Has the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Moved On From ’50s and ’60s Artists?
Chris Willman Music WriterAnyone who’s had a longtime preset for a rock or pop oldies station is well aware of the generational shift: “Oldies” now almost entirely means the late ’70s and especially 1980s and ’90s, with rarely a pre-1970 tune to be found that isn’t the Beatles. Even given the recurring resurgence of the Fab Four, you’re still more likely to hear “Hungry Like the Wolf,” “Here Comes the Rain Again” or even “Hey Ya” than “Hey Jude” on an oldies station.So maybe it should be no surprise that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame should be subject to the same gravitational forces, more interested in artists that still have active careers, or as active as the 25-years-since-first-commercial-recording eligibility rule allows, rather than the dearly departed or semi-retired. Mind you, early-rock wild cards could still be found regularly sneaking onto the ballot until a decade or so ago… only to usually be rejected by the wider contingent of voters in favor of artists who still walk and rock among us.