Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame: Abba vs Red Hot Chili…

The Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame has announced its nominees for 2010. It’s a great list: ABBA, Darlene Love, Donna Summer, Genesis, Jimmy Cliff, KISS, Laura Nyro, LL Cool J, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Chantels, The Hollies, and The Stooges.

The obvious question is: who the Smurf thinks that Abba is Rock’n’Roll, or Donna Summer for that matter? I happen to think Abba are one of the best bands ever, but Rock’n’Roll? Please! From a songwriting perspective, however, I think that there are only two horses in this race: the Red Hot Chili Peppers and… Abba. Songwriting is not the only criterion for the Hall of Fame, needless to say. Yet as much as I respect and enjoy Jimmy Cliff, Kiss and Donna Summer, the Peppers and Abba are the better writers. So as I have already eliminated Abba on the grounds of not being rockers, that leaves the Red Hot Chili Peppers as my favourite. Shame Willy DeVille didn’t make it onto the shortlist. The blurb can be found on Rockhall.com.

So what about you lot? Who are you tipping, and why?