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Louie Louie in the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Louie Louie is the most recorded rock & roll song in history, and has had an
enormous influence on the history of rock music. So it is fitting that the
song, and the artists that most contributed to the Louie Louie story, should be
given the recognition they deserve by the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, that has not yet happened.
To be fair, there has been some recognition of Louie Louie by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Within the exhibit, they have kiosks in which visitors can explore the 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll. Louie Louie (the Kingsmen version) is included in that list.
There are also a number of inductees who have recorded and released their own versions of Louie Louie.
- The Beach Boys (1988)
- Otis Redding (1989)
- The Kinks (1990)
- Ike and Tina Turner (1991)
- Frank Zappa (1995)
- Floyd Cramer (2003) (inducted in the "sidemen" category)
- The Ventures (2008)
There are many other inductees who have performed Louie Louie live, but have not officially released a recording of it. These include Bob Dylan (1988), The Doors (1993), The Grateful Dead (1994), Led Zeppelin (1995), Bruce Springsteen (1999), Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (2002), The Clash (2003), Blondie (2006), R.E.M. (2007), and Patti Smith (2007).
But none of most central players involved in the Louie Louie story have yet been inducted. LLAMAS advocates for the induction of the following artists who have been influential and important in the history of rock and roll.
- Richard Berry
- The Kingsmen
- The Wailers
- Paul Revere & the Raiders
- The Sonics
- Iggy Pop
- Black Flag
According the website of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, artists become eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their
first record. Criteria include the influence and significance of the artists’
contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll. Each
of these artists easily meet those criteria.
The Hall of Fame describes the selection process as follows: "The Foundation’s nominating committee, composed of rock and roll historians,
selects nominees each year in the Performer category. Ballots are then sent to
an international voting body of more than 500 rock experts. Those performers who
receive the highest number of votes - and more than 50 percent of the vote - are
inducted. The Foundation generally inducts five to seven performers each year."
LLAMAS urges the nominating committee to put forward these artists, and for all
voting members to support their induction.