The Ventures nominated for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced that The Ventures are among the nominees for induction in the class of 2008. The Ventures are the best-selling instrumental rock band ever and have numerous hits, including Walk Don't Run, Hawaii Five-O, and Perfidia. The Ventures have met the Hall of Fame eligibility requirements for years and there has been a swell of fan activity to support their induction. Other rockers announced as nominees are John Mellencamp, Leonard Cohen, and the Dave Clark Five.

However, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame' has also nominated Madonna, the Beastie Boys, Donna Summer, Chic, and Afrika Bambaataa. Many question whether these five nominees meet the eligibility criteria of the "influence and significance of the artists’ contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll." In the Beastie Boys favor, they did recently release an instrumental rock album. However, the bulk of their career has been focused on hip-hop. It's an understatement to say that Madonna, Summer, Chich and Bambaataa really have little, if anything, to do with rock and roll.

Five-hundred musicians, industry professionals and journalists will choose five of the nominees to be inducted into the Hall of Fame at a ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel on March 10, 2008.