Since it began inducting artists in 1986, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has featured some of the biggest names in music. Arguably, its focus has also expanded beyond the genre found in its name — it is, after all, an institution that’s honored the likes of Tom Waits, Parliament-Funkadelic, N.W.A. and Johnny Cash over the years. But a casual review of the inductees will make one thing very clear — there are a lot more men than women in the Hall.
Now, one famed musician is expressing her own frustrations with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s policies. The Guardian recently published an opinion piece by Courtney Love citing a number of cases where the Hall hadn’t honored a number of iconic or influential musicians — or when it took far longer than expected to do so.
Love convincingly argues that Hall of Fame recognition goes beyond the honor of being elected. “The Rock Hall has covered itself in a sheen of gravitas and longevity that the Grammys do not have,” she writes. “Particularly for veteran female artists, induction confers a status that directly affects the living they are able to make. It is one of the only ways, and certainly the most visible, for these women to have their legacy and impact honoured with immediate material effect.”
2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees Include Eminem, Dolly Parton and Lionel Richie
Duran Duran, Pat Benatar, Eurythmics and Carly Simon round out this year’s classAs Pitchfork points out in their article about the editorial, Courtney Love herself has been eligible for the Hall since 2015, via the band Hole. As of yet, Pitchfork notes, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has yet to respond to Love’s essay.
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