Why is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland?
We’re all probably guilty of believing that an institution like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame should have an equally prestigious home, like New York or Los Angeles. It causes a bit of confusion as to why its real base is in Cleveland, Ohio.
This is meant as no form of disrespect to anyone who hails from Cleveland, but you have to admit, it’s hardly the place hailed as the cultural capital of the world. But nevertheless, it is where the illustrious halls of the rock and roll elite are lined, stoking up an illustrious history all in one little corner of Ohio. It’s almost so specific that it’s unmistakable, which leads you to ask the age-old question: why exactly is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame based there?
Of course, it should go without saying that there is a very good reason for this. It was also somewhat a matter of urgency, as by 1986, three years after it was originally founded, the institution still hadn’t found a permanent home. Naturally, all the big contenders like Philadelphia and New York had thrown their hats in the ring, citing a whole host of their own very valid reasons to vie for the crown. But it was ultimately Cleveland which won out above them all, because, quite simply, their point was that we wouldn’t have rock and roll without them.
To be fair, you can’t really argue against that. So, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame headed to Cleveland, and they largely had the classic DJ Alan Freed to thank for it all. With him having coined the phrase rock and roll in the first place, it was only fitting that the institution should honour his life and legacy by situating the monument in his home. But not only this, Freed was also the organiser of the Moondog Coronation Ball, widely cited as the first ever rock concert. He was selected as one of the hall’s first ever class of inductees as a result, meaning it was forevermore something that belonged to Cleveland.
What other reasons were there for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame being in Cleveland?
Despite his unmistakable allure, however, Freed was not the sole reason that the North Star of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame shone down on Ohio. The other most influential factor was the roaring presence of the radio station WMMS, dutifully serving the city’s inhabitants with all their rock and roll listening needs but doing so in a way that blasted them onto the stratospheric radar of the rest of the world.
Having helpfully garnered a reputation as one of the leading rock radio stations in all of America, WMMS also helped to launch the Stateside careers of many a legend, including Roxy Music, Bruce Springsteen, Rush, and David Bowie – so much so that the latter even launched his first-ever tour of America in the city because of it. If there’s ever a place with more rock history crammed within its walls, it ultimately can’t match Cleveland.
As the gods of the scene are getting ready to flock to Ohio for yet another induction, no one can now ever question if it was the right choice for such a seismic beacon of music history. New York has Broadway, Los Angeles has its Hollywood glitz and glamour, but Cleveland, Ohio, is home to the true heart of rock and roll. I don’t know about you, but I know with absolute certainty which place I’d rather be.
