Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Where Are The Women?

(Originally posted at BlogHer )

Earlier this month, Madonna was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Totally deserving, considering her influence, and not exactly a shock to anyone, unless you consider that out of the 200-plus artists in the Hall, only twenty of them are women. Another seven women who were nominated as part of a band: (Tina Weymouth from the Talking Heads, Debbie Harry of Blondie, Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac..)

Twenty. That's not many.

Seven new acts made this years cut. Madge takes her place alongside John Mellancamp, Leonard Cohen, The Dave Clark Five, surf-rockers The Ventures; sideman Little Walter, and songwriter/producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. (Last year women fared marginally better with seminal punk goddess Patti Smith and sixties girl-group The Ronettes getting their due.)

Pinky Von Bloom from The Rich Girls Are Weeping wrote this wonderful tribute to Madonna:

Listing Madonna's contributions to popular music is a pretty moot point. The reality is that there was always some way to rationalize being a fan, no matter what else I was listening to at the time. There was a good chance that what Madonna was doing might ultimately more important than that Book of Love record I was all about in 1986, Depeche's-Music for the Masses in 1988, Peter Murphy's in 1990, Sisters of Mercy's Some Girls Wander by Mistake in 1992, or Seefeel's Quique the year after. For any and every record on my formative roadmap, there's an offering from Madonna--resplendent with bubblegum, glitter, steam, fresh scandal, and a new eyebrow configuration--to which I've forgotten none of the words

And many bloggers were eager to post the video of punk rock's resident godfather, Iggy Pop, covering her hit "Ray of Light" at the ceremony. This from Sweetney:

And the resulting video footage is CRINGETASTIC. Nothing beats watching a bunch of people dressed to the nines squirm in their seats. Even Madonna looks like she might be thinking: "Oh crap, what did I do?"

But is it all a little too late for other women in the music industry? As someone who's listening habits have always always leaned a little left of the fringe, I used to rooting for underdogs. Patti Smith's inclusion last year was probably the only time I wanted to jump up and say, "Yes! I told you so!" And that was after being eligible for the last half-decade or so.

The Beauty Alchemist thinks Pat Benatar, Joan Jett, and the ladies of Heart should be considered for the hall of fame:

Now I remember when there was such a stink for years that Black Sabbath wasn't being inducted. Right. So where is the righteous indignation on behalf of these ladies? Thankfully Blondie and Chrissie Hynde finally made it, but lets hope that wasn't a bone thrown to the ladies who wait in the wings.

I feel the same way; that some of these inductions were just "bone-throwing." Not that I don't think any of the women inducted into the hall of fame were undeserving. On the contrary, I think the handful of women recognized by the Hall of Fame worked incredibly hard to get where they are, but it's no secret the music industry hasn't exactly been women-friendly. Who would you like to see in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? (You can find out when your favorites are eligible for the Hall of Fame here.)