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The Hallowed Halls of Rock
Posted in: General by David Nantais on December 7, 2011
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH announced the 2012 class of inductees today. Guns ‘n Roses and the Red Hot Chili Peppers are among those artists being celebrated this year. Every year when I hear who is being inducted, I am reminded of Eddie Trunk, host of “That Metal Show” on VH1 Classic, who is always flabbergasted by the choices. “Are you F-ing kidding me?!” he shouts as he stares into the camera, looking like someone just ran over his beloved pet dog. I can relate to his exasperation. Many of my favorite bands may never be inducted.
A couple of years ago I was reflecting on the Rock Hall and a few paralells between the choices for that institution and the choices for the institution known as the Catholic sainthood. Here is an excerpt from my book, Rock-A My Soul: An Invitation to Rock Your Religion about this very topic. I think that, given recent posts about what constitutes rock music, this brief essay may spur some conversation on the R&T blog.
As you read this, someone at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland is very likely admiring Madonna’s exhibit. Does this bother anyone besides me?! I have been accused on many occasions of being a “music snob” but, while I surely need to own up to my tendencies toward musical elitism, it seems to me that common sense dictates that inducting Madonna into a museum that celebrates rock and roll was a bad idea.
Many rock fans were disgusted by this development. How could Madonna make the cut, they wonder, and be placed alongside the pantheon of rock royalty who have shaped the most popular and influential music of the 20th century? Janis Joplin, Hendrix, the Beatles, the Stones, The Who, Dylan, and…Madonna?! These critics may have a point, and the outcry raises an important question. What does it mean for someone and her music to be considered “rock and roll”?
This situation is not unlike the Vatican’s promulgation about tightening up the canonization process. Both cases center on the notion of authenticity and credibility. In the case of Catholic sainthood, the unprecedented numbers of women and men that John Paul II beatified and canonized staggered even his staunch supporters. Recent allegations that “sainthood” is losing its meaning in the popular forum likely led the Vatican to declare that, while it was not changing the canonization process, its governing rules would be followed more strictly. Writing in the March 10th (2008) issue, the editors of America magazine observed, “Rumors of laxity in the canonization process only raise doubts among Catholics over whether certain candidates truly deserve the title ‘saint.’”
Perhaps the lesson to be learned is that, as much as we need saints–both religious and secular–we also crave authenticity. We do not desire saints for their own sake, but rather because they serve as examples of something sacred and unique. We want to know that the people for whom we hold devotions are teh “real deal.” The controversies surrounding Madonna’s induction and the recent Vatican statement are, I believe, healthy indications that we have not lost sight of this.
It may have been an ironic gesture, or more likely as an answer to her critics, but Madonna asked punk pioneers and fellow Michiganders the Stooges to perform two of her songs at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The Stooges are fronted by Iggy Pop, a man who embodies the rock and roll ethos better than just about anyone else. The Stooges are considered exceptionally influential in the rock and roll world, yet they have never been inducted into the Hall of Fame. (NOTE: the Stooges were finally inducted into the Hall of Fame 2 years after I wrote this.) Clearly, by giving a nod to these rock pioneers, even Madonna understands the importance of credibility if the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is going to mean anything significant to anyone.
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Thank you for perfectly expressing the shared thoughts of millions on the authenticity of rock sainthood. I’d been waiting with bated breath to find out if Joan Jett was going to make it into the RNRHOF this year – being the complete embodiment of rock n roll that she is and has been since she first strapped on a guitar at age 13 – but it is not to be this year. Madonna in the RNRHOF but not Joan Jett ? It’s just wrong.
Comment by Kat — December 7, 2011 @ 11:02 pm
Dave, thanks for your post, drawing creative analogies between modern Catholic and rockish canonizations. I wonder what alternatives exist to these official processes and where fans of religious or musical life might find them. Are there alt/punk/indie halls of fame for music or religion, or would that be a contradiction? I wonder if readers have any suggestions. Is the alternative to official canonizations the rejection of any musical or religious canon of “saints” as such?
TB
Comment by T Beaudoin — December 9, 2011 @ 8:59 pm
@ T Beaudoin I wonder if readers have any suggestions. Is the alternative to official canonizations the rejection of any musical or religious canon of “saints” as such? A good website I’ve been reading is the Hound Blog.http://thehoundblog.blogspot.com/?m=1. I’ve been getting exposed to many different musicians and artists that have been obscured by the passage of time. Some of the columms he’s written have also dealt with fads that have come and gone in rock music history. One post he did was clearing up the misconception that the Brits like the Rolling Stones, the Animals etc. introduced the Chicago blues and R&B to white teens. He pointed out that plenty of regions of the US had white rock bands playing this stuff since the early 60′s. http://thehoundblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/conway-twitty-rocknroll-years.html?m=1 He’s also written posts about who he thinks should be in the RNRHOF especially from the 50′s and 60′ s. Check it out I think you’ ll enjoy it. http://thehoundblog.blogspot.com/?m=1
Comment by john f — December 13, 2011 @ 9:28 pm