Hall & Oates Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Proves Institution Isn’t ‘Out Of Touch’
While Hall & Oates may have been a no-brainer to fans for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, there’s at least one man shocked by the news: Daryl Hall.
You may know him as the “Hall” part of “Hall & Oates.”
“I didn’t think it would happen as long as the people who were in power stayed in power,” Hall said in a phone interview with Rolling Stone’s Andy Greene. “I’ve always been sort of on the other side of the fence with the old guard and the powers-that-be.”
“It’s probably because they had their own opinions about what constituted exceptional music in that period of time and it was based on a lot of things that I wasn’t really interested in. I have slightly different roots than most of the writers.”
Hall & Oates have always had easy commercial success, with six No. 1 singles in their catalog— “Rich Girl”, “Kiss on My List”, “Private Eyes”, “I Can’t Go for That”, “Maneater”, and “Out of Touch”— as well as six albums that have gone platinum or better. Yet critical acclaim was always something that eluded Hall & Oates.
In 2004, Hall & Oates were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, alongside artists like Barrett Strong, Don McLean, Al Green, and Charles Fox. With their 2014 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Hall & Oates will be honored alongside such disparate acts as Peter Gabriel, KISS, Nirvana, Linda Ronstadt, and Cat Stevens.
In order to qualify for induction, an artist or group must have released its first album at least 25 years ago, and consideration is based on “the influence and significance of the artists’ contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll.” Hall & Oates have been eligible since 1997, but this year’s ballot was their first inclusion.
“My biggest honor was winning the American Music Awards because the people voted,” Hall said in the Rolling Stone interview. “I’m always interested in what fans think. I don’t care about contras of secret voters or political moves and all that stuff. It doesn’t really resonate with me. If a fan lets me into something, I say, ‘Okay, I’m doing something right.'”
What do you think about Hall & Oates induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
