Hall of Famer, Patti Smith

Along with Van Halen (see Mike's previous post), Patti Smith will be inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame this year. It's about time. Smith is one of the most influential artists and deserves her spot regardless of a certain lack of commercial success. She added this poetic avante garde quality to a scene that was less about a defining sound than a defining DIY attitude. With such disparate "partners" as The Ramones, Television, Blondie, Talking Heads, Richard Hell, etc., Smith helped shape the future of music. It's this quality that often gets lost in the mainstream when looking back at the punk era. For the punk era truly was about much more than a sound. Sure, there were countless bands playing 3 chord rock aping The Ramones. But the truly transcendent artists ran the gamut of technical ability, sounds, and presentation. And Patti Smith is definitely one of those transcendent artists.

If you've never heard Patti Smith before, I highly recommend picking up "Horses". There's a reason it's considered a classic and would fall heavily on critics and musicians top lists. Her remake of "Gloria" will knock you on your ass, in a good way. It's one of those songs that always gives me goosebumps when I listen to it because of its power.