…or so argues Annie Zaleski for Salon Magazine.

I’ve heard this argument in support of Cheap Trick before but I’m somewhat torn.  I think the band made some very good music but there are others still not in the Hall of Fame that I personally feel are more deserving of entry.  Music is, after all, nothing more than about one’s personal taste!

This then is a list of musical acts so far not in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame:

http://www.futurerocklegends.com/The_Snub_List.php

Looking over the list, I feel there are many (in fact most!) of these acts should be in the Hall of Fame.  I’ll mention a few below that struck me as particularly egregious in their not being in the Hall.  Note that many of these picks represent bands I DO NOT have ANY of their songs on my Hard Drive.  But it is impossible not to acknowledge their influence to music in general:

The Carpenters – as with Cheap Trick I’m not a huge fan, but it is undeniable how popular they were in their heyday.  Sure they could be considered shmaltzy today, but there’s something about Karen Carpenter’s voice…

The Cars – A group I’m quite fond of.  They had a unique new wave sound and plenty of hits.

Def Leopard – Another band I don’t really care all that much about.  But, again, for many years they released a spate of very popular songs and, even though I’m not a fan, feel they should be in the Hall.

Depeche Mode – Have several of their albums, am a fan.  They have a strong list of hit songs and are certainly deserving of entry.

The Doobie Brothers – Not a fan of their music.  In fact, whenever one of their songs comes on the radio I move on to another station.  Having said that, they were a very big act and their music is clearly very popular with many.

Iron Maiden – Have a few of their albums but don’t consider myself a terribly big fan.  Having said that, they are certainly a very popular band worldwide.

Journey – Don’t stop believing… When I was in high school, I really liked their album Escape (which had that song).  Apart from that album, I never was a huge fan of the group but, again, they created some very popular music.

The Moody Blues – Again, not a huge fan but they’ve created some really solid work.

Siouxie and the Banshees – Am a BIG fan of their music.  Very big fan.  They’ve created some wonderful songs and should be in the Hall.

Man, I really like tnem.  Here’s another:

T. Rex – A strange omission.  Again, not a huge fan of T. Rex but there is no doubt they blazed a trail that many, including David Bowie, would follow.

Yes – Another band I’m not a huge fan of, but they’re not in the Hall yet?!?

So there you have it.  Again, I’m not trying to slight any of the many others on the list.  In fact, many -perhaps even most!- of them could easily be on this brief list.  But why repeat the whole thing?

As they say, your mileage may vary.