I usually don’t pay attention to such things, but yesterday I found myself on WLWT’s website and they had up this slideshow of some acts that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame have forgotten. Click Here to get to the slideshow.
I realize I’m dating myself and could care less. Most of these musical acts are part of my generation—artists I grew up listening to. I was a little surprised by some who aren’t in that hall of fame (It’s in Cleveland—right?).
Really? Chicago isn’t in it? Neither is Little Feet? I don’t understand.
Maybe I can understand why Grand Funk Railroad isn’t in, but not the Moody Blues?
How the hell can Heart not be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Procol Harum didn’t make the cut?
And this is flat out wrong. Linda Ronstadt is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Can somebody help explain this to me?
Here—check out a little of classic Ronstadt.
I’m really tempted to take a bus up to Cleveland and give them a piece of my mind, but first I’d better find out if that’s where this hall of fame is.
(Photo of old Linda Ronstadt album cover found on Google)
Larry Gross Online 
Silver Threads and Golden Needles isn’t what I would call rock and roll.
Ronstadt is a great singer but all of her hits were covers. She doesn’t write any of her own music. Maybe that’s why she’s not in the hall of fame, and yes that’s in Cleveland.
It’s country, not rock, but she is cute.
I’ve always liked her — still do. She’s not rock or country. She’s just good.
Linda Ronstadt was indeed a rock n roll artist in the 60,70’s and early 80’s.
Linda’s song’s are a plenty, not just “covers” All Linda’s Hits were not covers, Elvis didn’t write any of his own songs too
Linda popularized songs written for and by men. Big difference. Great twist
Linda was considered the first true female rock artist at the time, look it up , its online.
Linda was given rock n roll awards, Linda sold many albums and Linda Ronstadt performed rock concerts, a first for a female artist in the seventies.
And what does rock music mean? by the way Eagles, James Taylor, Billie Joel, and some other soft rock 70’s luminaries music was not exactly rocking too.
Linda Ronstadt was rock n roll and should be in the hall of fame
LarryLife,
You nailed it brother.
LarryLife said it best!! I would like to add that the RnR HoF no longer has and cred to me.
Neil Diamond is in but Linda Ronstadt isn’t? Seriously?
I was discussing music with my college-age niece and nephew the other day. They are heavily into rap. I asked them whether they listened to any “classical” rock from the 60’s and 70’s. They said they liked the Beatles, (some) Elvis, and Linda Ronstadt. To me, that pretty much says it all.
Those of us who were alive in the 60’s and 70’s and listening to rock know that Linda Ronstadt was one of the great musicians of that era. I wonder whether the R&R HoF judges were actually alive then. And if so, what planet were they living on?
I was just at the R&R HofF and I couldn’t believe that Linda Ronstadt isn’t there. She not only played large stadiums and arena’s she was the first “Female” Rock and Roller to sell the out night after night! Name another female artist who was more influential in the 1970″s? Living in Toronto, I saw her at Maple Leaf Gardens in the 70’s and I will never forget her entire performance. She did Desperado accompanied only by piano. Wow. She was the first big female Rock and Roll start and she is being forgotten. It has nothing to do with her being “Country”. She was on the cutting edge and a leader for all female rockers to follow. Ask Chrissie Hynde and Joan Jett. They will tell you. It will take a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer to step up and make a fuss. My guess is that she is currently “too political” now. It can’t be about her singing talents. It can’t be about record sales. It can’t be about popularity. Will someone step up and honestly tell us why she missing?
Finally, when I was there I was pissed to think that Joan Jett was in and Ronstadt wasn’t. I saw Jett’s guitar, photo and her car! Turns out Joan Jett is not in and should not be. Linda Ronstadt is a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer. Maybe we should move the Hall of Fame to Toronto!! We’d put her in.
This is the snub of the century. If Linda isn’t the best female rock vocalist of all time she is definitely in the running. I have never heard a more dynamic singer in person anywhere. She has a voice that can blow the roof off of any arena. Perfect pitch and so beautiful. It is an unspeakable crime that she isn’t in the hall of fame. Fuck them.
Why isn’t Linda Ronstadt in the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame? All the other Southern California and similar classic rock stars are – Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, CSNY, James Taylor, Jackson Brown, Joni Mitchell, etc…
One of the arguments has been that she didn’t write her own music or music made popular by other singers. Well, then the majority of rock ‘n roll inductees shouldn’t have been inducted because many of them sang and didn’t write.
And many of the greatest singers that Ronstadt’s a peer of, like Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Barbara Streisand, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley, Diana Ross, Whitney Houston et al, are not considered lousy artists just because they weren’t songwriters or frequently sang music that was previously made popular before they sang them.
And yes, Linda was a rocker. She was The Queen of Rock ‘n Roll hands down throughout the entire 1970s. Janice Joplin, Grace Slick and Tina Turner were in the 1960s, and Stevie Nicks, Joan Jett, Pat Benatar, Heart, Chrissie Hynde and Debbie Harry were in the late 1970s and 1980s, after Linda paved the way.
Her remakes were as good as, better, or close to being as good as the originals.
The critics and public have always held her to a different standard than other artists, and unfairly. In the early 1980s, Ronstadt was criticized by some (mainly rock critics) for playing two concerts, as a replacement for Frank Sinatra, inSouth Africa under apartheid, at a time when Ray Charles, The Beach Boys, Tina Turner, Sinatra, Shirley Bassey and Cher were also performing there. Yet no one slammed those artists for singing in So. Africa.
And she’s been criticized for being a dilletante and switching music genres and images (successfully), but when David Bowie, Madonna, Rod Stewart, Bob Dylan, Blondie, et al do it, they are complimented.
So getting back to the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame snub, So what’s the holdup? I don’t get it.
And by the way, Heart, Pat Benatar, and Stevie Nicks (solo) are still not in the Hall of Fame either, although Aretha Franklin, Madonna and Abba are (all great artists, but not rockers).
LarryLife and Let’s Be Real have said it well. I would add a couple of things. She sold over 100 million records. Think about that. 100 million. She won multiple Grammy’s in different categories. She opened the door for so many other women who followed. She also gave a break to the Eagles who started as her back up band. It is an incredible mistake that Linda Ronstadt is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Whoever makes the decisions about who gets into the R & R Hall of Fame should be replaced by people who know what they are doing. I agree with the poster who said they have no credibility.
Contrary to some opinions expressed her and elsewhere, writing your own songs is NOT part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s criteria for an act to be nominated, voted on and possibly inducted. It never has been part of the criteria. Linda meets all of their criteria to be nominated; there’s no justification for the snub. Hell, if it wasn’t for Linda, the Eagles might never have happened in the first place. As for Linda not being a rocker, well, yes she was. If you think she wasn’t, you’ve never listened to some of her music. Yes, she did standards and she did country, but so what? Can anyone dare to suggest that any of the Motown acts that are in the R&R Hall of Fame are or were rockers? Linda should’ve been nominated and inducted the first year she was eligible: 1992. It’s now 2013, meaning 21 years have passed since Linda was first eligible. Will the R&R Hall of Fame get around to inducting her before she passes away? Or will that honor come only after she has left this world for good?
Btw, side note regarding ABBA not being rockers: if all you know about them is their hits, you really don’t know their musical history, which did include some straight out rockers. Their first US hit, “Waterloo” was a rocker, and many of their album songs were more rock oriented than their detractors would believe. Of course, part of the problem on ABBA was their songs were driven more by the keyboards and synthesizers than guitars. But, there are some good rockers to be found on their albums, and they were more rock and roll than any of the Motown acts that are in there. The group also had a large fan following of their fellow musicians and singers, including Eric Clapton. But, they met the R & R Hall of Fame’s criteria to be nominated and inducted.
And for all of the complaining about who’s in, and who’s not, what’s important to remember is the hall doesn’t really care about your likes or dislikes. If you’re not a member of the nominating committee or a voting member of the hall, what you like or don’t like counts for nothing. I’d like to see Linda in. She deserves the honor. And while the hall has inducted some artists I don’t care for, I don’t especially care two bits that they are. They made it, the decision wasn’t mine but I still cheer for them and salute them.
Pingback: I’ll Say it again: Linda Ronstadt Needs to be in The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame | Larry Gross Online
Everything she touched between 1974-89 was Platinum or Multi-Platinum……Multi-Styles as well. Southern -California Country/Rock, Rock, Classical etc. I think maybe some of her Views during the 90’s pissed-off some wealthy individuals who are lobbyists of Jann Wenner/ Rolling Stone Magazine-Rock Hall Committee and they are blacklisting her. If you listen to her material you realize what a wonderful voice she has been blessed with and how much emotion she brings to the table in her recordings. Her Track Record speaks for itself and intelligent individuals realize she should have been Inducted long ago!!