Written by Jon Williams
Early yesterday morning, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced the bands and musicians to be inducted into its hallowed halls this coming year. It must have been a tight race: among the acts that didn’t make it this year are Radiohead (in their first year of eligibility), Eurythmics, Depeche Mode, and LL Cool J. Those that did make it in, on the other hand, are as follows:
Bon
Jovi won a fan poll on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s website, which
garnered them an extra vote toward induction. They’re the “newest” band in this
year’s class, with their self-titled
debut album releasing in 1984. They hit it big in the heyday of hair metal with
1986’s Slippery
When Wet, with hits like “You Give Love a Bad Name” and “Livin’ on a
Prayer” propelling the album to 12x Platinum status. They’ve been going strong
ever since, adjusting their rock sound over the years and releasing a total of
thirteen studio albums to date, with the most recent being last year’s This
House Is Not for Sale. Speculation has already begun that original members
Richie Sambora and Alec John Such will reunite with the rest of the band for
the induction performance.
Dire
Straits got their start a bit earlier, but, like Bon Jovi, enjoyed their
greatest success in the 1980s. Formed by brothers Mark and David Knopfler in
1977 with a pair of friends, the band released Dire
Straits (containing their knockout first single “Sultans of Swing”) and
Communique
before the decade was out. The 1985 album Brothers
in Arms, on the strength of “Money for Nothing” and its ultra-popular
music video, became the first million-seller in the compact disc format, and
also won two Grammy Awards. They released just one album after that, 1991’s On
Every Street, although principal member Mark
Knopfler has enjoyed a very successful solo career since then.
The
Cars’ induction brings them full circle—singer Ric Ocasik and bassist
Benjamin Orr originally met in Cleveland in the 1960s. The Cars came together
in 1976, and they took off with their 1978
debut album, which included the hits “Good Times Roll,” “My Best Friend’s
Girl,” and “Just What I Needed.” They released six albums before the band’s
breakup in 1988. Founding member Orr passed away in 2000, but the remaining
members reunited for the 2011 album Move Like
This (currently unavailable on CD, but available digitally on hoopla). Like Knopfler
and Dire Straits, Ric Ocasik has also had success as a solo artist.
The
Moody Blues have their origins more than a decade before, coming together
in 1964. After one album as an R&B outfit of sorts, they hit their stride
with the landmark prog rock album Days
of Future Passed (containing their biggest hit, “Nights in White Satin”)
in 1967. Although they’ve been through a number of lineup changes, they’ve been
quite prolific, with sixteen albums to their credit. The last was 2003’s
Christmas-themed December,
perfect for this time of year, but the band has continued to tour, and to
release compilation and live albums.
Nina
Simone sadly passed away in 2003, but will play a large role in the 2018
induction nonetheless. Born Eunice Kathleen Waymon, she adopted her stage name
as a small-time singer in 1954. She became a full-fledged member of the civil
rights movement with her 1964 live album Nina
Simone in Concert (available on hoopla) and
incorporated that message into her music going forward. She put out an
incredible number of albums, both studio and live, and has influenced a
generation of musicians, from the Beatles and David Bowie to Aretha Franklin and
Lena Horne to Elton John and more. Whoever performs in her stead at the
induction ceremony, it’s sure to be an incredible show.
As these stellar musicians are enshrined into the pantheon
of rock legends, patrons are sure to crave their music, whether to relive
classic sounds they’ve loved for years or to dig into these incredible discographies
for the first time. Be sure to check out this
collection of essential albums we’ve put together, and SmartBrowse each of
them on our website to find even more.
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