This next batch features artists from electronica, reggae, punk, pop, alternative and hip-hop. Our first Rock Hall Contender will be spotlighted.
#80: Pet Shop Boys
Eligible Since 2010
Never Nominated
Essential Songs: “West End Girls” (1984), “Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money)” (1985), “Always on My Mind” (1987), “It’s a Sin” (1987), “What Have I Done to Deserve This?” (1987), “Being Boring” (1990)
What have the Pet Shop Boys done to deserve induction into the Rock Hall? This is a loaded question especially for a group who openly contemns the term “rock and roll.” In a 1986 interview, Chris Lowe famously said, “I don’t like country and western… I don’t like rockabilly or rock and roll. I don’t like rock music, really. But what I do like, I love passionately.” They even recorded a song titled “How I Learned to Hate Rock ‘n’ Roll,” so don’t ever call them rock stars. Pet Shop Boys are exemplary of rock and roll’s spirit in one vital way: they reject conformity and refused to be defined by anyone’s standards. But despite their contemptuous viewpoints on rock and roll, the Pet Shop Boys are one of the most revolutionary musical duos of the last four decades. They pushed the sonic possibilities of popular music by constantly evolving their sound and became one of synth-pop’s definitive acts. They use electronic-based musical beats accompanied by socially-conscious lyrics that made them a hit-making machine. They had one foot on the underground dance floor and the other on the mainstream pop charts. Their songs represent the plights of Thatcher-era Londoners such as poverty, class and AIDS. Their clever, self-aware and thought-provoking lyrics allowed their music to be taken seriously by critics and also embraced by a global audience. They were one of the few synth-pop acts to maintain consistent chart success in the U.S. with 5 top-ten hits including the #1 smash “West End Girls.” On one of their biggest hits “What Have I Done to Deserve This?,” they collaborated with soul legend Dusty Springfield and revitalized her career in the late 80s. And like other queer artists such as The B52’s, Melissa Etheridge and Indigo Girls, Pet Shop Boys became queer icons (vocalist Neil Tennent came out in the mid-90s; Chris Lowe has remained silent on his sexuality) who brought vague and ultra-catchy discussions of sexual identity to the forefront of pop music. Perhaps their most groundbreaking achievement is their usage of gender-neutral pronouns, something that was largely not done in pop music at the time. There is a dearth of queer representation amongst the Rock Hall inductees and Pet Shop Boys would be welcoming additions. Well, at least they’re never boring and that’s really the true spirit of rock and roll. When Billboard ranked the most successful Dance/Club artists of all time, only Madonna, Janet Jackson, Rihanna and Beyoncé ranked higher than the Pet Shop Boys (the highest-ranked duo on the list). The first two are Rock Hall inductees and the latter two will undoubtedly get inducted once they become eligible. Pet Shop Boys are one of the essential synth-pop acts who are among electronic music’s most critically-respected, prolific and commercially successful, having sold over 100 million records worldwide. And there’s a ton of Rock Hall connections throughout their career: collaborating with David Bowie, Elton John Madonna and Dusty Springfield and covering songs from Elvis Presley, U2 and Frankie Vallie. In fact, their version of Willie Nelson’s “Always on My Mind” was selected as the greatest cover song ever in a 2012 BBC poll. They don’t get enough credit for being one of music’s great interpreters and always making any song entirely their own. With the “lockdown remix” of their iconic “West End Girls” released earlier this summer and a slew of lifetime achievement awards given to them in recent years, a Rock Hall nomination might be on the horizon for these synth-pop pioneers.
#79: Toots and the Maytals
Eligible Since 1988
Never Nominated
Essential Songs: “54-46 That’s My Number” (1968), “Do the Reggay” (1968), “Sweet and Dandy” (1968), “Monkey Man” (1969) “Pressure Drop” (1969), “Funky Kingston” (1972)
It’s been over a decade since the Rock Hall has inducted—let alone nominated—a reggae artist and it’s high time they consider another from this vastly-underrepresented genre. Perhaps Toots and the Maytals have the best argument for a nomination. They did, after all, coin the genre’s namesake thanks to their 1968 hit “Do the Reggay” and they’re simply too important to the development of reggae not to appear on this list. Although they are probably more well-known in their native Jamaica, they absolutely deserve induction into the Rock Hall. “Pressure Drop,” one of their most well-known songs, appears on the iconic soundtrack The Harder They Come, a film that propelled reggae to the forefront of popular music on a global level. The song appears at #453 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs and covered by legendary British punk rockers The Clash and The Specials. Speaking of Rolling Stone, they selected vocalist Toots Hibbert as one of their 100 Greatest Singers (#71) and compared his vocal style to the legendary Otis Redding. Toots and the Maytals blended several musical styles such as ska, gospel, soul, calypso and rock and roll to become one of the architects and ambassadors of reggae. Toots and the Maytals also collaborated with several inductees over the years including Keith Richards, Bootsy Collins, Bonnie Raitt, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton—all of whom would gladly cast a vote for them if they ever appear on an official ballot. Just take a glance at the all-star lineup featured on their 2004 album True Love, which won the Grammy for Best Reggae Album, that includes Willie Nelson, No Doubt, Trey Anastastio and Ben Harper. But, for Rock Hall consideration purposes, the big takeaway is that Questlove also appears on the album with his band The Roots. This could be the vital connection that leads to their nomination, if that ever happens. And oh wait…Rolling Stone did a story earlier this year where they proclaimed Hibbert as the “world’s greatest living reggae singer” on the heels of their latest song “Warning Warning,” a politically-charged track focusing on social injustices. A few weeks after the release of Got to Be Tough (2020), their newest album in a decade, Hibbert passed away from COVID-19 last September. There’s even a “Reggae Archivist” campaigning to get them on the next ballot and they already gotten 3,000+ signatures! Island Records founder/producer and 2001 inductee Chris Blackwell, who famously worked with the Maytals and other reggae artists, once said, were unlike anything else ... sensational, raw and dynamic.” That alone is a arousing seal of approval for Toots and the Maytals’ Rock Hall candidacy.
#78: No Doubt
Eligible Since 2018
Never Nominated
Essential Songs: “Don’t Speak” (1995), “Just a Girl” (1995), “Spiderwebs” (1995), “Simple Kind of Life” (2000), “Hella Good” (2001), “It’s My Life” (2003)
When Gwen Stefani graced the cover of Rolling Stone in 2005, they declared she’s “the only true female rock star left on radio or MTV.” Whether that’s true is debatable, but there’s no denying Stefani as one of the biggest music stars of the last quarter-century. Sometimes the Rock Hall needs to induct artists who bring star power and she is definitely one of those names. And when she does get inducted into the Rock Hall someday, it will be with her band No Doubt. No Doubt’s origins start in late 1980s Anaheim when Gwen and her brother Eric started a band with a few friends. After playing at local venues, they signed a record deal to Interscope Records in 1990 and released their self-titled debut in 1992. The blending of Alternative, Pop, Punk and Ska allowed them to develop their sound, but the album sold poorly. Eric would leave the band shortly thereafter and the band was in a state of turmoil. Bassist Tony Kanal ended a 7-year relationship with Gwen and somehow managed to keep the band alive. The breakup resulted in their commercial breakthrough “Don’t Speak,” an uncharacteristic ballad that made them bonda-fine superstars in the mid-1990s. Tragic Kingdom (1995) also featured the hits “Just a Girl” and Spiderwebs” and would eventually be diamond-certified by the RIAA. Legal disputes would delay their next album Return of Saturn (2000) for several years. Despite glowing critical reviews and the top-40 hit “A Simple Kind of Life,” the album sold nearly an eighth of Tragic Kingdom. Influenced heavily by 80s New Wave and Jamaican music, they recorded Rock Steady (2001) in Jamaica and worked with in-demand producers such as William Orbit, The Neptunes, Sly & Robbie. The album marked a comeback for No Doubt, selling nearly 3 million copies and winning 2 Grammys. When Rolling Stone revealed its initial list of the 500 Greatest Albums list in 2003, both Rock Steady (#316) and Tragic Kingdom (#441) made the cut (although both were removed in the 2012 and 2020 updates). For their greatest hits album, The Singles 1992-2003, they remade Talk Talk’s “It’s My Life” and brought it to the top-ten. From Return of Saturn onward, Stefani collaborated on other artists’ songs including “South Side” (with Moby) and “Let Me Blow Ya Mind” (with Eve) and eventually transitioned to a successful solo career starting with Love. Angel. Music. Baby. (2004). No Doubt would return in 2012 with the release of Push and Shove, their sixth album and most recent, which sold over 100,000 copies in its first week. In many ways, it’s easy to label No Doubt a 90s version of Blondie but the comparisons are astounding: musically adaptable, pop friendly and some of the fiercest female vocalists in modern music. Plus, did I mention 2020 inductee Irving Azoff—the man responsible for the inductions of Bon Jovi and Stevie Nicks— is one of their clients? Expect their name to come up sooner or later, especially now more 90s-era artists are becoming eligible.
#77: Neil Sedaka
Eligible Since 1986
Never Nominated
Essential Songs: “Oh! Carol” (1959), “Stairway to Heaven” (1960), “Calendar Girl” (1960), “Breaking Up is Hard to Do” (1962), “Laugher in the Rain” (1974), “Bad Blood” (1975)
Here’s a bold statement: if Neil Sedaka emerged at the tail end of the British Invasion era when singer-songwriters dominated the charts in late 60s and early 70s, he’d already be inducted into the Rock Hall. Sedaka’s Hall candidacy ultimately boils down to being at the wrong place at the wrong time. His clean-cut image and infectious pop sensibilities made him look like a square when compared to the likes of Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent. But unlike most teen idols, such as Ricky Nelson and Pat Boone, Sedaka wrote his own songs and became one of the most prolific and popular musicians from 1958-63. A Juilliard-trained pianist, the Brooklyn-born Sedaka ditched classical music for a career in pop music where he worked for the famous Brill Building as a songwriter. Working alongside Carole King and Gerry Goffin, Sedaka’s big break came when he wrote “Stupid Cupid” (1958) for Connie Francis and soon thereafter embarked on a recording career and signed with RCA. Like Francis, he was one of the first rock stars to record in foreign languages and became one of the first international superstars, thus establishing himself as a major touring attraction overseas. His career stalled just as the British Invasion invaded America where he endured a decade-long dry spell on the charts. He experienced a late-career resurgence in the mid-1970s when he signed to Elton John’s Rocket Records label and recorded 2 #1 hits: “Laughter in the Rain” and “Bad Blood.” A re-recording of his former #1 “Breaking Up is Hard to Do” reached the top-ten again in 1976, becoming one of the few musicians to accomplish such a feat on the Billboard Hot 100. He also continued to write for other artists, most notably Captain & Tennelle for their #1 “Love Will Keep Us Together,” and would write over 700 songs. Perhaps one could make a case that he belongs as a songwriter, but that undervalues his contributions to rock and roll as a performer. He deserves credit as one of the artists who helped keep rock and roll alive when its foundational artists (e.g., Berry, Richard, Lewis) fizzled before the rise of the Beatles. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame back in 1983 (almost 4 decades ago!) and there’s even a street named after him in Brooklyn, but he is still not inducted into the Rock Hall in any capacity. In an interview last year, Sedaka spoke about his omission from the Rock Hall: “I’m not sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, so I doubt whether I’ll ever be in that. They consider me bubblegum music, which I don’t think is fair.” Although Sedaka seems unsure he’ll ever get inducted, he deserves more consideration especially considering he just turned 81. I’m always a proponent to honor artists where they are still alive and enjoy it. Despite the perceived ‘bad blood’ between Sedaka and the Rock Hall, he’s still one of rock’s finest and most respected singer-songwriters of the rock and roll era.
#76: De La Soul
Eligible Since 2014
Never Nominated
Essential Songs: “Eye Know” (1989), “The Magic Number” (1989), “Me, Myself & I” (1989), “Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)” (1991), “Breakadawn” (1993), “Stakes is High” (1996)
Hailing from Long Island, New York, the trio De La Soul became one of the leaders of both the Native Tongues movement and the alternative hip-hop scene in the late 1980s. Radically different from the militancy of gangsta and hardcore rap at the time, De La Soul could be best described as hip-hop’s hippies who were deeply influenced by the iconography of 60s-era psychedelia. From the album cover of their breakthrough debut 3 Feet High and Rising (1989) to sampling 60s artists to their concept of the “D.A.I.S.Y. Age” (Da Inner Soul Y’all), they’re the flower power children of the alternative hip-hop revolution. Their pleas for harmony and peace allowed them to be humorous and playful with their songwriting and music. They popularized the use of spoken-word skits, for better or worse, which became mainstays on hip-hop albums. De La Soul became instant stars and critical darlings but it came with a price. Their liberal use of sampling resulted in a lawsuit with the 60s band The Turtles that forever changed how hip-hop artists cleared licensing rights. But there’s no mistaking the album’s legacy: preserved in the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry (2010) and #103 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums list (2020 update). “Me, Myself and I” appears on the Rock Hall’s list of the Songs That Shaped Rock & Roll. They did shed their hippie instincts on their follow-up, the defiantly-titled, De La Soul is Dead (1991) which features a black-and-white image of a broken flower pot. But their psychedelic image never really wore off and resulted in lukewarm sales and they became more of a cult act. Their originality and innovations are usually the markers of what the nominating committee usually looks for, but De La Soul has one big problem: their catalog is not available on any streaming service. Legal disputes, again, have prevented their music to be released digitally due to their record label (Warner Bros. at the time) not clearing the sampling rights. Things looked good when Tommy Boy Records took over their catalog but the label apparently gave them a low percentage of the royalties and the trio refused. Now their music is no one to be found as their physical CDs are out-of-print. One step forward, two steps back: that might as well be the story of their career. These legal disputes have significantly hurt their chances to get discovered (or rediscovered) by younger listeners. Until this is resolved, De La Soul will likely not receive a Rock Hall nomination anytime soon. Their brand of quirkiness definitely fills a much-needed void that is essential to the history of hip-hop and needs to be represented in the Rock Hall. I suspect the artists they influenced (e.g., OutKast, Kanye West) will likely have to get in before De La Soul is even considered.
#75: Daft Punk
Eligible Since 2020
Never Nominated
Essential Songs: “Da Funk” (1995), “Around the World” (1997), “One More Time” (2000), “Digital Love” (2001), “Harder Better Faster Stronger” (2001), “Get Lucky” (2013)
Despite its popularity worldwide, the Rock Hall has yet to induct a pure electronic artist in the performers category. Kraftwerk has been nominated 6 times to no avail, even when their predecessors Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails get inducted first. One of the genre’s most recent and biggest names Daft Punk should absolutely be considered for induction. They became eligible last year but their importance to the popularization of electronic dance music (EDM) cannot be overstated. The group consists of Parisians Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter who don helmets to conceal their physical identities and rarely grant interviews. They became arguably the definitive House act who maintained their anonymity and controlled their artistic vision for nearly a quarter-century. Their blend of electronic, funk, disco and rock helped them create one of EDM’s most influential and ubiquitous sounds. They painstakingly focus on the smallest details in their productions which often leads them to working on a single album for several years at a time. But they are completely in control of their music and image, something very few artists possess in the music industry. Ever since the release of their debut album Homework (1997), Daft Punk have been at the forefront of EDM and became one of many electronic artists that popularize the genre to a global audience. They had hits such as “Around the World” and “One More Time,” but their biggest commercial success came with the release of Random Access Memories (2013). Spearheaded by the Nile Rodgers-Pharrell Williams collaboration “Get Lucky,” the song became a monster smash and Daft Punk swept the following year’s Grammys: winning 5 including the awards for Album and Record of the Year. It was recently ranked at #295 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums list. They continued their success with a string of collaborations with The Weeknd including the #1 hit “Starboy.” Acts with as much longevity as Daft Punk should be considered locks for induction into the Rock Hall someday. Beyond commercial success, Daft Punk are well-liked by critics who praised their futuristic and adventurous studio recordings, much of which laid the blueprints for modern EDM. Their song “One More Time” appears on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs list (#307) and would serve as an incredible all-star jam. It’s hard to believe, but Daft Punk became eligible for the Rock Hall last year alongside the likes of Weezer, Oasis and the newly-inducted Notorious B.I.G. Daft Punk will have to wait until after Kraftwerk gets inducted (seriously will that ever happen?), but they are probably the only other sure-fire electronic artist who gets in the Rock Hall someday. A live performance alone could sell me on a Daft Punk induction. Given the big names they worked with over the years, they could recruit some of the industry’s biggest names for an incredible set. Remember their highly-memorable performance at Coachella from 2006? The LCD-lit pyramid set would be an incredible way for the Rock Hall to cement Daft Punk’s legacy.
#74: X
Eligible Since 2004
Never Nominated
Essential Songs: “We’re Desperate” (1978), “Johny Hit and Run Pauline” (1980), “Nausea” (1980), “Los Angeles” (1980), “White Girl” (1981), “Under the Big Black Sun” (1982)
While they certainly weren’t the first punk rock band to emerge from L.A. in the late 1970s, X were arguably the most musically-talented and creative. At a time when punk was too masculine, intense and violent, X rejuvenated a punk scene desperately seeking substance. Instead of relying on minimalist musical instincts and techniques, X inserted a unique blend of rockabilly, hard rock and bluegrass/country within a punk aesthetic that allowed them to stand out. Exene Cervenka and John Poe’s bleakly poetic lyrics and beautifully-sung vocals make them one of rock music’s most underrated musical partnerships. Billy Zoom’s rockabilly-style of guitar-playing and DJ Brombrake’s virtuoso drumming made X an essential live band of the LA. punk rock scene as seen in the iconic documentary The Decline of Western Civilization (1981). They captured the dark human nature of their environment and made some of the greatest records of the 1980s. If innovation and influence mattered, X would’ve already been inducted into the Rock Hall. But they were not commercially successful and that severely hurts their Rock Hall chances, especially in the wake of the populist push of the last decade. X, however, has one thing in their favor: they are beloved by critics, who make up a good majority of both the nominating committee and the voting body. Los Angeles and Wild Gift are often ranked amongst the greatest records ever made. Rolling Stone ranked both albums on their 500 Greatest Albums list, although only the former made the cut in the revised 2020 list (#320). “Los Angeles” does appear on the Rock Hall’s “Songs That Shaped Rock & Roll” list and they have been named-dropped several times at ceremonies over the years (e.g., Pearl Jam, Joan Jett). And if inductees are singing your praises as a major influence on their work, then that artist should probably be considered for induction into the Rock Hall. Yeah, X didn’t sell a ton of records but they are unquestionably one of the most influential and distinct punk bands who took the genre to new directions. Rock Hall Inductees Nirvana, Green Day and Pearl Jam have acknowledged X’s influence on their work and these are three bands inducted in their first year of eligibility. If X inspired those three, then yeah they should totally be considered ASAP. With a new album out this year (the first with the original lineup in 35 years), 2021 will probably be the best opportunity for X to score their first-ever Rock Hall nomination. For more insight on X, check out this installment of the “Rock Hall Contenders” series spotlighting their career, impact and Rock Hall chances.
#73: Tori Amos
Eligible Since 2016
Never Nominated
Essential Songs: “Silent After All These Years” (1991), “Winter” (1992), “Cornflake Girl” (1994), “God” (1994), “Spark” (1998), “A Sorta Fairytale” (2002)
A case could be made that Tori Amos is not only the most influential female singer-songwriter of the last 3 decades, but she also set the template for the booming 1990s alternative rock female singer-songwriters movement. Amos is, at once, a throwback to the musical styles of 70s singer-songwriters (e.g., Carole King, Carly Simon) but with a alternative-rock-leaning approach to lyric-writing (in the confessional style of Joni Mitchell). She also emphasized theatrics in her performances, most notably in the vein of Kate Bush. She also brought the piano back as a primary rock instrument that allowed others to follow in her footsteps. But Amos is a singular talent who’s music is complex, artistic, unapologetic and utterly original. A musical child prodigy, she won a Peabody Institute scholarship at John Hopkins University and became their youngest-ever attendee at age 5. Combining her dislike of reading music and her increasing interest in popular music (in particular rock and the music of Led Zeppelin), she was “expelled” six years later for, as Amos told Rolling Stone, “musical insubordination.” She spend the next several years playing at various venues including gay bars, which is wild considering her father was a church minister. She would later relocate to Los Angeles and struggled as a burgeoning musician until she signed a record deal with Atlantic Records in 1987. Her major-label debut Little Earthquake (1992) became Amo’s commercial and critical breakthrough and established herself as one of the leading female rock talents of the decade. Although she fared better on the European charts (especially in England), Amos’ albums sold steadily in the U.S.: all 5 of her studio albums went at least platinum (the first two went double-platinum) and she was nominated for 8 Grammy awards. She also co-founded RAINN (Rape Abuse and Incest National Network) and became the organization’s first spokesperson. Her 1991 song “Me & My Gun” discusses the details of her sexual assault that occurred in her early 20s. Amos’ tireless advocacy for women’s rights could serve as an inspiration for the current #MeToo movement. Earlier this year, she released the boldly and timely-titled memoir Resistance, a New York Times bestseller detailing how politics (literally and personally, but also in terms of the music industry) affected her life and career. Resistance comes in the wake of a major reassessment of 90s female singer-songwriters releasing new work recently (e.g., Alanis Morissette, Fiona Apple). While Amos’ songs might lack name recognition, she cemented her status as one of rock’s most prolific, acclaimed and influential singer-songwriters. And an added bonus: she collaborated with 2020 inductee Trent Reznor on her song “Crucify” (1994) and he even admitted in an interview that he listened to Amos’ Little Earthquakes every day while recording his magnum opus The Downward Spiral (1994).
#72: The Jam
Eligible Since 2003
Never Nominated
Essential Songs: “In the City” (1977), “Down in the Tube Station at Midnight” (1978), “The Eton Rifles” (1979), “Going Underground” (1980), “That’s Entertainment” (1980), “Town Called Malice” (1982)
When punk exploded on the British music scene in the late 1970s, The Jam quickly emerged as one of the era’s fastest rising bands. Fronted by the teenaged Paul Weller, The Jam had the energy of punk rock while also harboring back to the sounds of the British Invasion movement from a decade earlier. Weller, inspired by 60s mod culture, looked to bands such as The Who, The Kinks and Small Faces as inspiration and added some much needed pop and soul to the English punk scene. His superb songwriting skills made him a sharp social critic but also made The Jam legendary. He captured the frustrations of a generation searching for answers in all the wrong places. Unlike, say, The Clash, The Jam never found success in the U.S. Perhaps Weller’s songwriting focused too specifically on English culture and politics and American audiences couldn’t identify with it. “Town Called Malice” is probably the lone Jam song any American would know and if that’s iffy because their music was rarely played on American radio stations. None of The Jam’s songs charted on the Billboard Hot 100. There’s more of a universality in The Clash’s music even those both bands largely discuss the same topics and issues in their songs. Listening to any Jam song is a band that is distinctively English, almost to a fault, but that’s only half the answer of why they didn’t become big in the U.S. Rather, they broke up too prematurely as other bands of their era (cough The Clash cough) found international notary. Weller simply got bored with The Jam, both lyrically and musically, and shifted his attention more towards R&B and new wave styles. And there’s nothing wrong with Weller wanting to adapt as an artist, but I often wonder whether The Jam could’ve been found commercial success in the U.S. if they stuck around for a few more years. Either way, Weller should be inducted into the Rock Hall in some regard. He’s one of the most influential, prolific and acclaimed English musicians of the last half-century. His consistently excellent output should be rewarded. His best shot for induction is with The Jam who could probably secure a nomination in the near future. They lacked the commercial success in America often needed for induction, but that doesn’t take away their importance as leaders of the booming English punk scene. The Jam were briefly featured on Marc Bolan’s variety show in the T. Rex package so perhaps that’s a sign they’re on the Rock Hall’s radar.
#71: Lesley Gore
Eligible Since 1989
Never Nominated
Essential Songs: “Judy’s Turn to Cry” (1963), “It’s My Party” (1963), “She’s a Fool” (1963), “You Don’t Own Me” (1963), “Maybe I Know” (1964), “California Nights” (1967)
The first time I remember hearing a Lesley Gore song was in the final sequence of the hit comedy The First Wives Club (1996). In the scene, the leading women (Bette Midler, Diane Keaton and Goldie Hawn) belt out a rendition of Gore’s 1964 hit “You Don’t Own Me” which reintroduced the song to a younger generation. The song was revolutionary when it was first released: basically a woman telling a man she doesn’t need him and she’ll be just fine. Pop songs of that time rarely injected feminist leanings as boldly as “You Don’t Own Me” did. Just as people were reading Betty Friedman’s The Feminine Mystique (1963), they were hearing Gore’s song and both works were fundamentally important to the rise of second-wave feminism in the mid-60s. Beyond that one iconic song, Gore was one of the biggest teen music stars of the decade. Her debut single “It’s My Party” (1963) went to the top of the charts, all before her 18th birthday, and she became an overnight star. She became a regular on several television programs such as American Bandstand and even appeared in the iconic concert film The T.A.M.I. Show (1964), a film preserved in the National Film Registry and featured so many Rock Hall inductees in their prime (e.g., James Brown, The Beach Boys, The Supremes, The Rolling Stones). Her producer Quincy Jones, who’s name was well-established in the jazz world, became a force in pop music thanks to his successful collaborations with Gore. She would score nearly half-dozen top-40 hits by the end of the decade, several of which went top-10. Like the male teen idols of that era, Gore’s songs capture the angst and heartbreak of a teenager but from a woman’s perspective. It’s almost as if she was one of a million female fans experiencing the same hardships and frustrations. But there’s an added layer to Gore’s star persona: she was a closeted lesbian. At a time when pop stars couldn’t be more open about their sexual identities, Gore almost entirely abandoned the music industry and pursued a college education at Sarah Lawrence where she became more politically active. When she came out in 2004, Gore’s became an LGBTQ rights icon and used her music in more overtly political ways such as using “You Don’t Own Me” for a 2012 PSA on women’s reproductive rights. Even after her 2015 death, the song took on new meaning as an anthem for the #MeToo Movement. She was primarily a singles artist, like most 50s and 60s artists, and shouldn’t be a knock against her Rock Hall candidacy. Her strong body of work speaks for itself and many of them are timeless classics. Gore’s status as one the premier pop stars of her time, who later became a queer icon, should be recognized.
Thoughts? Comments? Let me know in the comments section below and/or on Twitter.
Credit for Photos: Pet Shop Boys, Toots and the Maytals, No Doubt, Neil Sedaka, De La Soul, Daft Punk, X, Tori Amos, The Jam, Lesley Gore