With the latest class of Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees recently announced the annual debate has been renewed over whether the Hall will eventually run out of worthy candidates.
If so, will they finally get around to honoring some of the most glaring exiles, like Big Star, Tom Waits, and The Stooges? At the moment, each year's nominees are forwarded by a steering committee of just under a hundred music industry veterans and rock journalists, then voted on by just under a thousand of the same.
Insiders like critic Dave Marsh have indicated that not all those voters are as aware as they should be of the major artists in genres like punk and hip-hop, and though two inexplicably delayed candidates—Patti Smith and Grandmaster Flash—were granted induction this year, there are serious concerns among rock historians about whether the most influential and enduring acts of the last 25 years will get a fair hearing when their time comes. With that in mind, and with the Hall's mission of honoring those who had "a significant impact on the evolution, development, and perpetuation of rock and roll," The A.V. Club here considers the pros and cons of a handful of Hall-worthy acts, some of whom are eligible already.Coldplay
Why it might make the Hall: Bandleader Chris Martin has friends in nearly every recording-industry clique, from socially conscious rockers to, improbably, the hip-hop community, which recognizes good hooks when it hears them. Coldplay-haters may grumble that the band will only make the Hall because it's safe and soft, but Martin clearly has an ear for what lasts. Only three albums into its career, Coldplay has already made two widely beloved LPs.
Why it might not: Unfortunately, those beloved albums are the first two. Coldplay's third album, X&Y, was kind of a bummer, and unless the next effort is a significant improvement, the band may not have the longevity that a Hall Of Fame candidate needs. Also, Coldplay's fortunes may be tied to Radiohead's. If the more critically acclaimed Britpop band of the '00s hasn't made it in by the time Coldplay is eligible (2023, by the way), don't expect much support.
Odds: 5-1. Surely Martin will write a few more modern-rock standards over the next decade or so.
Read the other entrants here
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