In the case of Donna Summer, the roots of her music were not in disco but in what came to be called 'Europop' which was a blend of American soul music and the more elaborate pop exotica coming out of Europe in the early '70s, like the Chakachas' "Jungle Fever" and what Frank Farian was doing with Boney M in Germany. In the event, I think many of her best singles certainly rocked enough and were soulful enough to merit her inclusion, like "Hot Stuff," "Heaven Knows" and the remarkable and hypnotic "I Feel Love." She was also the only star of any note to emerge from the disco genre with much respect, a credit not only to her talent and good sense but those of her producers and writers as well. Public Enemy I can't really speak about--not my kind of thing--but they owe more than a little to Parliament/Funkadelic (most rap does) and who would deny George Clinton and Bernie Worrell their creds?
Well, MY idea of 'genuine female rock artists' started with the Ronettes and Shangri-Las. But if you mean women with a guitar, we can go back further to Sylvia Robinson (of Mickey & Sylvia), the ladies Bo Diddley used to tour with, and rockin' girl groups like Fanny, the Runaways (and of course Joan Lett and Lita Ford), among others. The Heart of DREAMBOAT ANNIE, MAGAZINE and some of the early Portrait records IMO is HOF worthy, but that dreadful 80's edition? Popular, but artistically useless, hopelessly compromised by ambition and desperation and, like the equally dreadful Starship, chose success and commercialism over any pretense at originality or (sigh) creativity. Can you imagine the head shaking people would have done if Tom Petty or Bruce Springsteen had decided to throw it away like that just because a few records didn't sell? Or that it was easier to become hacks than it was to follow their own path, hell or high water?
If longevity were a criteria for HOF induction, there are more than a few acts that simply wouldn't be in because they didn't last that long. But I'd take the New York Dolls' or MC5's meager catalogs over five years of Rush, let alone forty. Good band, solid and consistent, but when it comes to memorable rock music, not a lot comes to mind, to be honest. I've never disliked them, but they've rarely impressed me a lot, either. But again, I don't mind their induction, though I think it's a real borderline choice. Which might also be the case for those still waiting, like the Monkees and Moody Blues, to name two. But how you can induct Rush and ignore a talent like Johnny Rivers, whose run of hits from 1964-67 on Imperial were among the best and most consistent of any American rocker, is beyond me. In fact, how you can induct an ingratiating mump like Billy Joel and not Rivers is for me mystifying. And Johnny's albums were pretty hot, too!
ED
