The Sin of Synth

Can you play rock on a guitar? Uh, yeah. Especially if it’s electric, but even if it’s acoustic.

What about a piano? Well, sure. Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard have to be in the Rock Hall, and they rocked plenty hard on their pianos. So did Elton John, Billy Joel… we talked about this already.

But for some reason, electrifying a piano makes it rock… less? And once you add a computer chip to it, and turn it into a synthesizer? Well, now you have almost completely turned off the Rock Hall.

There have been some ’80s acts— ones that debuted or peaked in that decade— in the Hall. But it feels like ’80s acts haven’t gotten in, because the ones that we identify as “’80s acts”— the New Wave ones, the ones that “sound like the ’80s”— aren’t in, as a rule.

Similarly, prog rock fans have been long lamenting the Hall’s shunning of their pet subgenre. Starting from a whole 'nother decade.

These two subgenres— New Wave and prog— have little in common from a compositional standpoint. But what they do have in common is the use of synthesizers. And their general exclusion from the Hall.

For some reason, the Hall does not consider synthesizer music worthy of inclusion. Sure, if your band has one, that’s fine. But if a synthesizer is the band’s lead instrument, don’t bother selling— the Hall ain’t buying.

But why? Again, it doesn’t matter to the Hall if a guitar is electrified or not. But it seems to matter way more than it should if you plug in your piano.

https://digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/best_keyboard.html

Update: It seems the stigma has been lifted! Glory be! In 2021, the Hall inducted Billy Preston (Musical Excellence), Kraftwerk (Early Influence), and Todd Rundgren (Performer). 

Then in 2022, they inducted Duran Duran and the Eurythmics (Performers) and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis (Ertegun Award). Also, Devo got their third nomination. 

Synth is no longer a sin, it seems, and synthesizers can be synonymous with rock. 

In 2023, Al Kooper-- who mostly played electric piano and organ-- was inducted with an Award for Musical Excellence. 

Can Rock be… Smart?

Rock ’n’ is party music, and the Rock Hall is totally fine with that. And as long as the party keeps going, it kind of doesn’t matter what the lyrics are. They can even address a political issue, make a point, or “send a message.”

And, as long as— and the kid in American Bandstand says— “it’s got a good beat and you can dance to it,” it’s all well and good.

But then there are the acts that prize brain over beat. And for those acts, the Rock Hall, well, takes a beat.

No doubt, there is tremendous literature-type brainpower among the Hall’s inductees as they stand. Some have been compared to, and even are, published poets. One has won the Nobel Prize for Literature!

But there are an equal number of such acts who have not gotten in… yet.

Again, nothing against straightforward lyrics. Sometimes a simple lyric is very powerful, and surprisingly hard to craft.

Also, nothing against nonsense lyrics. I have a dream to collect all the nonsense lyrics in one book; it could even spin off into a game in which players had to guess which na-na-na-na or sh-boom or shang-a-lang came from which song.

But it seems that only one, or maybe zero, poetic— OK, fine: “nerdy”— lyricist gets in a year. Meanwhile, many more wait to get picked. As nerds are used to doing.

Out of the 100 greatest songwriters in rock history, many (while eligible) are not yet in the Rock Hall:
https://www.rollingstone.com/interactive/lists-100-greatest-songwriters/

Update: Thinky performers Kraftwerk and Gil Scott-Heron were inducted as Early Influences in 2021. 

New Wave, one last time

I know… I already spoke about New Wave bands when lamenting the Rock Hall’s bias against synth-led bands. And I already said that, when the Hall’s nominating committee changes generational hands and Generation X takes over, ’80s bands will be indicted in droves regardless.

But I still think I have to make the case for New Wave bands. It’s hard to tell through all the computerized sounds, but musically, I think New Wave is the second coming of sock-hop music. It’s simple and fun, and it’s got a good beat you can dance to.

Still, those computerized sounds put some people off. Some feel that electrified guitars can make rock music… but electrified pianos can’t.

Yeah, I know, they are not just electric (amplified with electricity) but electronic… and computerized.

But… so what? When computers, synthesizers, and the sampling of sounds (not to be confused with “sampling,” which refers to reusing a phrase of existing music) made it into the studio, it just created a new playground for music-makers to explore. Is a kitchen table made with newly invented tools and materials no longer a table?

After all, the same was true of the studio itself altogether, when feedback, reverb, doubling (having a singer harmonize with themselves), and other then-new effects could be introduced to a song, during or even after recording.

New Wave is going to get into the Rock Hall, sooner or later. It’s time to realize that this genre is part of rock history, that it defined a generation… and that it’s pretty good music at that.

It would be nice if some of New Wave stars made it into the Hall while they were still alive to accept the honor in person, though. Some of them are... getting up there. 

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/what-new-wave-brought-rock-n-roll-180952447/

Update: I thought we would have to wait until all the Boomers were off the Nominating Committee, but I have seldom been happier to be wrong.

In 2021, The Go-Go's got Inducted, as did Tina Turner as a solo act. LL Cool J got in, also, but with an Award for Musical Excellence even though he if very much NOT a sideman. 

And then in 2022, Duran Duran and the Eurythmics got Inducted, as did Pat Benatar and Lionel Richie as a solo artist. So look for much more of the same-- Devo did not get in, but they did get their third nomination. Whip it good, as they say, it's not too late.