March Madness is upon us again, as is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Music Times, wishing like everyone else that we could be watching basketball instead, has once again found a way to combine the two into our Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Bracket Challenge. Last year's competition saw Peter Gabriel overcome KISS in the championship.
The actual inductees may have already been chosen, but we find the process a little...encompassing. Sure, it's great that many performers across a range of genres get accepted into the Hall, but wouldn't it be a much more blockbuster affair if the nominees had to battle it out, tournament style?
With that in mind, we've arranged this year's 15 nominees into seeds (one lucky performer gets a bye) based on popularity among modern audiences, and then set them up in a bracket for you, the outspoken reader, to vote upon. At this time next week, we'll count up the votes in each matchup to decide who moves onto Elite 8.
Today vote on the "Roll" regional and then head over to the "Rock" regional if you haven't voted on that already. If you think we shafted your favorite act on seed choice...prove us wrong with your vote.
01) N.W.A. vs. 08) The Marvelettes
Due to there being only 15 nominees this year, yesterday's no. 1 seed, Lou Reed, got a bye but N.W.A. still has to play. No doubt that some readers will draw issue with the influential hip-hop group being given the no. 1 seed, just as there's controversy over whether a rap group belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to begin with. The collective came up short during 2014 when it was nominated for the first time but momentum may be on its side. For one, Straight Outta Compton has already generated headlines with its initial trailers. It may not hit theaters until August, but the hype is real. Another big happening? Dr. Dre and his Beats Electronics were bought out by Apple, making the former N.W.A. member an almost-billionaire. In other words, the group's influence persists well into the 21st Century. The lowest seed in the "Roll" region, The Marvelettes, join yesterday's low seed The Spinners in being an R&B vocal group responsible for a few classic tracks. The Marvelettes are known for the iconic no. 1 single "Please Mr. Postman," but they'll still going to struggle to overcome the more modern N.W.A. in Round 1.
No. 4 The Smiths vs. 05) WAR
The Smiths are simply one of the most influential rock bands of the last 40 years, laying the seeds for the Britpop movement in the UK and continuing to influence legions of alternative rock acts to this day, both with of Johnny Marr's guitar and Morrissey's lyrics. So why is the group only a no. 4 seed, even with all that influence? The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame may represent music the world over, but there's no doubt that the majority of the input comes from an American mindset. Despite the short list of outstanding albums from the group, more straightforward rock 'n' rollers would prefer to induct another Eric Clapton side project than listen to The Queen Is Dead. That's why the band is just now being nominated for the first time, despite being eligible for five years. WAR is a band that not enough listeners take seriously enough. Sure, everyone knows "The Low Rider" and "Why Can't We Be Friends?," but the band—a lifelong blender of funk, blues, R&B and world influences-is best represented in excellent albums such as The World Is A Ghetto.
03) Stevie Ray Vaughn vs. 06) Kraftwerk
Few showdowns in this first round are going to showcase legend versus influence as much as Stevie Ray Vaughn versus Kraftwerk. The former represents the legend: Was there anything especially groundbreaking about Vaughn's blues rock? No, but his status of a live performer puts him in an upper echelon of guitar players, short of Jimi Hendrix but perhaps no one else. It's one thing to sit and enjoy his soloing on hits such as "Texas Flood," but it was an entirely different thing to watch him play it live, stretching it out for lengthy jams, occasionally doing it behind his head. Kraftwerk certainly doesn't resonate as well with a mainstream audience, but no act in the history of electronic music is more influential. Listening to precise recordings of Ralf Hütter and company might not suggest the group has anything to do with the modern EDM scene, but its live shows influenced techno and every electronic genre to follow, syncing the music to lights and visual elements. The group's commitment to music as a science instead of pure entertainment was the only thing keeping it from the A-list.
02) Green Day vs. 07) The Paul Butterfield Blues Band Green Day is the second of two bands that receive high seeding in their first year of eligibility (the other was Nine Inch Nails, also a no. 2 seed yesterday). The California band is one of the most popular acts in the bracket this year and, as a result, one of the most controversial. Simply put, no punk band has even risen to such a level of mainstream acceptance as Green Day, following the release of Dookie. This has led many purists—fans of the hardcore bands of the '80s—to deny the trio its place in punk history. Perhaps Green Day has shifted its sound to a more pure rock approach since American Idiot but that too demonstrates the band's ability to adapt and remain relevant. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band is perhaps the most underrated group in this year's competition (as it was last year as well). The band's first three albums—its self-titled record, East-West and the immaculately-titled The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw—are three musts for blues rock fans everywhere.
