ComEnts

Last night, slightly knackered after playing football for the first time in a month, I had a choice; Watch Ronnie O'Sullivan win the snooker or watch the latest in Channel 4's "Top Ten" style shows. I chose mostly to watch the hall of fame and the snooker in the ad beaks.

So, what's it all about? There is, apparently, a UK Music Hall of Fame being created. This year a panel (probably of experts) has choosen 5 inductees, Madonna, Elvis Presley, U2, Bob Marley and The Beatles. The public (that's us!) get to add one act from each of the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s to join them. Last night we got a 2 hour show on the 10 nominees for the 90s. It was a decent show which did highlight 10 of the most important acts (to the UK) of the 90s. It's quite bizarre that the public get to choose whether Nirvana or the Spice Girls go in, I can't quite work out what happens next year. Do the losing 9 acts get nominated again with one new act? Personally I'd want several of the acts from this set of nominees in eventually. The nominees were Blur, Oasis, Missy Elliot, Nirvana, Radiohead, Robbie Williams, The Spice Girls, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Prodigy. There were decent arguments for all of them. Personally of those Nirvana were the biggest influence on me, and I think on music for the decade but I'd want to put Blur, Radiohead and Dr Dre in too. Robbie Williams and the Spice Girls had a huge impact on the world of pop and made a huge amount of money in record sales but I can't really see either of them having a lasting influence on music. For me the Hall of Fame should be for acts that people remember and listen to tens of years later. In that way it's actually easier to pick older acts, people know the Beatles and Bob Marley deserve to be in there but will people be listening to the Prodigy in 40 years?

Anyway, after all the decades have been shown to the public there will apparently be a big show to announce the inaugral members with bands playing and things. I really hope the public choose one of Blur, Nirvana, Radiohead and Dr Dre but I have the feeling that Robbie Williams will win it purely because his current popularity is so high rather than any kind of lasting impact he's had. Let's hope the voting public prove me wrong.