U2, O'Jays top list of 2005 inductees to Rock Hall of Fame

[Dr. Jazz]

From USA Today:

U2, O'Jays top list of 2005 inductees to Rock Hall of Fame
NEW YORK (AP) — Irish rockers U2, R&B singers The O'Jays and soul balladeer Percy Sledge are among five musical legends to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during the foundation's 20th annual induction ceremony next year, the organization announced Monday.

U2 became one of the planet's most popular bands in the 1980s with their megahit The Joshua Tree.
By Bryan Bedder, Getty Images

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation will hold its induction ceremony March 14 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Manhattan.

U2, which became one of the planet's most popular bands in the 1980s with their megahit The Joshua Tree, is still making the charts: Their November release, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, is the No. 2 album according to Billboard.

The O'Jays had eight No. 1 R&B hits during the 1970s and '80s, including Love Train and Use Ta Be My Girl. Sledge will forever be associated with When a Man Loves a Woman, one of the songs that made him a figure in deep Southern Soul in the late 1960s.

The Pretenders and blues guitarist Buddy Guy will also join the organization's Class of 2005.

The artists beat out an impressive list of nominees including Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, which would have been the first rap group to be inducted; Centerfold singers the J. Geils Band, and the late country singer Conway Twitty.

Also, Frank Barsalona and Seymour Stein will be inducted in the non-performer category.

Barsalona is credited with creating the first legitimate rock and roll booking agency. His roster included acts like Led Zepplin, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band and The Who.

Stein, who is chairman and co-founder of Sire Records, is noted as one of the most successful executives in the recording industry. He is known for signing artists like Madonna, The Ramones and The Talking Heads.

Musicians, industry professionals and journalists vote on the nominations, which were announced in September. Artists are eligible to be inducted into the Rock Hall after at least 25 years have passed since their first record was released.


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[vashti1999]

O'Jays were overdue. They've been recording well over thirty years. U2 was expected, the Pretenders are a slight surprise. So is Percy Sledge, he's best known for one song as opposed to a long string of hits.

[Dr. Jazz]

Originally posted by vashti1999
O'Jays were overdue. They've been recording well over thirty years. U2 was expected, the Pretenders are a slight surprise. So is Percy Sledge, he's best known for one song as opposed to a long string of hits.

I definately agree about the O'Jays. There are so many great R&B groups that are overlooked year after year. The Pretenders have been around just barely 25 years & I too was surprised they got in on their first time out.

Off the top of my head, bands that should already be in the Hall of Fame & are definately eligible:

Van Halen
The Doobie Brothers
Kool & The Gang
War
Heart
Bad Company
The Spinners
The Stylistics
Steve Miller Band
The Commodores
Lynyrd Skynyrd
The Whispers
and several others. . .

[Steve M.]

Family - eligible since 1993 - still not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame because only five or six people in America (including me) have heard them, let alone heard of them, and none of us know Jann Wenner!

[isiahthomas]

The Ojays should've gotten in the rock & roll hall of fame a long time ago. I saw their old outfits at the rock & roll hall of fame in Cleveland. Kool & The Gang, The Whispers, The Commodores haven't gotten in the rock & roll hall of fame yet? Damn.

[GARFIELDKOOL]

Kool & the Gang should have been there when Earth, Wind and Fire and George Clinton were inducted. They were all neck and neck back in the day. Even though #1 hits don't make a group better than the next group, K&TG got 9 #1 hits to EW&F's 7. Isley's got 7 also. I was real surprised the O'Jays are just now getting inducted. Ditto the Commodores and Stylistics.

[isiahthomas]

Kool & The Gang got more hits than Earth Wind & Fire & The Isley Brothers?

[GARFIELDKOOL]

Yeah, I got it out of this music book in the library. I will name them:

Hollywood Swinging-1973
Higher Plane-1974
Spirit of the Boogie-1975
Ladies Night-1979
Celebration-1980
Take my Heart {You can have it if you want it}-1981
Joanna-1983
Fresh-1984
Cherish-1985

[isiahthomas]

Fresh & Cherish came out the same year which was 1984. Let's Go Dancin, Too Hot, Get Down On It songs wasn't hits for Kool & The Gang?

[GARFIELDKOOL]

Let's go Dancin' peaked at #7. Too Hot, #3, Get Down On It, #4.

[GARFIELDKOOL]

Here is the Isley Brothers #1 hits:

It's Your Thing-1969

Fight The Power-1975

The Pride-1977

Take Me to The Next Phase-1978

I Wanna Be With You-1979

Don't Say Goodnight (It's Time For Love)-1980

Caravan Of Love-1985


Earth, Wind and Fire's #1 hits

Shining Star-1975

Sing a Song-1975

Getaway-1976

Serpentine Fire-1977

Got To Get You In My Life-1978

September-1978

Let's Groove-1981

[isiahthomas]

I'm surprised those Kool & The Gang songs i mentioned weren't #1. Isley Brothers Take Me To The Next Phase was a #1 hit for them? That's my jam. I was listening to that song this morning from their Showdown album. The Pride & I Wanna Be With You were #1 hits for the Isleys? That's surprising. I like those songs too. Caravan Of Love song isn't a Isley Brothers song. It's a Isley Jasper Isley song. Isley Jasper Isley consisted of Ernie Isley, Chris Jasper, Marvin Isley. Ronald, Kelly, Rudolph Isley weren't on that song or a part of Isley Jasper Isley's album. Isley Jasper Isley also sang Insatiable Woman song which is on the Caravan Of Love album. I like Insatiable Woman song. Rapper Noreaga sampled it for his The Way We Live song with Chico Debarge.

[GARFIELDKOOL]

You're right. Caravan Of Love is a Jasper Isley Jasper song. I'm looking at this book right now, and It is credited as an Isley Brothers Song. Also, I left an Earth, Wind and Fire song out: System Of Survival-1987. I don't think Phillip Bailey was went them then. They had been fell off by then.

[isiahthomas]

They're Isley Jasper Isley, not Jasper Isley Jasper LOL. I just read on Artistdirect.com that Earth Wind & Fire's System Of Survival song is on their Touch The World album that came out in 87. Philip Bailey was still with them. I remember that song but i haven't heard it in so long. They had a album out in 83 called Electric Universe but the review i just read about it says the album sucked. I would have to hear it for myself cause i don't pay attention to what critics say about albums. The review also said that Philip Bailey & Maurice White went their separate ways after Electric Universe album. I remember Philip had some solo albums out back then & Maurice did a couple solo albums but their solo stuff nobody paid attention to. I remember Philip had 3 solo songs i liked called I Know, Chinese Wall, Easy Lover with Phil Collins which was a big hit for him.

[vashti1999]

Originally posted by GARFIELDKOOL
Also, I left an Earth, Wind and Fire song out: System Of Survival-1987. I don't think Phillip Bailey was went them then. They had been fell off by then.

Phillip was still with them when "SOS" came out. He's singing the part on the song "At times it’s the only way, I’m gonna make it through this day...". That album did well for them, "System of Survival" was a #1 song on the R&B charts and the next single "Thinking of You" did well also.