Rock Hall of Fame From Billy Joel to John Lennon

Billy Joel is better known for his adult contemporary tunes like Honesty, She’s Got a Way, and Just the Way You Are, his 50’s based tunes Tell Her About It, Uptown Girl, and Keeping the Faith, and for writing Shameless, a Garth Brooks hit. Billy began his career recording two albums as a member of the blue-eyed soul band, the Hassles, one album as a member of the psychedelic band Attila, and working as a lounge singer, which became the inspiration of Piano Man. Pressure, It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me, and You May Be Right are hall of fame caliber songs.

Elton John's induction in the hall was a no-brainer. Love Lies Bleeding/ Funeral for a Friend, Rocket Man, Grow Some Funk of Your Own, and Bennie and the Jets are good examples of his typical all-out rock approach that lasted until the early 80’s. John was the godfather of Sean Lennon and recorded three tunes with John Lennon, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Whatever Gets You Through the Night, and a live version of I Saw Her Standing There that was recorded when Lennon joined John to play the three songs when Whatever Gets You Through the Night topped the charts. The Thanksgiving 1974 performance would be Lennon’s last. Elton recorded Empty Garden as a tribute to the late Lennon. In recent years, Elton’s work has been the lightweight pop Can You Feel the Love Tonight, The One, and The Boy in Red Shoes. A return to Elton’s rocking ways of his first chart making decade is unlikely.

Janis Joplin has been called the greatest female rock singer of the 60’s. She was primarily a blues singer with an incredibly raw, emotionally charged voice much like Melissa Ethridge’s voice today. But unlike Ethridge, Janis was free to experiment in her recordings and put together bands with screaming psychedelic guitars. Listen to Ball and Chain to hear Janis at her gut-wrenching best. Piece of My Heart shows her first band, Big Brother and the Holding Company at its best. Other favorites include the Kris Kristofferson written, Me and Bobby McGee, Down on Me, and Mercedes Benz.

B.B. King is one of the greatest all time blues men. He has been true to the blues format, but should not be in the hall as he is not really a rocker. His biggest hit, The Thrill is Gone reached number 14 on the Top 40 charts.

The Kinks differed from other English bands like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Animals, because they would sing with the same British accent in which they spoke. The band’s You Really Got Me, their first American hit, rocked harder than any other songs in 1964, and it was later covered by Van Halen. 1965’s All Day and All of the Night was borrowed from heavily by the Doors on their 1968 hit Hello, I Love You. The band became stadium rockers in the 80’s with Do it Again, Yo-Yo, and Destroyer, a song that re-visits there 1970 hit Lola.

Led Zeppelin hit the scene with screaming guitars and a lead singer that warbled the blues a lot like Janis Joplin. The first album presented the blues to a rock audience that was a common task for other bands such as Cream and Steppenwolf. You Shook Me, I Can’t Quit You Baby, and the lightning fast Communication Breakdown are incredible. Zeppelin continued to record music in the same fashion with their second album, but they relied less on covers. However, their highest charting single ever, Whole Lotta Love was later credited to Willie Dixon following a lawsuit. The band’s third album presented blues in an acoustically and was not as popular as the previous two. The band was heavily influenced by Love’s Forever Changes, and recorded their most famous song, the gorgeous Stairway to Heaven, a song that did not chart do to it not being released as a single. The band continued making music until 1980 when In Through the Out Door became their swan song due to the death of John Bonham.

Brenda Lee is a pop singer known for Break It to Me Gently, I’m Sorry, and Sweet Nothings, which are mellow songs that Connie Francis, Helen Reddy, and Juice Newton would not feel uncomfortable singing. She is perhaps best known for her perennial hit Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree. Perhaps the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame should change their name to the Top 40 Hall of Fame for artists like Brenda who made some great songs that are pop, but not rock.

John Lennon had what many consider the purest voice in rock and roll. John could jam with the best on Cold Turkey, Instant Karma, and Well, Well Well. His protest muscles were flexed on Sunday Bloody Sunday, Give Peace a Chance, and I Don’t Want to Be a Soldier. John recorded a jab at former band mate Paul on How Do You Sleep. Due to Lennon’s murder in 1980 and his 5-year absence from recording during his self-imposed lost years, we have only 5 years of his post Beatles material. Perhaps December the 8th was the day rock died or was mortally wounded.