Madonna induction....

[Max Murdoc]

I actually sat down to watch some television last night (I was waiting for a friend to come over) and saw that the 2008 Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony was on so I started watching. When I saw that Madonna was being honored I shut the set off. "How is she eligible?" I said to myself. So I went on the internets and found this:



"Her name was bound to come up in the consideration of artists eligible for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s class of 2008. Madonna, whose self-titled debut album saw release in 1983, meets the technical criteria for induction eligibility.

According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation’s website, “Artists become eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record.” It goes on to state, “Criteria include the influence and significance of the artists’ contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll.”

While Madonna’s music meets the 25-year benchmark required for eligibility, it does not measure up as an artistic contribution, either influential or significant, to the “development and perpetuation” of rock and roll. If and when today’s artists cite Madonna as an influence, it’s usually not for reasons relating to a quality or substance of her music. Rather, it’s often because of her ever-changing persona, her multifaceted career paths, or her humanitarianism, but essentially it’s due to her celebrity status.

From day one, Madonna’s career has been inextricably bound to sensationalism, drawing attention to herself, not to her music for its own merit. The music she’s made, in effect, has served as a conduit in garnering a spotlight rather than illustrating an artistic effort or expression.

More important than the music, for Madonna, has been the depiction of an image, often sexual in nature, always with the intent of creating a media buzz or some sort of controversy. What’s more memorable, the song, “Like A Prayer,” or its video with a burning Cross and a black Jesus Christ? What comes to mind when you think of the song, “Justify My Love,” its polyrhythmic sound or the fact that MTV banned that video for being too explicit for its young demographic?

And so, if you close the Sex book, turn off Truth Or Dare, and block all memory of Madonna writhing on the MTV stage in a wedding dress to “Like A Virgin,” you’re left with a catalog of mediocre pop music. Nothing innovative, nothing exceptional. And since the substantive qualification for induction deems that an artist must have produced a significant contribution within the field of rock and roll music, Madonna does not deserve to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame."



How true. As far as I can tell, she doesn't even write her own stuff (maybe getting a co-writers credit here and there). I think I belong there more than she does. All she did was to heap upon us people like Spears, Carey and all those other wannabes that litter our airwaves with commercial grade ear pollution. I'm not fond of the Beastie Boys but I feel that they should have been there instead of her.

My 2 cents.

[KYYX4ever]

sheesh, you're right. While Madonna has been quite influential, and undoubtedly been on the forefront of pop culture in the 80s and 90s, I question her induction also. Besides, the biggest issue that stands out to me is, well...this is the [b]Rock and Roll Hall of Fame[/b]. As in, you know, Rock n' Roll music. Which Madonna is not. Not even close. As the article stated, she could be more famous for some of her visual antics rather than her [b]not Rock n' Roll[/b] music.

[SwampThing]

From what I understand Iggy Pop honored her at the ceremony, I was floored when I heard that...

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[Max Murdoc]

I thought Iggy quit taking drugs.....

[toyah]

http://www.nwoutpost.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=22871

[i_like_lectric_motors]

Footage of Iggy was posted here:

http://www.nwoutpost.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=22906



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[WolverineSyr]

I guess I must be the only one not suprised or particularly offended by her induction. I don't really care one way or the other about it, as the Hall of Fame has put tons of R&B acts in, and also more dance-oriented acts like the OJays & Gamble & Huff, along with Grandmaster Flash.

I would rather have seen the female induction go to Joan Jett over anyone else, although Heart certainly are deserving.

I think Madonna's justification is complicated though. She certainly has been a musical influence, maybe not so much directly related to "rock" (whatever that is now,) but to current music in general. I think her influence over young female performers has been pretty deep - not just the pop-tart variety, but has proven there is a big market for women.

I also think that her early tactics in the business were absolutely modeled on a punk asthetic - the whole DIY, street level self promotion always impressed me & set her way above the slick corporate dance acts of the early 80's. She was an incredibily popular underground act before that first album got so big & again, it was all done on word of mouth and this "new punky/new wavey -street image" of a dance performer. I believe that she also helped to bring dance music out of the post-disco era into something new for the early 80's. And yes, I know I'm focused on her place in dance music, but it bleeds over to other genres. Her self-marketing tactics and reinventions also set a precedent that I think many artists appropriated regardless of genre.

Like I said, I really don't care if she's in or not. I'm not much of a fan of hers, but I understand why she got in.

[toyah]

and Madonna's whole 'blunt sexy female' object is based on Cherry Vanilla's days
at Max's Kansas City(read Andrew Morton's book MADONNA)

[bigwavedave]

I am kind of indifferent about her induction, but I tend to agree with WolverineSyr's post. At least for the first record, she did have sort of a street level DIY thing going on. Very driven, and pretty good new wavey dance pop on those early records anyway.

During her induction speech she spent a fair amount of time talking about her underground DIY days in NYC. She tossed in a story about learning how to play drums by holing up in her first band's little rehearsal space and playing along with early Elvis Costello records.

[TerryMc]

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a joke. People like Madonna and Grandmaster Flash are in, yet Kiss is still not in there. Regardless of what you think of Kiss (either a great hard rock band, or a carnival or both), in many ways they are the embodiment of what rock and roll is about. A great number of bands that came after them cite them as a major influence.
Also, if Madonna is in, then why are the Monkees pretty much blackballed from consideration? Yes, they were actors in a TV show first. No, they didn't play the instruments on their first two albums, but they are arguably more influential than Madonna will ever be. The concept of MTV in essence came from the Monkees series, and Mike Nesmith actually sold the rights to a video show he had to Warner Brothers, who turned it in to MTV.
Many new-wave and 80s pop acts, even REM and the Bangles named them as influences.
Besides, the Monkees were the first and best of the so-called "boy bands," and at least they could play their own music when given the chance, unlike Justin Timberlake, New Kids on the Block and any one of a hundred no-talent rappers you can name.

[Anonymous1]

Biggest B-I-T-C-H doesn't deserve to be in the RnR hall of fame.

I'm bringing Cheezy back
Wild Boyz!!

[phillyidol]

Now it is the "rock and roll hole of fame" or whore of fame. Either way, it is a joke. The people in charge suck ass.




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