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The nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame’s Class Of 2010 were released yesterday, and I’ve got to admit, I’m encouraged by the results.

Don’t get me wrong– I’m still angry that Rush has once again been snubbed, despite still being 4th all-time for consecutive gold records. (They’re still the most glaring omission). Same with long-deserving legends The Moody Blues, Alice Cooper, and Hall & Oates.

But there appears to be a ray of hope with this year’s list: Kiss, Red Hot Chili Peppers, LL Cool J, ABBA, The Chantels, Jimmy Cliff, Genesis, The Hollies, Darlene Love, Laura Nyro, Donna Summer, and The Stooges.

If you caught my series of rants bemoaning the many Hall Of Fame snubs this past summer, you’ll know that, among my cases for induction, Kiss was near the top. Whether or not it was their recent resurgence with Gene Simmons’ reality show or their upcoming 35th anniversary tour, the foundation is appearently waking up. This band totally revolutionized the stage & concert experience, and influenced millions of young guys to rock.

The same with Genesis. Just by making the ballot, they give hope to other legendary progressive rock artists whom the media has brushed off for being too pompous and irrelevant, like Yes, ELP, King Crimson– and hopefully, Rush and the Moody Blues. The genre was and is still a major force in the world of rock, and cannot be denied. Genesis not only deserves induction, they deserve it now!

Of this year’s nominees, I also previously mentioned The Hollies, ABBA, and Jimmy Cliff as being deserving performers. I believe at least one of them– if not two– will get the nod this year.

As for the rest? The Stooges (Iggy Pop’s pre-punk pioneer band) have been showing up on the ballot for the past several years, only to fall short, so you know their time will be now. LL Cool J is the annual token hip-hop choice, given rap’s presence in rock today. I’m not sure he gets in this year, but probably will soon thereafter.

The Chantels are kind of like the Rock Hall’s annual veteran’s committee choice– obscure, early all-female R&B vocal group from Noo Yawk who is considered to be a key influence, even though most people couldn’t name one song or group member; so count them in. Same with Laura Nyro, who’s this year’s Leonard Cohen: a songwriter most people haven’t heard of (I know of her material, but like Cohen, never considered it Hall-Of-Fame-worthy, that’s all).

Donna Summer’s disco hits made her a legend, and she’s been on the ballot a few times already, which could only mean she’ll be a Hall-Of-Famer anytime now– and one I don’t have too much of a problem with.  And I never even considered Darlene Love, whose voice I…LOVE!  I guess that because she had so few hits and was more like a session singer with the amazing Phil Spector Wall Of Sound, I overlooked her as a possibility. But her voice was incredible (and still is), so why not?

The Red Hot Chili Peppers made my final list of “Future” Hall-Of-Famers, and like I figured, the future is now. They’re still recording and touring, and still vital. It took them a few records to begin making an impact, but when they did– damn! Great band, and should be an easy first-ballot inductee for 2010.

Overall, not too shabby for the stuffy foundation. Maybe they’re finally listening to the masses, sick and tired of seeing deserving favorites get the shaft each year. If you were one of those who bent their ears or wrote letters, I applaud you. Keep it up, and before long your Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame may just mean something once again.

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