Oak Ridge Boys, The Browns Are a Joke of a Country Music Hall of Fame Induction Class

by Julian Spivey
The newest class of the Country Music Hall of Fame was announced on Wednesday, March 25 and it’s the most lackluster, unworthy induction class in the history of the hall of fame – and it might not even be close.

The three new inductees are: The Oak Ridge Boys, Jim Ed Brown/The Browns and Grady Martin. Now, I want to say right up front that Martin on the induction of the Oak Ridge Boys and The Browns and the incredibly dumb format in which the Country Music Hall of Fame chooses its annual induction classes.

Since 2010 the Country Music Hall of Fame selection committee has focused on three voting categories. The categories are: Modern Era (artist is eligible for induction 20 years after first coming to prominence), Veterans Era (artists is eligible for induction 45 years after first coming to prominence) and Non-Performer, Songwriter and Recording and/or Touring Musician active prior to 1980 (this year was a musician selection and Martin was chosen).

An inductee from each category does not have to be chosen every year if they don’t receive the required amount of votes, but every year there seems to be one from each category make it. The voting committee thus doesn’t seem to be picky enough.  

I particularly have an issue with the Veterans Era category that allowed Jim Ed Brown and The Browns to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame this year. I don’t mean any disrespect toward The Browns, but can anybody out there (even rather big country fans) name any of their hits? No? I didn’t think so. This is reason alone for them not to be worthy of hall of fame induction. Even if you only knew that Jim Ed Brown had a hit with “Pop a Top” in 1967 (which was later covered into a hit by Alan Jackson) that still wouldn’t be enough to justify hall of fame induction. But, because the category needed an inductee and they were one of the few acts around (especially with living members) that haven’t already been inducted they got the call.

The Veterans Era category doesn’t make any damn sense because pretty much every artist deserving of induction from that era has long since been inducted. Two artists, however, eligible for the Veterans Era vote that would’ve been way, way more deserving than The Browns and got snubbed were the late Jerry Reed and Johnny Paycheck.

My problem with the Oak Ridge Boys being inducted is two-fold. 1) They aren’t any good. 2) There were many better candidates that were snubbed in favor of them.

Hits are important in country music and the Oak Ridge Boys had hits. From the late ‘70s throughout the ‘80s the Oak Ridge Boys had 17 number one songs. They also had harmonies that many people gush over, but are overrated in their sappiness. But, what the Oak Ridge Boys also did was record many of the corniest and worst songs in country music history. For the bullshit that is “Elvira” alone this band should’ve been blackballed from ever being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. But, not only do they have that turd in their repertoire they also have schmaltz like “Bobbie Sue,” “American Made” and “(I’m Settin’) Fancy Free.”

While the Country Music Hall of Fame selection committee was making the call to the Oak Ridge Boys many more worthy choices were being snubbed like Hank Williams Jr., who once again has unbelievably been passed over despite huge hits, a larger-than-life stature within the genre and influencing nearly everybody in today’s country world.

The most obvious selection for the Country Music Hall of Fame should’ve been Alan Jackson. He will obviously be inducted one day in the future, but peers like Garth Brooks and Vince Gill have seen Hall of Fame inductions in the last few years and Jackson would’ve made perfect sense. Jackson, in my opinion, was the biggest snub.

Other artists who would’ve been more deserving than the Oak Ridge Boys that are eligible for induction include: Dwight Yoakam, Randy Travis, Brooks & Dunn, Keith Whitley, Ricky Skaggs, Clint Black and Charlie Daniels. All of these artists have had an immeasurable impact on the genre of country music over the last three decades. The Oak Ridge Boys have just made a mockery of it.

The 2015 Country Music Hall of Fame induction class is simply put a joke, which is a shame because this hall of fame is one of the last truly halfway respectable ones around.

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