Last night some solid (Iggy and the Stooges) and not so solid (Genesis!?!) acts were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In what has become a yearly debate about which bands and performers make for worthy inductees, we offer our own list of top 10 acts totally neglected by Rock's legitimacy council. (As if rockers ever needed a mainstream stamp of approval, but that's another conversation.)
Keep in mind that Rock Hall rules state that an inductee is eligible for inclusion 25 years after the release of his/her/their first album (hence the lack of Public Enemy, Guns 'N' Roses and the Beastie Boys so far), and that inductees can fall into one of four categories: performers, non-performers, early influences and sidemen.
Duran Duran -- For some reason, no one ever mentions the Fab Five on their Rock Hall of Fame snub lists. But think of the band that most exemplified the MTV era during the 1980s, and what are the first two words out of your mouth? Duran, followed by another Duran. Not only did these guys pretty much pioneer the music video revolution, they also -- scoff if you will -- were and are legitimate musicians who have worked with and/or influenced everyone from the Killers to Justin Timberlake. Get over your "Union of the Snake" snobbery, Rock Hall of Fame, and induct these well-dressed British boys, or we'll have to both light our torch and wave it.
Courtesy Washington Post/Jen Chaney and Liz Kelly