The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies are the only forum in rock where bitter ex-bandmates are forced to come together publicly. Sometimes they temporarily bury the hatchet and perform one last time (Talking Heads, the Mamas & the Papas, the Velvet Underground), but often the shit hits the fan. Everybody expected last year's Van Halen induction to devolve into a steel cage match, but instead nobody named Van Halen or Roth showed up and the only massacre was Paul Shaeffer's take on "Why Can’t This Be Love." Things got pretty uncomfortable in 2005 when former members of Blondie started bitching out Debbie Harry onstage, and in 1993 John Fogerty left his stunned Creedence bandmates at the podium and performed with Bruce Springsteen. John Paul Jones had one of the great Rock Hall lines when he thanked Jimmy Page and Robert Plant for "remembering my phone number." We haven't seen fireworks recently, but here's a look ahead at some potentially wonderfully awkward moments:
The Smiths: Eligible in 2009. They should be first-balloters, but I'm betting it will take a while. The last time the four originals were together was in a courtroom in 1996. Things haven't gotten better since. Two years ago Morrissey lashed out at drummer Mike Joyce in an open statement on his website. "Somehow, he appears to believe that he should have equal financial status to both myself and to Johnny Marr," he wrote. "Even though Joyce has done dramatically less than Johnny and I to attain the positions we now have." I'm betting Morrissey won't show, but if he does this will be one for the ages. It would be a nice end for the band if Morrissey sucked it up and sang "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" one last time, but that ain't going to happen.
The Smashing Pumpkins: Eligible in 2015. If they do manage to get in, it could very well be the first time founding bassist D'arcy Wretzky is seen in public since disappearing about eight years ago. Three years ago Billy Corgan called her a "mean spirited drug addict" and blamed the entire break-up of the band on James Iha. They've since been replaced by doppelgangers, but it will only be the original four invited onto the stage at this imaginary future ceremony. Assuming D'arcy is let out of her cryogenic chamber for the evening, they might actually perform together. It should be interesting.
Guns N' Roses: Eligible in 2012. Everything else pales in comparison to this one. The original five haven't been together since 1990. Since then Axl slowly fired the entire band, took the name rights and retreated into his lair to work on Chinese Democracy for well over a decade. If you think Axl is nuts now, imagine him five years from now. If he decides to take a break from working on Chinese Democracy for the night and show up at the Waldorf, there's no telling what will happen. I can't wait.
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elle | February 25, 2009 4:05 PM
GnR suck. i love slash but axl is just annoying. nirvana are so much more inspirational too.
Gina | March 18, 2008 9:11 PM
Shit, no!
Unless...
Right, G'n'R
Mandela | March 14, 2008 3:08 PM
Nine Inch Nails are about as likely to be inducted as Rush. No Nirvana is not as popular as G N' R, hell, Nirvana aren't as popular as Pearl Jam (check out concert attendence and album sales because they beat them on both fronts without the added bonus of a dead iconic lead singer). And obviously G n' R is the biggest band listed, and to have come out int he last 25 years. Anytime they get mentioned on this site it starts a endless chain of comments.
Aventurier | March 14, 2008 1:34 PM
Did Axl and Ed Vedder ever met and what song would they sing together?????????
Hammy Sagar | March 14, 2008 11:01 AM
I wish Axl would pull a Cobain and do us all a favor.....pepper the back wall with his brains....
Rockstar70 | March 14, 2008 10:24 AM
Both GnR and Nirvana had singers that were F-tards......at least Axl wasn't such a downer!!
mee | March 14, 2008 9:59 AM
axl is it..........all others couldnt hold his ballbag.....period
mee | March 14, 2008 9:58 AM
f off nir-vagina
GNR | March 13, 2008 10:57 PM
the smashing pumpkins and smiths are cool too though
GNR | March 13, 2008 10:56 PM
GNR deserve to be 1st ballot hall of famers in my opinion
John | March 13, 2008 7:55 PM
Tankcat are you on drugs?? Guns N Roses were the biggest rock n roll band in the world..they were bigger than any band in the 80's, 90's or even this decade...there has not been one band to come out since them that has equaled what they did both in concert attendance and record sales...I know what you are going to say but Nirvana---nope...Appetite for Destruction outsells the entire Nirvana catalog combined...Nirvana was not as successful as you might think that they were...GNR were the Rolling Stones/Zeppelin/Aeromsith of the late 80's and early 90's
Brian Wilson | March 13, 2008 4:25 PM
One of the classic awkward Hall of Fame moments has to be Mike Love's drunken speech when the Beach Boys were inducted. Of course, he ripped on everyone BUT his own bandmates during that one (that probably wouldn't be the case today).
Bill Bailey | March 13, 2008 4:18 PM
Of course GnR should be in the Hall of Fame, TankCat! So what if they only released two studio albums (actually three since Use Your Illusion consided of two seperate releases- and side B of "Lies" was pretty killer)? That's still more than the Sex Pistols and those overrated clowns are in there. Nirvana had three "real" albums (be honest, though- would they get in on the strength of "Bleach" alone?) and I gurantee they will be inducted the first go around.
me | March 13, 2008 3:37 PM
There is something wrong with the world if GNR doesn't ever get inducted
Rockstar70 | March 13, 2008 2:25 PM
I can't wait for the GnR induction night. Slash and Duff can take turns beating the crap out of axl. Steven can take on Matt Sorum and Izzy can keep a look out for Del James to try and ride Axl's coat tails into the hall of fame.
All Rock n Roll should be this explosive.
WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE BABY!!
Guy Incognito | March 13, 2008 12:52 PM
...and as a postscript: If NIN does get inducted, Trent Reznor will be the only member honored.
Guy Incognito | March 13, 2008 12:50 PM
Re: Student Of The Game
I totally disagree, NIN are a very likely choice to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. For one, they brought industrial music to the mainstream and had a few years during the 90's where they were white hot (The Downward Spiral era) popularity-wise. Since then, they've kinda evolved into a cult band with a pretty sizable, devoted fanbase, even if their mainstream star has waned in recent years. They may not get inducted on the first go, but I think they will definitely receive their place in the Hall of Fame.
Gaby | March 13, 2008 12:35 PM
The orignal Guns N' Roses totally kicked ass, the current one is good but no comparisoon to the GNR back in the 80's and 90's
TankCat | March 13, 2008 12:32 PM
I'm not convinced that GNR even belongs in the Rock Hall of Fame. They only really had 2 full length albums (Appetite and Use Your Illusion). Those albums were both great, but I'm not sure if that's enough to consider GNR one of the great bands of all time. If there was a "Wasted Potential Hall of Fame", then GNR would be the first inductee (followed by Lauryn Hill).
Gunzen | March 13, 2008 11:21 AM
All Axl fucktards will swear by their idol, no matter what. Here're some results we got from the Axl Pose army:
No new "GNR" album in 17yrs+
What the lobotomized fans say: He's writing something epic!
What it really means: The guy is not a very creative or talented musician.
No original members
What the lobotomized fans say: It's still GnR, Axl is there dancing to the old songs
What it really means: We are seeing a cover group of a once great band.
Chinese democracy comes out this year
What the lobotomized fans say: our idol is back!
What it really means: cash is running out, let's pull a cash grab tour.
tim | March 13, 2008 10:25 AM
guns n roses kick ass
JamesLofton29 | March 13, 2008 9:56 AM
Original GNR forever !
Student of the Game | March 13, 2008 8:43 AM
I think it's a longshot that Nine Inch Nails gets in, and even then I don't think there's ever been any doubt about who the band is. As the credits on "Pretty Hate Machine" read, "Nine Inch Nails is Trent Reznor." I don't believe anybody would dispute that.
Personally, I'm looking forward to when Nirvana is eligible (also 2014, I believe), because it'll lead to another Courtney Love/Dave Grohl showdown.
Bill Bailley | March 13, 2008 6:41 AM
What to think of Pantera!!!!!
The widow of Dimebag and his brother trying to beat the shit out of of Phill Anselmo on stage!! Phil will probably be back on heroin by that time, so his thank you-speech will most likely consist of nothing but the most profain language even the most disturbed person could imagine!!! LOL!!!!!
Justin Howard | March 13, 2008 1:38 AM
Nine Inch Nails: Eligible in 2014. So who gets inducted? Besides 95% of NIN being Trent Reznor, other bandmates from time to time have contributed to some of the albums. (I believe Charlie Clouser has some songwriting credit on The Fragile. Atticus Ross and others are credited on Ghosts I-IV.) Howeever, Trent being a Billy Corganesque control freak has alienated himself from a lot of his earlier collaborators. Do all of the people who have contributed to both NIN in the studio and on stage get inducted resulting in a very strange and confusing mix of people? Or would Trent Reznor and an army of computers show up to give a performance at the Waldorf Astoria? I'm thinking it's the latter.
John | March 13, 2008 1:04 AM
I don't really think this even worth speculating over...The only guy who will show up to the RnR ceremony will most likely be Steven Adler..maybe Slash and Duff,,but I will be shocked if Axl and Izzy go..
BETA | March 12, 2008 8:59 PM
Axl can not be there unless the planets are not in a certain formation....now what that formation might be no one knows. Not even Billy Bail, er, I mean Axl.