1996 has arrived at the HOA. We had a record turnout in last year's election...let's see if we can top that.

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 24, at 6:00 pm US Central time (midnight GMT).

Voting is now open. You know what to do.

1. Scott Walker – He almost made it last year...it will be interesting to see if Scott will get any new votes with "Tilt" in the portfolio.

2. Ennio Morricone – There's no doubt that Sergio Leone's films would be great even without Morricone's music. But as we know them they are AMAZING!

3. ABBA – Gold indeed.

4. Judas Priest – Better than LZ.

5. 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.

6. Eurythmics – From left to right: Moonbeam, vacant, vacant, me, vacant

7. Genesis

8. Janis Joplin – She MUST be included at some point.

9. Astor Piazzolla – You know, music without guitars do exist!

10. Edith Piaf - You gotta love that French expression.

1. Eurythmics- Let's get it done, Henrik! They are legends of synth pop, producing some of the most catchy as well as some of the most experimental, vital music of the movement. They then successfully relaunched themselves as a rock/soul act, which paved the way for Annie Lennox to have a stunning solo career.

2. Siouxsie and the Banshees- 1995 saw the breakup of The Banshees. I think it's an appropriate time to get them in, although I appear to be the lone voice in the woods.

3. Janet Jackson- A couple of catchy singles "Runaway" and the sultry "Twenty Foreplay" were released in '95, but it's the brilliant Rhythm Nation 1814 that garners this lofty spot for Miss Jackson.

4. Grace Jones- She'll consume her consumers with no sense of humor...

5. Can- You've made a believer out of me!

6. Donna Summer

7. Aerosmith

8. Janis Joplin- Amen, Henrik!

9. Joan Jett

10. Kim Wilde

1. Nas - fuckin NAS

2. Wu-Tang Clan - RZA, GZA, Ghostface, Method, ODB, Raekwon...et al

3. Grateful Dead - TVZ was a fail. how bout a push for the dead? they should really be in, shouldn't they?

4. Suede - first butler & co., then cocker & co.

5. Gang Starr - king of the monotone & one of the best dj's

6. The Blue Nile
7. Warren Zevon
8. Jackson Browne
9. Dwight Yoakam
10. John Cale

backstage

1. Marley Marl
2. Larry Levan
3. Daniel Lanois

01. PULP: clown but cool, kitsch but stylish, vulgar but glamorous, funny but deep and smart, it’s difficult to find a personality so fascinatingly controversial as the one of Jarvis Cocker (well, apart of the #9 of my list).
My favourite album: Different Class (1995).
My Top 5 Songs: Common People (1995), Mis-Shapes (1995), Babies (1992), Do You Remember the First Time (1994), Disco 2000 (1995).

02. SCOTT WALKER: yes, Henrik, I’ll jump on this gladly. Scott is the most enigmatic pop singer ever (and one of the most influential) with a scattered career that has evolved from the successful croon of his first album to the funereal avant-garde of the last one.
My favourite album: Scott 3 (1969).
My favourite song: Montague Terrace (In Blue) (1967), It’s Raining Today (1969), Farmer in the City (Remembering Pasolini) (1995).

03. TINDERSTICKS: some promising pupils of Scott Walker, sharing his sense of tragedy and the mix of obscurity and bombast of their sound, the deep sadness of the vocals and the eerie beauty of the string arrangements.
My favourite album: Tindersticks (1995).
My favourite song: Travelling Light (1995), City Sickness (1993), No More Affairs (1995).

04. TEENAGE FANCLUB: the best practitioners of guitar-based power-pop coming from Britain, brilliantly updating the sound of classic pop bands as Badfinger with an extra dose of loud guitars and counting with the distinct talents of three songwriters (Blake, Love and McGingley).
My favourite album: Grand Prix (1995).
My favourite song: Sparky’s Dream (1995), What You Do to Me (1991), Star Sign (1991).

05. THE JAYHAWKS: the best practitioners of guitar-based country-rock coming from US, brilliantly updating the sound of classic country-pop bands as The Byrds (Gram Parsons era) with an extra dose of loud guitars and counting with the distinct talents of two songwriters (Louris and Olson).
My favourite album: Tomorrow the Green Grass (1995).
My favourite song: Blue (1995), Waiting for the Sun (1992), Bad Time (1995).

06. JEFF BUCKLEY.
07. GORAN BREGOVIC.
08. MANO NEGRA.
09. MORRISSEY.
10. YOUSSOU N’DOUR.

And another special edition of the backstage wing (today: video clip directors):
01. SPIKE JONZE: a genial director that is renewing the video-clip language, with three peaks so far: Weezer’s “Buddy Holly” (1994), Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” (1994) and especially my all-time favourite clip: BJÖRK It’s Oh So Quiet (1995).
02. ANTON CORBJIN: a director and photographer with a very own style that, although not only (see Nirvana’s “Heart Shaped Box” in 1993), is mainly based in black and white suggestive images as the ones in Joy Division’s “Atmosphere” (1988) or my favourite one: DEPECHE MODE Never Let Me Down Again (1987).
03. JEAN-BAPTISTE MONDINO: French fashion photographer and music video director of excellent clips like Don Henley’s “The Boys of Summer” (1984), Madonna’s “Justify My Love” (1991) or my favourite one: PRINCE I Wish U Heaven (1988).

1. JESUS AND MARY CHAIN. Had one shining moment in 1985, plus scattered bits of angsty goodness in other years.
2. NINE INCH NAILS. Had one shining moment in 1994, plus scattered bits of angsty goodness in other years.
3. PULP. Schwah, I actually kind of agree with you that it often seems premature to evaluate artists on the basis of one album. But that’s exactly what I’m doing here. In my book, you have nothing left to prove if you release something on the level of Astral Weeks or Never Mind the Bollocks or Murmur. Different Class is on that level.
4. DE LA SOUL. Simultaneously in a grand tradition and ahead of their time.
5. RADIOHEAD. It’s hard for me to evaluate Radiohead. As I’ve mentioned about 338 times, something clicked a few months ago and I finally “got” them. I’m still too dizzy with how skillful and groundbreaking and smart they are. They’re now in my top 5 artists, at least. However, I think The Bends is their fifth-best album.*
6. BUZZCOCKS
7. SCOTT WALKER. Here’s an instance of the HOA encouraging me to listen to something; I knew a buddy of mine had Scott 3, so I heard it over the weekend. He’s deserving—top shelf pop. Thanks, Henrik.
8. LIZ PHAIR
9. DINOSAUR JR.
10. JEFF BUCKLEY

* In case anyone cares: 1. OK Computer; 2. Kid A; 3. In Rainbows; 4. Amnesiac; 5. The Bends; 6. Hail to the Thief.

1. Nas - My hip-hop collection probably accounts for about 10% (maybe less) of the whole, but what hip-hop I do listen to is very choice. And there's no more choice cut than Nas's Illmatic.

2. Pulp - Here because of Common People and Different Class. I'd like to see them get in this year.

3. The Notorious B.I.G - The greatest rapper of all-time. His voice is so deep and wonderful. Even my mother likes it. Will be #1 after 97.

4. Radiohead - That is, assuming Radiohead gets in either this or next year. Not too much to say about the best band of the last 20 years, as they've only released the sucky Pablo Honey and the really great The Bends. I'm not a fan of The Bends enough to put them at one yet. Maybe we should wait till 97, so they get in unanimously.

5. Wu-Tang Clan - Continuing my list of great rap artists. Even if they I didn't like them, I would list them for inspiring Dave Chapelle.

6. Liz Phair
7. The Eagles
8. De La Soul
9. Grateful Dead
10. Morrissey

1. The Divine Comedy : Not convinced yet (provided that somebody ever clicks on the link) ? Check Lucy

2. Radiohead : Not my favourite band by far, but you've got to admit they had their influence, so let's get rid of them


3. Scott Walker : if you want to discover the man, please don't start with "Tilt" !!

4. The Jayhawks : ok, enough pop now, let's come back to some real music

5. Wu-Tang Clan : Innovatas, mastas

6. Eagles

7. A Tribe Called Quest

8. Alain Bashung

9. Grateful Dead

10. Doc Watson

1. Radiohead - No surprises. The Bends is just too good.

2. Soundgarden

3. Jeff Buckley

4. Rage Against the Machine

5. Red Hot Chili Peppers

6. Nine Inch Nails - Industrial rock's shining moment - 94's The Downward Spiral.

7. Nas - Don't know how I forgot him last time, he's just one of the sickest MCs ever.

8. Alice in Chains

9. Snoop Dogg

10. Notorious B.I.G. - Easy flow, hard stories, all dope.

1. Radiohead – Why wait for them to make The Greatest Album of All Time when they’ve already made a classic?

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. Pulp – For my money, a better band than either Blur or Oasis.

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

BACKSTAGE WING
1. Nicky Hopkins
2. Spike Jonze
3. Greil Marcus

1. JANIS JOPLIN - Should have been in by now.
2. EAGLES - And hell froze over. Now that they're back together, why not celebrate it with an induction?
3. DEEP PURPLE - The most important hardrock pioneer still outside the hall.
4. JEFFERSON AIRPLANE - The soundtrack of the sixties.
5. PETER GABRIEL - Chameleonesque genius.
6. CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG
7. THE WU-TANG CLAN
8. JEFF BUCKLEY
9. THE PRODIGY
10. RADIOHEAD

Backstage:
1. SPIKE JONZE
2. THE BELLEVILLE THREE
3. ANTON CORBIJN

Beck didn't get a vote from me last year. He added nothing besides a couple of indie singles this year. Does the Pavement vacancy add a spot for him? A number of other bands knocking at the door, but I still await their strongest work to get votes: notably, Stereolab and Yo La Tengo.

Radiohead comes close... but I'm not sure that The Bends is quite strong enough. I'd say they lead the pack noted above.

Pulp is also a strong contender. I wish I knew their debut so I could judge their current discography better.

I'm a big fan of Soul Coughing's Ruby Vroom from last year. Can't see fighting for them, though. But I've really got to ask myself whether, say, the Strokes deserve admission more. There are a lot of one-off albums that I really like in the next number of years. I've got to figure out which of those merit votes, and what criteria I will use.

And Tricky has released a masterpiece. I could let him build up his work a bit before voting for him, but really it would largely be on the strength of Maxinquaye.

1. A Tribe Called Quest

2. Crosby, Stills, Nash (& Young)

3. They Might Be Giants

4. Peter Gabriel

5. The Grateful Dead

6. Liz Phair

7. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five

8. Tricky - What the heck. If Massive Attack and Portishead make it, then I should begin fighting for Tricky, who I consider better than both of them.

9. De La Soul

10. The Staple Singers - Do you all recognize how great Mavis Staples' voice is?


Backstage:

1. Chris Lombardi/Gerald Cosloy -- Principals of Matador Records - This past year, they released Electr-O-Pura, Wowee Zowee, Alien Lanes, Helium's and Chavez's debut LPs, and introduced Pizzicato Five to the U.S.
2. Spike Jonze - This past year: "California," "Car Song," "Crush with Eyeliner," "It's Oh So Quiet," "The Diamond Sea," and the great video for Ween's "Freedom of '76".
3. David Fincher - As music videos enter their true golden age, let's not forget the most skilled director of pre-golden age music videos.

All the Nas voters and all the A Tribe Called Quest voters should consolidate their votes one year so the great rap acts that deserve to get in do so.

1. THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS - They are giants. I've loved them since the first time I heard them.

2. DANIEL JOHNSTON - A very interesting rock star. Can't sing, can't play his instruments, but makes wonderful pop songs nevertheless.

3. LOVE - Can't get enough of Forever Changes.

4. PULP - Made the probably most entertaining album of the 90s. Great lyrics, but even better melodies.

5. JEFFERSON AIRPLANE - Still hangs in there. Still loved by moi.

6. ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN
7. SCOTT WALKER
8. OS MUTANTES
9. SUEDE
10. ERIC B. & RAKIM

Backstage vote
HANS FENGER - The teacher behind the Langley Schools Music Project. Amazing album. He couldn't have known what a masterpiece he was making.