The Rock Hall May Have Jumped the Shark in 2024
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has existed since 1986. Seemingly since its inception, it’s been a topic of many debates. Personally, I know I’ve engaged in numerous Rock Hall debates over the years, and that only increased when I started covering rock/classic rock news professionally ten years ago.
In general, I love the idea of the Rock Hall. I love that there’s a semi-mysterious group that makes a point to honor musical greatness on a lifetime achievement level annually. I especially love the idea of there being a whole museum dedicated to these artists. In fact, one of my closest friends and I have planned a road trip to the Rock Hall Museum in Cleveland this summer, because we both haven’t been there in years.
On top of that, I’ve long defended the Rock Hall and how they nominated and inducted non-rock acts. You can read my full remarks on this matter here, but to succinctly (and indulgently) quote myself, “The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has never been exclusively about rock music. Ever. Influence and impact have always been more important than genre.”
A general view of the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Lit in CARE Colors for International Day of The Girl at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum on October 11, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Duane Prokop/Getty Images for CARE USA)
For the Rock Hall is A-Changin’
All of this being said, it’s undeniable that 2024 has seen some shakeups with how the Rock Hall is conducting itself. For starters, this year saw the nominees announced on a Saturday, instead of a weekday when media outlets are typically more engaged. Also, the Rock Hall unveiled its 2024 nominees on February 10, which was the Saturday before Super Bowl Sunday.
You don’t have to be a marketing or public relations genius to know that trying to compete with the Super Bowl for attention isn’t the smartest move. Not to mention, Super Bowl LVIII will forever be tied to Taylor Swift, who was in attendance with many of her famous friends to support her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce.
Competing for attention between the Super Bowl and “Swelce” was bone-headed enough, but then came the news about when and where the 2024 Rock Hall induction class was going to be announced. On the April 15 episode of American Idol, host Ryan Seacrest shared that he and judge/2022 Rock Hall inductee Lionel Richie would be joining Seacrest in announcing the 2024 class on the April 21 episode of the show.
Upon learning this news, my first thought was, “Oh my God…I think the Rock Hall has jumped the shark!”
Just in case you’re unaware, “jumped the shark” and its tense variations are a reference to a season five episode of Happy Days when Fonzie (Henry Winkler) jumped over a shark in the ocean on water skis. It was the culmination of a three-part episode arc and a moment many viewers consider the beginning of the sitcom’s decline, even though it was on the air for another six seasons.
After the Rock Hall Has “Jumped the Shark,” Now What?
Look, by no means is the Rock Hall “over” in any way. (Like I said, even Happy Days lasted six more seasons.) But there’s no denying that it’s different, and not in a cool way.
The 2024 Rock Hall induction ceremony will air live on Disney+, and an edited version will air on ABC at a later date. Since American Idol airs on ABC, the corporate synergy of it all does make sense, but that doesn’t mean it’s good. (It’s also likely the reason why the 2024 Fan Vote end date was quietly moved from April 26 to April 15, as noted by Future Rock Legends.)
Even though American Idol has solid ratings, it’s still a show well past its heyday. It also has an unsavory element of cheesiness, especially to rock fans, who are your primary audience for caring about the Rock Hall in the first place.
If there had to be an ABC tie-in for the 2024 Rock Hall class announcement, Good Morning America is literally right there! Plus, there’s the potential for interesting interview opportunities with Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos, Michael Strahan and more. By all means, those interviews could still happen, but having GMA handle the announcement has considerably less “ick” than Idol, a show that has always cared way more about pop music than rock and roll.
I certainly don’t blame the Rock Hall for trying to get more eyes on itself. This whole situation is definitely a business decision more than anything. But there has to be a way to do that without completely annoying people who’ve backed your mission for years.
I can honestly say that if my job weren’t covering rock/classic rock news, I wouldn’t be tuning into Idol this Sunday. I’d just wait until I receive a push notification from a news outlet I respect to learn about the induction class. But alas, at 8 PM, I’ll be watching ABC and counting down the minutes until I can change the channel.
A general view of the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Lit in CARE Colors for International Day of The Girl at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum on October 11, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Duane Prokop/Getty Images for CARE USA)
Rock Hall Fan Vote 2024: Voting Ends Early, Final Standings
