been, there really isn’t any other band that sounds like them – they’re genuine originals. And every time it seems like their little rock ‘n’ roll art project is finally on the verge of playing itself out they manage to reinvent and renew themselves yet again.

3. Pixies – The first sentence of my Sonic Youth entry could apply equally well to Frank Black Francis Thompson and company. I really shouldn’t have them this high yet, but I don’t want to miss the boat on writing something about them as I did with the Replacements, and anyway SURFER ROSA is such a masterpiece that they merit induction already.

4. New York Dolls – They only made two albums, but they’re one of the all-time great bands, and their influence is incalculable.

5. Ornette Coleman – The music he was making in the late eighties STILL sounded like The Shape of Jazz to Come (the concept, not the album). A true visionary who, unlike far too many of his contemporaries, lasted long enough to become a living legend.

6. Peter Gabriel
7. Wire
8. Can
9. Love
10. Cream

BACKSTAGE WING
1. Nicky Hopkins
2. Rudy Van Gelder
3. Greil Marcus

HW - It's my bad, but I really have no idea about the New York Dolls influence. I am intrigued that you've labeled it "incalculable." How would popular music be different if they had never existed? Anyone?

Maybe "incalculable" is a tad hyperbolic, but I think an argument can be made that you can pretty much draw a straight line from the Dolls to both the Ramones and the Sex Pistols. In any case, I'm just trying to make a case for them - for the HOA, which is obviously a lost cause, but also and more importantly just for people to listen to 'em, you know?

1. George Jones - greatest vocalist not yet inducted
2. Eric B. & Rakim - saw rakim about a year ago (chuck d showed up to pay his respects) and at any point during the show that he held the microphone to the audience, almost the whole crowd was able to supply the lyrics for as long as he held it there (this is brooklyn, but still...)
3. Pet Shop Boys - at one point i thought that the greatest music on the planet was the kind was the kind you could dance and cry to at the same time - this was when i was listening to the pet shop boys a lot
4. Kate Bush - released an incredible string of albums from the late '70s through the mid '80s. the female david bowie?
5. Todd Rundgren - not many can marry technical flash with pop catch like TR
6. Warren Zevon - probably the greatest singer/songwriter not yet inducted
7. Jackson Browne - i'd gladly give some points to the eagles, but browne was really the boy wonder of '70s california soft rock and i don't think i've seen a single other vote for him on here
8. John Cale - probably has a better chance backstage, but i think his own catalogue is even more impressive
9. Lynyrd Skynyrd - indeed, paul. turn it up.
10. Cheap Trick - the ultimate cult band

Backstage (dance music edition)

1. David Mancuso - The Loft
2. Larry Levan - Paradise Garage
3. Tom Moulton - the 12", the remix, the breakdown

HW - I appreciate a good lost cause. I promise to check out the NY Dolls.