Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions: Memorable and long-deserved

Well, finally! At long last, and after more than a decade of complaining, Rush fans can rest easy. Their favorite band is now officially a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I knew the second Rush popped up on the ballot that the band would get in this year, and I, along with so many others, think it's long, long overdue.

The 28th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony was held late last week in Los Angeles, with a slew of musical royalty in attendance to honor the inductees. The eight inductees were: Rush, Public Enemy, Randy Newman, Heart, Donna Summer, Albert King, Lou Adler and Quincy Jones. The group includes iconic rock groups, a groundbreaking rap group, the Queen of Disco, an extraordinary blues artist, two legendary music producers and a singer-songwriter with no equal. I'd say that qualifies as officially diverse, wouldn't you?

Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters inducted Rush in an ever so eloquent way, saying:

From day one, the band built its following the right way. No hype, no (baloney), they did it from the ground up without any help from the mainstream press …Their influence is undeniable and their devoted fan base is only rivaled by the Grateful Dead. Look at you people, all of you people, right here! And their legacy is that of a band that stayed true to themselves no matter how uncool they may have seemed to anyone.

Well stated, Mr. Grohl. The Rush fan base is truly one of a kind, and I'm sure that at long last, everyone is rejoicing. Rush, by the way, took the stage during the ceremony and ripped through Tom Sawyer and The Spirit of Radio. If you're hoping to catch the highlights of the induction show and the performances, you can: The 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will air on May 18, 2013 on HBO.

I personally cannot wait to see Heart's performance during the RRHOF ceremony, because they played several of my favorite songs ("Crazy for You" and certainly "Dreamboat Annie"). And I'm sure Chuck D and Flavor Flav had some serious fun on stage, too.

But yeah, I keep coming back to Rush, just like everyone else. To me, Rush is without a doubt one of the most underrated bands in the entire history of music. Not anymore, at least, not where the Rock Hall of Fame is concerned.

Again, mark your calendars, music fans: This year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction show airs on HBO on May 18, and I suspect it'll be as stellar as always.

Photo courtesy of Philly.com