Dear Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,
I don't know what it takes to get included in to your exclusive club but I can only imagine that there has to be some kind of politics involved in the decision making..... What I mean by that is; I really don't get how your selection process works. Does your selection committee you just pick their favorites? or is there a rational way they go about choosing who gets in to your hall?
I am going to guess there is a list of qualifications that go in to choosing each years selections and I am going to make a small list of what I think that list may, in part, be included and in comparison, I'll show why the band Yes (my favorite group) has been overlooked by your committee for far too many years.
In the end perhaps you can tell me why it is that this band is not displayed in the halls of your institution along with all of rocks other trailblazers?
1) Influence on Rock: Along with Pink Floyd (who is in) Yes was one of the early (if not one of the first two) groups of what is known as Progressive Music. They paved the way for bands like ELP and Rush in the early years to groups like Muse and Porcupine Tree today to create music that is structured and not merely just three cords and a catchy beat to be heard and loved by millions of fans. Not only were they one of the early stalwarts of Progressive Music but are one of the only groups that evolved with the times to stay relevant in a given era's musical style, particularly in the 60's, 70's and 80's which brings me to point number two.
2) Record Sales: In the forty plus years Yes has been a recording act they have sold close to 50 million albums world wide and for the sake of this argument (since you are located in the United States) lets us use U.S. chart figures: From 1971 to 2011, eleven albums charted within the the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 200 album chart with seven of those albums reaching Top 10 status for lengthy amounts of time. All eleven albums,save for the latest one, Fly From Here (2011) achieving Gold &/or Platinum status from the RIAA (Recording industry association of America)
Not only has Yes had commercial album success but singles as well. In the U.S. alone, they have had five Billboard Top 40 hits including the song Owner of a Lonely Heart which reached #1 in January of 1984.
3) Fan Base: On the road for much of its 40 plus years, Yes has garnered a massive following. The numbers it still sees at its shows today proves that to be true. People of all ages flock to see them; I, myself have seen them 13 times since 1984 and I am in the minority with major Yes fans. They travel well. Rarely will you attend a show where there are many empty seats and never do you leave thinking the band is just going through the motions on stage. There is a true connection between the band and their fans. The proof of that can be seen if a former band member tours solo or with another group, the Yes faithful will almost always be at that show to show their support.
4) Legacy: Rare will you find a more widespread legacy than Yes. Throughout rock over the past 40 years you will undoubtedly find the Yes footprint on many of, not only rock, but all of music's floors. From Alan White (Yes drummer and member of the Plastic Ono Band) to the bands Asia (Steve Howe of Yes ) and The Buggles (Goeff Downes and Trevor Horn of Yes) to Rick Wakeman's (former Yes keyboardist) revolutionary rock opera shows in the 70s, Vangelis of Chariots of Fire fame (studio work with Jon Anderson) and the numerous Hollywood blockbuster soundtracks written and recorded by former Yes member Trevor Rabin, the Yes legacy is all over and can not be denied. Bands such as Toto, Led Zeppelin, Styx and many more have sought out and worked with current and former members of Yes because they know how musically strong the members of this band are.
So there you have it in a nutshell. How can a band with such accomplishments, following and influence on rock music not be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is beyond me. Perhaps you, the members of the selection committee can tell me what your rational is and what must a band of such commercial success, ingenuity and fan base do to enter your halls? I'm writing this as a letter to you, the hall of fame and as a blog to the masses to which I include my name and personal e-mail address. That is how serious I take this subject. I await your reply
Sincerely,
Dan Stehle
Lifelong Yes fan
tosol.dan@gmail.com
BRAVO!
ReplyDeleteThank ya Sir
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