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It will be interesting to see if my fellow voters see it the same way, given Patti’s cult appeal. Remember, the only true underground bands to be elected to the Hall are the Velvets and Ramones

THEIR FAME IS TRUE

Voter Trakin Ponders the Chances of Punk Pioneers Patti Smith, The Clash, Sex Pistols and Elvis Costello To Enter the Hallowed Hall

The official ballot for the 18th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame includes 15 nominees, out of which voters must choose a maxiumum of eight in order of preference for election. The top seven vote-getters with more than 50% of the tallies get in, and will be inducted next year at the gala Waldorf-Astoria dinner/concert. Here is one voter's picks, complete with our estimates of the acts’ chances of getting the nod:

The Patti Smith Group (1): OK, I’m prejudiced because "Piss Factory" was the first single I bought upon returning to NYC from college in the fall of ‘74, and it was a large part of my inspiration to write about rock music. It will be interesting to see if my fellow voters see it the same way, given Patti’s cult appeal. Remember, the only true underground bands to be elected to the Hall are the Velvets and Ramones (8-1).

The Clash (2): You had to see these seminal punkers at the height of their powers live to appreciate their influence (2-1).

Sex Pistols (3) They came, they saw, they conquered, they got fat and played a gig in San Bernardino sponsored by Levi’s. So what? They changed the course of rock. Not that the Hall of Fame electorate will care. (10-1).

Elvis Costello & the Attractions (4): The premier singer-songwriter to emerge from the Britpunk era. The HoF should welcome him (3-1).

The Police (5): Believe it or not, underrated as the commercial face of new wave, but quite influential as a power trio that combined pop melodies and world beat. And I have a soft spot for Sting after writing his biography. Their commercial success doesn’t hurt (3-1).

Black Sabbath (6): Not a huge fan, but if they don’t deserve to be in a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, nobody does (7-2).

Kraftwerk (7): Helped pave the way for disco, synthpop and techno, not to mention Donna Summer and Devo (15-1).

Chic (8): Nile Rodgers and the late Bernard Edwards were not technically rockers, but the bass beat from "Good Times" alone launched a thousand samples, as well as hits from Queen to P. Diddy (17-1).

The runners-up include: ABBA: Love Bjorn and Benny, but they’re more suited to the Swedish Pop Hall of Fame (20-1). AC/DC: I never really bought Angus Young’s schoolboy shtick (7-1). The Dells: There’s a group of HoF voters whose goal is to induct every doo-wop band with a hit single. (6-1). Lynyrd Skynyrd: Another deserving band that’s, unfortunately, more famous for its mishaps than its musical legacy (10-1). MC5: Wayne Kramer’s a friend, and I respect their legacy, but I think you hadda be there (20-1). Righteous Bros.: Pop, not Rock (15-1). Steve Winwood: Maybe as part of Spencer Davis, Traffic or Blind Faith, but not as a solo act (9-1).

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