It’s time to reveal the first four inductees to the Hall of Acclaim!

In our Class of 1960, the top three artists were very clear: ELVIS PRESLEY, HANK WILLIAMS, and CHUCK BERRY.

As for the fourth spot…well, that was a very close call. As in a three-way tie, no less. Just squeaking in past the competition to claim the fourth spot in our inaugural class is the late BUDDY HOLLY. Buddy appeared on eight of fourteen ballots, while the two artists he was tied with on points—Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra—appeared on only seven. Little Richard was very close behind that group.

(Representatives of the Hall will be informing the living HOAers of this signal honor at their current places of business: the 3rd Armored Division in Friedberg, Germany, and Club Bandstand in St. Louis, Missouri—whose owner/manager, one of our inductees, is apparently in some legal trouble. Tasteful wreaths will be laid at the graves of the two posthumous electees, in Montgomery, Alabama, and Lubbock, Texas.)

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Here are the extended results, showing point totals for the top 20 artists. The number of ballots on which the artist appeared is shown in parentheses.

1. ELVIS PRESLEY: 92 (11)
2. HANK WILLIAMS: 82 (10)
3. CHUCK BERRY: 79 (12)
4. BUDDY HOLLY: 43 (8)
5. Billie Holiday: 43 (7)
6. Frank Sinatra: 43 (7)
7. Little Richard: 41 (6)
8. Louis Armstrong: 34 (8)
9. Duke Ellington: 32 (8)
10. Robert Johnson: 32 (5)
11. Miles Davis: 19 (3)
12. Bo Diddley: 15 (2)
13. Leadbelly: 13 (3)
14. Johnny Cash: 13 (3)
15. Muddy Waters: 13 (2)
16. Fats Domino: 12 (3)
17. Woody Guthrie: 11 (2)
18. Bill Monroe: 9 (2)
18. Charlie Parker: 9 (2)
20. Ray Charles: 9 (2)

Two other artists appeared on three different ballots, but didn’t make the top 20: Jerry Lee Lewis and Jimmie Rodgers. In all, 46 different artists received at least one vote, with 26 of those appearing on more than one ballot.

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Some random thoughts: rock & roll, obviously, carried the top of the results (making allowances for Hank). However, the rest of the top 20 was pretty well-balanced among genres. Using the (slightly arbitrary) categories of Allmusic, five of the top 20 are Rock, four are Jazz, three are Country, and there are two each for Vocal, Blues, Folk and R&B. (Where the dividing line is between R&B and early rock is left as an exercise for the listener…)

The great pre-rock vocalists (Billie and Frank) seem to have cancelled each other out to some extent, as did, lower down in the top 10, the pre-rock jazz greats (Louis and Duke).

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Of course, leave us not forget the Backstage Wing, whose first inductee is Mr. SAM PHILLIPS of Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee. This category was a close two-way fight, with Phillips edging out Alan Freed, 16 points to 15; the only other entry to receive more than one vote was the writing team of Leiber & Stoller.

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OK, so, at last, we have five inductees. Now they get their reward: their plaques. I’m going to start a plaque discussion thread shortly (and, yes, I know that sounds less Acclaimed Music and more American Dental Association), since I’d like to reserve this thread for announcing election results (like the old bracketology results thread).

I’ll also be posting the 1961 discussion thread in a few.

Thanks to everyone who made the first HOA election a success!

Well done.

Are you going to be posting a list of artists who are newly eligible this time around?

Yep.

"the 3rd Armored Division in Friedberg, Germany"

Hahaha.

In the Class of 1961, one artist was inducted in a landslide: LITTLE RICHARD.

After him, the competition was considerably tougher, but the HOA does now have some non-rock representation—the other new members of the club are FRANK SINATRA, MILES DAVIS (last year’s Sketches of Spain gave him a big push), and BILLIE HOLIDAY.

Bubbling under were Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, Duke Ellington, and Robert Johnson.

(Where are our inductees at the beginning of 1961? Little Richard has renounced rock & roll and become a gospel singer. Sinatra has left Capitol Records and formed his own label, Reprise; his first Reprise album, Ring-a-Ding-Ding, is in the can and will be released shortly. Miles’ second great quintet is slowly breaking up—Coltrane, Bill Evans, and Cannonball Adderley are all doing their own thing now. And Billie Holiday, who died in 1959, is buried in St. Raymond’s Cemetery, The Bronx, New York.)

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The full top twenty:

1. LITTLE RICHARD: 81 (10)
2. FRANK SINATRA: 51 (7)
3. MILES DAVIS: 47 (7)
4. BILLIE HOLIDAY: 45 (9)
5. Louis Armstrong: 44 (7)
6. Ray Charles: 37 (6)
7. Duke Ellington: 36 (6)
8. Robert Johnson: 34 (6)
9. Muddy Waters: 27 (5)
10. Bo Diddley: 25 (5)
11. Fats Domino: 24 (5)
12. The Everly Brothers: 22 (4)*
13. The Carter Family: 18 (2)
14. Jerry Lee Lewis: 16 (4)
15. Bill Monroe: 14 (2)
16. Woody Guthrie: 13 (2)
17. Leadbelly: 13 (2)
18. Johnny Cash: 12 (5)
19. Jimmie Rodgers: 12 (2)
20. Howlin’ Wolf: 11 (2)

Artists marked with an asterisk were first-time vote-getters this year.

The only artist not shown above that appeared on three different ballots was the Platters. 48 different artists received votes this time.

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In the backstage wing, this year’s inductee is ALAN FREED, currently a disc jockey at KDAY in Santa Monica, California (after he became persona non grata back east due to the payola scandal).

The nearest runners-up to Freed were Willie Dixon and Cole Porter.

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On the subject of plaques: apart from most of us thinking plaques are a great idea, nobody (including me, I confess) seems to be lining up to write them. I’m not too sure how this will work out; for now, I’ll just re-link to the plaque discussion thread and see if anybody has any suggestions about how we might proceed…

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Many thanks to everybody who participated!

The 1962 discussion thread will go up later today.

The HOA Class of 1962 is a virtual Who’s Whom of 20th-century African-American music traditions. We have jazz, blues, and R&B in the persons of ROBERT JOHNSON, LOUIS ARMSTRONG, DUKE ELLINGTON, and RAY CHARLES. Nobody else was really very close, but the next two were the Everly Brothers and Muddy Waters.

(At the beginning of 1962, our three living inductees are still going strong—in fact, Armstrong and Ellington recorded an album together in the past year. Louis Armstrong is still touring with his All-Stars. Duke Ellington will play his first concert as a solo pianist at New York’s Museum of Modern Art on January 4. Ray Charles is currently working on an album of country music, of all things. And Robert Johnson died 22 years ago; his gravesite is unclear but is almost certainly in the vicinity of Greenwood, Mississippi.)

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The full top twenty:

1. ROBERT JOHNSON: 59 (8)
2. LOUIS ARMSTRONG: 58 (8)
3. DUKE ELLINGTON: 53 (8)
4. RAY CHARLES: 48 (8)
5. The Everly Brothers: 32 (5)
6. Muddy Waters: 29 (6)
7. Jerry Lee Lewis: 24 (6)
8. John Coltrane: 24 (4)
9. Bill Monroe: 23 (4)
10. Fats Domino: 22 (4)
10. Woody Guthrie: 22 (4)
12. Roy Orbison: 21 (4)
13. Bo Diddley: 20 (3)
14. Bill Evans: 18 (2)*
15. Jimmie Rodgers: 17 (3)
16. Georges Brassens: 17 (2)
17. Johnny Cash: 16 (5)
18. Del Shannon: 16 (2)*
19. Leadbelly: 14 (3)
20. Thelonious Monk: 12 (3)

* - first-time vote-getter.

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This year’s backstage inductee is COLE PORTER. The 70-year-old Porter, one of the greatest American songwriters, is now a recluse, and is no longer working.

Porter won this one going away, with 13 points; the nearest runners-up were Leiber & Stoller (8) and Alan Lomax (7).

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And on the vexed subject of plaques: each plaque will be a thread. I’ll make the initial post, with just a little basic biographic information (as of the “year” the plaque goes up; this can be emended later), and then anyone can post a testimonial, an image, a link, or whatever.

In hindsight, I should have realized that was a much better idea—as several of you, including Moonbeam, Paul, and Anthony, did. My only caveat: PLEASE, let’s not turn the plaques into flame wars. We’re celebrating these artists, not debating them (for now).

Once I’ve got the ’63 discussion thread up later today (weather permitting), I’ll put together a sample plaque thread for our first inductee (Elvis) and post that tomorrow. After that, I’ll try to do about one a day until we’re caught up—we already have 15 inductees, so that’ll take about 2 weeks.

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Thanks again to all participants.

Now we're down to 1963 I feel I can participate on more of a level playing field. Not that I have no knowledge of pre-Beatles music, just don't listen to it enough to feel like I'm invested in the process. Good results so far though!

Me too - I might participate soon - just a pretty basic knowledge of the early stuff...

Big Trane, Big Muddy, and two more members of the Million Dollar Quartet join the Hall of Acclaim this year. Our 1963 inductees are JOHN COLTRANE, JOHNNY CASH, MUDDY WATERS, and JERRY LEE LEWIS.

Jerry Lee was tied with the next two runners-up—Bill Monroe and the Everly Brothers—but both of them appeared on fewer ballots than Mr. Lewis. Also not too far behind are Fats Domino, Woody Guthrie, and Thelonious Monk.

(As the calendar ticks over into 1963, two of our inductees seem to be doing quite well: Coltrane is working with the so-called “Classic Quartet” of McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, and Jimmy Garrison, and Muddy Waters has just had a minor comeback with the singles “You Shook Me” and “You Need Love.” Johnny Cash’s behavior, on the other hand, has become increasingly erratic (drug use, arson) and Jerry Lee has seemingly vanished totally; nearly five years after his scandalous third marriage, his Sun Records contract is about to expire…not that it matters, as he’s recorded only one single since the late fifties.)

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The full top twenty:

1. JOHN COLTRANE: 51 (8)
2. JOHNNY CASH: 40 (7)
3. MUDDY WATERS: 39 (7)
4. JERRY LEE LEWIS: 36 (7)
5. Bill Monroe: 36 (5)
6. The Everly Brothers: 36 (5)
7. Fats Domino: 34 (7)
8. Woody Guthrie: 33 (5)
9. Thelonious Monk: 32 (6)
10. Bo Diddley: 26 (3)
11. Roy Orbison: 25 (6)
12. Leadbelly: 22 (3)
13. Bill Evans: 20 (3)
14. Ella Fitzgerald: 20 (3)
15. Charles Mingus: 19 (4)
16. Jimmie Rodgers: 17 (2)
17. Georges Brassens: 16 (2)
18. Sam Cooke: 15 (5)
19. Patsy Cline: 14 (3)
20. George Jones: 13 (2)

Two other artists appeared on three or more ballots: Charlie Parker and Howlin’ Wolf.

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This year’s backstage induction is jointly shared by the writing team of JERRY LEIBER & MIKE STOLLER. The guys are currently making a transition from songwriting to producing, and are about to launch their own record label.

L&S amassed 12 points; next in line, with 7 points each, were Alan Lomax and Harry Smith.

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I still need to get the plaques rolling (Honorio, I can’t wait to see what you’ve put together!); I hope to have my home computer up and running again in the next day or two, at which point the plaques will commence. Sorry for the delay.

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The 1964 discussion thread will go up later today, featuring a couple of dramatic debuts on the top 50 eligibles list (nudge nudge).

Thanks to everyone who voted for musicians.

The HOA class of 1964 is the first election in which bands, rather than individuals, have been inducted!...well, one band and one singing duo, but the point holds.

Our inductees this year are ROY ORBISON, THE BEATLES, THE EVERLY BROTHERS and JAMES BROWN.

Adding to the anguish of many, Bill Monroe missed enshrinement by a razor-thin margin for the second consecutive year. After that, there’s a logjam of artists tied at 29 points: Bo Diddley, Fats Domino, Charles Mingus and Woody Guthrie.

(I figure you all know where the Beatles are at the beginning of 1964. Roy O. is still one of the dominant names on the American charts, and, in fact, in the last year he toured the U.K. with his fellow inductees in the Fab Four. Don and Phil Everly are currently serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. And JB has formed his own production company; he’s hoping to be able to market his music to a wider—and whiter—audience. Something tells me he’ll be successful.)

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The full top 20:

1. ROY ORBISON: 47 (7)
2. THE BEATLES: 46 (7)
3. THE EVERLY BROTHERS: 37 (6)
4. JAMES BROWN: 35 (7)
5. Bill Monroe: 34 (5)
6. Bo Diddley: 29 (5)
7. Fats Domino: 29 (5)
8. Charles Mingus: 29 (5)
9. Woody Guthrie: 29 (3)
10. Bob Dylan: 28 (7)
11. Thelonious Monk: 28 (5)
12. Jimmie Rodgers: 25 (4)
13. Leadbelly: 24 (4)
14. Sam Cooke: 23 (6)
15. Bill Evans: 18 (2)
16. George Jones: 15 (2)
17. Patsy Cline: 14 (3)
18. Ella Fitzgerald: 14 (2)
19. Jacques Brel: 11 (2)
20. Howlin’ Wolf: 9 (3)

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This year’s backstage inductee is HARRY SMITH. He’s the genius behind 1952’s Anthology of American Folk Music, but I can’t do better than Wikipedia’s description: “American magus, archivist, ethnomusicologist, student of anthropology, record collector, experimental filmmaker, artist, Bohemian, and Kabbalist.”

Now THAT’S a resume!

I give you: the class of 1965 Hall of Acclaim inductees, featuring some new guys and some older guys: BOB DYLAN, SAM COOKE, BO DIDDLEY and THE BEACH BOYS. The nearest runners-up were Fats Domino, Charles Mingus and Thelonious Monk.

(Our inductees’ whereabouts at the start of ’65: Dylan will head back into the studio in two weeks to record his first album since the (relatively) disappointing Another Side of Bob Dylan. It’ll also be his first since he met the Beatles, and rumor says he actually been noodling around on an electric guitar! The Beach Boys, too, are heading back into the studio; main recording for their next album is set for next week, but the contributions of Brian Wilson, who suffered a nervous breakdown just before Christmas (too much stress, especially touring), remain unclear. Bo Diddley is still touring broadly, and apparently is influencing a whole lot of up-and-coming British bands. And Sam Cooke, unfortunately, is our first deceased inductee since Robert Johnson three years ago; he was shot in a confused incident in a Los Angeles hotel just three weeks ago, on December 11. Rumors are that some recordings will be released posthumously.)

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The full top 20:

1. BOB DYLAN: 64 (10)
2. SAM COOKE: 48 (8)
3. BO DIDDLEY: 44 (6)
4. THE BEACH BOYS: 43 (9)
5. Fats Domino: 36 (6)
6. Charles Mingus: 36 (5)
7. Thelonious Monk: 35 (7)
8. Jacques Brel: 25 (3)
9. Ella Fitzgerald: 22 (3)
10. Bill Monroe: 21 (3)
11. Howlin’ Wolf: 20 (5)
12. Bill Evans: 18 (3)
13. Jimmie Rodgers: 16 (3)
14. Woody Guthrie: 16 (2)
15. Leadbelly: 13 (3)
16. Django Reinhardt: 9 (1)
17. Patsy Cline: 8 (2)
18. George Jones: 8 (1)
19. Georges Brassens: 7 (1)
19. The Ronettes: 7 (1)

As the field of candidates grows larger, it’s becoming a little harder to maintain consensus; only 16 artists appeared on more than one ballot this time (and they’re all on the above list).

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Making the backstage wing this year—and this one wasn’t even close, is PHIL SPECTOR. Spector is bang in the middle of an extraordinarily productive career as a producer. A certain Spector-produced Righteous Brothers song is just about to be released…looks like it might be pretty good.

I kept forgetting to vote for Sam Cooke (the way I had kept forgetting Roy Orbison as well), which I regret; glad to see others picked up the ball.

Well, I'm definitely keeping Fats and Mingus at #1 and #2 for the 1966 vote. Presumably, my #3 choice, who are about to have a "satisfying" year in 1965, will have no trouble being inducted.

I know I shouldn't be surprised, but The Beach Boys getting in through '64, ahead of Mingus and Monk, just doesn't seem right.

Hear Hear! Unfortunately, Mingus in Monk are probably going to be getting shut out by the Stones and other rock groups for the next little while.

just a quick RIP for norman whitfield, possible backstage candidate

And now, people: the Hall of Acclaim inductees for 1966: FATS DOMINO, ELLA FITZGERALD, SMOKEY ROBINSON AND THE MIRACLES, and CHARLES MINGUS. Interestingly, in a year with so many big new names popping up, this election, for the most part, honored artists whose career peaks have come and gone (except for Smokey, of course).

Mingus, by the way, just barely sneaked in ahead of a slightly earlier jazz great, Thelonious Monk. Mingus and Monk had 31 points each. Mingus and Monk each appeared on five ballots. Mingus and Monk each had one first-place vote. But Mingus had two second-place votes to Monk’s one…Thelonious missed it by THAT much.

The next runners-up were Otis Redding, the Rolling Stones, Jacques Brel and Howlin’ Wolf.

(As for our usual where-are-they-now roundup, circa January 1, 1966: Fats Domino’s recording career is in a bit of a lull, although he continues to tour. Ella is recording for Verve at the moment; her albums in the last year include a live Hamburg concert and a collaboration with fellow HOAer Duke Ellington. Smokey and the Miracles, of course, are one of the most successful acts in the world right now—their current single, “Going to a Go-Go,” is rising on the charts. And mercurial jazz great Charles Mingus has just had his self-owned record company go out of business; he’s also at work on his autobiography.)

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The full topo 20:

1. FATS DOMINO: 51 (7)
2. ELLA FITZGERALD: 40 (6)
3. SMOKEY ROBINSON AND THE MIRACLES: 35 (7)
4. CHARLES MINGUS: 31 (5)
5. Thelonious Monk: 31 (5)
6. Otis Redding: 29 (6)
7. The Rolling Stones: 29 (5)
8. Jacques Brel: 25 (3)
9. Howlin’ Wolf: 22 (4)
10. Bill Monroe: 20 (3)
11. The Who: 17 (4)
12. The Ronettes: 15 (2)
13. George Jones: 15 (2)
13. Django Reinhardt: 15 (2)
15. Bill Evans: 14 (2)
16. Woody Guthrie: 13 (3)
17. Jimmie Rodgers: 13 (3)
18. Leadbelly: 8 (1)
19. Art Blakey: 7 (1)
20. Eddie Cochran: 6 (1)
20. Nat King Cole: 6 (1)
20. The Impressions: 6 (1)

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Runaway winner of the backstage wing this year is record producer GEORGE MARTIN, with 15 points; next closest were Brian Epstein and Alan Lomax, with 4 points each.

Martin’s hit records to date include “Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport” by Rolf Harris, “Ferry Across the Mersey” by Gerry and the Pacemakers, “Goldfinger” by Shirley Bassey, and “Trains and Boats and Planes” by Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas. Oh, and some songs by the Beatles.

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Consistent with some of our discussions last week, interest in the Hall seems to have flagged a bit. My hope is that as more and more familiar artists become eligible, new voters will come on board. I also hope that the plaques now going up will rekindle some interest.

However, many of us (including me) have sensed that the two-week election cycle makes the HOA proceed a little too slowly—perhaps there isn’t enough momentum for some people to remain excited about it. So, I’ve decided to switch to a one-week election cycle: as soon as I post the top 50 eligibles list, voting will begin, and will last one week.

Because this new schedule means a concentrated several hours of work for me each week, I can no longer do it in the middle of the work week. So, HOA elections will now begin and end on Sundays. Look for the 1967 election to begin in a few days, on Sunday, October 5 (it’ll run through Oct. 12).

See you there!

Here we go with the Hall of Acclaim’s class of 1967. THE ROLLING STONES, THE WHO and OTIS REDDING were inducted in a cakewalk, while THELONIOUS MONK, having made the top 20 for six straight elections, just squeaked in ahead of the Kinks, Jacques Brel and the Supremes.

(Where are they as 1967 begins? The Stones are about to release Between the Buttons, and the Who have just released A Quick One. Both bands are also about to be the subject of some very unwanted media scrutiny of their drug use. Otis continues a vigorous schedule of recording for Stax and touring with Sam and Dave. And the idiosyncratic 49-year old Thelonious Monk might be the most famous jazz artist currently working; now that he’s with Columbia Records, he’s in the most commercially successful period of his career.)

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The full top 20:

1. THE ROLLING STONES: 71 (9)
2. OTIS REDDING: 63 (8)
3. THE WHO: 45 (8)
4. THELONIOUS MONK: 31 (4)
5. The Kinks: 30 (7)
6. Jacques Brel: 30 (4)
7. The Supremes: 28 (4)
8. The Byrds: 24 (7)
9. Bill Monroe: 24 (3)
10. Howlin’ Wolf: 21 (5)
11. Django Reinhardt: 20 (3)
12. George Jones: 16 (2)
13. Woody Guthrie: 13 (2)
14. Herman’s Hermits: 10 (1)
15. Patsy Cline: 9 (2)
16. Eddie Cochran: 9 (1)
16. Bill Evans: 9 (1)
16. The Sonics: 9 (1)
19. Jimmie Rodgers: 8 (3)
19. The Temptations: 8 (3)

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The race for the Backstage Wing was close this year, but BERRY GORDY’s 13 points puts him ahead of Ahmet Ertegun with 11. Possibly Detroit’s most well-known businessman since Henry Ford, Gordy’s Motown has just had the best year it will ever have—75% of Motown singles reached the charts in 1966.

Boxing trivia: Gordy, a featherweight, had a record of 11-3 with five knockouts.

All four members of the HOA’s class of 1968 sailed in easily: JIMI HENDRIX, THE KINKS, THE BYRDS, and THE VELVET UNDERGROUND. The distant runners-up included Aretha Franklin, Jacques Brel, and Bill Monroe.

(Where are they now, on January 1, 1968? They’re all at or just past the peaks of their careers, that’s where. The Jimi Hendrix Experience is one of the most popular bands in the world; Axis: Bold as Love has been out for a few weeks, and they’re about to embark on what will be an ill-fated tour of Sweden. The Kinks latest single, “Autumn Almanac,” was recently on the charts, and the Byrds are about to release The Notorious Byrd Brothers, their first LP since giving David Crosby the heave-ho. And VU, no longer associated with Andy Warhol, is about to come out with White Light/White Heat.)

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The complete Top 20:

1. JIMI HENDRIX: 71 (9)
2. THE KINKS: 60 (8)
3. THE BYRDS: 58 (8)
4. THE VELVET UNDERGROUND: 42 (9)
5. Aretha Franklin: 24 (6)
6. Jacques Brel: 23 (3)
7. Bill Monroe: 21 (3)
8. Howlin’ Wolf: 18 (5)
9. The Supremes: 17 (4)
10. George Jones: 17 (2)
11. Pink Floyd: 10 (2)
12. The Monkees: 10 (1)
12. Django Reinhardt: 10 (1)
14. Georges Brassens: 8 (1)
14. Merle Haggard: 8 (1)
14. The Impressions: 8 (1)
17. The Doors: 7 (2)
18. Herman’s Hermits: 7 (1)
18. Love: 7 (1)
20. Neil Diamond: 6 (1)
20. Woody Guthrie: 6 (1)
20. Leadbelly: 6 (1)
20. Buck Owens: 6 (1)

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The victor in the Backstage Wing for 1968 was, at long last, Atlantic Records founder AHMET ERTEGUN. Ironically, just this past year, Ertegun sold Atlantic to Warner Brothers.

Election #10 produced as diverse a set of inductees as the HOA has ever had…the class of 1969 is ARETHA FRANKLIN, HOWLIN’ WOLF, SIMON AND GARFUNKEL and, at long last, BILL MONROE. Still with their faces pressed against the Hall of Acclaim windows are Jacques Brel, the Supremes, Van Morrison and Merle Haggard.

(As the calendar flips over to 1969, Aretha Franklin is about to release her album Soul ’69, on which she covers songs by fellow HOAers Sam Cooke and Smokey Robinson. Chester Arthur “Howlin’ Wolf” Burnett is now something of an elder statesman to young rockers—Jeff Beck’s new band is performing a LOT of his stuff in concert—and is generally living a happy, prosperous life. Good for him. Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel are getting along…for now. Two highly successful and acclaimed albums in the last year—Bookends and the Graduate soundtrack—no doubt smooth things out. And Bill Monroe recently founded the Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival.)

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The top 20:

1. ARETHA FRANKLIN: 52 (7)
2. HOWLIN’ WOLF: 43 (6)
3. SIMON AND GARFUNKEL: 41 (5)
4. BILL MONROE: 29 (3)
5. Jacques Brel: 26 (3)
6. The Supremes: 24 (5)
7. Van Morrison: 21 (4)
8. Merle Haggard: 21 (3)
9. The Zombies: 18 (3)
10. George Jones: 14 (2)
11. Charlie Parker: 13 (2)
12. Leadbelly: 12 (3)
13. The Doors: 11 (3)
14. The Band: 11 (2)
15. The Monkees: 10 (1)
15. Django Reinhardt: 10 (1)
17. The Impressions: 9 (1)
18. Leonard Cohen: 8 (2)
19. Cream: 8 (1)
19. Pink Floyd: 8 (1)

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And our Backstage entry this year is the late BRIAN EPSTEIN. One of the great what-ifs of rock history must be the question of what the Beatles would have done if Brian’s unhappy life hadn’t ended at the age of 31. My guess is that the personality conflicts which eventually rent the band would have happened anyway, but we’ll never know.

Brian’s 8 points led the pack; the nearest runners-up were George Gershwin and Alan Lomax, with 6 points each.

Woo Hoo! (For Bill.)

Fun fact: with Monroe's election, 17 of the top 20 artists from the first (1960) election are now in the HOA. The exceptions? Leadbelly, Woody Guthrie, and Charlie Parker.

I think those other three also deserve admission.

As a new decade dawns, we usher in the 1970 class of the Hall of Acclaim: THE BAND, JACQUES BREL, CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL and SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE. Missing out are Van Morrison, Led Zeppelin, Merle Haggard and Frank Zappa.

(Where are they now? The Band is about to be permanently imprinted in American middlebrow culture when they appear on the cover of Time magazine next week. Jacques Brel can currently be seen in French movie theaters in the film Mon oncle Benjamin. Creedence, of course, has just completed one of the most successful years any rock act will ever have, with three top ten albums, and they’re still rolling, with the double A-side single “Travelin’ Band”/”Who’ll Stop the Rain” about to hit the stores. And Sly’s current single, “Thank You (Falettime Be Mice Elf Again)” is currently climbing the charts, even as the band descends into drug-induced chaos…)

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The top 20:

1. THE BAND: 52 (6)
2. JACQUES BREL: 38 (4)
3. CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL: 37 (7)
4. SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE: 34 (5)
5. Van Morrison: 26 (4)
6. Led Zeppelin: 24 (4)
7. Merle Haggard: 24 (3)
8. Frank Zappa/The Mothers of Invention: 22 (3)
9. The Zombies: 20 (3)
10. Leonard Cohen: 20 (2)
11. George Jones: 15 (2)
12. Marvin Gaye: 13 (3)
13. Leadbelly: 12 (3)
14. Neil Young: 11 (3)
15. Woody Guthrie: 10 (3)
16. The Monkees: 10 (1)
17. The Stooges: 9 (2)
18. Nick Drake: 9 (1)
19. Charlie Parker: 8 (2)
20. Georges Brassens: 8 (1)
20. Bobby Lapointe: 8 (1)
20. Pink Floyd: 8 (1)

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We had a two-way tie for the Backstage Wing this year, so we’ll have two inductees!

BURT BACHARACH AND HAL DAVID become the second songwriting team (after Lieber & Stoller) to make the HOA. Their big hit of the past year, “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head,” was featured in the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Joining them (at long last) is WILLIE DIXON. His long relationship with Chess has turned sour by now, but this year will see the release of his album entitled simply, and accurately, I Am the Blues, featuring his own performances of many of his compositions, including “Back Door Man,” “Spoonful,” “Hoochie Coochie Man” and “Little Red Rooster.”

Yikes. I got my votes in too late. I just missed the tabulation. Sorry all. I would not have affected the entries, just pushed Sly and the Family Stone up to 2d place, and CCR up to 3d. Happy to see Brel get in, despite my philstine-like failure to vote for him.

Drat. Sorry about that, Schwah.

FYI to voters: officially, I take my last look at the voting thread at about 6:00 pm Central US time (midnight GMT). In practice, I sometimes check after that, but that's what I've been treating as the deadline. I really should have made that clear earlier.

I give you the 1971 Hall of Acclaim inductees: VAN MORRISON, NEIL YOUNG, THE STOOGES and NICK DRAKE. Narrowly missing enshrinement this year were Led Zeppelin and Merle Haggard.

(Dateline January 1, 1971: Two of our inductees seem to be in pretty good shape. Van Morrison has crossed the Atlantic and now lives in upstate New York; he’s currently on the charts with the album His Band and the Street Choir and the single “Domino.” Neil Young has moved on from both CSN&Y and—for now—Crazy Horse, and is embarking on his “Journey Through the Past” tour. The other two inductees are not doing so well: The Stooges, with two commercially unsuccessful and critically panned albums under their belts, are in a state of collapse due to heroin addiction—especially Iggy’s. And Nick Drake’s clinical depression has gotten the best of him; he now pretty much spends all his time in his London flat smoking pot.)

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The top 20:

1. VAN MORRISON: 51 (6)
2. NEIL YOUNG: 48 (8)
3. THE STOOGES: 35 (7)
4. NICK DRAKE: 34 (5)
5. Led Zeppelin: 33 (4)
6. Merle Haggard: 31 (4)
7. Frank Zappa/The Mothers of Invention: 21 (3)
8. Leonard Cohen: 20 (3)
9. The Zombies: 18 (3)
10. Marvin Gaye: 17 (3)
11. Black Sabbath: 16 (3)
12. Charlie Parker: 15 (2)
13. Leadbelly: 13 (2)
14. Crosby, Stills, Nash (& Young): 12 (2)
15. The Flying Burrito Brothers: 11 (3)
16. Django Reinhardt: 11 (2)
17. King Crimson: 11 (2)
18. The Supremes: 11 (2)
19. The Temptations: 10 (2)
20. George Jones: 9 (2)

I might note that this may be our least “realistic” election to date, with two of the inductees either obscure (Drake) or actively disliked (Stooges) at this point. But that’s OK—and I’m also pleased to report that participation in this election was the highest it’s been in several years. Perhaps the switch to a weekly schedule really did help the HOA get out of its slump.

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The Backstage inductee this year is the late GEORGE GERSHWIN, the titan who straddled the worlds of popular music and art music. Gershwin died at the age of 38 from a brain tumor in 1937; he is survived by his brother and songwriting partner Ira.

George’s 11 points paced the field; the nearest runner-up was Alan Lomax, with 8.

Bummer. Merle probably maxed out his total and still came up short. Now I suspect it will be mostly rock acts for the next 15 years.

I don't know about that Paul... Until the punk revolution there's not a lot of new great stuff. I think we'll be getting more oldies/jazz/country if there can be any consenss about which artists from the less noticed genres should be voted in.

Until the punk revolution there's not a lot of new great staff. Sorry, Schwah, but I can’t disagree more. The early 70s were a creative and fascinating period for pop music, with many interesting styles happening simultaneously. The punk reaction has labelled (only partially deserved) as a dinosaur period, thus leading to aberrations as the last Pitchford list in which it seems that pop music started in 1977.

Towering over the competition to make the 1972 Hall of Acclaim class were two artists: MARVIN GAYE and LED ZEPPELIN. MERLE HAGGARD also got in this year, and the final spot is claimed by LEONARD COHEN, who just edged out John Lennon. The Doors, Joni Mitchell and David Bowie weren’t far behind.

(At the start of 1972, Marvin Gaye is renegotiating his Motown contract from a position of great strength after the success of What’s Going On. Led Zeppelin, having released four critically acclaimed albums, are now becoming a monster live act. Merle Haggard, in the past year, has released four studio albums, including Hag, his seventh #1 country album…later this year, he will be pardoned for all his past crimes by California governor Ronald Reagan. And Leonard Cohen’s music is receiving some valuable exposure thanks to Robert Altman’s use of several of his songs in the film McCabe & Mrs. Miller.)

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The top 20:

1. MARVIN GAYE: 74 (9)
2. LED ZEPPELIN: 60 (7)
3. MERLE HAGGARD: 38 (4)
4. LEONARD COHEN: 28 (4)
5. John Lennon: 27 (5)
6. The Doors: 24 (4)
7. Joni Mitchell: 23 (3)
8. David Bowie: 22 (6)
9. Frank Zappa/The Mothers of Invention: 16 (2)
10. Charlie Parker: 15 (2)
11. Black Sabbath: 14 (4)
12. Crosby, Stills, Nash (& Young): 13 (3)
13. George Jones: 12 (2)
14. Pink Floyd: 11 (3)
15. The Zombies: 11 (2)
16. The Temptations: 10 (3)
17. Leadbelly: 10 (2)
18. The Monkees: 10 (1)
18. Django Reinhardt: 10 (1)
20. The Flying Burrito Brothers: 9 (3)

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A close race for the Backstage Wing this time, with ALAN LOMAX taking the biscuit with 7 points, followed by John Hammand and Jann Wenner with 6 each. Lomax, a legendary scholar, continues to archive and publish the world’s rich legacy of folk music.

Two artists just breezed into the Hall this year: DAVID BOWIE and STEVIE WONDER. The other two members of the class of 1973 are THE TEMPTATIONS and JONI MITCHELL. Joni narrowly edged out the Doors, and Black Sabbath and John Lennon were next in line.

(As 1973 begins, Bowie is working both on his second album with the Spiders from Mars and on the next release by his fellow HOAers Iggy and the Stooges. Stevie is riding high as well—“Superstition” is #1 on the Soul chart and looks like it will be soon on the pop chart…a position which the Temps’ “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” held a few weeks ago. For the record, as of now, ten men have been Temptations at one time or another—the current lineup is Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, Dennis Edwards, Richard Street and Damon Harris. Even Joni Mitchell is on the charts right now with her album For the Roses and single “You Turn Me On I’m a Radio.”)

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The top 20:

1. DAVID BOWIE: 92 (11)
2. STEVIE WONDER: 64 (10)
3. THE TEMPTATIONS: 38 (6)
4. JONI MITCHELL: 30 (4)
5. The Doors: 29 (4)
6. Black Sabbath: 26 (4)
7. John Lennon: 26 (4)
8. Leadbelly: 22 (3)
9. Big Star: 21 (3)
10. Charlie Parker: 20 (3)
11. Frank Zappa/The Mothers of Invention: 18 (3)
12. Lou Reed: 15 (4)
13. George Jones: 15 (2)
14. Pink Floyd: 13 (3)
15. Todd Rundgren: 13 (2)
16. Django Reinhardt: 11 (2)
17. T. Rex: 11 (2)
18. Curtis Mayfield: 10 (3)
19. Gram Parsons: 10 (1)
19. The Zombies: 10 (1)

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The backstage inductee for 1973 is JOHN HAMMOND, whose 8 points are one better than Jann Wenner’s. The 62-year-old Hammond is still working for Columbia Records.

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Thanks to all who participated: long-timers, newbies and returning stalwarts alike.

Sorry, Schleuse- I haven't really been paying attention to AM for awhile! Do we now get to write plaques, and if so, who determines the authors?

Er...I was afraid somebody was going to ask that.

About 6 weeks ago, when it seemed that the HOA was in big trouble, I did two things to try to revive interest:

1. We switched from a biweekly to a weekly schedule. This seems to have worked very well, with more frequent elections keeping interest higher. This change was not my idea, but it was a good one.

2. I started posting plaques, in the hope that they would pique people's interest (we had decided that plaques would be jointly written by anyone who wanted to contribute). This one WAS my idea, and it didn't work out too well. The plaques mostly remained uncommented-upon, and sank down the forum boards like stones dropped in a millpond.

So I decided to table them for a bit, since they seemed to be generating no interest. But I'm open to reviving them now that interest in the Hall has rebounded. Tell you what; I'll post a few new ones this week to take the forum's temperature, and we'll see what happens. Fair enough?

Oye, oye, it’s time for the class of 1974. Our new inductees this year are PINK FLOYD, BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS, BLACK SABBATH and JOHN LENNON. Nobody else was very close, but Al Green was next, followed by Big Star and Leadbelly.

(As 1974 opens, Dark Side of the Moon is still on the charts—and will continue to be for quite a while; Floyd’s new fame has also led to the re-release of their first two albums in the past month. The Wailers are not that famous yet…perhaps a cover version of one of their songs by a white British bluesman will be the ticket. Black Sabbath is enjoying the first critical—as opposed to commercial—success of their career, and are about to launch a world tour. John Lennon has separated from Yoko Ono and is living in Los Angeles with May Pang. And drinking a lot.)

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The top 20:

1. PINK FLOYD: 76 (9)
2. BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS: 54 (8)
3. BLACK SABBATH: 41 (8)
4. JOHN LENNON: 41 (8)
5. Al Green: 31 (6)
6. Big Star: 23 (4)
7. Leadbelly: 23 (3)
8. Roxy Music: 21 (4)
9. Elton John: 21 (3)
10. Frank Zappa/The Mothers of Invention: 20 (3)
11. Lou Reed: 18 (4)
12. The Zombies: 16 (3)
13. George Jones: 14 (2)
14. Serge Gainsbourg: 14 (2)
14. Charlie Parker: 14 (2)
16. The Doors: 13 (3)
17. Paul McCartney: 12 (2)
18. Steely Dan: 11 (2)
19. Deep Purple: 11 (2)
20. T. Rex: 10 (2)

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1974’s backstage inductee is enfant terrible Lester Bangs (9 points), who triumphed over his old boss, Jann Wenner (7 points). In fact, Wenner fired Bangs this past year over a negative review of Canned Heat, calling him “disrespectful.” Kind of on the nose...

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Thanks to everyone who participated—we set a new record this week for voter turnout!

A relatively competitive race this year produced the four members of the Hall of Acclaim class of 1975: BIG STAR, ROXY MUSIC, AL GREEN and THE DOORS. A tightly packed bunch was close, but no cigar: Frank Zappa, Steely Dan, Lou Reed, Gram Parsons and Leadbelly.

(On January 1, 1975, Big Star is defunct—for the second time. Their third album has been recorded but will not be released for several years. Brian Eno is long gone from Roxy Music, but the group is currently enjoying its first American chart success with Country Life. Al Green suffered a horrific injury a couple of months ago, when his girlfriend Mary Woodson poured boiling grits on him—causing third-degree burns—before killing herself. Jim Morrison, of course, has been dead for 3-½ years, but the Doors are still technically an active band, now with Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger on vocals, although it’s been over two years since their last album release, Full Circle.)

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The top 20:

1. BIG STAR: 44 (6)
2. ROXY MUSIC: 39 (7)
3. AL GREEN: 37 (7)
4. THE DOORS: 30 (3)
5. Frank Zappa/The Mothers of Invention: 28 (5)
6. Steely Dan: 28 (3)
7. Lou Reed: 27 (6)
8. Gram Parsons: 25 (3)
9. Leadbelly: 24 (3)
10. Charlie Parker: 20 (3)
11. Paul McCartney: 16 (2)
12. Robert Wyatt: 15 (3)
13. George Jones: 15 (2)
14. Crosby, Stills, Nash (& Young): 14 (2)
15. Elton John: 12 (2)
16. Bruce Springsteen: 11 (3)
17. Can: 11 (2)
18. The Zombies: 10 (2)
19. The Monkees: 10 (1)
19. Django Reinhardt: 10 (1)

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This year’s backstage inductee is Rolling Stone co-founding editor JANN WENNER, who paced the field with 7 points (nearest runners-up were W.C. Handy and Les Paul with 4 each). Jann is still producing the seven-year-old magazine out of San Francisco. The last five covers as of January 1, 1975: Tanya Tucker, The Beatles, Evel Knievel, Dustin Hoffman and George Harrison.

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Thanks to all who voted this year.

Yes! Roxy and The Doors are in!

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN more than doubled the point total of his nearest competition to spearhead the HOA class of 1976; his fellow inductees are PARLIAMENT/FUNKADELIC, LOU REED and GRAM PARSONS. Not far behind are Patti Smith, Steely Dan and Leadbelly.

(January 1, 1976? Bruce Springsteen is almost certainly the most famous rocker in the world at the moment, and last night he played a New Year’s Eve show in Philly. George Clinton has just masterminded the release of Parliament’s groundbreaking album, Mothership Connection. Music retailers everywhere are probably dreading the impending release of Lou Reed’s next album this month, after the debacle that was Metal Machine Music last summer. Gram Parsons has been dead for two years; bits of him are in New Orleans, Louisiana and the Joshua Tree National Monument in California…seriously, you should read up on that story if you haven’t. Not for the squeamish.)

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The top 20:

1. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: 83 (9)
2. PARLIAMENT/FUNKADELIC: 41 (6)
3. LOU REED: 38 (7)
4. GRAM PARSONS: 29 (5)
5. Patti Smith: 24 (5)
6. Steely Dan: 24 (4)
7. Leadbelly: 22 (3)
8. Frank Zappa/The Mothers of Invention: 21 (4)
9. Elton John: 20 (5)
10. Charlie Parker: 20 (3)
11. Queen: 15 (3)
12. Paul McCartney: 14 (2)
13. George Jones: 12 (2)
14. Harry Nilsson: 10 (2)
15. The Monkees: 10 (1)
15. Django Reinhardt: 10 (1)
17. Curtis Mayfield: 9 (2)
18. Todd Rundgren: 9 (2)
19. The Impressions: 9 (1)
19. Lluís Llach: 9 (1)
19. Robert Wyatt: 9 (1)
19. The Zombies: 9 (1)

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The backstage biscuit this year goes to LES PAUL. The technical wizard who developed the solid-body electric guitar, overdubbing, delays and multitrack recording is in semi-retirement at the age of 60.

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Thanks to all who voted this year.

And today we have the Hall of Acclaim’s Class of 1977. On the menu: RAMONES, PATTI SMITH, FRANK ZAPPA/THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION, accompanied by the vintage LEADBELLY. Leftovers: Charlie Parker, Steely Dan, Curtis Mayfield.

(Dateline department: at the start of 1977, the Ramones’ second album is only nine days away, and is eagerly anticipated by the burgeoning punk scenes in New York, LA and elsewhere. Patti Smith is touring in support of Radio Ethiopia…I don’t normally look forward to future events, but I must note that in concert on January 23, she will fall offstage and sustain serious injuries—not unlike those suffered by Zappa in 1971. Frank’s doing much better, though, and just this past month was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, and he was joined by John Belushi on tenor sax. And this month would –probably—have been Huddie William “Leadbelly” Ledbetter’s 89th birthday; he is buried in Caddo Parish, Louisiana.)

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The top 20:

1. RAMONES: 49 (8)
2. PATTI SMITH: 40 (6)
3. FRANK ZAPPA/THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION: 32 (6)
4. LEADBELLY: 32 (4)
5. Charlie Parker: 28 (3)
6. Steely Dan: 27 (5)
7. Curtis Mayfield: 22 (5)
8. John Cale: 16 (2)
9. Paul McCartney: 15 (2)
10. Elton John: 14 (3)
11. Tom Waits: 14 (2)
12. Patsy Cline: 13 (3)
13. Django Reinhardt: 11 (2)
14. Todd Rundgren: 11 (2)
15. Fela Kuti: 10 (2)
16. Can: 10 (1)
16. Robert Wyatt: 10 (1)
16. The Zombies: 10 (1)
19. Aerosmith: 9 (3)
20. The Eagles: 9 (2)

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Consensus is hard to come by these days in the Backstage wing…this year’s winner, with a scanty five points: D.A. PENNEBAKER. The 51-year-old documentarian joins several of his filmed subjects already in the HOA, including Bob Dylan, The Who, Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix, Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, John Lennon and David Bowie.

Good news for Charlie Parker. To date, no artist finishing 5th in a past election has failed to be elected in a subsequent election. Only 2 of the artists finishing 6th have failed to be subsequently elected (Steely Dan, who seem likely to get in, and The Supremes, who seemingly have been forgotten).

Really happy for Lead !
Fame is something he never knew. His song Irene was a hit in 1950 for the Weavers, so a few months after his death.

I made a short post about Leadbelly on my blog

For the 1978 class of the HOA, we have a blowout win at the top and a nailbiter for the final spot. The SEX PISTOLS cruise into the Hall, and are joined by TELEVISION, FLEETWOOD MAC and CURTIS MAYFIELD; Curtis was tied with two other artists—Steely Dan and Charlie Parker—with 28 points, but the former Impression gets the nod because he appeared on the most ballots.

(Dateline January 1, 1978: The Pistols are about to embark on their first U.S. tour, which for some reason will concentrate on the South. Hoo boy. Television have finished recording their second album, although it won’t be released for a few months. Fleetwood Mac is still touring in support of Rumours; the band continues to evolve into an extension of Buckingham Nicks, even though Lindsey and Stevie have broken up. And Curtis Mayfield continues to focus on soundtracks, having provided music for the films A Piece of the Action and Short Eyes in the past year.)

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The top 20:

1. SEX PISTOLS: 76 (9)
2. TELEVISION: 45 (7)
3. FLEETWOOD MAC: 34 (5)
4. CURTIS MAYFIELD: 28 (6)
5. Steely Dan: 28 (4)
6. Charlie Parker: 28 (3)
7. The Clash: 25 (5)
8. Kraftwerk: 25 (4)
9. Elvis Costello: 22 (6)
10. Fela Kuti: 20 (3)
11. Patsy Cline: 19 (3)
12. Elton John: 14 (2)
13. The Eagles: 12 (2)
14. The Bee Gees: 10 (2)
14. Django Reinhardt: 10 (2)
16. Can: 10 (1)
16. Robert Wyatt: 10 (1)
18. Tom Waits: 9 (2)
19. Blondie: 9 (1)
19. Jackson Browne: 9 (1)
19. New York Dolls: 9 (1)
19. The Supremes: 9 (1)

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Accompanying his proteges the Sex Pistols into the HOA is MALCOLM McLAREN, whose nine points edged out Holland/Dozier/Holland’s eight to claim the Backstage slot. It’s an especially appropriate year for McLaren to get in…besides the Pistols, he had previously managed the New York Dolls (who appear in the top 20 for the first time) and had also been influenced by Richard Hell when he was still with Television.

1. Elvis COSTELLO : While never a personal favorite (because of his voice I guess) he is a great songwriter that could really encompass every form of popular music (pop, punk, reggae, country, rock) and write great and witty songs.

2. Tom WAITS : Blue Valentine, his first masterpiece, is out in 1978.

3. STEELY DAN : I see them on the edge every week, and I think they deserve an induction for their musical skills, even if I also have some personal reserves.

4. Fela KUTI : a true giant.

5. KRAFTWERK : these guys were pioneers in so many ways that they have to be in too

6. Robert Wyatt : a cult hero

7. Django Reinhardt

8. Serge Gainsbourg

9. The Eagles

10. Jimmie Rodgers

Backstage wing

1. Lee Scratch Perry
2. DJ Kool Herc : he came from Jamaica to NYC and became one of the first hip hop DJs in the '70s before hip hop had a name

oups
sorry schleuse

ELVIS COSTELLO, KRAFTWERK, THE CLASH and STEELY DAN comprise the incoming HOA class of 1979. Blondie, Charlie Parker and Fela Kuti are not too far off the pace.

(On January 1, 1979, we are four days away from the release of Elvis Costello’s third album, Armed Forces. Kraftwerk is in the midst of a lengthy break from touring, but they continue to perform in an ongoing series of music videos, a medium they’re helping to pioneer. The Clash currently have the album Give ‘Em Enough Rope and the single “Tommy Gun” on the charts in the UK—but not the US, as CBS had hoped. However, an American tour is in the offing. Steely Dan, like Kraftwerk, is no longer touring, but they have just started work on their next album, the follow-up to Aja [sidebar: legal difficulties will prevent the release of this album, Gaucho, for almost two years.])

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The top 20:

1. ELVIS COSTELLO: 73 (9)
2. KRAFTWERK: 56 (8)
3. THE CLASH: 51 (7)
4. STEELY DAN: 38 (5)
5. Blondie: 31 (6)
6. Charlie Parker: 29 (3)
7. Fela Kuti: 27 (4)
8. Talking Heads: 19 (4)
9. Tom Waits: 15 (3)
10. Patsy Cline: 15 (3)
11. T. Rex: 14 (2)
12. Queen: 13 (4)
13. Django Reinhardt: 12 (2)
14. The Eagles: 10 (3)
15. Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band: 10 (2)
16. Chic: 10 (2)
17. Love: 10 (1)
18. Serge Gainsbourg: 9 (2)
18. The Police: 9 (2)
20. Warren Zevon: 9 (1)

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Entering backstage is the songwriting team of HOLLAND/DOZIER/HOLLAND, whose 12 points paced the field; Scratch Perry was second with 9. The songwriting team settled their lawsuit with Motown a little over a year ago. Lamont Dozier left the partnership a few years back and has a modest career as a performer going; Harold Beatty has taken his place in the songwriting partnership with Eddie and Brian Holland.

I was starting to worry that the Dan were never going to make it. I'm very happy.

Schleuse, now that we've had 20 elections, it might not be a bad idea to post a complete roster of Hall of Acclaim inductees thus far. Just a thought.

Oops just missed it. Well, nothing of mine made it so I guess I'm making just minor changes.

Sorry about that, John.

And Harold, that's an excellent idea. Give me a few minutes.

The HOA class of 1980: TALKING HEADS, FELA KUTI, CHARLIE PARKER and BLONDIE. Chic tied Debbie Harry’s band with 21 points, but Blondie gets in based on number of ballots; Captain Beefheart, the Eagles, Patsy Cline and the Zombies weren’t far behind.

(As of the first day of the new decade, the T-Heads are between albums, but, on the evidence, are probably somewhere soaking up the Afro-beat of their fellow inductee, Fela Kuti. Kuti himself tried to run for the presidency of Nigeria this past year…he was barred from the ballot. Blondie still has Eat to the Beat on the charts and will soon have a song on the soundtrack of a Richard Gere film produced by someone named Jerry Bruckheimer. Charlie Parker died 24 years ago; he is buried in Kansas City, Missouri.)

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The full top 20:

1. TALKING HEADS: 45 (7)
2. FELA KUTI: 33 (4)
3. CHARLIE PARKER: 30 (3)
4. BLONDIE: 21 (5)
5. Chic: 21 (3)
6. Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band: 19 (4)
7. The Eagles: 18 (3)
8. Patsy Cline: 18 (3)
9. The Zombies: 18 (2)
10. T. Rex: 16 (3)
11. Queen: 15 (3)
12. Willie Nelson: 14 (3)
13. The Police: 12 (2)
14. Can: 12 (2)
14. Randy Newman: 12 (2)
14. Todd Rundgren: 12 (2)
17. Django Reinhardt: 11 (2)
17. Tom Waits: 11 (2)
19. The Jam: 10 (2)
20. Cream: 10 (2)
20. Elton John: 10 (2)

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LEE “SCRATCH” PERRY easily took 1980’s Backstage pass with 12 points; nobody else had more than three. The inimitable dub master is currently in a state of dissolution in Jamaica, and the same can be said of his legendary Black Ark studio.

Aaaaand…the 1981 inductees into the Hall of Acclaim are JOY DIVISION, CAPTAIN BEEFHEART AND HIS MAGIC BAND, THE JAM, and AC/DC. Only one point out are the Pretenders, followed by Chic, the Police and Queen.

(Dateline January 1, 1981: With the suicide of Ian Curtis seven months ago, the remaining members of Joy Division have chosen to carry on under the new moniker New Order. Yeah…that’ll last. Don Van Vliet, a.k.a. Captain Beefheart, has received many plaudits for Doc at the Radar Station, recorded with the second iteration of the Magic Band. The Jam has Sound Affects on the UK charts at the moment, and AC/DC’s first post-Bon Scott album, Back in Black, is still on the charts and the Aussie band is even about to crack the American top 40 with the title track.)

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The top 20:

1. JOY DIVISION: 52 (8)
2. CAPTAIN BEEFHEART AND HIS MAGIC BAND: 35 (6)
3. THE JAM: 34 (6)
4. AC/DC: 32 (5)
5. Pretenders: 31 (5)
6. Chic: 25 (4)
7. The Police: 25 (4)
8. Queen: 21 (3)
9. Patsy Cline: 21 (3)
10. Willie Nelson: 15 (4)
11. T. Rex: 13 (2)
12. Randy Newman: 12 (2)
13. Can: 12 (2)
14. Django Reinhardt: 11 (2)
15. Tom Waits: 11 (2)
16. Todd Rundgren: 11 (2)
17. The Supremes: 10 (2)
18. The Cure: 10 (1)
18: New York Dolls: 10 (1)
18. Robert Wyatt: 10 (1)
18. Warren Zevon: 10 (1)
18. The Zombies: 10 (1)

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Entering backstage this year: HILLY KRISTAL’s six points beat out Irving Berlin’s four. Though inducted primarily for founding CBGB/OMFUG, which launched five acts already in the Hall (Ramones, Talking Heads, Patti Smith, Television, Blondie), he also, until five years ago, helped run the Schaefer Music Festival in Central Park, which featured more than a few HOAers as well (The Who, Miles Davis, Chuck Berry, Bob Marley, Led Zeppelin, the Beach Boys, Frank Zappa, Ray Charles, Fleetwood Mac, Curtis Mayfield, Bruce Springsteen, the Doors…).

In the face of stiff competition, THE POLICE, ELTON JOHN, THE PRETENDERS and QUEEN made it into the Hall for 1982. Next up were the Cure, Chic and X.

(January 1, 1982? The Police are about to take a break after producing four albums in as many years, with Sting preparing to star in the film version of Brimstone and Treacle and Stewart Copeland preparing to marry Curved Air singer Sonja Kristina. Oh, and Andy Summers turned 39 yesterday. Elton John is putting the finishing touches on an album which will include his tribute to his friend and fellow HOAer, the late John Lennon. The Pretenders’ second album, released four months ago, was ambitious but did not sell as well as their first; still, the band seems to be chugging along just fine… Queen has recently toured South America and released a Greatest Hits album.)

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The top 20:

1. THE POLICE: 31 (5)
2. ELTON JOHN: 30 (5)
3. PRETENDERS: 30 (5)
4. QUEEN: 29 (4)
5. The Cure: 25 (4)
6. Chic: 23 (4)
7. X: 22 (3)
8. Patsy Cline: 20 (3)
9. Brian Eno: 19 (4)
10. Buzzcocks: 18 (3)
11. The Specials: 17 (2)
12. Willie Nelson: 16 (4)
13. Love: 15 (3)
14. T. Rex: 14 (3)
15. The Supremes: 13 (4)
16. Tom Waits: 13 (2)
17. Randy Newman: 12 (2)
18. Todd Rundgren: 12 (2)
19. Django Reinhardt: 11 (3)
20. The Eagles: 11 (2)

(Keen observers may note that the point totals of the artists that made the Hall this year are unusually low. Although participation was strong this year—11 voters—we seem to be entering a period of lower consensus…there was no act this time that EVERYBODY voted for.)

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In what might be a controversial selection, BRIAN ENO made it into the HOA’s Backstage wing. Eno’s most recent work was with fellow HOAer David Byrne on the collaborative album My Life in the Bush of Ghosts; word is that his current interests include late Miles Davis and unusual guitar tunings.)

In what might be a controversial selection, BRIAN ENO made it into the HOA’s Backstage wing
Well, I had to agree with that, but since I’ve been the most insistent Eno voter maybe some explanation is needed. Anyway it would have been wonderful the simultaneous induction in both wings in 1979, after his best solo works (with a fascinating evolution from glam rock to ambient music), his work as member of Roxy Music, his productions for David Bowie, Devo, Ulltravox, Talking Heads and his involvement on “No New York” compilation.
Following the Henrik formula, if we compare the positions of the albums credited to Eno as an artist (solo albums and first Roxy Music albums) and the albums in which Eno acted as producer or musician we will find that the “backstage” position is much higher:
Brian Eno (backstage), final position of 15.06:
- Albums: The Joshua Tree (36), Remain in Light (40), Achtung, Baby (81), Low (90), Heroes (234), Fear of Music (237).
- Songs: Heroes (59), One (94), Once in a Lifetime (123), Pride (In the Name of Love) (293), With or Without You (301), I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For (385).
Brian Eno (artist), final position of 17.44:
- Albums: For Your Pleasure (94), Another Green World (19 , Roxy Music (206), My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (296), Here Come the Warm Jets (391), Before and After Science (506).
- Songs: Virginia Plain (155), Baby’s on Fire (2430), Cindy Tells Me (2495), Pyjamarama (2707), Do the Strand (2744).
Obviously there’s a cheat here. We cannot give to Eno full credit for the albums he produced. But, even if we give Eno only 1/3 of the credit for the albums on the backstage wing the position is 16.93 still, lower than the artist position (17.44, 17.78 if we give half credit for the Roxy Music albums and songs). Note: lower is better.

Huzzah! for the HOA’s class of 1983: PRINCE, MICHAEL JACKSON, THE CURE and DJANGO REINHARDT. Just behind Django were Chic, X and Patsy Cline.

(Interestingly, as of January 1, 1983, the albums that got Prince and Michael into the Hall are still very new records whose full impact has yet to be felt. Just to take their current singles, Prince’s “1999” hasn’t even cracked the Top 40, although the first single from Thriller is already at #3…but it’s Jacko’s duet with Paul McCartney, “The Girl Is Mine.” Seriously. Robert Smith just remarked this past month that the Cure may no longer exist…ironically, just as they released their poppiest single to date, “Let’s Go to Bed.” And Django Reinhardt died 29 years ago in Fontainebleu.)

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The top 20:

1. PRINCE: 86 (11)
2. MICHAEL JACKSON: 61 (7)
3. THE CURE: 33 (5)
4. DJANGO REINHARDT: 23 (3)
5. Chic: 22 (4)
6. X: 21 (3)
7. Patsy Cline: 20 (3)
8. Buzzcocks: 18 (4)
9. The Supremes: 18 (4)
10. Willie Nelson: 16 (3)
11. Grandmaster Flash: 16 (3)
12. The Specials: 15 (3)
13. Love: 15 (3)
14. Siouxsie and the Banshees: 14 (2)
15. Tom Waits: 13 (3)
16. T. Rex: 13 (2)
17. The Eagles: 12 (2)
18. Gang of Four: 11 (2)
18. Todd Rundgren: 11 (2)
20. The Moody Blues: 10 (1)
20. Warren Zevon: 10 (1)

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This year’s Backstage entry (with a measly 4 points) is LEONARD CHESS. The founder of Chess Records, born Lejzor Czyz, died 13 years ago of a heart attack at age 52.

Hooray for Prince and The Cure!!!!

I'm really happy that Prince got in on the heels (no pun intended) of 1999. Rightfully so, I'd say, as it is the album that really showcased his talent to its fullest potential, and he would go on to mesmerize for many more years.

1983 was indeed a very interesting (and awesome) year for The Cure. I love Japanese Whispers!

The Hall of Acclaim welcomes its 1984 inductees: TOM WAITS, R.E.M., WILLIE NELSON and U2. Not far behind were Chic, Patsy Cline and X.

(At the start of 1984, Tom Waits, in addition to his new musical style, is in the midst of a series of cameo roles in Francis Ford Coppola movies—The Outsiders, Rumble Fish, and The Cotton Club. The whippersnappers from Athens, having toured for most of 1983, are back in the studio working on their second album…after the massive praise heaped on their debut, one imagines that the next one will be a kind of reckoning. Willie turned 50 this past year; like Waits, he’s got a bit of an acting career going now. And the whippersnappers from Dublin have just wrapped a 12-month tour, including a show at Red Rocks, Colorado which seems to be playing five times a day on MTV at the moment.)

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The Top 20:

1. TOM WAITS: 59 (8)
2. R.E.M.: 45 (8)
3. WILLIE NELSON: 31 (5)
4. U2: 28 (6)
5. Chic: 27 (4)
6. Patsy Cline: 22 (3)
7. X: 20 (2)
8. Grandmaster Flash: 19 (4)
9. Eurythmics: 18 (2)
10. New Order: 17 (5)
11. The Supremes: 17 (4)
12. The Specials: 16 (3)
13. The Eagles: 15 (2)
14. Love: 14 (4)
15. Buzzcocks: 14 (3)
16. Randy Newman: 14 (2)
17. T. Rex: 12 (3)
18. Cream: 11 (2)
19. Siouxsie and the Banshees: 11 (2)
20. Grateful Dead: 10 (2)

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Backstage inductee this time is DJ KOOL HERC, known to some as Clive Campbell. The 28-year-old Jamaican who essentially invented hip-hop will appear this year in the film Beat Street (playing himself).

20 points is a pretty good total for only two voters.

I apologize for the delay, but I’m now pleased to announce the HOA class of 1985: THE SMITHS, CHIC, THE REPLACEMENTS and NEW ORDER. Close behind are Patsy Cline, Grandmaster Flash and X.

(Dateline January 1, 1985: The Smiths are releasing records at a brisk clip—Hatful of Hollow is less than two months old and Meat Is Murder will hit stores just over a month from now. Chic is officially defunct, but most of the band worked on Madonna’s latest album, Like a Virgin. The Replacements have earned critical acclaim but, so far, little commercial success; a live album will be released next week. New Order—most of whose members are being inducted for the second time—is currently on the charts with “Sub-culture.”)

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The top 20:

1. THE SMITHS: 56 (7)
2. CHIC: 29 (4)
3. THE REPLACEMENTS: 28 (4)
4. NEW ORDER: 24 (4)
5. Patsy Cline: 23 (3)
6. Grandmaster Flash: 21 (4)
7. X: 20 (2)
8. The Supremes: 18 (4)
9. The Specials: 18 (3)
10. T. Rex: 16 (3)
11. Violent Femmes: 16 (2)
12. The Eagles: 16 (2)
12. Echo and the Bunnymen: 16 (2)
14. Love: 15 (4)
15. Buzzcocks: 15 (3)
16. Eurythmics: 15 (2)
16. Telephone: 15 (2)
18. Randy Newman: 14 (3)
19. Jefferson Airplane: 11 (2)
20. Joe Jackson: 10 (2)

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Backstage, we have a tie, so there are two inductees. The first is IRVING BERLIN; at a sprightly 96 years old, he’s been essentially a hermit for decades. The much younger MILES AND IAN COPELAND join their brother Stewart in the Hall; their I.R.S. Records has just had its most successful year to date, with nine albums and four singles making the charts.

I'm embarrassed not to have voted for New Order, who are one of my favorite artists. I'd have held off on The Smiths until after 86 or 87, but I definitely support their inclusion. It comes as a nice relief that Chic has been inducted, too.

1986 turned out to be Ladies’ Night for the Hall of Acclaim: this year’s four inductees are THE SUPREMES, PATSY CLINE, MADONNA, and X (which is actually only 25% female, but there you go). Close behind were Kate Bush, Hüsker Dü, Grandmaster Flash and the Specials.

(Where the women are as 1986 begins: The Supremes have been broken up for many years…Diana Ross still has a thriving solo career, and Mary Wilson is about to publish her memoir of the group. Patsy Cline died 22 years ago, and is buried at Shenandoah Memorial Park in Winchester, Virginia. Madonna’s career is going great guns; in the past year she’s made headlines with two films, her first tour, and some unauthorized nude photos…hope she can avoid controversy in the future. X will be featured soon in the film The Unheard Music, but guitarist Billy Zoom is on his way out the door.)

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The top 20:

1. THE SUPREMES: 26 (5)
2. PATSY CLINE: 26 (3)
3. MADONNA: 23 (4)
4. X: 21 (3)
5. Kate Bush: 20 (4)
6. Hüsker Dü: 20 (3)
7. Grandmaster Flash: 18 (4)
8. The Specials: 18 (3)
9. Love: 16 (3)
10. George Jones: 16 (2)
11. Cream: 15 (2)
12. Buzzcocks: 14 (3)
13. Randy Newman: 14 (2)
14. The Eagles: 14 (2)
15. Crosby, Stills, Nash (& Young): 12 (2)
16. Jefferson Airplane: 12 (2)
17. Echo and the Bunnymen: 11 (3)
18. Deep Purple: 10 (2)
19. Eurythmics: 10 (1)
19. The Moody Blues: 10 (1)
19. The Style Council: 10 (1)
19. Telephone: 10 (1)
19. Dinah Washington: 10 (1)
19. Warren Zevon: 10 (1)

Low point totals all around—not much consensus this time out.

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I doubt anyone will be surprised that this year’s Backstage winner, with a whopping 15 points, is JOHN PEEL. In his honor, here are the top ten songs from his Festive Fifty for the year just past, as voted on by his listeners:

1. The Jesus and Mary Chain, “Never Understand”
2. The Jesus and Mary Chain, “Just Like Honey”
3. The Fall, “Cruiser’s Creek”
4. The Cult, “She Sells Sanctuary”
5. Cocteau Twins, “Aikea-Guinea”
6. Chumbawumba, “Revolution”
7. Felt, “Primitive Painters”
8. The Smiths, “The Boy with the Thorn in His Side”
9. New Order, “Perfect Kiss”
10. Housemartins, “Flag Day”

It’s an eclectic bunch for the HOA class of 1987: RUN-D.M.C., PAUL SIMON, THE SPECIALS and HÜSKER DÜ. Those four were separated from the rest of the pack by a pretty wide margin, but the nearest runners-up were George Jones, Kate Bush, and the Buzzcocks.

(Dateline January 1, 1987: Run-D.M.C. is in the midst of touring in support of Raising Hell and their current single, “You Be Illin’.” Paul Simon is doing the same for Graceland, although perhaps that’s just an excuse to hang out with Miriam Makeba. The Specials have been defunct for several years; Terry Hall is now with the Colourfield, Roddy Radiation with the Tearjerkers. And Hüsker Dü is about to release their poppiest album to date, Warehouse: Songs and Stories, this month.)

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The top 20:

1. RUN-D.M.C.: 58 (8)
2. PAUL SIMON: 45 (7)
3. THE SPECIALS: 34 (4)
4. HÜSKER DÜ: 28 (4)
5. George Jones: 20 (2)
6. Kate Bush: 19 (4)
7. Buzzcocks: 19 (3)
8. Grandmaster Flash: 17 (3)
9. Cream: 16 (2)
10. Randy Newman: 15 (2)
11. XTC: 14 (3)
12. Jefferson Airplane: 14 (2)
13. Love: 13 (3)
14. Crosby, Stills, Nash (& Young): 13 (2)
15. Todd Rundgren: 12 (2)
16. Metallica: 11 (3)
17. Deep Purple: 11 (2)
17. T. Rex: 11 (2)
19. Van Halen: 11 (2)
20. Eurythmics: 10 (1)
20. The Moody Blues: 10 (1)

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This year’s backstage slot belongs to 23-year-old RICK RUBIN. The co-founder of Def Jam Records had a pretty good year, having DJ’ed for the Beastie Boys and convinced Run-D.M.C. and Aerosmith to collaborate…he’s also signed a relatively obscure new group called Public Enemy.

Time to extend a laurel and hearty handshake to the HOA class of 1988: GUNS N’ ROSES, T. REX, RANDY NEWMAN and METALLICA. The Buzzcocks were actually tied with Metallica, but their two third-place votes were trumped by the metal gods’ two first-place votes. Close behind were George Jones and Grandmaster Flash.

(At the start of 1988, Guns N’ Roses is still experiencing only modest success with the first single from Appetite, “Welcome to the Jungle.” As for T. Rex, Marc Bolan has been buried at Golders Green for ten years now, and Steve Currie also died in a car crash 6 years ago. Randy Newman is about to release his first album of non-soundtrack material in five years, Land of Dreams. And Metallica is about to start work on their first album since bassist Cliff Burton was crushed by a bus.)

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The top 20:

1. GUNS N’ ROSES: 51 (6)
2. T. REX: 26 (3)
3. RANDY NEWMAN: 25 (4)
4. METALLICA: 21 (3)
5. Buzzcocks: 21 (3)
6. George Jones: 20 (2)
7. Grandmaster Flash: 18 (3)
8. Kate Bush: 17 (4)
9. Cream: 17 (3)
10. Depeche Mode: 17 (2)
11. XTC: 16 (4)
12. Love: 16 (4)
13. Eric B. & Rakim: 16 (4)
14. The Pogues: 16 (4)
15. Pet Shop Boys: 16 (3)
16. The Zombies: 15 (2)
17. Grateful Dead: 14 (3)
18. Lynyrd Skynyrd: 14 (3)
19. The Eagles: 14 (2)
20. Crosby, Stills, Nash (& Young): 13 (2)

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Entering backstage this year are the recently-retired NORMAN WHITFIELD and (why not?) his collaborator, BARRETT STRONG, whose “You Can Depend on Me” is about to appear on a new Dells album.

I've just checked who's had the hardest time getting voted in. The list below shows how many times the band/artist were in the top 10 before they finally got in (if they're in by now, that is)

1. Charlie Parker (8 times)
2. Bill Monroe (7)
2. Patsy Cline
4. Frank Zappa (6)
5. Chic (5)
5. George Jones - still not in
5. Grandmaster Flash - still not in
5. Jacques Brel
5. Steely Dan
5. The Supremes
11. Buzzcocks (4) - still not in
11. Fats Domino
11. Leadbelly
11. X
11. The Zombies - still not in

With the 1989 class, the HOA triples its number of rap artists…and substantially adds to its roster of arty indie bands: PUBLIC ENEMY, SONIC YOUTH, PIXIES and N.W.A. Not far off the pace were the Pogues and Kate Bush.

(Dateline January 1, 1989: PE are working on a song for the next movie by that weird kid who made She’s Gotta Have It. Sonic Youth are still promoting their current album, Daydream Nation, which came out two months ago but is having distribution problems. The Pixies have already recorded their next album, reportedly with the princely budget of ,000, or four times what Surfer Rosa cost. And N.W.A is still hard at work; most of the group contributed to Eazy-E's recent release, Eazy-Duz-It.)

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The top 20:

1. PUBLIC ENEMY: 68 (8)
2. SONIC YOUTH: 44 (8)
3. PIXIES: 30 (6)
4. N.W.A: 28 (5)
5. The Pogues: 25 (3)
6. Kate Bush: 20 (3)
7. Pet Shop Boys: 19 (3)
8. George Jones: 19 (2)
9. Cream: 18 (3)
10. Eric B. & Rakim: 15 (2)
11. The Eagles: 13 (3)
12. XTC: 11 (3)
13. Love: 11 (2)
14. Deep Purple: 11 (2)
15. Depeche Mode: 10 (2)
16. Grandmaster Flash: 10 (2)
17. Jefferson Airplane: 10 (2)
18. Eurythmics: 10 (1)
19. Buzzcocks: 9 (1)
19. Grace Jones: 9 (1)
19. Pata Negra: 9 (1)

As I feared, after the layoff, we've shed a few voters. Hope numbers will grow.

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The Backstage Wing will remain vacant this year--only four ballots were cast, and no nominee appeared on more than one. Need more consensus than that, I think.

1990 saw a very competitive election which resulted in the induction of BEASTIE BOYS, CREAM, KATE BUSH and THE STONE ROSES. Lined up behind them were De La Soul, Woody Guthrie, the Pogues and Pet Shop Boys.

(As the new decade dawns, the B-Boys must be satisfied that Paul’s Boutique has gone gold, even if it hasn’t torn up the charts like Licensed to Ill. Cream is long defunct, but Jack Bruce just released the album A Question of Time, which also features Ginger Baker, in the last month; Clapton is still working, but also just had an acrimonious divorce. Kate Bush has just released her sixth album, The Sensual World. The Stone Roses, of course, have just had a monster year, capped with the surprise success on the UK chart of the B-side “Fools Gold.”)

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The top 20:

1. BEASTIE BOYS: 44 (6)
2. CREAM: 37 (4)
3. KATE BUSH: 34 (5)
4. THE STONE ROSES: 29 (4)
5. De La Soul: 28 (4)
6. Woody Guthrie: 27 (3)
7. The Pogues: 26 (3)
8. Pet Shop Boys: 24 (5)
9. Depeche Mode: 18 (5)
10. XTC: 18 (4)
11. They Might Be Giants: 18 (3)
12. The Eagles: 18 (3)
13. Grateful Dead: 16 (4)
14. Eric B. & Rakim: 14 (3)
15. George Jones: 14 (2)
16. Grandmaster Flash: 14 (2)
17. The Blue Nile: 12 (2)
18. Peter Gabriel: 11 (2)
19. Love: 10 (2)
20. Talk Talk: 10 (2)

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The Backstage Wing returns this year with the induction of KENNY GAMBLE AND LEON HUFF. It’s an appropriate year for them to get in, since they’re garnering a lot of attention through Simply Red’s cover of “If You Don’t Know Me By Now.”

In 1991, the HOA welcomes WOODY GUTHRIE, PET SHOP BOYS, THE POGUES and XTC. In line right behind them are Nick Cave, George Jones and Depeche Mode.

(At the start of 1991, Woody Guthrie has been dead these 23 years…his ashes were scattered at sea. The Pet Shop Boys are producing a Dusty Springfield album and getting ready for their first world tour. The Pogues have just released Hell's Ditch, but Shane MacGowan’s increasingly erratic behavior is putting a strain on the band. XTC are currently in an inter-album gap, but did just release a B-sides collection.)

The top 20:

1. WOODY GUTHRIE: 46 (5)
2. PET SHOP BOYS: 40 (6)
3. THE POGUES: 30 (4)
4. XTC: 25 (4)
5. Nick Cave: 24 (4)
6. George Jones: 23 (3)
7. Depeche Mode: 22 (4)
8. They Might Be Giants: 18 (2)
9. Talk Talk: 17 (3)
10. The Eagles: 14 (2)
11. Crosby, Stills, Nash (& Young): 13 (2)
12. Love: 12 (2)
13. Janis Joplin: 9 (2)
14. Jefferson Airplane: 9 (2)
15. Philip Glass: 9 (1)
15. Grandmaster Flash: 9 (1)
15. New York Dolls: 9 (1)
18. De La Soul: 8 (2)
18. Peter Gabriel: 8 (2)
20. Ornette Coleman: 8 (1)

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JERRY WEXLER enters Backstage this year. The legendary A&R man is 73, and joins his old buddy Ahmet Ertegun in the Hall. His niece, by the way, is dating another of this year's inductees, XTC's Andy Partridge.

A young, if not exactly freshly-scrubbed, contingent of young artists (and one 34-year-old) makes up the class of 1992 in the HOA: NIRVANA, MASSIVE ATTACK, NICK CAVE, and MY BLOODY VALENTINE. Talk Talk and the Eagles were next in line.

(As we enter 1992, Nirvana has wrapped up a European tour and you can’t turn on MTV without seeing “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” although Nevermind has not reached #1. Yet. My Bloody Valentine’s opus, Loveless, is also still a very new phenomenon, having been out less than two months--although it’s an underground hit compared to Nirvana. Even younger are Massive Attack, whose debut album this year was, uh, facilitated by Neneh Cherry. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, now based in Brazil, have just finished recording the follow-up to The Good Son.)

The top 20:

1. NIRVANA: 69 (7)
2. MASSIVE ATTACK: 33 (4)
3. NICK CAVE: 28 (5)
4. MY BLOODY VALENTINE: 27 (3)
5. Talk Talk: 22 (3)
6. The Eagles: 21 (3)
7. They Might Be Giants: 17 (2)
8. De La Soul: 16 (4)
9. Depeche Mode: 15 (3)
10. George Jones: 14 (2)
11. Primal Scream: 14 (4)
12. Love: 13 (2)
13. The Jesus and Mary Chain: 12 (3)
14. A Tribe Called Quest: 10 (1)
15. Grateful Dead: 9 (2)
16. Jefferson Airplane: 9 (2)
17. Crosby, Stills, Nash (& Young): 9 (1)
18. Van Halen: 8 (2)
19. The Blue Nile: 8 (1)
19. Buzzcocks: 8 (1)
19. Grandmaster Flash: 8 (1)
19. New York Dolls: 8 (1)

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BRUCE PAVITT is our back door man this year, having shepherded Sub Pop from a fanzine, to a music column, to a record label and mail-order service.

The Hall of Acclaim throws open its doors to welcome the class of 1993: GEORGE JONES, DEPECHE MODE, PEARL JAM and DR. DRE. Dre was actually tied with Talk Talk, but the rapper appeared on more ballots.

(At the start of 1993, the 61-year-old George Jones is still going strong, having just released Walls Can Fall—his 84th (!!!) album—and is about to appear in a Vince Gill video. Depeche Mode is about to release a remix of "In Your Room" as the fourth single from Songs of Faith and Devotion. Pearl Jam is nothing less than the most popular band in America right now, touring relentlessly and also prominently featured in the film Singles. As for Dr. Dre, he’s…busy. The Chronic was released two weeks ago, and he’s currently producing the first album for Snoop Dogg.)

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The top 20:

1. GEORGE JONES: 36 (4)
2. DEPECHE MODE: 25 (5)
3. PEARL JAM: 23 (3)
4. DR. DRE: 21 (5)
5. Talk Talk: 21 (3)
6. They Might Be Giants: 18 (2)
7. Red Hot Chili Peppers: 17 (2)
8. Rage Against the Machine: 17 (2)
9. Pavement: 16 (3)
10. Crosby, Stills, Nash (& Young): 14 (2)
11. The Jesus and Mary Chain: 13 (2)
12. Love: 13 (2)
13. Jefferson Airplane: 13 (2)
13. Violent Femmes: 13 (2)
15. De La soul: 11 (4)
16. Eurythmics: 10 (1)
16. Youssou N’Dour: 10 (1)
16. A Tribe Called Quest: 10 (1)
19. Eric B. & Rakim: 9 (2)
19. Peter Gabriel: 9 (2)

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Entering backstage this year is legendary jazz mover/shaker NORMAN GRANZ. The founder of Jazz at the Philharmonic (in 1944), which set the template for a LOT of the jazz that has followed, he’s 74 and retired now.

Welcome to the HOA, PJ HARVEY, BJÖRK, SMASHING PUMPKINS and TALK TALK. You’re the HOA class of 1994. Next in line are Townes Van Zandt, They Might Be Giants and Pavement.

(Dateline 1/1/94: Polly Harvey is now working on true solo material, having parted from her bandmates Rob Ellis and Steve Vaughan in August. Björk’s current single, her fourth of the year and third from Debut, is “Big Time Sensuality.” The second single from Siamese Dream, “Today,” is causing a lot of folks to take a closer look at the Pumpkins. Talk Talk has been defunct for over two years now, although Mark Hollis continues to record, and the other two guys have formed a band called .O.rang.)

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The top 20:

1. PJ HARVEY: 36 (6)
2. BJÖRK: 32 (5)
3. THE SMASHING PUMPKINS: 24 (4)
4. TALK TALK: 23 (3)
5. Townes Van Zandt: 19 (2)
6. They Might Be Giants: 18 (2)
7. Pavement: 17 (3)
8. The Eagles: 16 (3)
9. Peter Gabriel: 16 (3)
10. Ennio Morricone: 16 (2)
11. Jefferson Airplane: 15 (2)
12. Eurythmics: 14 (2)
13. Crosby, Stills, Nash (& Young): 14 (2)
13. Love: 14 (2)
15. A Tribe Called Quest: 13 (3)
16. The Jesus and Mary Chain: 13 (2)
17. Wu-Tang Clan: 12 (3)
18. ABBA: 12 (2)
19. Janis Joplin: 11 (2)
20. De La Soul: 10 (3)

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We’re starting to get a bit of consensus in the Backstage Wing again, and this year’s inductee is IVO WATTS-RUSSELL, whose 4AD cut an American deal with Warner Brothers about a year ago. Runners-up Steve Albini and Anton Corbijn were right behind.

bummer 'bout townes...

In the HOA, BLUR wins the battle of Britain ten months early; the other three inductees are PORTISHEAD, PAVEMENT and OASIS. Nobody else was really close, but the next in line were Scott Walker and the Eagles.

(As 1995 opens, Blur are among the most famous people in the UK, and are about to head into the studio to record the follow-up to Parklife. Meanwhile, over in Bristol, Portishead introduced trip-hop to the world four months ago with Dummy. Pavement have finished recording their third album, and Malkmus has embarked on a cute celebrity feud with fellow HOAer Billy Corgan. Oasis has just released the single “Whatever,” and are also busy with their sideline to music, namely taking drugs and hitting each other.)

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The top 20:

1. BLUR: 49 (6)
2. PORTISHEAD: 36 (6)
3. PAVEMENT: 36 (5)
4. OASIS: 35 (7)
5. Scott Walker: 24 (3)
6. The Eagles: 23 (3)
7. Nas: 20 (2)
8. Jeff Buckley: 18 (4)
9. A Tribe Called Quest: 18 (3)
9. Wu-Tang Clan: 18 (3)
11. Suede: 17 (3)
12. They Might Be Giants: 17 (2)
13. Townes Van Zandt: 17 (2)
14. Rage Against the Machine: 15 (2)
15. Peter Gabriel: 14 (3)
16. Red Hot Chili Peppers: 14 (2)
17. Eurythmics: 13 (2)
18. Janis Joplin: 12 (2)
19. Love: 12 (2)
20. Nine Inch Nails: 12 (2)

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We have two inductees into the Backstage Wing this year, one old, one new.

70-year-old RUDY VAN GELDER is one of the most acclaimed record producers in the history of jazz. He’s slowed down some, but still works at his New Jersey studio.

32-year-old STEVE ALBINI is a bit of a modern Renaissance man: engineer, producer, writer, musician. His current band is Shellac.

It’s 1996 and time to unveil another four HOA inductees. This time, it’s RADIOHEAD, PULP, SCOTT WALKER and WU-TANG CLAN. Next up were Nas and Nine Inch Nails.

(At the start of 1996, Radiohead are keeping busy. They released “Lucky” on the War Child album in September, and in a few weeks, the fifth single from The Bends, “Street Spirit (Fade Out),” will be released. They’re also about to take a break from a relentless touring schedule. Pulp’s Different Class came out two months ago, and in December they released several remixes of “Disco 2000” from that album. Scott Walker is about to turn 53, and resurfaced last year with Tilt, his first solo album in over a decade. The Wu-Tang Clan is busy with a welter of solo projects; recent highlights include The RZA’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… and GZA’s Liquid Swords.)

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The top 20:

1. RADIOHEAD: 43 (6)
2. PULP: 40 (5)
3. SCOTT WALKER: 35 (5)
4. WU-TANG CLAN: 25 (4)
5. Nas: 24 (3)
6. Nine Inch Nails: 19 (3)
7. Grateful Dead: 18 (4)
8. The Eagles: 18 (3)
9. They Might Be Giants: 18 (2)
10. Jeff Buckley: 17 (4)
11. Janis Joplin: 16 (3)
12. Peter Gabriel: 16 (3)
13. Eurythmics: 15 (2)
14. A Tribe Called Quest: 14 (2)
15. Crosby, Stills, Nash (& Young): 14 (2)
16. Liz Phair: 13 (3)
17. The Jayhawks: 13 (2)
17. Jefferson Airplane: 13 (2)
19. De La Soul: 12 (3)
20. Love: 12 (2)

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This year’s Backstage entry, by a wide margin, is video director Spike Jonze. And thanks to Schwah for giving us his videos from this past year…he directed the videos for three current HOAers: R.E.M.’s “Crush With Eyeliner,” Björk’s “It’s Oh So Quiet” and Sonic Youth’s “The Diamond Sea.” He’s also worked with two other acts in the Hall: X, and, of course, the Beastie Boys.

What we have here is the 1997 class of the HOA. BECK was way out in front of everyone; he’s joined by SUEDE, A TRIBE CALLED QUEST and JANIS JOPLIN. Not far behind were Peter Gabriel, Eurythmics and Jeff Buckley.

(Dateline January 1, 1997: Beck is about to release the second single from Odelay, “The New Pollution,” and is working on the Forest for the Trees album. Suede is currently promoting their third album, and their first without Bernard Butler, Coming Up. ATCQ’s current album, Beats, Rhymes and Life is a noble attempt to bridge the gap of the East Coast/West Coast rivalry. Janis Joplin died 26 years ago; her ashes were scattered along Stinson Beach, California, a town so indie they keep tearing down the city limits sign.)

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The top 20:

1. BECK: 66 (9)
2. SUEDE: 32 (5)
3. A TRIBE CALLED QUEST: 28 (5)
4. JANIS JOPLIN: 24 (3)
5. Peter Gabriel: 22 (5)
6. Eurythmics: 20 (2)
7. Jeff Buckley: 19 (5)
8. Nas: 18 (3)
9. Goran Bregovic: 18 (2)
10. They Might Be Giants: 17 (2)
11. The Divine Comedy: 16 (2)
12. The Eagles: 15 (3)
13. De La Soul: 15 (3)
14. DJ Shadow: 15 (2)
15. Love: 15 (2)
15. The Notorious B.I.G.: 15 (2)
17. Nine Inch Nails: 14 (2)
17. Red Hot Chili Peppers: 14 (2)
19. Rage Against the Machine: 14 (2)
20. Crosby, Stills, Nash (& Young): 13 (2)

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There’s yet another tie in the Backstage Wing this year: our two inductees are ROBERT CHRISTGAU and DAVID FINCHER.

In Christgau’s most recent Consumer Guide (Dec. 30, 1996), he gives an A+ to the Anthology of American Folk Music, ESPN Presents Slam Jams Vol. 1, Lefty Frizzell’s Look What Thoughts Will Do, and Roots of Jazz Funk Volume One.

David Fincher’s most recent video was for the Wallflowers’ “6th Avenue Heartache,” but he’s now making his name as a director of really creepy feature films, most recently Se7en.

Ladies and gentlemen we are floating in the 1998 class of the HOA: THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G., PETER GABRIEL, DJ SHADOW and DE LA SOUL. Clustered behind those acts were Nas, the Eagles, Eurythmics and Elliott Smith.

(Dateline January 1, 1998: The Notorious B.I.G. is, tragically, dead. Biggie was the victim of a drive-by shooting nearly ten months ago. Peter Gabriel hasn’t released any music for a while, spending his time instead hanging out with the likes of Richard Branson and Nelson Mandela. DJ Shadow, aka Joshua Davis, is about to release a compilation album, Preemptive Strike. De La Soul is dead. No, not really—they’re just taking a break; their last album, Stakes Is High, disappointed.)

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The top 20:

1. THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G.: 39 (4)
2. PETER GABRIEL: 29 (5)
3. DJ SHADOW: 25 (3)
4. DE LA SOUL: 22 (5)
5. Nas: 20 (3)
6. The Eagles: 20 (3)
7. Eurythmics: 20 (2)
7. Elliott Smith: 20 (2)
9. Crosby, Stills, Nash (& Young): 19 (3)
10. Rage Against the Machine: 19 (3)
11. The KLF: 19 (2)
12. The Chemical Brothers: 16 (4)
13. They Might Be Giants: 16 (2)
14. Aerosmith: 15 (3)
15. Jefferson Airplane: 15 (3)
16. Love: 15 (2)
17. The Verve: 14 (3)
18. Can: 14 (3)
19. Nine Inch Nails: 14 (2)
20. Daft Punk: 14 (2)

#21, by the way, was the Jayhawks—I can’t remember the last time an act appeared on four ballots but failed to make the top 20.

I bring this up, well, partly because one of those ballots was mine, but also to highlight the fact that we again broke the record for number of participants. I had been concerned that, as we enter the fallow period of the late 90’s, interest might drop off, but if anything, the reverse has been true. Great job, everyone!

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Our backstage guy this time out is LARRY LEVAN. The dance music pioneer died of heart failure just over five years ago.

heck, why not cooder as well?

Jayhawks were on 4 lists, but only two of them were top 5 if I remember right. The top 5 are the only bands that get points right?

Nope...the whole top ten gets points. 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 (as Midnight Oil once put it).

The top five are the only ones that require comments.

no seriously, didn't cooder get the same number of votes as levan?

Crap. You're right, Greg.

I check out the voting thread every day just to read people's comments and see how things are going, but to save time, I don't calculate the results until first thing Monday morning, which means that I tend to scan past posts that don't look like ballots. This time, I totally missed Henrik's Backstage vote.

So I humbly note here that fifty-year-old RY COODER, the mastermind behind Buena Vista Social Club whose work will also soon appear in the film Primary Colors, is our other Backstage entry for 1998.

Sorry, Greg.
Sorry, nicolas and Henrik.
Sorry, Ry.
I'll read more carefully in the remaining elections.

My vote was hidden in a sentence, so it was my fault. Sorry schleuse.

ELLIOTT SMITH laps the field for the 1999 HOA election. After that, it gets real messy, but E.S. is joined by some folks who have been standing in line for a while: EURYTHMICS, CAN and THE EAGLES. The latter two were actually tied with the Verve and Nas, but got in on tiebreakers (Can appeared on the most ballots, and the Eagles’ one first-place vote beat the Verve’s no first-place votes. So there).

(Where they are as 1999 starts: Elliott is at a new peak of popularity, having recently performed “Waltz #2” on Saturday Night Live. Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart are about to reunite for Eurythmics’ first studio album in ten years. Can are not about to reunite, although their key members—Michael Karoli, Jaki Liebezeit, Irmin Schmidt and Holger Czukay, will at least all perform on the same bill this year. The Eagles have been reuniting seemingly annually lately, most recently for their induction into some other Hall last year.)

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The top 20:

1. ELLIOTT SMITH: 51 (7)
2. EURYTHMICS: 21 (3)
3. CAN: 20 (4)
4. THE EAGLES: 20 (3)
5. The Verve: 20 (3)
6. Nas: 20 (2)
7. Neutral Milk Hotel: 18 (3)
8. Crosby, Stills, Nash (& Young): 18 (3)
9. Manic Street Preachers: 16 (2)
10. Jeff Buckley: 16 (2)
11. The Chemical Brothers: 15 (5)
12. Nine Inch Nails: 15 (2)
13. Jefferson Airplane: 14 (3)
14. Aerosmith: 14 (3)
15. They Might Be Giants: 14 (2)
16. Love: 14 (2)
17. The Jayhawks: 13 (3)
18. Richard and Linda Thompson: 13 (2)
19. The Jesus and Mary Chain: 11 (2)
20. Liz Phair: 10 (3)

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Reaching Backstage this year is NICK GOLD, founder of World Circuit Records. So, for the second year in a row this slot is filled by a mover behind Buena Vista Social Club.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!

After an extended 2000 election, we at last have our four newest inductees to the HOA: NAS, EMINEM, THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS and AEROSMITH. Right behind were Neutral Milk Hotel and the Flaming Lips.

(As the new millennium begins, Nas is on the charts with his fourth album, Nastradamus. Marshall B. Mathers III is in the studio recording his third album; I’m guessing it will sell. The Chems’ third album, Surrender, was released six months ago and is being placed in a time capsule this month. And, for the first time, you can ride Aerosmith…their name is on a new rollercoaster at Disneyworld.)

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The top 20:

1. NAS: 29 (4)
2. EMINEM: 28 (4)
3. THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS: 26 (5)
4. AEROSMITH: 23 (4)
5. Neutral Milk Hotel: 21 (4)
6. The Flaming Lips: 21 (4)
7. Wire: 18 (4)
8. Lynyrd Skynyrd: 18 (3)
9. The Jesus and Mary Chain: 18 (3)
10. Jeff Buckley: 17 (3)
11. Crosby, Stills, Nash (& Young): 17 (3)
12. Nine Inch Nails: 16 (3)
13. Love: 16 (3)
14. The Verve: 16 (2)
15. Prefab Sprout: 16 (2)
16. 2Pac: 15 (2)
17. Rage Against the Machine: 15 (2)
18. Wilco: 13 (3)
19. Red Hot Chili Peppers: 13 (2)
20. Deep Purple: 13 (2)

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Our Backstage winner this time around is producer extraordinary QUINCY JONES. Q has an album of Count Basie’s music coming out this year, and Harvard is about to endow a professorship in his name.

2001 is a year for the peculiar in the Hall of Acclaim, with indie favorites OUTKAST, THE FLAMING LIPS and NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL being joined by weird sixties band LOVE. Love eked out a tiebreaker victory over Lynyrd Skynyrd (not weird at all), and Nine Inch Nails and Wire were close behind.

(Dateline January 1, 2001: In two weeks, OutKast will release “Ms. Jackson,” the second single from Stankonia. The Flaming Lips are about to start filming a science fiction film, of all things. Neutral Milk Hotel is defunct, although Jeff Mangum continues to work on a couple of projects, including Major Organ and field recordings of Bulgarian folk music. Love has been defunct for over 30 years (what a terrible thing to type)…Bryan MacLean died of a heart attack two years ago, and Arthur Lee is serving a prison sentence for illegal possession of a firearm.)

The top 20:

1. OUTKAST: 55 (9)
2. THE FLAMING LIPS: 43 (7)
3. NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL: 31 (4)
4. LOVE: 24 (4)
5. Lynyrd Skynyrd: 24 (3)
6. Nine Inch Nails: 22 (4)
7. Wire: 22 (3)
8. Jefferson Airplane: 19 (3)
9. Belle and Sebastian: 18 (4)
10. The Jesus and Mary Chain: 18 (3)
11. Red Hot Chili Peppers: 18 (3)
12. Magnetic Fields: 18 (2)
13. Townes Van Zandt: 17 (2)
14. The Verve: 15 (3)
15. Primal Scream: 14 (4)
16. Wilco: 14 (3)
17. Rage Against the Machine: 14 (2)
17. Todd Rundgren: 14 (2)
19. Jeff Buckley: 13 (2)
20. Crosby, Stills, Nash (& Young): 10 (3)

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Backstage Entry this time is video director MICHEL GONDRY. Monsieur Gondry has, to date, worked with his fellow HOAers Beck Björk, Chemical Brothers, Massive Attack, the Rolling Stones and half of Steely Dan, and will make his feature film debut this year with Human Nature.

Yes! It's a regular week for mankind, but it's a great week for me!

Guitar ain’t dead. The HOA Class of 2002 is THE WHITE STRIPES, THE STROKES, WIRE and JAY-Z. Still outside are the Jesus and Mary Chain, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Nine Inch Nails.

(As the calendar flips over to ’02, the White Stripes’ first single from White Blood Cells, “Hotel Yorba,” is stalled on the charts. Maybe the second one will do better. The Strokes are having more success with “Hard to Explain,” and are generally the most feted band around at the moment. Wire is currently on their third reunion and have some EPs coming out soon. Jay-Z is no doubt hanging out with Beyoncé somewhere…lucky bastard…before he starts work on the follow-up to The Blueprint.)

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The top 20:

1. THE WHITE STRIPES: 47 (6)
2. THE STROKES: 36 (5)
3. WIRE: 31 (5)
4. JAY-Z: 28 (4)
5. The Jesus and Mary Chain: 22 (4)
6. Lynyrd Skynyrd: 19 (3)
7. Nine Inch Nails: 19 (3)
8. Wilco: 17 (3)
9. Kylie Minogue: 15 (2)
10. Lucinda Williams: 14 (2)
11. Jeff Buckley: 13 (2)
12. The Verve: 12 (3)
13. Magnetic Fields: 12 (2)
14. Jefferson Airplane: 12 (2)
15. Richard and Linda Thompson: 11 (3)
16. Dinosaur Jr.: 11 (2)
17. Buzzcocks: 11 (2)
18. Primal Scream: 10 (3)
19. ABBA: 10 (1)
19. Siouxsie and the Banshees: 10 (1)
19. They Might Be Giants: 10 (1)
19. Townes Van Zandt: 10 (1)

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2002’s Backstage dude is NICKY HOPKINS. The legendary session musician, who died seven years ago, worked with many HOAers including the Stones, Who, Beatles and Kinks.

Now arriving, the 2003 class of the Hall of Acclaim: WILCO, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, COLDPLAY and JEFF BUCKLEY. Not arriving just yet: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nine Inch Nails and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

(It’s 2003, and Wilco will appear soon on the next Minus 5 album, Down With Wilco. QotSA are currently climbing the charts with “No One Knows.” Coldplay is touring the planet relentlessly, and will be for most of this year, in support of A Rush of Blood to the Head. Jeff Buckley, as you may know, drowned in the Mississippi River at Memphis five and a half years ago.)

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The top 20:

1. WILCO: 48 (6)
2. QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE: 38 (6)
3. COLDPLAY: 30 (5)
4. JEFF BUCKLEY: 27 (4)
5. Red Hot Chili Peppers: 23 (3)
6. Nine Inch Nails: 21 (4)
7. Lynyrd Skynyrd: 21 (3)
8. Richard and Linda Thompson: 17 (3)
9. The Jesus and Mary Chain: 16 (3)
10. Daft Punk: 15 (3)
11. Jefferson Airplane: 15 (3)
12. Belle and Sebastian: 14 (2)
13. Missy Elliott: 14 (2)
14. They Might Be Giants: 13 (2)
15. Buzzcocks: 13 (2)
15. Kylie Minogue: 13 (2)
17. Rage Against the Machine: 13 (2)
18. Dinosaur Jr.: 12 (2)
19. Foo Fighters: 12 (2)
20. Primal Scream: 12 (2)

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Getting in backstage this year is TIMBALAND. The 31-year-old record producer has worked prominently with two HOAers, Nas and Jay-Z.

I posted this on the '04 voting thread, but wanted to mention it here too, just in case: since turnout was pretty low, I'm extending the 2004 election by another week.

(If you're like me, last week was pretty crazy...I just barely got my bracketology ballot finished.)

Following an extended election period, we’re now ready to unveil the HOA class of 2004: DAFT PUNK, THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN, PRIMAL SCREAM and NINE INCH NAILS. Next in line were Ornette Coleman and Belle & Sebastian.

(Dateline January 1, 2004: One month ago, Daft Punk released an “anime House musical” called Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem, along with a soundtrack. The Reid brothers split, breaking up the Jesus and Mary Chain, five years ago…but there are reunion rumors. Primal Scream’s most recent album, Evil Heat, is now more than a year old. And Trent Reznor has just completed Nine Inch Nails’ fourth album, slated for release later this year.)

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The top 20:

1. DAFT PUNK: 36 (5)
2. THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN: 31 (4)
3. PRIMAL SCREAM: 30 (4)
4. NINE INCH NAILS: 29 (5)
5. Ornette Coleman: 27 (3)
6. Belle and Sebastian: 25 (4)
7. Warren Zevon: 22 (4)
8. Jefferson Airplane: 21 (3)
8. Sleater-Kinney: 21 (3)
10. Buzzcocks: 21 (3)
11. Red Hot Chili Peppers: 18 (2)
12. Lynyrd Skynyrd: 17 (4)
13. Lucinda Williams: 16 (4)
14. Missy Elliott: 16 (2)
15. The Shins: 15 (3)
16. Richard and Linda Thompson: 14 (3)
17. They Might Be Giants: 14 (2)
18. Dinosaur Jr.: 13 (2)
19. Herbie Hancock: 13 (2)
20. Fugazi: 10 (3)

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The big backstage winnah in ’04 is Mercury Rev bassist and indie producer extraordinaire DAVE FRIDMANN. Dave has coproduced most of the recent albums by HOAers the Flaming Lips, and has also worked with several other bands that have shown up on our ballots, including Weezer, Low, and Sleater-Kinney.

They don’t come much more diverse than the HOA Class of 2005: ABBA, SLEATER-KINNEY, ORNETTE COLEMAN and ARCADE FIRE. Bunched up behind that group, we have Jefferson Airplane, Buzzcocks, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Richard & Linda Thompson.

(Where are they as 2005 begins? ABBA reunited last year, at least on video, for the Eurovision Song Contest on the 30th anniversary of their win there; later this year, all four of them will attend the Stockholm premiere of Mamma Mia! Sleater-Kinney has just finished recording their seventh album, The Woods, which will be released soon. Ornette Coleman, on the other hand, has not released a new album for nearly eight years, although he’s working with a new quartet, so that streak may end soon. Arcade Fire is on a tour in support of Funeral, which is rapidly growing to frightening proportions as interest in the band skyrockets.)

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The top 20:

1. ABBA: 38 (4)
2. SLEATER-KINNEY: 27 (4)
3. ORNETTE COLEMAN: 27 (3)
4. ARCADE FIRE: 24 (5)
5. Jefferson Airplane: 23 (3)
6. Buzzcocks: 23 (3)
7. Lynyrd Skynyrd: 22 (4)
8. Richard and Linda Thompson: 22 (3)
9. The Shins: 20 (3)
10. Belle and Sebastian: 19 (5)
11. Kanye West: 19 (3)
12. Loretta Lynn: 19 (2)
13. Nina Simone: 17 (2)
14. Red Hot Chili Peppers: 16 (2)
14. They Might Be Giants: 16 (2)
16. Warren Zevon: 14 (2)
17. Missy Elliott: 13 (2)
18. The Streets: 12 (2)
19. Interpol: 11 (3)
20. Lucinda Williams: 11 (2)

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Our Backstage Wing entry is one HENRIK FRANZON. It’s difficult to find biographical information for the elusive Mr. Franzon, but in 2005, I imagine he’s surrounded by spreadsheets.

Congratulations, Henrik. Well-deserved.

Thanks, schleuse. Thanks to everyone!

Following a relatively low-turnout 2006 election, the HOA welcomes its new class: KANYE WEST, LYNYRD SKYNYRD, BUZZCOCKS and RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS. Next in line: Franz Ferdinand and Sufjan Stevens.

(At the start of 2006? Kanye is about to release a clothing line, and is shortly to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone—might it be a controversial picture? Lynyrd Skynyrd recently performed at the Music Relief Concert for victims of Hurricane Katrina, which hit New Orleans a few months ago. The Buzzcocks have reunited yet again, and are about to release their eighth studio album; they last toured as the opener for Pearl Jam. RHCP have their ninth album, Stadium Arcadium, in the can and awaiting release.)

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The top 20:

1. KANYE WEST: 37 (6)
2. LYNYRD SKYNYRD: 33 (4)
3. BUZZCOCKS: 28 (3)
4. RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS: 26 (3)
5. Franz Ferdinand: 19 (5)
6. Sufjan Stevens: 19 (4)
7. Jefferson Airplane: 18 (2)
8. Richard and Linda Thompson: 17 (2)
9. The Streets: 16 (2)
10. Belle and Sebastian: 14 (3)
11. Warren Zevon: 14 (2)
12. LCD Soundsystem: 10 (3)
13. The Shins: 10 (2)
14. Morrissey: 10 (1)
14. New York Dolls: 10 (1)
14. Nina Simone: 10 (1)
17. Missy Elliott: 9 (1)
17. IAM: 9 (1)
17. Tom Petty: 9 (1)
17. The Verve: 9 (1)
17. Rufus Wainwright: 9 (1)

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The Backstage Wing welcomes the old Stax Records house band, BOOKER T. & THE MG’S. The three surviving members, Booker T. Jones, Donald “Duck” Dunn and Steve Cropper, are still actively touring (drummer Al Jackson Jr. was killed in 1975).

I’m happy to present the 2007 class of the HOA: SUFJAN STEVENS, FRANZ FERDINAND, THE KNIFE, and BELLE AND SEBASTIAN. B&S won a three-way tie with Warren Zevon and LCD Soundsystem.

(As of January 1, 2007, three of our inductees have recently released some unusual work. Sufjan Stevens celebrated the holiday season just past by releasing a boxed set of his five Christmas EPs. Franz Ferdinand and Belle & Sebastian recently contributed songs to a children’s album; their offerings—“Jackie Jackson” and “The Monkeys Are Breaking Out the Zoo” appear alongside songs by fellow HOAers the Flaming Lips. The Knife is currently nominated for six Grammis—the Swedish music award—which will be given out in a ceremony later this month. )

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The top 20:

1. SUFJAN STEVENS: 33 (5)
2. FRANZ FERDINAND: 26 (5)
3. THE KNIFE: 21 (3)
4. BELLE AND SEBASTIAN: 20 (4)
5. Warren Zevon: 20 (3)
6. LCD Soundsystem: 20 (3)
7. Jefferson Airplane: 19 (3)
8. TV on the Radio: 19 (3)
9. Townes Van Zandt: 19 (2)
10. Richard and Linda Thompson: 18 (2)
11. The Streets: 17 (2)
12. Missy Elliott: 17 (2)
13. Yeah Yeah Yeahs: 15 (3)
14. Soundgarden: 14 (3)
15. Lucinda Williams: 14 (2)
16. Rage Against the Machine: 13 (2)
17. Built to Spill: 12 (2)
17. Drive-By Truckers: 12 (2)
19. Iggy Pop: 12 (2)
20. Herbie Hancock: 11 (2)

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Entering backstage this year are MICHAEL AND STEPHEN THOMAS ERLEWINE, the masterminds behind All Music Guide. Michael founded AMG in 1991, and his nephew was instrumental in putting its database online three years ago.

Know all by these presents that the Hall of Acclaim’s 2008 class is ready to be inducted. In the best HOA tradition, it’s a mixture of new and old: LCD SOUNDSYSTEM, WARREN ZEVON, KING CRIMSON and TV ON THE RADIO. Four artists tied for the ultimate heartbreak of fifth place—M.I.A., Animal Collective, John Lee Hooker and Nina Simone.

(Dateline January 1, 2008: James Murphy, under his nom de guerre LCD Soundsystem, just got buried last month under an avalanche of Grammy nominations for Sound of Silver. Warren Zevon’s ashes were scattered over the Pacific Ocean just over four years ago; a biography by his ex-wife, I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, was released last year. King Crimson Mark VII has just been unveiled: Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto and Gavin Harrison; they’ll begin rehearsing soon for a tour. And TV on the Radio is holed up in New York working on the follow-up to Return to Cookie Mountain.)

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The top 20:

1. LCD SOUNDSYSTEM: 63 (8)
2. WARREN ZEVON: 32 (5)
3. KING CRIMSON: 29 (3)
4. TV ON THE RADIO: 21 (3)
5. M.I.A.: 19 (4), and don’t let the all-caps fool you.
6. Animal Collective: 19 (3)
7. John Lee Hooker: 19 (2)
7. Nina Simone: 19 (2)
9. The Streets: 18 (2)
10. Jefferson Airplane: 17 (2)
11. Iggy Pop: 16 (2)
12. Richard and Linda Thompson: 16 (2)
13. Deep Purple: 15 (3)
14. Rufus Wainwright: 13 (3)
15. Nat “King” Cole: 12 (2)
16. They Might Be Giants: 11 (2)
17. Missy Elliott: 11 (2)
18. Drive-By Truckers: 11 (2)
19. Crosby, Stills, Nash (& Young): 10 (2)
20. Janet Jackson: 10 (1)
20. Ennio Morricone: 10 (1)
20. New York Dolls: 10 (1)
20. Townes Van Zandt: 10 (1)

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The 2008 backstage entry is legendary film director MARTIN SCORSESE. His current project is Shine a Light, a documentary on HOA band The Rolling Stones, which will premiere at the Berlinale Film Festival next month.

(There was one bizarre stray vote—by someone already in the Backstage Wing—for another person whose first name happens to be Martin. Frankly, I think Scorsese’s a much better choice, although I appreciate the thought.)

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And that’s it. For over a year in the real world and for nearly 50 years in HOA time, we’ve been giving our favorites this quantum of immortality. Later this week, I’ll post the complete roster of our illustrious Hall.

The HOA will return from time to time as this site is updated in order to keep it current. In the meantime, hearty thanks to everyone who took part. The scope and complexity of this project—pretty much encompassing the entire history of popular music—was daunting indeed, but the wisdom and tenacity of every HOA voter made it work. Great job, everyone.