Letter to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2023
Dear Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,
Hi, Greg O'Neill here again! First off, great job with the 2023 class! I was very happy to see Kate Bush, Sheryl Crowe, The Spinners, Bernie Taupin, Chaka Khan, Missy Elliott, and Don Cornelius get inducted.
Here are some suggestions for the 2024 class:
Billy Squier- He is so regularly played on the classic rock radio stations in the Quad Cities. "My Kind of Lover." "Lonely Is the Night." Heck, he's played in almost as high of concentration as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Aerosmith. I kind of am shocked that he's not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame yet. He succeeded in having a strng of arena rock hits. And I hope that the fact that he was fairly mainstream has nothing to do with the fact he hasn't been inducted yet. "Rock Me Tonite." "All Night Long." Maybe he had his heyday between 1981 and 1985. But that's when a lot of great classic rock artists peaked.
Tracy Chapman- "Fast Car" is such an ubiquitous song, I wasn't aware that it went all the way back to 1988. It keeps coming back into popularity. For a stretch, I thought that it was a new song, circa 2006 or so. I thought it was a vintage throwback song, but I assumed it was new. "Give Me One Reason" came out along about 1995. Initally, I thought it was a lot older than that when I heard it. That's a compliment. It has a vintage sound, like it's from another time. And I think that 's Tracy Chapman's specialty. Making a song that could be a berakout hit in 2010, or in 1995, but it still feels so fresh, new and hip it feels of the time whensoever I listen to it.
Lenny Kravitz- I'm sure I've included him as a featured artist I'm lobbying for in the past. It was probably after the release of The Hunger Games or Catching Fire. I bought Mama Said in about 2012. This gave me access to "Always on the Run," "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over," "Stand By My Woman Now," etc. It was a classic album. Then I eventually got The Best of Lenny Kravitz. "Again," "Get Away," "I Belong to You," and his remake of "American Woman." He's always been a rocker. Much like I just said above with Tracy Chapman, his music is at once intrepid and ahead of the curve, but also evocative of the past and sounds not merely like a tribute or homage, but a contributor to the classic American rock cannon, albeit from 1991, years after the songs towards which it achieves equal status and to which seems like a contemporary.
Kenny Loggins- I have probably already included Kenny Loggins in a letter before. I did happen, however, to just see the musical Footloose live onstage at the Countryside Community Theater in Eldridge, Iowa. Jack Bevans was just spectacular in the lead role of Ren, singing both "Footloose" and "Heaven Help the Man." I got the two disc Essential Kenny Loggins for my birthday in 2010. I've listened to it regularly. "Heart to Heart" just went on Greg's Greatest Hits Volume 49. "This Is It," "Whenever I Call You 'Friend," plus his stuff with Jim Messina, like "Vahivala" and "House at Pooh Corner." I know that his '80's stuff gets kind of kitchy. But he's been around. He remains very popular, and has consistently been a staple of radio. For his decades of work, I suggest Kenny Loggins for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Tommy Roe- Dad requested "Dizzy" for Greatest Hits Volume 49. Oddly enough, the compilation disc case that he handed me for hits of the '60's had a different volume inside. Like I think it was hits of the '60's Volume 9, and it had Volume 2 or something on the inside. Long story short, the disc I played didn't have "Dizzy" on it, and I wound up having to buy a Tommy Roe Greatest Hits album off of Amazon. That's how I came to realize Tommy Roe didn't only give us "Dizzy," but also "Sugar Sugar" and "Sweet Pea." I was happy to find a Greatest Hits album for him on Amazon. My one complaint was it was a remaster, a remix, and the old instrumentation seems to have been replaced with new musician recordings. It seemed canned. I'd like to think that Tommy Roe is a reputable enough artist that his albums, and the Greatest Hits that cull from which, would be rereleased without any new orchestrations or instrumentations, just a remastering of the original recording.
Outkast- "Miss Jackson" would be alone meriting induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the duo of Big Boi and Andre 3000. "Rosa Parks" was delightfully tongue in cheek (though I wouldn't have been aware of the song if not for the fact they faced a legal challenge from the very real textbook historical figure and legend Rosa Parks)! "So Fresh So Clean." "Roses." "Hey Ya." I could go on. Outkast is underrated. For as popular as they were, getting regular radio airplay, closing down Total Request Live and MTV Jams in the late '90's early 2000s, they were always for some reason overshadowed by the likes of Eminem. Like how he got in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame first!
Other options:
Chumbawamba
The Verve
Blur
Fastball
The Offspring
Eve 6
Everclear
Everything (The Hooch)
Sugar Ray
K-Ci and JoJo
Alannis Morrissette
Aaliyah
Shania Twain
Bone Thugs 'N' Harmony
John Parr
Robyn
Mariah Carey
and
Steve Winwood solo artist
Aware though I am that I have belabored this point, I'd like to see Steve Winwood inducted as a solo artist. He's been a solo artist for 45 years of his illustrious career! This includes nine original studio albums, a couple of live albums, and numerous Greatest Hits compilations. Chronicles had great remixes of "Valerie," "Help Me Angel," and "Talking Back to the Night." He's an integral part of my childhood, and reflects well on the state of rock and roll, blue eyed soul and pop as it evolved to meet the diet of music listeners and the cultural preferences and whims of the 1980's. But it didn't cop out on its integrity. It still felt real and true. He's already in as a member of Traffic! Let's recognize him for "While You See a Chance," "The Finer Things," "Valerie," "Back in the High Life," "Roll With It," "Don't You Know What the Night Can Do?", and "Higher Love!"
Thank you so much,
Greg O'Neill
Hi, Greg O'Neill here again! First off, great job with the 2023 class! I was very happy to see Kate Bush, Sheryl Crowe, The Spinners, Bernie Taupin, Chaka Khan, Missy Elliott, and Don Cornelius get inducted.
Here are some suggestions for the 2024 class:
Billy Squier- He is so regularly played on the classic rock radio stations in the Quad Cities. "My Kind of Lover." "Lonely Is the Night." Heck, he's played in almost as high of concentration as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Aerosmith. I kind of am shocked that he's not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame yet. He succeeded in having a strng of arena rock hits. And I hope that the fact that he was fairly mainstream has nothing to do with the fact he hasn't been inducted yet. "Rock Me Tonite." "All Night Long." Maybe he had his heyday between 1981 and 1985. But that's when a lot of great classic rock artists peaked.
Tracy Chapman- "Fast Car" is such an ubiquitous song, I wasn't aware that it went all the way back to 1988. It keeps coming back into popularity. For a stretch, I thought that it was a new song, circa 2006 or so. I thought it was a vintage throwback song, but I assumed it was new. "Give Me One Reason" came out along about 1995. Initally, I thought it was a lot older than that when I heard it. That's a compliment. It has a vintage sound, like it's from another time. And I think that 's Tracy Chapman's specialty. Making a song that could be a berakout hit in 2010, or in 1995, but it still feels so fresh, new and hip it feels of the time whensoever I listen to it.
Lenny Kravitz- I'm sure I've included him as a featured artist I'm lobbying for in the past. It was probably after the release of The Hunger Games or Catching Fire. I bought Mama Said in about 2012. This gave me access to "Always on the Run," "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over," "Stand By My Woman Now," etc. It was a classic album. Then I eventually got The Best of Lenny Kravitz. "Again," "Get Away," "I Belong to You," and his remake of "American Woman." He's always been a rocker. Much like I just said above with Tracy Chapman, his music is at once intrepid and ahead of the curve, but also evocative of the past and sounds not merely like a tribute or homage, but a contributor to the classic American rock cannon, albeit from 1991, years after the songs towards which it achieves equal status and to which seems like a contemporary.
Kenny Loggins- I have probably already included Kenny Loggins in a letter before. I did happen, however, to just see the musical Footloose live onstage at the Countryside Community Theater in Eldridge, Iowa. Jack Bevans was just spectacular in the lead role of Ren, singing both "Footloose" and "Heaven Help the Man." I got the two disc Essential Kenny Loggins for my birthday in 2010. I've listened to it regularly. "Heart to Heart" just went on Greg's Greatest Hits Volume 49. "This Is It," "Whenever I Call You 'Friend," plus his stuff with Jim Messina, like "Vahivala" and "House at Pooh Corner." I know that his '80's stuff gets kind of kitchy. But he's been around. He remains very popular, and has consistently been a staple of radio. For his decades of work, I suggest Kenny Loggins for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Tommy Roe- Dad requested "Dizzy" for Greatest Hits Volume 49. Oddly enough, the compilation disc case that he handed me for hits of the '60's had a different volume inside. Like I think it was hits of the '60's Volume 9, and it had Volume 2 or something on the inside. Long story short, the disc I played didn't have "Dizzy" on it, and I wound up having to buy a Tommy Roe Greatest Hits album off of Amazon. That's how I came to realize Tommy Roe didn't only give us "Dizzy," but also "Sugar Sugar" and "Sweet Pea." I was happy to find a Greatest Hits album for him on Amazon. My one complaint was it was a remaster, a remix, and the old instrumentation seems to have been replaced with new musician recordings. It seemed canned. I'd like to think that Tommy Roe is a reputable enough artist that his albums, and the Greatest Hits that cull from which, would be rereleased without any new orchestrations or instrumentations, just a remastering of the original recording.
Outkast- "Miss Jackson" would be alone meriting induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the duo of Big Boi and Andre 3000. "Rosa Parks" was delightfully tongue in cheek (though I wouldn't have been aware of the song if not for the fact they faced a legal challenge from the very real textbook historical figure and legend Rosa Parks)! "So Fresh So Clean." "Roses." "Hey Ya." I could go on. Outkast is underrated. For as popular as they were, getting regular radio airplay, closing down Total Request Live and MTV Jams in the late '90's early 2000s, they were always for some reason overshadowed by the likes of Eminem. Like how he got in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame first!
Other options:
Chumbawamba
The Verve
Blur
Fastball
The Offspring
Eve 6
Everclear
Everything (The Hooch)
Sugar Ray
K-Ci and JoJo
Alannis Morrissette
Aaliyah
Shania Twain
Bone Thugs 'N' Harmony
John Parr
Robyn
Mariah Carey
and
Steve Winwood solo artist
Aware though I am that I have belabored this point, I'd like to see Steve Winwood inducted as a solo artist. He's been a solo artist for 45 years of his illustrious career! This includes nine original studio albums, a couple of live albums, and numerous Greatest Hits compilations. Chronicles had great remixes of "Valerie," "Help Me Angel," and "Talking Back to the Night." He's an integral part of my childhood, and reflects well on the state of rock and roll, blue eyed soul and pop as it evolved to meet the diet of music listeners and the cultural preferences and whims of the 1980's. But it didn't cop out on its integrity. It still felt real and true. He's already in as a member of Traffic! Let's recognize him for "While You See a Chance," "The Finer Things," "Valerie," "Back in the High Life," "Roll With It," "Don't You Know What the Night Can Do?", and "Higher Love!"
Thank you so much,
Greg O'Neill