They (scientist types) say that the dinosaurs never really died, they evolved into birds. In the same way Rock & Roll never died, it just evolved into whatever musical style is currently popular. I was just on the Rolling Stone Magazine Top 100 Greatest Artists website and a great many of the musicians listed are not what anyone would call Rock & Roll. There are R & B, Country and Rap artists on the list. I can see a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame including those persons whose music contributed to the formation of the style that came to be known as Rock & Roll but this is a list of the Greatest Artist Of ROCK AND ROLL, not a list of people who never played anything remotely like Rock & Roll but became popular at a time when Rock & Roll had become passe.
It's one thing to imagine that some early Rhythm and Blues artists or Country singers may have become Rock stars had they started a decade or two later than they did but Rappers expressly did NOT become Rock singers, and they certainly knew of Rock & Roll. To say that R & B, Country, Hip-hop and Rap is a form of Rock and Roll is majorly insulting to R & B, Country, Hip-hop and Rap. Is there a Rap hall of fame, yet? If there is would an act like Guns and Roses be included? They are contemporaries of Run DMC, N.W.A and The Beastie Boys so why wouldn't they be? It's because they don't play Rap, that's why. So why are Rappers included in a list of the Greatest Rock & Roll Acts of ALL TIME?
BTW, the portrait art of the 100 Greatest Artists on the Rolling Stone Magazine site is worth the visit in itself.
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