It's 1995, and Britpop is in full swing. Let's see what that does to this year's HOA voting

Submit a ranked list of your ten most deserving artists. You may want to check out the top 100 eligible candidates. For a reminder of who's already been inducted, see the results thread.

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.

Deadline for ballots is Sunday, May 17, at 6:00 pm US Central time (midnight GMT).

Voting is now open. Stomach in, chest out. On your marks, get set...go.

1994 is one of my favorite years, only behind classics like 1969 and 1971, but only Portishead could break into my top 10.

1. Scott Walker – Come on, guys! I really want to vote in Scott before Tilt. Hello damosuzuki! Hello sonofsamiam! Hello Vgrd! Hello Fred! Hello Stammer! Hello Rune! Hello Mitchell Stirling! Hello Georgie! Hello pop elton! Hello netjade!

2. Portishead – With Dummy, their debut album, they made my favorite album of all time. Yes, it truly outshines everything else in my ears, but in total Scott 1-4 impress me even more.

3. Ennio Morricone – I often get disappointed when I listen to a film score. What sounded fantastic in the film suddenly becomes irritatingly repetitive. But this man is different. This genre should not be ignored.

4. ABBA – Gold indeed.

5. Judas Priest – Listen to "Victim of Changes" and join me.

6. The KLF – Perhaps they were the best ambient band. Perhaps they were the best techno band. Perhaps they were the best pop band, at least for a little while.

7. Genesis – By quite far the best prog-rock band IMO.

8. Eurythmics – Their early stuff rules.

9. Janis Joplin – She belongs to a hall like this.

10. Astor Piazzolla – Should be included based on "Tango: Zero Hour" alone.

1. Eurythmics- It seems as though Henrik and I are the only ones who appreciate them. That's a shame, as they offered some of the greatest music of the 80s, regardless of genre.

2. Siouxsie and the Banshees- With the amount of love that The Cure gets (and rightly so- they're my favorite band!), I'm surprised that The Banshees haven't gotten nearly the same amount of love. Robert Smith was twice a Banshee, and you can totally hear that he got a lot of his ideas from them. With such a rich, diverse catalogue, their output is astounding!

3. Janet Jackson- My first ever celebrity crush has to be worth something!

4. Grace Jones- Another entry, another chick! Grace is (not was) an absolute badass and encapsulates everything that I feel an artist should be.

5. Can- I'm giving them a bump in hopes that others may follow suit- I know they've been on the radar for awhile.

6. Donna Summer

7. Aerosmith- Another deserving band. Pump is one of my favorite albums of the 80s, and their 70s stuff is pretty rockin'.

8. Echo and the Bunnymen

9. Joan Jett

10. Kim Wilde

I had a couple of celebrity crushes during the 80s. Belinda Carlisle, Wendy James, Phoebe Cates and Mandy Smith. But never Samantha Fox. My taste in women was too superior.

1. THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS - They'll stay up here for a couple of more years. I played the Dial-a-Song compilation today, and it's two thumbs up.

2. OASIS - I remember buying their first album in London long before my friends had even heard of them. All my friends hated it, which made me love it even more.

3. LOVE - Yawn. Can't come up with more to say. I like them, especially Forever Changes.

4. SCOTT WALKER - Here's a helping hand. I'm actually quite a fan, so I'm not sure why I haven't voted for him before.

5. JEFFERSON AIRPLANE - They were a good band who made nice music.

6. SUEDE
7. VIOLENT FEMMES
8. ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN
9. THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN
10. JEFF BUCKLEY

1. BLUR. With the release of Parklife, I think they’re pretty clearly now the best act not yet in. Y’know, I bought it not long after it came out, and I didn’t really get what I was listening to (except for “This Is a Low,” the standout track). On this side of the Atlantic, dominated as it was at the time by big crunching guitars, Parklife might as well have been Debussy.

I may have mentioned this already, but there have been 3 or 4 times when I was at party where I had choice of CD and, knowing nothing about anyone’s musical taste, I opted for Parklife. It’s hit every time.

2. JESUS AND MARY CHAIN. Seriously, what are they still doing here?
3. PAVEMENT. Smug? Self-satisfied? Sure, but as Casey Stengel said, it ain’t braggin’ if you can do it. They could do it.
4. NINE INCH NAILS. 1994 was just an amazing year, but The Downward Spiral didn’t sound like anything else in it. There’s a fine line between ridiculous and brilliant, and at his best, Trent Reznor’s just this side of that line. Essential.
5. BUZZCOCKS. Continuing their own downward spiral.
6. DE LA SOUL
7. OASIS
8. LIZ PHAIR
9. PORTISHEAD
10. DINOSAUR JR.

(Jeff Buckley just missed.)

I realize I’ve been focusing almost exclusively on new stuff—the Buzzcocks are the oldest act on my ballot—but the new stuff in the mid-90s is really that good. In a year or two, when (for me) the well runs dry, some older artists may start popping up again on my ballot.

01. BLUR: Blur had decided to vindicate proudly the glorious past of British music without being overtly revivalists, using the Kinks/Jam/Madness musical identities as the ground from where they built a new sound using the wry lyrics of Albarn and the versatility of the band, with “Parklife” as a peak. If you’re looking for the most accurate definition possible of Brit-Pop go to Blur.
My favourite album: Parklife (1994).
My Top 5 Songs: End of a Century (1994), Girls and Boys (1994), This Is a Low (1994), Parklife (1994), For Tomorrow (1993).

02. PORTISHEAD: from Brit-Pop to Trip-Hop. Portishead are reaching higher heights with the style that Massive Attack ignited with its dark but smooth mixture of electronic and organic, of eccentric pop and soundtrack music.
My favourite album: Dummy (1994).
My favourite song: Roads (1994), Glory Box (1994), Numb (1994).

03. JEFF BUCKLEY: not Ziggy Marley neither Julian Lennon, Jeff Buckley is the first (and last?) son of a 60s pop myth that is arguably better than his father. His ambitious song-writing, his emotional playing and his voice in state-of-grace are enough reasons.
My favourite album: Grace (1994).
My favourite song: Hallellujah (1994), Grace (1994), Lover, You Should’ve Come Over (1994).

04. YOUSSOU N’DOUR: the lion from Senegal is not getting too much support here, maybe his wonderful duet with Neneh Cherry, 7 Seconds (1994), could achieve more recognition for him.

05. MANO NEGRA: the French band commanded by Manu Chao is manufacturing an irresistible cocktail of styles with the energy and combativeness of punk and the joy and consciousness of a million world sounds.
My favourite album: Casa Babylon (1994).
My favourite song: Señor Matanza (1994), Mala Vida (1988), King Kong Five (1989).

06. SUEDE.
07. TEENAGE FANCLUB.
08. THE KLF.
09. LIZ PHAIR.
10. OASIS.

And at the backstage
01. STEVE 'Don't Call Me Producer'ALBINI.
02. NICK GOLD.
03. ANDY WARHOL.

A lot of emotional performances on this lot, you can click on Portishead fabulous live version of "Roads", on Blur's "This Is a Low" (with a tear on Albarn's face at 4'57") or on any of the Buckley's links.

1. Portishead : Dummy is my 3rd favourite album ever, probably not as sad as much people say.
2. Red Hot Chili Peppers : Blood Sugar Sex Magik is the album I listened the most during my teen age, I still have a found tenderness for it, much more than for any other. No song can get me back to those days more easily than I could have Lied of Breaking the Girl (still one of my all time favourite)
3. Rage Against the Machine : if I made a top 10 of the albums which have had the biggest influence in my musical taste development, their first album would be among them, just behind BSSM. Those heavy riffs seem to talk to me, I think Morello is a true guitar god !
4. Kyuss : quite an underrated band but probably the only interesting "hard rock or close" band of the 90s, even though I consider them like a rock'n'roll band more than anything else. Blues for the Red Sun was already impressive but Welcome to Sky Valley is a close to perfection album which stand-out tracks like Supa Scoop or Might Scoop and Demon Cleaner
5. Wu Tang Clan : Enter the Wu-Tang is arguably the best hip-hop album of the decade, very dark and strange but much less aggressive than PE... and it is probably the greatest bunch of MC ever (if you except Puppetmastaz which are to my humble opinion the most versatile and skilled crew)
6. Mano Negra : Honorio summed it all up !
7. Violent Femmes
8. Ben Harper : he did not had time to make a bad album yet...
9. Pearl Jam
10. de La Soul

A couple of my all time favourites started making really interesting music this year, but my number one vote has to go to:
1. JANIS JOPLIN / BIG BROTHER HOLDING COMPANY - I don't really care for the Company, but Janis is utterly amazing. It's really about time she got inducted.
2. BLUR - Regardless the outcome, they won my Battle of Britpop.
3. EAGLES - Flying back into the top three. They reunited this year, didn't they?
4. DEEP PURPLE - Most important hardrock act not inducted.
5. JEFFERSON AIRPLANE - Key band in the Summer of Love
6. PETER GABRIEL - Utterly brilliant music genius. One of the true chameleons.
7. THE PRODIGY - Okay, I admit. Back in '94 I was one of the jilted generation that loved, no worshipped everything they did. "Voodoo People" is still my favorite techno song.
8. A TRIBE CALLED QUEST - Another of my first loves. For me, they are the heroes of alternative hip hop, whatever that may mean.
9. PORTISHEAD - "Dummy" is high on my all-time favorite list.
10. OASIS - Okay, okay. I showed my side in the Battle at nr 2, but even I can't deny "Definitely Maybe" was a great record. But I feel they only truly deserve it after next year's "What's the Story (Morning Glory)".

Or should I've put Buckley here? Man, ten choices is just not enough.

Backstage:
1. THE BELLEVILLE THREE - Juan Atkins, Derrick May en Kevin Saunderson: the originators of Detroit techno and therefore among the most influential men in the last three decades.
2. STEVE ALBINI - Just listen to "Surfer Rosa", or "In Utero", or "Rid of Me". He's for a large part responsible for the alternative music as it sounds today. Not many "producers" (I use that word with caution) has such a recognisable sound as he has.
3. ANTON CORBIJN - As the creative director of both bands, he's sometimes seen as the fourth member of Depeche Mode, and the fifth of U2. But he photographed almost every musician he found interesting, in very distinctive black-and-white style. Last years, he was mainly active with Germany's greatest singer Herbert Grönemeyer.
4. DAVID FINCHER (he's on my radar, Schwah. Just getting one of my top three out of the way)

1. The DIVINE COMEDY : Yes, I'm probably the only one, and that's a shame !!!
If you don't know this band led by Neil Hannon, Irish singer and multi-instrumentist, please give them a chance, and please listen to their first 3 albums. It's Britpop meeting chamber pop. In 1994 they released Promenade, a concept album about the sea.

2. Townes VAN ZANDT : great songwriter, but not the right site for him I'm afraid (unless Paul and Greg…)
3. EAGLES
4. Scott WALKER : If Divine Comedy won't do it, maybe Scott will, as Neil Hannon's prime influence.
5. A TRIBE CALLED QUEST : my cool rap favorites

6. The Jayhawks
7. Lynyrd Skynyrd
8. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
9. John Mellencamp
10. Jeff Buckley

And now for my very hip-hop inspired ballot.

1. Nas - Nasty nas! Illmatic is my #5 album of the 90s. It's a masteful piece of work, and I listen to it far more than any other rap album.
2. Oasis - Gotta rep Oasis in this sea of Blur love.
3. Blur - I don't like Blur quite as much as Oasis, but I still enjoy listening to them.
4. Eagles - Maybe some day they will get in.
5. The Notorious B.I.G - Once Life After Death drops he'll be 1 on my list, assuming Radiohead is in next year.
6. Pavement - Solid band with solid catalogue.
7. Portishead
8. Pearl Jam
9. Wu-Tang Clan
10. De La Soul

1. Pavement – Smug, arch, inordinately pleased with their own smarts – but able to back up the attitude with frequently exhilarating controlled-chaos music and Stephen Malkmus’ undeniable left-field gift for improbably catchy melodies.

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

3. Ornette Coleman – A true visionary who, unlike far too many of his contemporaries, lasted long enough to become a living legend. Long overdue for induction!

4. Beck – His true significance wouldn’t become clear until album #2, but the brilliant eclecticism and humor were there from the beginning.

5. Blur – I’m not necessarily the biggest fan, but you have to respect a band that took a particular style as far as it could possibly go, and then simply exploded it from the inside and tried to do EVERYTHING.

6. Nine Inch Nails
7. Love
8. Peter Gabriel
9. Wire
10. Can

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

1. Nas - best mc
2. Wu-Tang Clan - revolutionary (john, it looks like we're gonna need your help with this one
3. Townes Van Zandt - paging paul...
4. Suede - dog man star is their masterpiece.
5. The Blue Nile - my favorite (eligible) group not yet inducted

6. Warren Zevon
7. Jackson Browne
8. Dwight Yoakam
9. John Cale
10. Prefab Sprout

backstage

1. Rudy Van Gelder - HW's been voting for him for way too long
2. Marley Marl
3. Larry Levan

I saw two people voted for Pearl Jam. But SR, Nassim, they were already inducted two "years" ago!

Awesome year.

1. Oasis - The original NME band. Say what you will about their knack for being annoying wankers offstage, onstage they more than lived up to the hype with their excellently constructed songs and wonderful melodies.

2. Soundgarden - Superunknown upped the ante even more; it's bigger and beefier while also smarter.

3. Jeff Buckley - Grace is a study in texture and mood, and he sure jangles a lot for the outpouring of emotion in his songs. Oh yeah, "Hallelujah," which will be top 250 on this site by 2010, and deservedly so.

4. Rage Against the Machine

5. Blur - Damon Albarn is a genius. Despite his art-school, middle-class background, he still managed to write the most quintessentially British album possible, and it works.

6. Red Hot Chili Peppers

7. Alice in Chains

8. Pavement - What can I say that hasn't been said already in this thread?

9. Snoop Dogg

10. Radiohead - Their worldwide hit single, Creep, is so laughably self-depreciating they must be a one-hit wonder.

Now, Beck released three albums this year - the wonderful Mellow Gold, the inconsistent One Foot In The Grave, and the very experimental Stereopathic Soulmanure. I love Mellow Gold - but it is not an absolute top album for me like a number of his releases to come. I adore the singles "Loser" and "Beercan." Is that enough to garner a vote from me?

Blur do not get consideration from me yet. They will later.

Absolutely no doubt this year who shoots to #1:

1. Pavement - They follow up a very promising debut with the greatest album of all time, according to some guy who spends too much time on the AM forum.

2. A Tribe Called Quest

3. Crosby, Stills, Nash (& Young)

4. They Might Be Giants

5. Peter Gabriel

6. The Grateful Dead

7. Liz Phair - I listened to Whip-Smart again... and realized it's pretty darn good. Exile remains a classic. That's enough for a vote, and she may rise on my list later on, even though her HOA-worthy output is now all in the past.

8. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five

9. De La Soul

10. The Staple Singers

Backstage:

1. David Fincher
2. Chris Lombardi/Gerald Cosloy -- Principals of Matador Records
3. Spike Jonze - He's already given us "100%," "Cannonball," "Buddy Holly," "Feel the Pain," "Old Timer" (by that dog.), "Sabotage," "Sure Shot," and probably my favorite of his: "Undone (the Sweater Song)" Music videos are becoming exciting now, and Jonze is leading the vanguard.

Then I'll put Oasis on 10th position !