Riot, Girls! Stooges Enter Rock Hall of Fame; ABBA, Genesis, Cliff, Hollies Also In

By Roy Edroso Tue., Dec. 15 2009 at 2:55 PM

Categories: Featured, The Arts

The Stooges, who patiently rocked behind Iggy while beer bottles flew at the Michigan Theater in the late 60s and early 70s, have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Rendering the honor bittersweet is guitarist Ron Asheton's death earlier this year, and music in general.

Also inducted as performers: the Hollies (originally featuring Graham Nash, who is "honored"; auteurs of odd pop songs like Stop! Stop! Stop!, Bus Stop and The Air That I Breathe); prog-rock pioneers Genesis; Jimmy Cliff, best known for The Harder They Come; and the dancing Swedes of ABBA.

The non-performers also inducted today are David Geffen, the man who sued Neil Young for making music that did not sound like Neil Young; songwriting teams Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, and Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich; and songwriters Mort Shuman (Viva Las Vegas), Otis Blackwell (Great Balls of Fire) and Jesse Stone (Shake, Rattle and Roll).

The nominees who didn't make it this time were the Red Hot Chili Peppers, LL Cool J, Kiss, Darlene Love, Laura Nyro, the Chantels, and Donna Summer, leaving disco, as such, unrepresented in the Hall.

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