"There’s obviously been a lot of people who have played a part in the Cure, for better or for worse."
This year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was an overstuffed sonic bonanza with seven worthy and diverse inductees — Stevie Nicks, Roxy Music, the Zombies, Radiohead, Janet Jackson, Def Leppard, and the Cure — getting the opportunity to bask in the honor, whether they actually wanted to or not. Vulture was lucky enough to be reporting from all over the Barclays Center when the ceremony occurred last month, and with HBO airing it for everyone else to enjoy on Saturday, April 27, we figured it would be worth revisiting all of the highs, lows, and whoas of this 2019 induction class. Come for the snub gossip, and stay for the performances, what little of them we have left!
HIGH: Stevie Nicks and Janet Jackson’s demands for more women inductees
Nicks, the first woman to ever be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, and Jackson, who’s been eligible for induction for over a decade, both used their speeches to critique the Rock Hall for its horrific track record when it comes to recognizing the musical talents of women. (The comparison is 22 to one as of this year.) “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, please, 2020,” Jackson said to conclude her speech, “induct more women.”
Nicks, meanwhile, took a chunk out of her speech to argue the Rock Hall’s main “problem” is that it’s reluctant to induct soloists who break out from a band, women or otherwise. “This is a hard thing to do. Because you have to; the times are different. It’s going to be hard,” Nicks directed to all the X-chromosome musicians out there. “But I know there’s somebody out there that will be able to do it because I’m going to give you all the directions and I’ll do enough interviews and say what to do.”
LOW: The Brian Eno snub …
Eno, one of Roxy Music’s founding members, was kicked out of the band in the early ’70s for essentially being too horny. (Among other things.) As Rock Hall ceremonies have previously served as a neutral reunion platform for bands harboring tepid relationships — Talking Heads, Cream, etc. — fans were hoping the ambient maestro would suck it up and get together with Bryan Ferry & Co. after all these years. It didn’t happen owing to the ever-vague “other commitments.” Bollocks!
WHOA: … And the 60 percent Radiohead snub
A more complex snub goes to those cheeky Radiohead boys, with band members Ed O’Brien and Phil Selway being the only ones who ultimately decided to show up after months of speculation. This was still a nice surprise, though: Most of the band members previously asserted that they had no intention to attend their induction, so we must give thanks to the power of persuasion. The duo didn’t perform owing to missing the three other dudes, but their speeches were witty, heartfelt, and clearly appreciative of the honor. “It’s a big fucking deal,” O’Brien said. “I wish the others could be here, they would be feeling it.” Selway remarked: “We’re certainly not the most media-friendly of bands … it can be awkward and challenging sometimes, but I guess that’s what kept us all interested for the past three decades.” Hard agree.