A running gag culled from the careers of several anthemic superstars is that induction into the Hall of Fame is a sign of 'maturity', which automatically excludes you from further solidifying your Rock position. It's a hint, as Jethro Tull famously sang, of being 'too old to rock 'n roll'.
The year 2005's inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, however, have earned the right to disagree. Finally old enough to seriously walk into the veteran's bar, crossing the eligibility factor of 25 years after releasing it's first album, U2 will be inducted in next year's ceremony.
The four Dubliners got the honour in the first year of their eligibility, and this further cements their leader Bono's oft-repeated claims of being 'the biggest band in the world', coming as it does on the heels of their latest triumph, How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb.
Ever since it's 1987 debut, The Joshua Tree, the band hasn't looked back, and this induction is no surprise.
Also scheduled for induction at the institution's twentieth anniversary gala on March 14, in Manhattan, are British New Wave group The Pretenders, blues guitarist Buddy Guy, 1970s soul group the O'Jays, and R&B veteran Percy Sledge.
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The Pretenders, a group famous for some of rock's greatest progressive chord-changes, were formed in 1978 by rock critic Chrissie Hynde, an offshoot of Malcolm McLaren [the creator of the Sex Pistols, the seminal punk band still ignored by the Hall of Fame] and the days of his 'Sex' boutique.
The group is best remembered for hits like Back on the chain gang and I'll stand by you, before two band members -- guitarist James Honeyman-Scott and bassist Pete Farndon -- died of drug overdosing.
The O'Jays, a soul-group formed in 1958, hit number one in 1972 with Love train, and totalled nine Top Forty hits through 1980, including the popular Back stabbers and I love music.
Buddy Guy's induction into the pantheon is very late indeed, being an acknowledged inspiration to legends like Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. Guy, a protege of Muddy Waters, currently runs a popular nightclub on the South Side of Chicago.
Percy Sledge, called 'the golden voice of soul', is best remembered for his enduring 1966 classic, When a man loves a woman.
Set to be inducted in the non-performer category are Frank Barsalona, a pioneer in rock & roll promotion, and Seymour Stein, the astute Sire Records founder who signed Madonna, The Ramones and Talking Heads, besides The Pretenders.
Approximately 700 music industry figures vote each year on eligible nominees. Among the list of first-time candidates who did not receive enough votes for induction were Randy Newman, The J Geils Band, and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Punk priestess Patti Hearst, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and The Stooges, continue to be passed over.
