Bon Jovi, The Moody Blues… legends don’t need crowns

Legendary Howard Stern joked that, at their peak, Bon Jovi seriously destroyed the ozone layer with the Aqua Net hairspray they used.

Jon Bon Jovi (right) and Richie Sambora reunite on stage to perform Living on a prayer – Photo: Ultimateclassicrock

1.

Cleveland Central Hall, one April evening, Jon Bon Jovi – the leader of the legendary Bon Jovi – emotionally spoke: “I wrote this speech when I was just learning to use a broom as a guitar and singing hard on the stairs of my house”.

After years of waiting, when even a pop star like Madonna was honored, Bon Jovi – heroes of the 1980s – finally realized their dream of being inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame.

Living on a prayer by Bon Jovi

To describe 1980s pop culture, it can probably be summed up in a few words: big hair trends, flashy clothes, and sometimes great, sometimes terrible, flashy music.

And so, who better to represent the 1980s than the long-haired, flashy-suited Bon Jovi guys who knew how to turn hard rock into an easy-drinking cocktail?

Legendary Howard Stern joked that, at their peak, Bon Jovi were seriously destroying the ozone layer with the Aqua Net hairspray they used.

Well, that just goes to show the immeasurable influence of Bon Jovi. Yet they had to wait a long time to officially be recorded in the history of rock music.

2.

This may seem confusing, but if we look at The Moody Blues or Sister Rosetta Tharpe – monuments that also had to wait until 2018 to be honored, we have to come to the conclusion that: delay is the working style of the Hall of Fame.

To get an idea of ​​Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s stature, consider that without this black woman with her brilliant guitar playing and daring voice, it is unlikely that Elvis Presley or Bob Dylan would have been able to play music in such an arrogant way.

And when listing the pioneering artists who elevated rock from a genre for young people to a true art form, The Moody Blues are certainly a name that cannot be missed.

Days of future passed – The Moody Blues

Days of Future Passed – the Birmingham band’s 1967 masterpiece – opened up a new soundscape where classical guitar and orchestra, rock and poetry became compatible lovers.

3.

The Hall of Fame’s neglect of legends, its lack of objectivity, and rumors of bribery have all contributed to its loss of credibility. The Velvet Underground drummer even sarcastically called it the Hall of Lame instead of the Hall of Fame.

Yet, if we look at it from another perspective, giants like Nina Simone, Sister Rosetta Tharpe or Bon Jovi probably don’t need any ceremony or title to prove their immortality.

And what the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame does each year is more than just singling out a few individuals for recognition. Sometimes, it’s simply a place where people look back on the golden years of music.

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Ne me quitte pas, I put a spell on you của Nina Simone

During that tribute concert, when seeing many contemporary artists cover Nina Simone’s once-famous Ne me quitte pas, I put a spell on you, when seeing Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora reunite on stage to perform Living on a prayer, and hearing Richie talk about Jon with so much deep love, which audience member would not feel satisfied?

The honor may have come late, but it was late to be expected.