Greg's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominees: Peter, Paul and Mary

     The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees came out recently, and there were some good names on there. Eminem is there in his first eligible year, Pat Benetar is there for the second year, Duran Duran is there for the first time; and Kate Bush, whom people think should be in, is back on the ballot. To be honest, the timing of this is kind of coincidental because my nominee this time around kind of popped up out of nowhere for me. The addendum to Phil Collins, The Go-Gos (now in), the Monkees, Kool and the Gang and the Pet Shop Boys are Peter, Paul and Mary.

Members:

Peter Yarrow

Paul Stookey

Mary Travers

Now this is the song that I clearly knew PPM (shorthand) for because I had seen an animated special with Burgess Meredith as Puff when I was a kid on tape. Creepy as hell, but the song stuck. And of course, the song has a kind of infamy for trying to be connected to marijuana usage, a connection that they have steadfastly refused. But this is not a nostalgic selection. There's more here to bite into. 

The first objection would mainly say that they were a folk band and that they should not be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Well, just like I used Earth, Wind and Fire to support Kool getting in, there is a precedent for this. The Mamas and the Papas, a folk group, were inducted in 1998.

Now the next objection would be "But they're folk rock!" That's true, and there seems to be a differentiation that PPM are not folk rock. Even the band themselves has admitted as much in past interviews. HOWEVER, that does not mean that they didn't delve into a little folk rock themselves. And that is the entry point to get them in. Because their musical record certainly allows them in. Of their 8 main albums in their prime, only 1 failed to chart outside the Top 20. They had 4 Top Ten singles, one of which seemingly came out of nowhere to give them their only #1 hit, "Leaving on a Jet Plane" in 1969. 

But now for the song that got my attention and gave me the impetus to put them on my list. In 1967, the folk-rock genre was in full effect and PPM were being left behind to their dismay and contempt that it wasn't as well written as pure folk. So, they decided to make their own folk-rock record imitating other artists in the rock genre. The song was called " I Dig Rock and Roll Music" and it was a masterpiece of imitation AND music composition. 

So, in this record, they make fun of and imitate the Beatles, Donovan and the Mamas and Papas with uncanny accuracy. But the interesting thing is that while they are making fun of rock, they are kind of joining them with this music. This is more upbeat and hipper than their usual style which was illustrated in the previous two songs. They have, in a way, become what they were mocking for just a moment. And it was successful. This song reached #9 in the Billboard charts in 1967, becoming their first top ten hit in 4 years. So not only did they successfully mock folk rock, but they also entered folk rock themselves. That takes a lot of maneuverability and talent to pull off organically and they did it.

This ability coupled with their musical record and being a key part of the folk movement that eventually transformed into folk rock is why I believe Peter, Paul and Mary should be put into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Now I have at least 2 other nominees in mind so I may come back to this sooner rather than later so keep your ear to the ground.