By Chris Riemenschneider
After a decade of tragically dismissing "the hottest band in the world," voters in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame finally came to its senses and put Kiss on the ballot as possible inductees next year. Other newbies on the list include the Red Hot Chili Peppers, LL Cool J and Genesis, while the Stooges, ABBA, Donna Summer and Jimmy Cliff are among the return nominees.
The near-end of the debate over Kiss' validity as Hall of Famers suggests there might be a generational shift starting among Hall of Fame voters, as Ace, Gene, Paul and Peter (in that order) were the band that turned many of us 30- and 40-somethings into rock freaks in the first place -- and they're still a group imitated by virtually every arena-rock tour with a pyro button or a logo-adorned thong at the merch booth. Some of the music was killer and influential, too. Of course, I'm talking about the heyday lineup, not the not-so-cheaply priced imitation coming to Target Center on Nov. 7.
The Stooges are a must for inductees, both for Iggy Pop's showmanship and because they crafted two of the all-time best punk-rock albums. LL Cool J should be a shoo-in, too, since he not only gave hip-hop its first pin-up star, he also gave it some of its greatest and most-imitated singles of all time, plus a strong dose of that essential attitude (Kanye be damned). I think the Chili Peppers will get in right away, but I'm hard pressed to think of any real impact they've had on the artform. Genesis just plain sucks.
