NEW YORK — Conspiracy theorists, rest easy.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is just fine. In fact, Rock Hall chief executive Greg Harris says 2016 was one of the best years ever for the museum in Cleveland, buoyed by a double-digit attendance increase and a major renovation.
So the idea that the sudden influx of popular ’70s bands like this year’s inductees Journey, Electric Light Orchestra and Yes — fan favorites who have long been eligible and yet passed over — is some sort of ploy to save a struggling museum is wholly misguided. The simpler explanation: A lot of people like those bands — as well as recent inductees Kiss, Chicago and Rush — and more and more of them are Rock Hall voters.
“The single biggest voting body for us — 600-plus voters — is all the other living inductees, and their demographics are changing,” Harris says. “Great songwriting and great performances do endure, and there’s a period where eventually that gets recognized.”
That’s not to say Hall of Fame voters are ignoring other styles of music. Grunge heroes Pearl Jam and rapper Tupac Shakur will each be inducted in their first year of eligibility, 25 years after the release of their debut albums in 1991.
Here’s a look at this year’s inductees:
Pearl Jam: The rockers led the grunge movement, along with Nirvana, out of Seattle and onto the top of the charts, with a mix of punk rage and ’70s rock riffs for classics like “Alive.”
Tupac Shakur: In five short years, the late rapper brought passion and politics to West Coast gangsta rap, giving his tales of life in the ‘hood depth and warmth with his unflinching eye for detailed rhymes.
Joan Baez: The folk-rock legend and civil rights activist paved the way for countless Americana acts, from Bob Dylan to Joni Mitchell, with her inspirational voice.
Electric Light Orchestra: Jeff Lynne and friends’ mix of classical influences, prog rock sensibilities and pop sunniness created some of the ’70s’ most distinctive, elaborate hits, including “Strange Magic.”
Journey: The Bay Area band defined FM rock radio in the late ’70s and early ’80s with everything from blues-tinged rock (“Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’ “) to power ballads (“Faithfully”) and synth-rock (“Separate Ways”).
Yes: The ’70s prog rock kings who crafted epic anthems fueled by inventiveness and even reinvented themselves as ’80s video stars.
Nile Rodgers: The leader of funk and disco force Chic and trusted collaborator to David Bowie, Madonna and Duran Duran will receive the Award for Musical Excellence.
