The Idiocy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

In 1978, singer/songwriter Kenny Loggins scored a hit with a "Whenever I Call You Friend," a song he co-wrote with Melissa Manchester and sang as a duet with Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks.  The song peaked at number 5 on the Billboard pop charts.  The song marked Nicks' first success on the charts outside of Fleetwood Mac, as well as Loggins first solo success after splitting from Jim Messina, whith whom he had scored a top 10 hit ("Your Mama Don't Dance") as well as two top 20 hits ("My Music" and "Thinking of You") prior to going solo.

In fact, it was as a solo artist that Loggins had his greatest success, scoring two Grammy Awards in his 12 nominations.  Loggins also earned a Golden Globe and has been nominated for Tony and Academy Awards.  As a solo artist, Loggins penned and performed nine Top 20 singles, five Top 10 singles, and a number one with the theme from the film Footloose.  Loggins also scored big with film soundtrack songs "Danger Zone" from Top Gun, "I'm Alright" from Caddyshack, and "Meet Me Half Way" from Over the Top.

Loggins also co-wrote one of the biggest-selling Doobie Brothers songs with Michael McDonald - "What a Fool Believes."

From 1978 to 1988, few artists dominated radio the way Loggins did.  That's an undisputable fact.

The one honor Loggins has not received is induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  In fact, Loggins has never even been nominated.

After success with "Whenever I Call You Friend," Stevie Nicks, on the other hand, had two more Top 50 singles with Fleetwood Mac - "Sara," which peaked at 37 on the pop chart, and "Gypsy," which peaked at 46.

Nicks also went solo, scoring her first two 'solo' hits by singing duets - "Stop Dragging My Heart Around" with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and "Leather and Lace" with Don Henley, both of which cracked the Top 10.

Nicks finally broke through with true solo success in 1982 with "Edge of Seventeen," which peaked at number 11 on the pop charts, and "Stand Back," her first true solo Top 10, peaking at number 5.

She scored four more Top 20 singles in her solo career, one of which peaked at 4 ("Talk To Me," which I have no recollection of ever hearing, and I was a college radio DJ in the 80s and a sports DJ in the 90s with the NJ Devils, NY Giants and NY Jets, so I remember 80s music extremely well).

Nicks had 8 Grammy nominations as a solo artist, without ever winning.

Clearly, Kenny Loggins had far more success as a solo artist than Stevie Nicks; it's not even debatable.  Loggins was a far greater songwriter than Nicks, who was the third best songwriter in Fleetwood Mac, behind hitmaking keyboardist Christine McVie and guitarist Lindsey Buckingham.

But Stevie Nicks is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Twice.  Once, justifiably, as a member of Fleetwood Mac, and once as a solo artist.  How did Nicks make it in as a solo artist?  The Hall admits they wanted more women in the Hall; you know, more "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion."

The question thus becomes, is it fair to put someone like Nicks in the Hall because she's a woman while a far more successful artist like Loggins can't even get nominated?  I'll leave that for you to decide.