Ok, I turn over to HBO's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Concert and...

[Hugo Chavez]

They're playing a bunch of motown stuff   I never really considered it in the same category as Rock, WTF?  is this just a pc thing?  BB King is cool, he's got some stuff that's there for sure.  but Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder, I'm not getting it.

[benchmstr]

They're playing a bunch of motown stuff   I never really considered it in the same category as Rock, WTF?  is this just a pc thing?  BB King is cool, he's got some stuff that's there for sure.  but Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder, I'm not getting it.

dude, the rock&roll hall of fame is bullshit....KISS is not even in it yet....i dont even like KISS but they were a pretty monumental force when it came to making rock mainstream.

bench

[YoungBlood]

Just because it is called the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" does not mean it will not feature other music besides Rock n Roll.
All music tends to have other influences within, in order to become what you hear as that style. You say BB King is cool...do you think his music was not a huge influence on the guys at Motown? What about someone like Robert Johnson, who influenced BB King...Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and all the guys at Motown were influenced by previous people before them- that is a given.
Now, who do you think Stevie, Smokey and other Motown artists like Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson and The Four Tops, The Commodores and Rick James influenced?
Without Stevie Wonder, certain qualities of the Red Hot Chili Peppers wouldn't be there, nor half of music (especially the entertainment side or performance) in regards to Michael Jackson. Nor would you have certain commercial success' like "Superfreak" Rick James or Lionel Richie (or Nicole!)....

...all paths lead to somewhere. If they lead somewhere, they came from somewhere too. Hence the reason you see Motown on the RnR HofF.

[Hugo Chavez]

dude, the rock&roll hall of fame is bullshit....KISS is not even in it yet....i dont even like KISS but they were a pretty monumental force when it came to making rock mainstream.

bench

exactly

[Hugo Chavez]

Just because it is called the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" does not mean it will not feature other music besides Rock n Roll.
All music tends to have other influences within, in order to become what you hear as that style. You say BB King is cool...do you think his music was not a huge influence on the guys at Motown? What about someone like Robert Johnson, who influenced BB King...Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and all the guys at Motown were influenced by previous people before them- that is a given.
Now, who do you think Stevie, Smokey and other Motown artists like Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson and The Four Tops, The Commodores and Rick James influenced?
Without Stevie Wonder, certain qualities of the Red Hot Chili Peppers wouldn't be there, nor half of music (especially the entertainment side or performance) in regards to Michael Jackson. Nor would you have certain commercial success' like "Superfreak" Rick James or Lionel Richie (or Nicole!)....

...all paths lead to somewhere. If they lead somewhere, they came from somewhere too. Hence the reason you see Motown on the RnR HofF.

just call it the music hall of fame then.  Influences on rock are very broad from classical all the way to folk.  doesn't mean the influences are rock.  BB did some stuff that crosses into rock.  Not so sure the others did.  Would you see U2 inducted into the motown hall of fame, if there is one?  no....