by Audra Keresztesy
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is one of the many gems that makes Cleveland so unique. Established in 1983, the Rock Hall has honored the most influential and renowned artists of the twentieth century. Every year, solo artists and group acts are selected based off of their influence on the music industry, depth of their career, and above all, musical excellence. This year, five acts will immortalize their music careers in the Rock Hall Induction Ceremony of 2016.
Cheap Trick
Members: Rick Nielsen (guitar), Robin Zander (vocals), Tom Petersson (bass), Bun E. Carlos (percussion)
Albums: Cheap Trick, In Color, Heaven Tonight
Starting Year: 1977
Greatest Hits: “I Want You to Want Me”, “Surrender”, “The Flame”
My personal favorite song by Cheap Trick is “Surrender”. The music has all the components of a classic rock band with guitar, bass, drums, and of course, powerful vocals. Some songs are more hard-core rock and others show a softer side of Cheap Trick. Another popular group that has a similar sound, in my opinion, would be The Police. Each song is unique and has some sort of message, unlike some of the music that is considered “good” today.
Chicago
Members: Walter Parazaider (woodwinds), Terry Kath (guitar), Danny Seraphine (percussion), Lee Loughnane (trumpet), James Pankow (percussion), Robert Lamm (synthesizer), and Peter Cetera (bass)
Albums: Chicago Transit Authority
Starting Year: 1967
Greatest Hits: “If You Leave Me Now”, “Color My World”, “Make Me Smile”
Chicago has a milder sound that is not as harsh as rock and roll, but it still has the components of a classic band. Each song is very unique and there’s not really another group with the same style as Chicago. I would compare their sound to some works of Kansas, with powerful vocals and a blend of musical sounds in the background.
Steve Miller
Members:
Albums: Children of the Future, Sailor, Brave New World
Starting Year: 1967
Greatest Hits: “Take the Money and Run”, “Fly Like and Eagle”
Steve Miller is the name of an individual man who also started the band, “Steve Miller Band”. Miller played guitar in the band. I have heard “The Joker” and “Take the Money and Run” which are both great songs and very recognizable. Miller and his band were able to create their sound which is part of what makes a band great.
Deep Purple
Members: Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Jon Lord (keyboard), Ian Gillan (vocals), Roger Glover (percussion), Ian Paice (percussion)
Albums: Machine Head, Made in Japan, Stormbringer
Starting Year: 1968
Greatest Hits: “Smoke on the Water”, “Perfect Strangers”, “Child in Time”
If you have ever seen “School of Rock”, you already know “Smoke on the Water”. Everyone knows that iconic guitar riff intro and, admit it, you’ve probably wished you could pick up an electric guitar and just fire off those notes for the world to hear. In addition to the well-known “Smoke on the Water”, other hits by Deep Purple are very rock and roll. Their sound has touches of Led Zeppelin with a little Black Sabbath, but with more mild vocals to make it unique.
N.W.A
Members: Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren, DJ Yella
Albums: Straight Outta Compton
Starting Year: 1986
Greatest Hits: “Straight Outta Compton”, “Express Yourself”, “Gangsta Gangsta”
N.W.A. is a rap group that has several famous individuals that even someone like me who doesn’t listen to rap would know. Honestly, I haven’t heard any songs by N.W.A because of personal taste, but the recent movie Straight Outta Compton and the popularity of their music on iTunes proves that their music had some influence on the music industry. The movie came out last summer and received pretty good reviews, so even if you don’t listen to their music, you could still enjoy the movie.
Image credit: http://www.rockhall.com/
