Here are my reasons why the Hollies deserve to be inducted into the R&RHOF.
THEIR SOUND: For many people, the most significant thing about the Hollies is their soaring, three-part vocal harmonies. Granted, tight vocal harmonies also define 1960s bands such as the Beatles, the Searchers, and the Byrds, but more these or other bands, the Hollies popularized the sound. As a result, the Hollies' harmonies also influenced many later 1970s and 1980s MOR (middle of the road) bands such as Styx, Kansas, and Fleetwood Mac.
THEIR MUSICIANSHIP: Tony Hicks' lead-guitar work is reason enough for the Hollies to be inducted into the R&RHOF; is there anyone who doesn't know Hick's guitar intro to one of the greatest romantic rock songs of all time, "The Air That I Breathe"? Unlike many of his 1960s contemporaries, Hicks' guitar style developed over the years, moving from an early, gritty "beat group" sound to more adventurous guitar work on the band's "Summer Of Love" songs (Carrie Anne, King Midas In Reverse, Not That Way At All) to an understated, tasteful sound on later ballads such as "He Ain't Heavy (He's My Brother)," "I Can't Tell The Bottom From The Top" and the breathtaking "Gasoline Alley Bred."
Any list of great rock/pop drummers has to include Hollies drummer Bobby Elliott. Like contemporaries Ringo Starr and Keith Moon, Elliott developed a unique sound that propelled the band through a variety of musical styles, including "Beat Group" back beat, psychedelic, country & western, romantic ballad, and straight-out rock, the most obvious example being his work on "Long Cool Woman."
THEIR SONG WRITING: The Hollies are one of a handful of 1960s bands who rose to the challenge of writing unique, personal songs at a time when bands such as the Searchers and Peter & Gordon were content to record "cover versions" of other people's material. The Clarke/Hicks/Nash song-writing team created some of the most upbeat, infectious pop-rock songs of the 1960s, a list that includes "On A Carousel,""Carrie Anne," and "Stop Stop Stop." In the 1970s, band members Allan Clarke, Tony Hicks, and Terry Sylvester tackled complex adult issues such as marital infidelity ("I Wanna Shout"), the challenge of young love ("Too Young To Be Married") and the emotional pain of separation ("My Life Is Over With You"). More than any other 1960s band, the music of the Hollies helped us define, explore, and characterize the complex nature of romantic love.
THEIR SPIRIT: On a spiritual level, the music of the Hollies offers an optimistic, often joyful view of life that reminds us that love, despite the occasional complication and setback, is the source of true happiness. While bands such as the Beatles, the Kinks, and the Who were exploring darker issues of alienation, anger, and class issues, the Hollies offered listeners a more optimistic, positive view of life that lifted our spirits and showed us a world as harmonious and energetic as the band's best songs. -- Paul D. Schneider, Los Angeles
