March 5, 2024

"Mariah Carey takes the next step from Whitney Houston... the way-over-the-top vocals that almost exist outside of a song."

"Influence wise, I certainly get it. My problem is I don’t care for much of her music. From the start, she was an industry darling.... There’s only a handful of singles I really like and I find each of her albums are a bit of a slog to get through. She’s not getting my vote...."

And: "I’m excited to see her name. The Rock Hall has been trying to put these 'pop singers' more on the ballot these last few years, which freaks out some of its constituency. I think those types of artists belong. Mariah’s not going to get my vote.... But, my God. The talent and reach. Look at how long she sustained her career and what she means to people. If Whitney Houston is in, Mariah Carey is in.... She’s worthy. I always love it when women pop singers are on the ballot in a way that pisses people off. It’s not rock! It’s always fun when you get some people to yell that."

Say 2 unnamed Rock and Roll Hall of Fame voters, quoted in "'It’s a Brand, Not a Band': Two Rock Hall Voters Reveal Their 2024 Ballots" (NY Magazine).

Have we stopped calling it the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? It's just the Rock Hall now? The whole thing is one mistake after another — just swapping in new mistakes.

I went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame back in 2005 and blogged 7 things about it. The 7th is the best:
In front of a case full of Elvis memorabilia, a parent took it upon himself to translate Elvis to his 9-year-old daughter. They were gazing on a classic Elvis-in-Vegas costume.

DAD: When he started wearing these white jumpsuits that was kind of weird.

GIRL: That was awesome
I loved that. I mean, us older folk assume we know that Elvis went wrong when he put on the white jumpsuit. But here's this girl, and she's correcting her dad. She thinks she knows. She's grounded in some new world. And there, the suit is awesome.

That little girl is 28 now. I hope she kept loving Elvis.

Is there a list somewhere of most worthy members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — in rank order? Elvis must be #1. Oh! Here's a list at New York Magazine. Elvis is only #4. 

32 comments:

madAsHell said...

Music for women.
Awards programs for women.

She might as well be singing nursery rhymes. I never found anything she did appealing.

RideSpaceMountain said...

Every time I have ever heard Carey sing, I can't help thinking of this. I wonder if that would garner a "cultural appropriation" tag.

Joe Smith said...

I will never go to this 'museum.'

Besides, 'rock and roll' has been dead for at least 20 years.

It's all pop and rap garbage now, mostly by 'artists' who can't sing a note or play an instrument.

Carey is more of an influencer than a singer these days. Her time of hitting the high notes have long been over.

BUMBLE BEE said...

Grand Funk not found in "The Hall".
They ruled the airwaves for YEARS!
F*ck The Hall is my vote.

Limited blogger said...

I am currently boycotting the Rock 'n' Roll HOF

Until they induct DEVO I will not be visiting.

I also boycott the Baseball HOF because of their snubbing of Pete Rose.

n.n said...

Is it Mariah, is it Whitney, or is it black rock. An irreconcilable conundrum in a woke state.

wendybar said...

Music Hall of Fame. They keep REAL rock and rollers out.

WK said...

At least now the Rock Hall has changed the policy and picture taking is allowed……

cassandra lite said...

True story from 1999 told to me by a producer at Columbia Pix who worked with one of the producers referenced below:

There was supposed to be a meeting with Mariah and her agency and three big producers to talk about a project being pitched. They asked her to come to the agency, where'd they meet around the giant conference table (that's how many people were going to be there).

She declined and said they'd all have to come to her house "because I don't go anywhere I can't control the lighting."

rehajm said...

The Rock Hall is valuable like pickleball courts- keeps people away form where I want to go...

Another old lawyer said...

My wife and I visited the RnR HOF at the height of the COVID paranoia - June 2020. We were on road trip vacation, from being stir-crazy due to pandemic protocols even though we lived in an area that wasn't locked down and weren't shy about getting out and about. Even so, neither of us was impressed by the museum and whatever it's trying to honor (other than Werner's favorites). Though some of the memorabilia was cool.

Being on the road during the pandemic was much more memorable, especially how hotels and restaurants were operating and all but empty.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

It's really just the hollywood walk of fame. ...

Kate said...

Thanks for the link to Vulture's ranking of the RRHoF inductees. The author, Bill Wyman, is an idiot. Who puts CCR at 130? Or Van Halen at 191? Or Rush at (gulp) 239? And while he's busy complaining that women are underrepresented, he ranks Heart at 157 and claims Pat Benatar doesn't belong at all. What a tool.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Regarding the Baz Luhrman movie, Elvis, it moved me more than I thought it would. I hadn't realized he and his mama lived in the projects, where he heard a lot of black music. And by the time we got to the end, where Baz used the real Elvis singing "Unchained Melody" I couldn't look away if I'd tried.

I didn't get the Elvis fever when I was a kid. Couldn't understand my neighbor lady swooning at his name. By the time I really got into music in junior high, "Elvis" was kind of a joke. Kids like me hadn't experienced the hoopla of the early years. Once I saw his "comeback special" footage with him in the black leather I started to get a clue. And Luhrman's film filled in in some gaps. I would have liked someone, just about anyone else, playing Colonel Tom other than Tom Hanks because that fatsuit makeup gave me the same uncanny valley vibe as his Polar Express rendering. But the rest of the film was good.

I don't think I'll ever have any feeling for Mariah though. She's just another reason to dread Xmas Season.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

It's all pop and rap garbage now, mostly by 'artists' who can't sing a note or play an instrument.

Largely true, but I accidentally found myself watching the induction recently. Dave Matthews introducing Willie Nelson by way of a really moving rendition of one of Nelson's songs really drew me in. Yes they inducted the guy who "founded" Hip Hop but it was hard to watch him shuffle up there and not be slightly moved.

mccullough said...

It’s the Pop Music Hall of Fame

The name should be updated.

tim maguire said...

The problem with halls of fame is they have to induct new members every year to keep themselves in the news, but there aren’t that many people in any field who deserve the honour. In the case of Rock and Roll, that means sooner or later everybody with a top single or a platinum album is going to make it in

RCOCEAN II said...

There's a certain kind of Faux-sophisticate that writes these "lists", and they're always trying to signal against mainstream or "average guy" taste. They do this in film too. Years ago, when everyone loved GWTW or whatever, they'd name "Citizen Kane" as Best film. Then when the public caught up, and said "Citizen Kane", they switched over to "Vertigo".

If everyone likes West Side story, they push Singing in the Rain. If everyone comes around to singing in the Rain as best muscial, they're pushing something by Someheim. When people liked Westerns, the hated them except for "McCabe and Mrs Miller". Then, when Westerns become less popular, they suddenly started singing the praises of some obscure late 50s Randolph Scott films.

And Bob Dylan may be a greater muscian than Elvis, but is he really a "Rock star"?

tommyesq said...

And Bob Dylan may be a greater muscian than Elvis, but is he really a "Rock star"?

Dylan is not a greater musician than Elvis. Better songwriter, maybe (did Elvis write his songs?). But not a better musician.

Dogma and Pony Show said...

Rock and roll to me basically encompasses the music that these days gets played on classic rock radio, plus punk, plus grunge, plus the early giants who got it started. If a substantial amount of an act's musical output falls within that basic tradition, I think they should be eligible for the RHoF. But soul acts, rappers, purely pop acts, folk singers, and country singers don't belong. No disrespect to those performers, but opening up RHoF to just any commercially successful act over the last 60+ years was a mistake.

Jim at said...

I also boycott the Baseball HOF because of their snubbing of Pete Rose.

They're not snubbing him. He's ineligible.

Narr said...

Elvis wrote no songs AFAIK.

Amexpat said...

Dylan is not a greater musician than Elvis. Better songwriter, maybe (did Elvis write his songs?). But not a better musician.

I think the statement stands. Elvis was a great singer and performer but musically he wasn't very innovative.

Dylan first professional recording was as a session muscian as a harmonica player. He was never a virtsouso on the guitar or piano but was very expressive on those instruments. Listen to his piano playing on Blind Willie McTell or his guitar playing on Don't Think Twice or It's Alright Ma - has Elvis used any instrument as well as that?

Amexpat said...

And Bob Dylan may be a greater muscian than Elvis, but is he really a "Rock star"?

Dylan has been many things. During his 1974 tour with The Band, being a "Rock Star" would have been the most apt description.

Mary Beth said...

The little girl knew white jumpsuit Elvis was awesome because she had seen Stitch (in "Lilo and Stitch") dressed in the white jumpsuit.

richlb said...

The single biggest tragedy is the absence of Weird Al Yankovic.

Joe Smith said...

"Dave Matthews introducing Willie Nelson by way of a really moving rendition of one of Nelson's songs really drew me in."

Willie deserves his own museum.

An American icon...

Jake said...

Reading their “thoughts” it’s no wonder why the “Rock Hall” is trash.

Anne in Rockwall, TX said...

On my FB page with a photo of Willie Nelson:

This guy. It's not a stretch to say he's one of the few remaining American cultural living legends. He's still with us, releasing new albums at a clip that puts artists half his age to shame.

When he goes, there's not going to be another Willie. The cultural machinery that helped make him no longer exists. There are younger artists as good at what they do as Willie is at what he does, but none will enjoy even close to a similar degree of widespread cultural recognition & significance.

In a year that is already proving exhausting and divisive (it's only February!), let's take some time to come together and appreciate something we can all agree on: the genius of Willie Nelson, one of our greatest songwriters.

Joe Smith said...

'When he goes, there's not going to be another Willie. The cultural machinery that helped make him no longer exists. There are younger artists as good at what they do as Willie is at what he does, but none will enjoy even close to a similar degree of widespread cultural recognition & significance.'

Willie's Roadhouse on SiriusXM is playing in my car pretty much always : )

Great American music...

CJinPA said...

I always love it when women pop singers are on the ballot in a way that pisses people off. It’s not rock! It’s always fun when you get some people to yell that."

I always love it when I sell people Girl Scout cookies and then hand them a bag of warm pickles. "Those aren't cookies!" It's always fun to get some people to yell that.

GingerBeer said...

Rock and Roll: The Soundtrack of Global Commerce.