Eddie Money is an artist I have long had a lot of respect for. Even if his music was not very flamboyant and even if he tended to be a pretty standard rocker in an age that was known for a lot of flash and glam, he could be counted on to make solid and enjoyable music that often played with a desire to escape the place and time he found himself in. Whether he was singing about troubled relationships or the longing for relationships in a straight-ahead fashion or whether he was waxing nostalgic about the past, he could be relied upon to make memorable music that has remained important long after he stopped having new hits in the early 1990’s. To be sure, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has not been kind when it comes to the rock music of the 1980’s, and Eddie Money has unfortunately been neglected by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame rather than recognized as a particularly amazing singer whose songs have endured and who deserves recognition. It is a shame that since he has died he can no longer be a living inductee or play some of his amazing songs live, but all the same he is definitely someone I would enjoy listening to from the jukebox in Cleveland, and I’m sure a great many others would as well.
The Influence Of Eddie Money
While Eddie Money seems at first to be the sort of artist who is content with making pretty straight-ahead rock and roll, he certainly has had a fair amount of influence on others and in realms outside of rock & roll. At writing, even though he has died he still has a reality TV show based around his love of his family and his struggle against cancer, and he has also been in other TV shows and commercials playing on his career, besides his work in film and television scoring [1]. Even when limited to his rock music, he collaborated with Vince Gill and Valerie Carter and most memorably with Ronnie Spector on “Take Me Home Tonight [2].” He covered songs by obscure bands as well as, once, his former guitarist, and helped them become more prominent as hits, and besides being a skilled interpreter of the songs of others he managed to co-write quite a few of his own songs as well, showing himself to be a diverse and talented artist. Moreover, his songs have stood the test of time and remained popular to this day.
Why Eddie Money Deserves To Be In The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame
First and foremost, it is the songs that Eddie Money recorded over his career that are worthy of being remembered and that give Eddie Money his strongest case for induction. Admittedly, out of Eddie Money’s first six albums, four of them have been certified gold and platinum and he has a gold-certified greatest hits album demonstrates that he has at least some lasting album success. Yet it is the singles that he recorded, not all of which were popular on the Billboard charts, that have endured the best. Among the songs that he recorded that have endured on rock stations to this day are his top ten hits “Take Me Home Tonight” and “Walk On Water,” both of which are excellent, as well as top 20 hits like “Baby Hold On,” “Think I’m In Love,” and “I Wanna Go Back,” all of which are excellent as well. He additionally almost had another top ten hit with “Peace In Our Time,” from his greatest hits album. Even some of his songs outside of the top 20 have endured, like his 1978 hit “Two Tickets To Paradise,” which narrowly missed the top 20, and even #63 minor hit “Shakin’,” which is remembered far more than its chart run would indicate. He had two hits on the AC charts, “I’ll Get By” and “Fall In Love Again,” had 3 #1 hits, 2 #2 hits, and five additional top 10 hits on the mainstream rock charts, and managed to find success in Canada and Australia as well. All of this demonstrates Eddie Money’s broad appeal and excellent songcraft.
Why Isn’t Eddie Money In The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame
Really, it is the timing of Eddie Money’s career that has been the most damaging to his hopes of being inducted into Cleveland. 1980’s rock acts have had a very tough time being inducted unless they have had massive popularity in order to win the fan vote, and that simply has not been the case for Money. His music has certainly been popular, but he never hit #1 on the mainstream pop charts and his music is most appreciated by those who like straightforward and solid accessible rock & roll music that doesn’t pander for popularity but speaks to an honest range of emotions, and that simply hasn’t been enough for induction yet.
Verdict: Put him in, along with a lot of other 80’s rockers who deserve it.
Edge Induced Cohesion 
I, too, hate the fact that he wasn’t inducted before he died. It’s a question of timing, to be sure, but the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame really misses the boat when it comes to some pretty awesome bands. Why even call it a “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame” when they overlook genuine rock and roll?
I think the RRHOF is often overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people worthy of induction.
Amen to this. Eddie Money deserves to be in. No question about it
That may be true, but I also think that you are being generous–given some of the bands that have been inducted already versus the ones that glaringly have not.
Eddie Money is definitely a puzzling omission, that’s for sure. I just get the feeling that the era of rock he was a part of, and his general meat and potatoes approach to solid rock music, tends to be easily overlooked by those who are on the nominating committee, and that’s a shame.
I am probably in the minority in thinking the Eddie Money should not be in the RRHOF. I don’t think he was that influential. There are parts of his songs that I like, but generally, I think the lyrics are (and I am being generous) weak.
I think the the song “Take Me Home Tonight” is ruined by the Ronnie Spector refrain. It grinds the song to a halt and it anachronistic. It just doesn’t belong.
“Baby Hold on to Me” is about a guy trying to hold on to someone who really doesn’t want to be with him and it doesn’t have the irony to hold up the song. I was about 18 when the song came out and I thought it was ridiculous.
“Two Tickets to Paradise” is probably the most cohesive song even if it is a little cliched.
If you like Eddie Money, that’s okay. I am not here to say don’t like him. I am just saying there isn’t enough there to justify him being in the RRHOF.
Fair enough. You’re certainly entitled to your opinion. I think his career was a bit uneven but he certainly had enough high points to justify being in the RRHOF. Let us not forget that Faces/Small Faces are in the RRHOF.
I don’t have as much of a problem with Small Faces/Faces being in RRHOF. It got Steve Marriott (who should be in with Humble Pie) and Kenny Jones (who took over the drums for the Who on “Face Dances” and played with them until 1988). I, personally, think they were solid, but not great and there are other bands that I would have put up before them.
It is nice when worthwhile musicians are able to get inductions into the RRHOF, though with the case of Small Faces/Faces it appears to have been done mainly to give the topline musicians multiple inductions.
You obviously don’t have good taste in music. Eddie Money is a great singer, songwriter and rocker from the 70’s and 80’s. Why did you even comment??
This person who wasn’t thrilled with Eddie Money has probably never been to a concert or met him. Like I did! He is awesome oh so kind. He’s a great guy ! Personally Plus! I have an autograph that I treasure To Kathy love Ya Eddie Money! It’s such a great picture! I’ve had a crush on Eddie since high school 1970! He was so entertaining in person! I will definitely miss him! Rest In Peace Eddie Money! You were loved especially by me! Thank You Eddie! Much Love, Kathy Dykla-Wells 1502 LaCorta St, Lemon Grove CA 91945
Sorry I haven email! I’m old lol
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The RRHOF is a joke. They put in way too many acts that are not Rock & Roll, while keeping out acts like Eddie Money, Ted Nugent, et al.
That’s Right ! Also Nazareth a great band in the 70s and early 80s with my opinion one of the best rock ‘n’ roll singers of that time Dan McCafferty !
I totally agree. It’s a sham. So many acts in there, that aren’t Rock n Roll. Change the base of it then. Eddie Money deserves to be in there. He was prominent in the ’70s and ’80s, and some if the’90s. He should be in there. The people that run the RRHOF are a freaking joke. They have NO CLUE.
An interesting article but not how I would approach the topic. First of all, the Rock Hall has been revealed to be biased period. The idea that it was 1980s music or Eddie singing straight ahead rock that was the problem is understandable but arguably wrong. Music is subjective. We humans are not objective about music. I could argue that Eddie, for his originality alone, is more than worthy of Hall of Fame membership because his original music stands the test of time and is arguably more appealing than 90% of the music of The Rolling Stones.
Us Eddie Money fans know that any should be in the Hall of Fame but we don’t care because there are others in there that do not deserve it as much as Eddie does.
I’ve always adored Eddie Money & his music. I read that he ticked off some people, which was one of the reasons he didn’t get into the HoF.
Eddie money deserves to be in the rock and roll hall of fame! He’s not an 80’s singer, he is a 70’s and 80’s rocket who had many hits. If ice cube is in there, Eddie money should be…..PUT EDDIE MONEY IN THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME!!!!