Music

This year at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, it’s all about the ’80s:  Among the 17 artists who’ve been nominated for induction in 2022 are Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, Duran Duran, Eurythmics and Devo.

“I think it’s a great year for someone like Pat Benatar,” says Jason Hanley, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Vice President of Education and Visitor Engagement. “Between her and Neil Giraldo, her longtime partner, they wrote some of the great classic songs of the 1980s…delivered with this great rock edge, and Pat’s just amazing voice.”

As for Lionel Richie, it was the “emotional songs” he released after leaving The Commodores that made him a solo ’80s superstar, Hanley tells ABC Audio.

“A song like ‘Hello’ [is] just really one of the great, great emotional love songs from that time period,” Hanley adds. “But then he could also write these great party songs, too.”

Hanley praises Duran Duran for being both “pop icons and incredible musicians” — or, as he puts it, “Yes, they were on the cover of Tiger Beat but they also wrote and performed really great songs.”  The music of Eurythmics, Hanley says, “was so catchy, but also…kind of dug into these darker sides of the human emotion.”

Another nominee this year who started in the ’70s but had continued success in the ’80s is Carly Simon.  Hanley says the fact that younger artists like Taylor Swift have cited Carly as an influence has led to a revaluation of music by female singer-songwriters in general.

“It’s softer, it’s more intimate. It might be one person with a piano and a voice or a guitar and a voice,” he notes. “But the power in that music is just so important.”

The other nominees include Judas Priest, Dionne Warwick, Dolly Parton, Eminem, Kate Bush, rap group A Tribe Called Quest, proto-punk bands New York Dolls and MC5, Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, and ’90s alt-rockers Rage Against the Machine and Beck.

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It seems few would deny Dolly Parton‘s a metaphorical rock star — but she could soon be one for real. 

The Country Music Hall of Famer is now one of 17 nominees for potential induction this year into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. That puts Dolly in the same category as fellow contenders Lionel Richie, Dionne Warwick, Carly Simon, Pat Benatar, Eurythmics, and Duran Duran, among others.

Of course, the superstar from East Tennessee is certainly not without cred in the pop and rock world. She made it to #3 with “Here You Come Again” as far back as 1977, following that with lesser crossover hits like “Two Doors Down” and “Baby I’m Burnin’.” By 1980, she’d made it all the way to the top with “9 to 5.”

“Her songwriting transcends just maybe her home base, which is country,” the Rock & Roll Hall’s Jason Hanley points out. “And you’ve got Whitney Houston having one of the biggest selling songs ever with ‘I Will Always Love You.'”

“You’ve got other bands recording ‘Jolene,'” he adds. “You know, she has hit singles with Kenny Rogers, ‘Islands in the Stream.'”

Dolly returned to the top of the pop charts in 1983 with “Islands,” before Whitney’s cover smash in 1992. Rock duo The White Stripes covered “Jolene” in 2004, with Dolly most recently winning a Grammy for guesting on the Pentatonix version in 2017.

We’ll find out if Dolly makes it into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame when the final inductees are revealed later this year. 

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A Tribe Called Quest, Dionne Warwick and Lionel Richie are among the 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees.

To be eligible for induction, an artist must have released their first commercial recording 25 years before the year of their nomination.

A Tribe Called Quest is being nominated for the first time this year. Speaking with ABC Audio, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Vice President of Education and Visitor Engagement Jason Hanley points to the group’s “laid-back” and “almost philosophical” style  — which pioneered the alternative hip hop movement of the ’90s —  as a reason for their nomination.

“They were talking about the African-American community in the United States, and getting a message out that was important for them to talk about,” Hanley notes of the group’s socially conscious songs.

As for Warwick, who’s seen a recent resurgence thanks to her social media presence, Hanley says, “Her legacy is fantastic.”

 “Here’s a woman who was just so good year after year at interpreting songs,” he adds, noting that Warwick’s performance on the 1964 top 10 hit “Walk On By” alone ” “is probably enough to get her inducted into almost any Hall of Fame.”

Richie, who got his start in the Commodores, scored his nomination thanks to his ability to write songs across genres – from classic funk and emotional R&B to party songs like “Dancing on the Ceiling.”

Eminem and Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti also made the ballot this year, along with rock bands Rage Against the Machine and Judas Priest, country star Dolly Parton, singer-songwriter Carly Simon, new wave band Duran Duran, and more.

The actual inductees will be announced later this year.

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Pat Benatar, Judas Priest and Devo are among the 17 artists who have been nominated for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.

The other nominees are Beck, Kate Bush, Duran Duran, Eminem, Eurythmics, Fela Kuti, MC5, New York Dolls, Dolly Parton, Rage Against the Machine, Lionel Richie, Carly Simon, A Tribe Called Quest and Dionne Warwick.

To be eligible for induction, an artist must have released their first commercial recording 25 years before the year of their nomination.

Benatar previously was nominated in 2020, while Judas Priest and Devo both received nods twice before.

Speaking with ABC Audio, Rock Hall VP of Education & Visitor Engagement Jason Hanley notes, “I think it’s a great year for someone like Pat Benatar. Between her and [her husband and guitarist] Neil Giraldo…they wrote some of the great classic songs of the 1980s.”

He adds that songs like “Hit Me with Your Best Shot” “were…delivered with this great rock edge, classic kind of clean but distorted ’80s guitar, and Pat’s just amazing voice.”

As for Judas Priest, the band’s induction might help soothe the critics who think the Rock Hall has an anti-metal bias.

“[Judas Priest is] the band that takes the early days of heavy metal from bands like Black Sabbath and Deep Purple, and they turn it into what we know as metal,” Hanley says.

Hanley also feels Devo definitely deserves to be in the Rock Hall, praising the group for their “humorously disguised political songs,” and for being “innovators of sound and technology and music video.”

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Rihanna may be sporting a baby bump, but she’s also rocking the perfect red lip, thanks to the latest addition to her Fenty Beauty line: ICON, a new lipstick collection that’s modeled on her very own pucker.

The expectant mom describes the new lip color as “a curated range of 10 bold reds and classic nudes,” adding, “This soft-matte formula is everything y’all — it includes hyaluronic acid and vitamins C & E for comfortable, lasting wear.” The packaging is also refillable and, she says, “ultra luxe.” And, she explains, it also has a very specific detail.

“When it came down to creating the collection, I really wanted to add my personal touch,” Rihanna tells ELLE.com. “We designed the bullet [of the lipstick] to fit perfectly into my cupid’s bow, which is really defined.”

If you’re not familiar, a “cupid’s bow” is the part of your upper lip where the two curves meet.

The beauty mogul goes on to say, “The perfect red lip is the sexiest, most empowering thing you can put on when it comes to beauty,” adding, “When you wear a red lip, it exudes confidence. I love that anyone can put it on and feel strong and sexy with just one swipe.”

ICON will be available February 4 at FentyBeauty.com. It’s the perfect thing to go with your Savage X Fenty Valentine’s Day collection lingerie, which Rih’s been promoting on Instagram with a series of sexy videos. It makes you wonder how long ago she filmed those videos, because she certainly doesn’t look preggers in them.

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Graham Nash, the British singer/songwriter who has made his mark on the music world with The Hollies, Crosby, Stills & Nash and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, as well as a solo artist, turns the big 8-0 today.

Nash co-founded The Hollies with his childhood friend Allan Clarke in 1962. Graham mainly handled high harmonies with the group, while Allan sang lead. Among the British Invasion group’s hits co-written by Graham were “Stop Stop Stop,” “On a Carousel” and “Carrie Anne.”

In 1968, Graham left The Hollies to form Crosby, Stills & Nash with former Byrds member David Crosby and ex-Buffalo Springfield singer/guitarist Stephen Stills. The folk-rock trio’s self-titled 1969 debut reached #6 on the Billboard 200 and included the Nash-penned hit “Marrakesh Express.”

Shortly after the Crosby, Stills & Nash album’s release, Stills’ Buffalo Springfield band mate Neil Young joined the group. The quartet’s 1970 debut, Déjà Vu, topped the Billboard 200, and featured two enduring Nash compositions, “Our House” and “Teach Your Children.”

Other notable Nash-penned tunes include the 1971 protest anthem “Chicago,” from Graham’s first solo album, Songs for Beginners, and “Just a Song Before I Go,” a top-10 hit for CSN in 1977.

For decades, Nash continued to record and tour with CSN and CSNY, while also working solo and as a duo with Crosby.

Nash was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice — with CSN in 1997 and with The Hollies in 2010.

Graham has focused on his solo career recently after a rift with Crosby led to CSN going on indefinite hiatus in 2015.

Reflecting on reaching 80, Nash recently told ABC Audio, “I can’t believe how young I feel inside,” adding, “I’ve got so much to do, so much to accomplish, and I intend to do as much as I can before I pass.”

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Wet Leg has premiered the video for “Oh No,” a song off the duo’s upcoming self-titled debut album.

The clip, which is streaming now on YouTube, features screenshots of comments people have left on Wet Leg’s videos since they broke out last year with the single “Chaise Longue.”

“The comments that complete strangers will leave on our videos are so funny and range wildly in sentiment,” says Wet Leg’s Rhian Teasdale. “Although we know it is bad for us to read them and we try to avoid it, sometimes it’s irresistible when you’re on your own; the 3 a.m. doom scroll really gets you.”

“For this video, we have obsessively selected our favorite bits from the comments sections across our socials, the good, the bad, the ugly and have repurposed them to make something new,” she adds. “It has been quite cathartic actually.”

Wet Leg the album arrives April 8. The band launches a U.S. tour in March.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

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Megan Thee Stallion fulfilled her dream of working with an icon from her Houston hometown, and now she’s setting her sights on two more megastars.

The “Hot Girl Summer” artist won a Grammy in 2021 for Best Rap Song for the “Savage” remix featuring her idol, Beyoncé. Then she felt she had reached the pinnacle of her career.

“Because I’ve manifested Beyoncé, I feel like I have reached my ultimate goal,” the three-time Grammy winner tells People. “The Girls in the Hood” rapper has also recorded with many more stars, including Cardi B, Ariana Grande, and Doja Cat. Her next goal is to work with the richest female entertainer in the world.

“I also would really, really, really love to collab with Rihanna. Like that is my next dream collab,” Megan reveals. RiRi made news this week revealing she’s expecting her first child with her boyfriend, A$AP Rocky.

The 26-year-old entertainer has another superstar on her list following a TikTok remix video that went viral featuring Adele‘s “Water Under the Bridge” and her hit “Body.” The video shows Meg dancing and rapping, while Adele sings simultaneously.

“If Adele wants me to come get on the track, be the dancer, I’m there, I’m here for it,” says Megan. “Somebody tell her to call me because I’m ready!”

While the Houston MC dreams of music with Rihanna and Adele, she’s busy with several endorsements. The Glamour Woman of the Year honoree stars in a Frito-Lay Super Bowl Commercial, and she’s featured with Jennifer Lopez in the new Coach spring 2022 “That’s My Ride” fashion campaign.

Megan is also up for two more Grammys: Best Rap Performance for “Thot S***” and Album of the Year as a featured artist on Lil Nas X‘s Montero.

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