Groups or individuals are qualified for induction 25 years after the release of their first record. Nominees should have demonstrable influence and significance within the history of rock and roll.
Four categories are recognized (as of 2000):
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- Performers
- Musical Excellence (Influencers)
- Early Influences
- The Ahmet Ertegun Award (formerly Non-Performers)
- Former Categories include Sidemen and Singles, Most Sidemen and Backing Members have been left out of inductions since the beginning and Singles category was only in 2018. A good link to snubbed members of inducted bands is here: Snubbed Members of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Artists Read the comments too for a complete list.
With that we propose the following list that absolutely, positively should be a part of the Rock Hall.
Iron Maiden
Just replace 40+ years in the description (instead of For 35 years, put For 40+ years) (also add) They even have their own font (metal lord) and screams Rock louder than an Eddie T-Shirt!- Screamin’ Jay” Hawkins
If you haven’t heard his hits, you heard a band cover them! Screamin Jay is known as the pioneer of Shock Rock. One of his songs is in the Rock Halls top songs that shaped Rock and Roll so get him in the Rock Hall!! - Billy Idol
From the London punk scene in the late 70’s Billy made it HUGE in the 80’s with his snarling punk attitude and rock hooks. He has multiple #1 billboard hits, awards and he still records and tours today. 
Weird Al Yankovic
The leader of rock parody and always on the cutting edge of pop music this icon cannot be overlooked. Since 1979, “Weird Al” Yankovic has carved a unique career as rock and roll’s premier satirist. Weird Al has created and solidified his own essential niche in rock music, and it’s high time he be honored. He also has his own induction site here: https://www.dohtem.com/al/rockhall/- The Bangles
All Female and one of the most successful rock groups of the 80’s. The Bangles still tour today and have been featured in many movie soundtracks for decades. Their songs remain relevant today as they were when released. - Connie Francis
CONNIE FRANCIS was the ME TOO of the late 50’s till 70’s before it was cool. She paved the way for many female artists with her chart topping hits both on Billboard and internationally. Her song “Where the Boys Are” was a hit that became a movie and introduced the concept of Spring Break! Her songs lead her to star in movies and television. She has recorded songs in 9 languages. 
Devo
Are we not men worthy of Rock Hall fame? These guys were one-of-a-kind, and amongst the great innovators in rock history. They continue to this day in TV shows, animated and commercials we see everyday.-
INXSHailing from Australia INXS has numerous hits, platinum albums and every award on the planet, except and induction to the rock hall! Never considered and totally snubbed this band is a major influence to many bands that came after them. Still touring and recording with singers after the unexpected death of their original lead singer in 1997 Michael Hutchence.
HOME of Induct INXS | Get INXS Nominated & Inducted @Rock Hall. Sign at Induct INXS.com | Induct INXS - The Runaways
The Runaways are one of the first all female bands and has had a HUGE influence on most modern female (and male) bands to come along since. The members such as Joan Jett and Lita Ford have gone on to have long successful careers, along with the other members. Major motion pictures and documentaries have been made about them. They are still currently being played on radio. - Supertramp
A British Prog Rock band that dominated the airwaves in the 70’s and 80’s with multiple top 10 singles. Their songs have endured through the decades, often in soundtracks and covered by modern artists to this day. Are we nothing but a dreamer to get them in the Rock Hall? Bloody Well Right we are! - The Smiths
Morrissey and Johnny Maher were smart, enigmatic and fun and the music they created helped lay the groundwork for independent music and alternative rock in the 1980s and ’90s. - Gordon Lightfoot
Prolific Songwriter has had many top hits with his songs of tales of love and historic events. Successfully heard the world over his songs have been covered by many of the worlds most renown artists about Lovers, Loneliness, Trains, Shipwrecks, Rivers and Highways. 
Mott The Hoople
Some of the biggest rock songs and most covered rock songs in history come out of this band along with Ian Hunter and Mick Ronson among others. A Glam Band from the 70’s their songs have survived through decades and are always heard on soundtracks, streaming, and covers. A huge influence to many artists who came after them they are long overdue for the hall!- SugarHill Gang
Founders of Hip Hop and Rap. This pioneering group inaugurated the recorded history of rap music with their single “Rapper’s Delight”, a multi-platinum seller in 1979. First Rap to appear on America Bandstand. - Tom Jones
British Pop Star that sang hits for James Bond and many other movies. He has 36 top 40 hits, 19 in the top 10. Still a sex symbol and recording artist, he has sold more than 100 million records over the last 6 decades and was so popular he had his own TV show. Recognised by many Rock Stars and the influence of generations of Rock Stars he was knighted in 2006 for his contribution to music and now is Sir Tom Jones. - Tommy James and the Shondells
Eligible since 1991 and their hits including 2 #1 hits and 12 others in the top ten are covered again and again its a surprise that these guys have never been considered to the Rock Hall. They did it all from Bubble Gum to Psychedelic and are a straight forward rocking band. Still pops up from time to time on tours today. This is a cornerstone band that has been overlooked way too long. - ACCEPT
German Heavy Metal Band that played an important role in the development of Speed Metal, directly influencing bands like Metallica. They have sold millions of albums worldwide and are still recording and touring to this day. A favorite of Guitar Hero and many of their songs are featured in movies and TV shows. - Saxon
Part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal they are one of Europes biggest acts, also having singles in the US, Japan and other countries in the world. 
Scorpions
German Heavy Metal Rockers have sold over 100 million albums worldwide. They have performed all over the world including Soviet Russia. The songs are always well written and they have received many awards worldwide. A major player in Guitar hero their songs will live on well into the future. Lets Rock them like a Hurricane into the Rock Hall.- SWEET
British Glam Rockers had over a decade of hits all over the world and continually are played on radio today. Many hits are still being covered and used in many hit movies. The influence of this band is immeasurable and their induction is long overdue. - Slade
English Hard Rock / Glam band whose hits are still being copied and songs still played on the radio. - Thin Lizzy
Major international Rock Band whose hits still played regularly on hard rock and Classic Rock radio stations. - Humble Pie
Humble Pie formed as a supergroup in the end of the 60s and went on to produce music that influenced many artists and top rock hits that are played to this day. Members were entertaining and extremely talented that went on to do so much more in the rock industry. - Slayer
Who hasn’t gone to a concert in the last 30 years and heard someone in the crowd yell “Slayer” for a request. Godfathers of thrash metal are two time Grammy winners and the winners of multiple music awards has made them the must have in every music fans collection. - The Replacements
Post-punk poets from Minneapolis blazed the trail for every alternative-rock band to come along since. Gets my vote on the strength of “Here Comes a Regular” alone. - Toto
Awarded several Grammy awards and in the Musicians hall of fame this band has always been around selling millions of albums. - The B-52s
New Wave innovators from Athens, Ga. “Love Shack” baby! 
The Carpenters
Siblings Karen and Richard Carpenter lit up the charts with number one hits in the 60s and 70s. Stopping in 83 with the sudden death of Karen their songs still endure to this day. Covered by many and influencing many artists The Carpenters are still considered one of the top greatest duos of all time. Rolling Stone has Karen as one of the greatest vocalists of all time. In all the Hall of Fames except this one, and long overdue!- Jethro Tull
Formed in 1967 with their flute playing front man Ian Anderson Jethro Tull has been overlooked for too long by the Rock Hall. Songs like Aqualung, Teacher, Bungle in the Jungle and others are true classic rock and are known worldwide. These grammy winners are still touring to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary and have a new studio album coming out. - Joe Cocker
Dude was at Woodstock. One of rock’s great interpreters. His gritty rendition of “With a Little Help From My Friends” is more memorable than the Beatles’ original. And his cover of Randy Newman’s “You Can Leave Your Hat On” is a bona fide classic. - Motley Crue
Hard living band since 1981 that continues to influence Rock and Roll today with radio and reality shows. Everyone from babies to Grannies know this band. - The Raspberries
Eric Carmen and the boys burned hot and bright in their short time together and left us some of the best pop-rock music ever. Besides, Bruce Springsteen thinks they should be inducted into the Rock Hall, and who are we to argue with The Boss? Wally Bryson is an influence to Slash from Nominated Guns and Roses . - The Guess Who
“American Woman,” “These Eyes,” “No Sugar Tonight.” One of the great ’60s pop-rock outfits. - J. Geils Band
Who doesn’t know their song centerfold? Nominated once for the 2010 inductions, they were snubbed. The wooba gooba with the green teeth, needs to be let in. - Los Lobos
Their cover of Ritchie Valens’ “La Bamba” put them on the commercial map. But these L.A. rockers are a creative force in their own right and one of the best live bands in rock. - Motörhead
Motörhead’s overwhelmingly loud and fast style of heavy metal was one of the most groundbreaking styles the genre had to offer in the late ’70s. Though the group’s leader, Lemmy Kilminster, had his roots in the hard-rocking space rock band Hawkwind, He left taking the Progressive Space rock and melting it in with Biker Punk rock to be the first metal band to harness that energy and, in the process, they created speed metal and thrash metal. Formed in June 1975 they have sold over 16 million albums worldwide. - Jan and Dean
We all know the songs Dead Mans Curve and Little Old Lady From Pasadena, besides the other iconic songs the duo of W. Jan Berry and Dean Torrence sang with the iconic sixties west coast sound. Active from 1958 till Jans death in 2004 they toured and recorded, and went on to produce rock music through the decades. Known for an anti-establishment attitude toward the music industry they still recorded their music with a high level of craftsmanship. 
Twisted Sister
I don’t know anyone who has not heard of their well-known hits Were Not Gonna Take It and I Wanna Rock.
Dee Snider should be in the Rock Hall because he testified against the PMRC alone! (Along with John Denver and Frank Zappa)- THE TUBES
Majorly Influential since 1975 this band is considered to be one Rocks most creative masters of lyrics for the Rock/New Wave and hard rock genre. Still touring the band has survived to this day. - Uriah Heap
One the most influential bands of the 4 cornerstones of Heavy Metal and an AOR radio favorite. They have been an influence to many progressive rock bands and vocalists. Their induction cannot be overlooked.
Bonus Tracks!!!
UFO
Heavy British Rock Band with many influential members, this band cannot be overlooked or its “lights out”. The Band continues to this day to release critically acclaimed albums.- Leslie Gore
At just 17 she had iconic hits like It’s My Party and You Don’t Own Me. Her songs have been trailblazing for women in Rock. She’s way overdue for induction. - Mariah Carey
The Songbird Supreme with a 5 octave voice has been on the charts for over 3 decades. Too many awards to list here she has sold over 200 million records worldwide, making her one of the biggest selling artists in music history. Carey has spent 82 weeks at the number-one position on Billboard Hot 100, the greatest number for any artist in US chart history and accumulated 19 number-one singles. Versatile singer and actress we will hear from her for decades to come. - Matthew Sweet
Matthew has had many popular releases and has been featured on TV and Movie soundtracks. His original and unique style has won him legions of fans and praises from critics since the late 80s. - The Monkees
Who can’t resist loving the TV band that made many top 40 songs from the late 60’s? These guys still influence lives to this day. The Mikes are still touring, and still major producers in the business. If you google “Monkees Influence” you will see pages about their influence in Rock and Roll, videos and Hollywood. Sadly they have been on our list for so long we have lost 2 members since we started this list: Davy Jones and Peter Tork. Lets get them in before they are all dead! - Johnny Rivers
In the 60s and 70s radio hits always had Johnny Rivers songs on the charts, many to hit #1. His songs have been performed and covered by many bands and are featured in TV and movies till this day. - Blue Oyster Cult
This Rock band sold out stadiums, and still sells shows out to this day. BOC started in 1967 and had chart toppers throughout the 70s and into the 80’s. Induct them before Godzilla comes out of Lake Erie for you. - The Cult
The Cult has had many hits from the Goth/Punk/Rock British band. The Cult have had various line-ups; the longest-serving members are vocalist Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy the band’s two songwriters. Their popularity is worldwide and still requested on radio and many online streaming services. - Sir Douglas Quintet
The Sir Douglas Quintet was an American rock band, formed in San Antonio in 1964. Formed by Doug Sahm, They had their first hit in 1965 mixing R&B with Tex Mex and psychedelic rock. The Sir Douglas Quintet is considered a pioneering influence in the history of rock and roll for incorporating Tex-Mex and Cajun styles into rock music. Many of their hits are featured in movie soundtracks from 1967 easy rider to today. - Three Dog Night
Three Dog Night scored a succession of 21 hit singles, including eleven Top Tens, and twelve consecutive gold albums from 1969 to 1975, thanks to the slick, sometimes soulful vocal harmonies of singers Danny Hutton, Chuck Negron, and Cory Wells and an excellent ear for quality material. Their vocal harmonies and pop licks have influenced many vocal bands in rock and pop till today.
The RRHoF has ZERO CREDIBILITY as in institution. ZERO. It’s simply a road side attraction / business venture headed by Jan Wenner, head of Rolling Stone magazine.
They inducted “Grand Master Flash” who is not “Rock” in any way, shape or form and never had a hit make it into the top 10… let alone an album.
Public Enemy? Seriously? Can you name one song they are famous for? Neither can anyone else.
Madonna? LOL!
ZERO CREDIBILITY AS AN INSTITUTION. ZERO.
The more people DEMAND decent ROCK groups be inducted into this JOKE of a private music club, the more unwarranted attention the RRHoF gets. They are already becoming a shop/business that is famous for the same reasons as many of the “artists” they “induct”.
They are famous for being famous…
Pathetic.
I think about half of these bands should be shoo-ins. My list may be different than the next one, but I think the arguments for at least getting on the ballot are strong for all of these folks. I’m glad that they let the public weigh in, but I think the percentage for the public vote should be higher.
So, here’s my Top 10 from the above list (in alphabetical order):
1. Cheap Trick
2. Deep Purple
3. Iron Maiden
4. Judas Priest
5. KISS
6. The Monkees
7. The Runaways
8. Thin Lizzy
9. Stevie Ray Vaughan
10. Yes
I’m really rooting for Link Ray this year, though!
D O O B I E B R O T H E R S !!! Really they are not in??
I agree, dissin’ The Doobies ain’t gonna but these critics credibility points. A beloved band, with numerous top 40 hits.
I would think that WAR is missing. If history has something ro do with it, when the US astronauts and the Russians hooked up is space in the70’s NASA pipped “Why Can’t WE
Be Friends” all over the world.
Besides, I designed and Illustrated their first 4 album covers.
Forgetting the Dire Straits
OMG for real. Except, I don’t want my MTV anymore. Thanks anyway.
Um… Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, Misfits? did we just kind of forget the whole 2nd freaking half of Punk Rock?
Why not Journey?
Rush (who is finally being inducted in 2013), Kiss, Def Leppard, and Iron Maiden should be no brainers to have inducted. The bands they’ve influenced, their album sales, and their fan base should speak for itself. Especially compared to some of the choices they have already added. Metallica before those, really??
A band I haven’t noticed on this list and should be included as well is Styx. My reasoning behind it is not only the talent the band has, but the ideas they tried by mixing rock and theater. The entire “killroy was here” tour is a perfect example of it. Even without that, they had enough hits to be considered. Come Sail Away, Mr. Roboto, Babe, The Best of Times, Too Much Time on My Hands, and Show Me the Way. As quoted on Wikipedia: “The band has four consecutive albums certified multi-platinum by the RIAA.[1] as well as sixteen top 40 singles in the US.” Just my 2 cents though as they were a very influential band for me while growing up along with many others already on that list.
Paradise Theater was a definitive milestone in modern Prog-Rock. I cannot even fathom how they could so easily dimiss Styx as an inductee. Per shame…
YOU ARE SO RIGHT AND STYX IS STILL ROCKING. Yardbirds…joke.
You left off Bad Company, Boston, Doobie Brothers, Foreigner, Hall & Oats, Jim Croce, Linda Ronstadt, Steppenwolf, Steve Miller Band, Supertramp, War & Yes. And if Hank & Johnny Cash can make it in, why not Willie & Merle?
You left off the pre eminent and still going Dictators and The Dead Boys. True Punk Rock leaders.
ALOT already in are NOT Rock. Period. Maddona, ANY rap at all. Smiths? Depeche? BS. Next thing youknow it will be Flock of Seagulls. Having grown up in the main era of Rock, AOR RADIO, alot of inductees and suggested inductees mentioned here were never considered Rock by even their most rabid fans or even the bands themselves. Most of bands talked about, that did not feature driving hard drums and ALOT of solid guitar work with versatile vocalists should be put.in a type of popular music hall. As yet to be founded. Rock isn’t soul, no matter the root. Disco is an abomination. Punk is junk. I agree Chicago has Rock merit but just so. They are incredible but Rock is defined. You wouldn’t put Van Halen, Kiss, Scorpions and Def Lep on same bill as Chicago, Aretha, B52s, Culture Club and Cyndi Lauper. The “Hall of Shame” is a jumble of bullshit AT BEST. Alot of “artsy” bands don’t have any MOJO and Maddona is ALL MTV and zero voice as are many from the 80s. Grunge? Its what a band is supposed to sound like BEFORE they leave the garage. Rap? Dirty, racist nursery rhymes. Electronic music? Someone doesn’t understand ROCK.
I want some of what these HOF critics have been smoking, for real. Their choices are counter-intuitive to say the least. Should not veteran rockers like Yes be up for first dibs for induction, rather than Madonna? And shouldn’t inductees be chosen according to their respective genres?
We want Sweet !
I would love to see “Sweet” get in !
Oh, and I wish the Cult were in , but doubt that’ll happen
My no-brainers(not necessarily my favorites)…
Moody Blues (my favorite)
Deep Purple(another Favorite)
Kiss
Judas Priest
Chicago
almost a no brainer…
The Cars
B52’s
The Cure
Other of my favorites that I wish we’re in…
Big Star
Cheap Trick
Scorpions
Yes
When eligible, WILCO!
How about induction for an artist who has the following credentials: nearly 50 million records sold, 38 Top 10 hits, gold, and platinum records, #6 among artists with the most consecutive Top 10 hits, #10 with the most Top 40 hits and #16 with the most No. 1 hits. Billboard also lists this artist as the #10 recording artist of all time. It is time Pat Boone receives the recognition he deserves.
I was all bent out of shape, wondering why TOTO was not a HOF member; but then I noticed the list of Snubs! What a tall task to select from all these phenomenally great musicians! PLZ consider my favorite: T O T O. God bless.
Donlad Roser is the most underrated guitarist to ever strap on a 6 string. Try to get passed the few hits DFTR,and Burnin for you and get into the catalouge. Cities on flame, Astronomy, Mazerati GT (live cover), Black Blade, Veteran of the psychic wars scratch the surface. On second thought leave Blue oyster Cult out rock fans never got it so I dont know why they would now
DEAR ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME HOW CAN YOU LEAVE OUT,,,,,, KISS ALSO ???????
MILLIONS ALL OVER THE WORLD MILLIONS LOVE CHICAGO AND KISS. WHOM EVER PUSHES THE FINAL LEVER IN CLEVELAND DEFINETLY HAS SOME KIND OF HANG UP AND CAN NOT SEE THE TREES FOR THE FOREST. THIS ONLY PROVES THAT CLEVELAND IS THE REAL MISTAKE BY THE LAKE. !!!!!!!!!
ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME SUCKS, HOW CAN YOU LEAVE CHICAGO OUT . YOU PUT SO MANY CRUMMY GRESEY HAIRED GROUPS IN.
CHICAGO IS ONE OF THE BEST OF ALL TIME TOP 10 _15. COME ON GET REAL YOU STONED NUMB SKULLS.
MY ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTION SPEECH FOR CHICAGO
The year was 1966, and the place was Chicago’s DePaul University. That was where a saxophone, clarinet, and flute player named Walter Parazaider got together with a drummer named Danny Seraphine, a guitar player and singer named Terry Kath, a trumpet player named Lee Loughnane, and a trombone player named James Pankow. Then in 1967, they met a piano player and a singer named Robert Lamm, from Chicago’s Roosevelt University, who was performing at the Belmont Lounge and Yogi’s Den in Chicago, and they asked him to join their band, which he did. The band would be called The Big Thing, and The Big Thing would play on the Midwest club circuit, building a following. An engagement during the second week of December 1967 proved to be an important gig. The Big Thing was an opening act at Barnaby’s in Chicago for a band called the Exceptions, which was the biggest club band in the Midwest, and they stuck around and listened to them. If The Big Thing had stayed late to see the Exceptions, one of the Exceptions had come early to see The Big Thing. That night, singer and bass guitar player Peter Cetera would leave the Exceptions and join The Big Thing as its seventh member, and big things were about to happen.
James William Guercio, who had been a DePaul University student of music as well, moved the band out to Los Angeles and he would become their manager and producer. The Big Thing would become The Chicago Transit Authority, and then simply, Chicago. The plan from the beginning was to start a horn centered Rock and Roll band, a Rock and Roll band with a horn section, a Rock and Roll band with horns that were an integral part of the music, a Rock and Roll band whose horn section formed the heart of the band, a Rock and Roll band with a horn section that was another lead voice dancing with the vocals. Chicago’s use of brass and woodwinds was like no other band. They took what is called a “melodic” approach to the horns rather than a “harmonic” approach. The horns actually acted as an additional vocal line, not just performing fill rifts. This is what was innovative about Chicago. Chicago was a rock ‘n’ roll band with horns, and a band way ahead of its time.
True to the need of the album-oriented rock format that launched them, the first four albums released by Chicago between 1969 and 1972 comprised three double albums and one quadruple album. That’s 10 albums in three years. Chicago’s next five albums: Chicago V, VI, VII, VIII, and IX all hit number one on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart. Chicago took America and the world by storm without the help of their faces. Total subjugation of individual ego to the collective good of the group was the rule in Chicago, even to the point of using a logo rather than a picture of the band on all of their album covers. Chicago refused to emphasize celebrity over the music. The group turned its anonymous, professional air into a virtue and a marketing strategy. They were the faceless band behind a logo. Chicago’s logo and its facelessness were very much in keeping with the style of the late ’60’s that valued group effort over individual ego. The group would come to be identified by a logo, and that logo, designed by Nick Fasciano, would become the most famous logo in Rock and Roll history. Inspired by classical music, Chicago also chose to number most of their albums with Roman numerals instead of giving them full names.
In 1969, Chicago released their first album, and to this day, it is considered to be one of the greatest groundbreaking albums ever produced in the history of Rock and Roll; that album being The Chicago Transit Authority. It was a blend of jazz, classical, and straight-ahead rock and roll. It included an unheralded synthesis of electric guitar rock and roll to more deeply rooted jazz influences and arrangements. It was funky, melodic, emotive, and politically intoned. I’m guessing most people in this room tonight have never listened to The Chicago Transit Authority. You can not buy a Chicago greatest hits record and understand what I’m talking about, but there are so many people that I am speaking for tonight who know exactly what I’m talking about. When The Chicago Transit Authority was released in 1969, it seemed to be the perfect synthesis of everything that was diametrically opposed. It had smooth, lush harmonies, it had the distorted feedback-drenched pyrotechnic guitar works of Terry Kath, it had the Beatles-meet-Motown bass works of Peter Cetera, it had the Buddy Rich-meets-Mitch Mitchell drum works of Danny Seraphine, it had the churning Hammond organ and classical piano works of Robert Lamm, and it had those powerful horns of Walter Parazaider, Lee Loughnane, and James Pankow weaving in and out of the arrangements, ending up toe-to-toe with everything else, and it all worked. The dynamics were perfect. The Chicago Transit Authority seemed to have everything in the right place. The horn section, the vocalists, and the rhythm section were tight and unified. Individually, the members of Chicago were all outstanding on their respective instruments. Unlike many bands of the era that utilized session musicians for their recordings, Chicago was completely self-contained.
Chicago’s first 11 albums all showcased the impeccable musicianship of all the members of the band. At first, Chicago’s sound was a hard sell. Radio stations wouldn’t play their songs. Chicago’s music was not easily identifiable what it was. Chicago could not be pigeonholed. Their sound met with resistance. Record executives turned to Guercio, and Guercio edited a number of Chicago’s songs to make them shorter and more radio friendly. It was a compromise to be on the radio, and it was what it was. You can still listen to all of the band’s songs in their entirety on all the early Chicago albums; it’s the radio versions of the songs that are shorter. Basically, the songs were made shorter because Chicago’s music wasn’t for people with Attention Deficit Disorder. You know, because those are the people who listen to radio—people with A.D.D. As the ’70’s became the ’80’s and the demands of the music industry started to change, Chicago went looking for a new record label. During Chicago’s search for a new record company, one label said to them, “If you get rid of the horn section we’ll sign you,” to which Chicago responded, “Go fck yourself!” Asking Chicago to get rid of the horn section is like asking Elton John to get rid of the piano. Chicago would go on to sign with a new record label, and the horns stayed, and the band played on for forty more years.
Question: What do you get when you mix the voice of Ray Charles with the voice and the guitar playing of Jimi Hendrix? The answer is Chicago’s first lead singer and lead guitarist, Terry Kath. Terry Kath had a very soulful quality to his voice and he was an outstanding, superb, deep and wicked virtuoso of a guitar player. One of the best examples of Terry Kath’s brilliant guitar playing can be heard on the hit single 25 Or 6 To 4 from Chicago’s second album. The song’s distinctive descending riff has been murdered by as many beginning guitarists as has been done with Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water,” Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man” and Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven.” The terrifyingly brilliant guitar solo performed by Terry Kath-a mountain few players ever dare to climb-is what makes 25 Or 6 To 4 absolutely essential. It is one of the greatest moments in Rock history for the electric guitar. The song’s rather mystical title is just a reference to the time of day the song was written: 25 (or 26) minutes to 4 A.M. In a group known for its horns, it was Terry Kath’s hard-edged guitar and soulful vocals that kept the band rooted in rock and roll. Chicago’s line-up for such a large band was astonishingly stable, broken after eleven years and eleven albums only by the death of Terry Kath. After Terry Kath’s tragic death in 1978, Chicago could have gone on to produce albums under a different name, they could have dissolved their band completely with each member going off to do other musical projects, or they could have just left the music business altogether and done other things with their lives, but they didn’t. Chicago soldiered on for another forty years with the help of other notable lead rock guitarists, from Donnie Dacus and Chris Pinnick, to DaWayne Bailey and Keith Howland.
Chicago’s second lead singer was Robert Lamm—an ambitious composer and piano player whose songwriting talents made him the default leader of the band in the early years. The Robert Lamm-penned hits included, Beginnings, Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is, Questions 67 & 68, Saturday in the Park and of course the afore mentioned, 25 or 6 to 4. His clear baritone voice was an asset, as were his stylized keyboarding skills. The International press portrayed Robert Lamm as Chicago’s social conscience, and many of his best songs (Dialogue, Free, Harry Truman, State of the Union) all espoused political themes. Some of Robert Lamm’s compositions had a swing feel to them as well. Frank Sinatra could have handled Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is, very well. Actually, as the story goes, it was Colour My World, a portion from trombonist James Pankow’s Ballet For A Girl In Buchannon that Frank Sinatra wanted to do a remake of. It never happened though because Frank Sinatra wanted James Pankow to write a few more verses for it, and James Pankow wouldn’t do it. You don’t mess with a classic, even if the chairman of the board himself asks you to. Other Chicago songs penned by James Pankow included the hits, Make Me Smile, Old Days, Just You ‘n’ Me, I’ve Been Searchin’ So Long, and Feelin’ Stronger Everyday. That last one, by the way, was written by James Pankow and Chicago’s original bass guitarist and third lead singer, Peter Cetera—the elastic tenor voice who was brought in to hit the high notes and keep up with the horn section, which the baritone voice of Robert Lamm and the gruff voice of Terry Kath couldn’t.
If you were to ask any Chicago fan or Rock music historian to name the first two Chicago songs they think of when they hear someone say the name Peter Cetera, they will all tell you the exact same thing—what else but the smoochadelic classics, If You Leave Me Now, from the 1976 Chicago X album, and Baby, What A Big Surprise from the 1977 Chicago XI album. The sexiest, the sweetest, the most distinctive tenor voice in all of Rock And Roll history belongs to Peter Cetera mthrfckrs! There is no comparison. “High above shimmering, echoing ballads and rock-solid choruses that aim for the bleachers, Cetera’s tenor voice soars like a bird in flight. If it doesn’t strike you deep in your heart, it’ll at least stick deep in your head.” That’s what an unknown source from Rolling Stone Magazine’s website once said about Peter Cetera. Well Peter, I would like to tell you tonight on behalf of all your fans that your voice has actually done both for us. Your voice has struck us deep in our hearts and it is stuck deep in our heads and that is where we want it and that is how we like it! In May of 1985, after 18 years with the band, Peter Cetera left Chicago for a solo career. Let’s just say that things got really ugly. It was like a divorce, as Peter would say, and that’s all I’m going to say about that because it’s none of my gddmn business! So, out walks Peter Cetera and in walks singer/songwriter and bass guitar player Jason Scheff, the son of Jerry Scheff, who was a bass guitar player for Elvis Presley. Jason Scheff has been with Chicago now for over 25 years. To tie this whole thing together, I have to take you back to 1981 because that was the year that singer/songwriter, keyboard player and guitarist, Bill Champlin, the lead singer of the late 60s and 70s psychedelic rock band, the Sons of Champlin, joined Chicago. During his 28 years with Chicago, Bill Champlin’s husky voice was the perfect complement to both, Peter Cetera and Jason Scheff.
And finally, Chicago’s original drummer; its backbone, Danny Seraphine. During his time with Chicago, Danny Seraphine played drums in a style that, ironically perhaps, can best be described as lyrical. To be a good drummer one must develop his own technique. Good timing and good taste is essential, but it is the technique that sets the truly great drummers apart from the rest. In 1973, Chicago brought in percussionist Laudir De Oliveira from Sergio Mendes. For seven years, Laudir De Oliveira added Latin flare to the band’s music and his percussion work was the perfect complement to the drum work of Danny Seraphine. After 25 years with the band, let’s just say a little more drama ensued, and Danny Seraphine was replaced by drummer Tris Imboden, who has been with Chicago now for over 25 years. And that folks was Chicago. 50 years, 50 albums, 5 number one albums, 130 million albums sold worldwide, 50 hits, and 3 number one songs later, Chicago is being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
Now I am going to present you with information that must be stated! According to Billboard chart statistics, Chicago is second only to the Beach Boys as the most successful American Rock and Roll band of all time, in terms of both albums and singles. The number one charting Rock and Roll band of the 1970s was Chicago! The Top 4 charting Rock And Roll bands of all-time on both the Billboard 200 Albums Chart and the Billboard 100 Singles Chart just happen to be the same four bands on both lists, and this is how the lists read: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, and Chicago! And in case you are wondering who’s at number five, it’s The Bee Gees! And that says it all right there folks! And up until tonight, Chicago was the only band on those lists who had not been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame yet! And all I have left to say is that it’s about fckng time Chicago got inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame because this is Chicago mthrfckrs! This isn’t Boston or Kansas—if you know what I mean! So, without any further ado, ladies and gentlemen, CHICAGO!!!
ALTERNATE ENDING IF CHICAGO IS INDUCTED DURING A BARACK OBAMA PRESIDENCY
Now I am going to present you with information that must be stated! According to Billboard chart statistics, Chicago is second only to the Beach Boys as the most successful American Rock and Roll band of all time, in terms of both albums and singles. The number one charting Rock and Roll band of the 1970s was Chicago! The Top 4 charting Rock And Roll bands of all-time on both the Billboard 200 Albums Chart and the Billboard 100 Singles Chart just happen to be the same four bands on both lists, and this is how the lists read: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, and Chicago! And in case you are wondering who’s at number five, it’s The Bee Gees! And that says it all right there folks! And up until tonight, Chicago was the only band on those lists who had not been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame yet! And you know what’s funny? First, a Chicago politician named Barack Obama is elected the first black President of the United States of America in 2008. Then, in 2010, the National Hockey League’s Chicago Blackhawks win their fourth Stanley Cup in franchise history, but their first Stanley Cup since 1961, the year of Barack Obama’s birth. Then, what do you know, Chicago, the band, is finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 20??, during a Barack Obama presidency, but Chicago the band isn’t black, but they did play Rock and Roll, which stems from the blues, which is the music of black people as Jann Wenner said at the 2008 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in reference to the induction of Little Walter. Well, you know what they say, things always happen in threes. And all I have left to say is that it’s about fckng time Chicago got inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame because this is Chicago mthrfckrs! This isn’t Boston or Kansas—if you know what I mean! So, without any further ado, ladies and gentlemen, CHICAGO!!!
THE CHICAGO INDUCTEES
01. Walter Parazaider (1967-Present: saxophone; clarinet; flute; songwriter)
02. Lee Loughnane (1967-Present: vocals; trumpet; flugelhorn; songwriter)
03. James Pankow (1967-Present: vocals; trombone; songwriter)
04. Robert Lamm (1967-Present: vocals; piano; keyboards; songwriter)
05. Terry Kath (1967-1978: vocals; guitar; songwriter)
06. Peter Cetera (1967-1985: vocals; bass guitar; songwriter)
07. Danny Seraphine (1967-1990: drums; songwriter)
08. Laudir De Oliveira (1973-1980: percussions; songwriter)
09. Donnie Dacus (1978-1980: vocals; guitar; songwriter)
10. Bill Champlin (1981-2009: vocals; keyboards; guitar; songwriter)
11. Jason Scheff (1985-Present: vocals; bass guitar; songwriter)
12. Tris Imboden (1990-Present: drums)
POSSIBLE CANDIDATES FOR GIVING THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTION SPEECH FOR CHICAGO:
Al Jardine, Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Bruce Johnston, Barry Gibb, Philip Bailey, Verdine White, Ralph Johnson, Steven Van Zandt, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Sting, Gerry Beckley, Steve Lukather, Bobby Kimball, Alistair Ian “Ali” Campbell, Huey Lewis, Chris Isaak, Dave Matthews, Lenny Kravitz, Axl Rose, Slash, Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Rob Thomas, Stephan Jenkins, Mark McGrath, Steve Malkmus, Trey Anastasio, Justin Vernon
JUST SOME EXTRA INFO WITH A DIFFERENT ENDING WHICH WON’T BE USED IN THE SPEECH
First, a Chicago politician named Barack Obama is elected the first black President of the United States of America in 2008. Then, in 2010, the National Hockey League’s Chicago Blackhawks win their fourth Stanley Cup in franchise history, but their first Stanley Cup since 1961, the year of Barack Obama’s birth. Dustin Byfuglien becomes the first African-American hockey player in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup. Then, what do you know, Chicago, the band, is finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 20??, during a Barack Obama presidency, but Chicago the band isn’t black, but they did play Rock and Roll, which stems from the blues, which is the music of black people as Jann Wenner said at the 2008 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in reference to the induction of Little Walter. Also, “Chicago” had seven letters and seven members until a game of rumored Russian Roulette. Then there were six, just like the six letters in “Barack”, who is an “ally” of Russia. Keeping one’s nuclear rivals close can be seen as a six-lettered gamble itself, and gambling was born of the Chicago mob scene. Seven Blackhawks on the ice would have been too many.