Our hometown musical hero and recent Tucson Weekly cover star, Linda Ronstadt, has been nominated among other legendary musicians for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but does she have a shot? The rock critics and other music industry types who will vote for this year’s inductees will select from a list of sixteen musical acts (regular folk will be able to vote online for “the people’s ballot”), but it’s more entertaining to think of the process as a series of showdowns, pitting one band against another in the quest for immortality.

Here are the matchups as we’d like to see them.

Nirvana VS The Replacements: It’s both band’s first year to eligible for the hall of fame. It’s been twenty years since Nirvana’s lead singer Kurt Cobain’s death, and even though The Replacements are enjoying a surge of notoriety due to their recent reunion shows, I think it’s a given that Nirvana will be inducted. Maybe next year Replacements.

KUSS Vs Hall and Oates:  Do you think the multimillion dollar KISS franchise cares if they make some hall of fame? You know what sounds better than hall of fame induction? Going on a cruise with KISS. I think Hall and Oates is long over due for a nomination and I’m confident that this is their year.

Join us on The KISS Kruise III from Sixthman TV on Vimeo.

LL Cool J VS N.W.A.: Who taught you how to say “fuck the police” and is considered as one of the most important groups in rap history? Not the guy on NCIS: Los Angeles. 

Link Wray VS The Meters: My money is on The Meters. Link Wray has one good song. An awesome name, but one good song.

Yes VS The Zombies: This is a close one. The Zombies have been around longer. That has to count for something, right?

Other nominees include Deep Purple, Chic, Paul Butterfield Blues Band and Cat Stevens. The winners will be inducted in April at a ceremony in New York City.

(via Rolling Stone)

This article appears in Oct 17-23, 2013.

5 replies on “Tucson’s Linda Ronstadt Was Nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”

  1. Should she be in the HOF? She has done nothing to warrant it.But will she make it?Yes.The HOF inductee’s are based on politics not talent.The HOF is an embarrassment to the genre.

  2. Ronstadt has more rock and roll cred and talent than many who are in this silly sanctimonious institution. The most gorgeous voice of the rock and roll era. No one who hung so closely with Neil Young and Keith Richards should be denied.

  3. That’s right.Hanging out with real rock stars qualifies you for the HOF.Sweet Jesus.Dumbest thing I’ve read on the internet in months.

  4. A little history, Linda was a pariah in this city for years (decades?). Ask around. Link Wray had more than one good song, he had one big hit but many good songs. He also inspired and jammed with half the greats from the 60’s and 70’s. Heck, he probably invented a quarter of the guitar sound of the 60’s to 80’s. Just to throw in a thought, BTW, I listened to Link play jazz versions of classical music, turn folk or country into classical guitar pieces etc for an hour at a time. The man could play anything, anyway, ask the people he frequently jammed with…Hendrix, Vaughan, Richards, Harrison, Lennon, Cippolina, Page, Townsend and so on. Yeah, I know, many are gone like he is, hey, it’s 2013. I’ve seen about 400-450 guitarists from Ike Turner to Eric Clapton, blues, jazz, rock, prog, punk and classical. name players, Link was among the best. Gibson even invented the SG for him, I’ve seen it, heard it, he amazed with it.

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