The Torch of Rock Authenticity: 2021's HOF Inductees

Not particularly bothered about any of these.

"Hello It's Me" is an easy vote for me. I picked biggest hits because it's objectively measurable. I'd probably go with "99 Problems" over anything not by Todd Rundgren, but not Jay-Z's biggest hit. I don't think I've ever heard "Best of You."

I really like the Carole King, Go-Gos, and Todd Rundgren songs but went with Rundgren in the end.

"We Got the Beat" is the best song here by a wide margin.

i can hear the chorus of "the best of you" in my head but im honestly not sure if ive actually heard it or if im just imagining what a FF song called "the best of you" probably sounds like

theres boring plodding drums, big compressed guitars and hes yelling "the best! of you!" like hes getting kicked in the nuts

and yet, buried deep, the subtle early influences of kraftwerk and charley patton

I rank all three female-driven entries above all three male-driven ones.

poor jay-z represented by one of his very corniest songs.

gonna go for todd the god, probably

Jay is like 90s Aerosmith now, half his audience never even heard him when he was good

“Hello It’s Me” lives in me as an Isleys song, so it’s not eligible here. leaning towards “It’s Too Late”

Todd then Tina then Carole then don't give a shit about the rest

(have a total Go-Go's blindspot/ignorance so that's no diss on them)

Tina, followed by Go-Gos

Jay is like 90s Aerosmith now, half his audience never even heard him when he was good

― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, May 12, 2021 1:21 PM bookmarkflaglink

there was a kid who sat behind me at the first Jay-Z show I went to in 2011, obnoxiously playing his iPOD loudly without headphones, 99 Problems on repeat, and then he finally said "ok, I'm gonna play an OLD SCHOOL Jay-Z track, I doubt many of these people remember this one", and it was a song from Jay-Z/Linkin Park Collision Course.

Tina, Carole, Go-Go's. Would have easily been Go-Go's if it had been any of their other hits.

"What's Love Got to Do with It" and it's not close.

There is (or was recently) an all-kid, mostly preteen by the looks of them, rock band in my neighborhood who play at block parties and they do "We Got the Beat" in their set. So there.

In order:

1. "Hello It's Me"
2. "It's Too Late"

Rundgren and King have an advantage in this poll in that those would be considered their greatest songs by most people. I'd be voting for "It's Too Late" in many polls.

3. "What's Love Got to Do With It," "We Got the Beat," and "Empire State of Mind"--big hits I'm equally tired of.

4. The song I don't know.

i envy you people who don't know that foo fighters song

Is it the one Prince sang at the Super Bowl?

Yup

I liked it okay when Prince did it, spared myself listening to any other version

whenever I hear it it reminds me of this so I can't help but like it a little

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTte01kdG_k

I don't really like any of these songs all that much but I'll go with the Go-Go's.

If you like 70's piano ballads with lots of maj7 chords, you've got two solid options here.

I like all of these songs exept the Foo Fighters.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

we got the beat

the groove is undeniable

Would have voted for Tina if We Don't Need Another Hero was her entry.

“We Got The Beat” always sounded like a fake B-52’s to me as a kid. Todd The God all the way.

"We Got the Beat" - v good pop-rock banger

"It's Too Late" - I have a vague idea of what this might be, a wafty AM pop thing that goes "it's too late baby, oh it's too late," but no idea of it as a song beyond that

"Empire State of Mind" - sounds like it was written as a closing number for a cheesy but bearable Broadway musical. Jay does not sound like someone who used to be able to rap

"What's Love Got to Do with It" - serviceable classic rock FM fodder

"Hello It's Me" - never heard this

"Best of You" - never heard this, if the Cicierega is any indicator then it sucks

Voted Tina, with Todd not far behind. For those of you who haven't heard the Foo Fighters song, don't worry: it is likely your sixth favorite of these songs

I might take it over "Empire State of Mind". I do think it is the second-best Foo Fighters song I know.

Good to Great
"What's Love Got to Do with It" (#1), Tina Turner
"It's Too Late" (#1), Carole King

Sound, Solid
"We Got the Beat" (#2), Go-Go's
"Hello It's Me" (#5), Todd Rundgren

Meh
"Empire State of Mind" (#1), Jay-Z

The Hague
"Best of You" (#18), Foo Fighters

Todd and the Go-Gos both had more impact on my musical listening, but this is "It's Too Late" for me. Impeccably written, sung and produced.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

I'm surprised that Rundgren has a top ten hit but the Foo Fighters haven't - Foo Fighters and Grohl feel way closer to a household name.