Her name was bound to come up in the consideration of artists eligible for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame s class of 2008. Madonna, whose self-titled debut album saw release in 1983, meets the technical criteria for induction eligibility. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation s website, Artists become eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record.
It goes on to state, Criteria include the influence and significance of the artists contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll. While Madonna s music meets the 25-year benchmark required for eligibility, it does not measure up as an artistic contribution, either influential or significant, to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll. If and when today s artists cite Madonna as an influence, it s usually not for reasons relating to a quality or substance of her music.
Rather, it s often because of her ever-changing persona, her multifaceted career paths, or her humanitarianism, but essentially it s due to her celebrity status. From day one, Madonna s career has been inextricably bound to sensationalism, drawing attention to herself , not to her music for its own merit. The music she s made, in effect, has served as a conduit in garnering a spotlight rather than illustrating an artistic effort or expression.
More important than the music, for Madonna, has been the depiction of an image, often sexual in nature, always with the intent of creating a media buzz or some sort of controversy. What s more memorable, the song, Like A Prayer, or its video with a burning Cross and a black Jesus Christ? What comes to mind when you think of the song, Justify My Love, its polyrhythmic sound or the fact that MTV banned that video for being too explicit for its young demographic?
And so, if you close the Sex book, turn off Truth Or Dare , and block all memory of Madonna writhing on the MTV stage in a wedding dress to Like A Virgin, you re left with a catalog of mediocre pop music. Nothing innovative, nothing exceptional. And since the substantive qualification for induction deems that an artist must have produced a significant contribution within the field of rock and roll music, Madonna does not deserve to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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