Both the Beastie Boys and Rush deserve to be in the RNRHOF. Both are iconic, massively influential groups for their genres and periods. I do think both bands are kind of acquired tastes, but both were very accomplished bands that influenced many of their peers and those that came after. And for those that think the Beasties were just a bunch of punk, white, wannabe rappers, they never really payed attention to them. As they did play actual instruments (they started out as a punk rock band before turning to hip hop), and incorporated many different styles of music into their sound. They're practically the only legit rap/hip-hop group I've ever heard also be played on alternative rock radio. The Beastie Boys are legends and definitely deserve it, as do Rush. I do agree that it was ridiculous that the Beasties got in before Rush, not due to greatness level, but for chronological reasons. Rush debuted a decade before the Beasties, so they should've gotten in first. Another example of that (which should be more understandable to the more close-minded music fans that think rock and roll music is only white guys with long hair or buzz cuts playing loud guitars) would be Metallica getting in before Alice Cooper. Again not due to greatness level, but for the fact that Alice Cooper debuted almost 15 years before Metallica did. I'm a big proponent of Hall of Fames being chronological in their inductions, to accurately tell the story of whatever subject they're honoring. And there would be no Metallica without Alice Cooper, Rush, and two other bands that still aren't in, Deep Purple and KISS. Heck there would be no Rush without Deep Purple, and even Geddy Lee or Alex Lifeson (can't remember which one), stated that shortly after they were announced for induction and Deep Purple were announced as being left out this year.
And as far as the RNRHOF being "watered down" because they induct artists who aren't white and play loud guitars (basically), rock and roll music's roots are in blues, jazz, gospel, R&B, and early country/bluegrass music. In the early days of rock and roll, guitar wasn't even the primary instrument (until Chuck Berry came along), the piano was. So it makes perfect sense for the HOF to induct artists in the blues, R&B/soul, country, folk, genres, etc. Even disco, pop, and yes rap make sense. All of those genres spawned out of early rock and roll and R&B music, so yes Madonna, the Beastie Boys and Public Enemy belong just as much as Rush, Led Zeppelin, and Metallica. Rock and Roll music isn't just hard rock/metal with loud guitars. It's much more multi-faceted than that. Miles Davis is a bit of a stretch though, I have to admit, though he is one of the greatest artists in overall music history.
Now, onto the WWE HOF. I love it. I love history and Hall of Fames, so I'm just as excited about the HOF as I am Wrestlemania and the Royal Rumble. I don't think it's a waste of time, and I don't think it's a joke either. Could it be better? Sure. I agree that WWE needs to invest in a HOF building. Though I don't think the HOF isn't legit because they don't have a HOF building. Back to the Rock and Roll HOF, they inducted their first class in 1986, but didn't have an official building until 1995. But I do think it would be a good idea for WWE to build one. It would be very profitable. I would like to see a more legitimate voting committee take part, and not just Vince choosing who goes in. I think the Voting Committee (kind of similar to the RNRHOF and other HOF's) should consist of the McMahon family, the executives of WWE, the current roster of wrestlers, and every past living HOF inductee. I would be very interested to see who the likes of Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin, etc would vote for. I also think that people like Bruno, Bob Backlund, Ultimate Warrior, etc, guys who have not accepted the honor in the past would be more likely to accept it if they knew that their peers would be voting them in. I think Bruno would care a lot more if all of the HOF inductees were choosing him to go in, and not just Vince. So I do think the HOF should look into having a more legit voting process. WWE could also come up with a list of nominees perhaps. 15, and the voting committee chooses who goes in. The top 7-8 vote getters are the ones that get in.
And as far as the celebrity wing. I have no problem with it whatsoever. Many HOF's have other categories of HOFers other than the main inductees. As Jack-Hammer pointed out, there are session musicians, record executives, professional songwriters, disc-jockeys, etc in the RNRHOF. Why is that? Because there are outside categories. There is the Early Influences category (artists that pre-dated and influenced rock and roll music which includes artists like Louis Armstrong, T-Bone Walker, Louis Jordan, Hank Williams, etc.), there is the Sidemen category, now known as the Award for Musical Excellence (which was the category for session musicians), and there was the Non-Performers category (now known as the Ahmet Ertegun Lifetime Achievement award), which honored non performers, like songwriters, disc-jockeys, music executives, promoters, etc. So it makes sense for the WWE HOF to have outside categories. The "celebrity wing" is one of them. Celebrities have played a big part at times in the modern landscape of WWE, so it makes sense to induct ones. Now Drew Carey, even for the celebrity wing, is probably the worst inductee of the HOF. I can think of about 10 celebrities that meant much more to wrestling and have been far more involved over the years than Drew Carey (Andy Kaufman, Cyndi Lauper, Mr. T, Muhammad Ali, Sylvester Stallone, Donald Trump, Aretha Franklin, etc.). But yes, it makes sense to have a celebrity category.
I think the WWE HOF could do better on certain things, but it's certainly not a joke or the most horrible institution in history, like some people make it out to be.
