Yes Induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

To:  The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

To: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

We, the undersigned, believe Yes – at once the most forward-looking and enduring of the stable of progressive rock bands that emerged during the 1960s and 1970s – deserve to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.

Yes took the previously scattered elements of prog rock – vaulting melodies, operatic structures, and the willingness to conquer the grandest possible musical visions – and synthesized them into one single language. The band was among the first to integrate with modern musical technology, and their live presentations featured not a sound nobody had ever heard before – but stage shows nobody had ever seen either.

Forget a listing of the great Yes songs. The band’s genius lies in the moments it created: The stampeding introductory crescendo in “Roundabout.” The steady wind and rain of “Close to the Edge.” The middle-finger-in-your-face riff that jars “Owner of a Lonely Heart.”

Despite criticisms that deem their genre pretentious or their albums inaccessible, Yes has survived for 40 years – where millions of artists with shortsighted visions or shallow ambitions have faded – because the band had the guts and the musical chops to aspire for so much to begin with. We would respectfully ask that the selection committee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame consider Yes for inclusion in an upcoming vote, so this oversight can be corrected as soon as possible, and Yes can take their rightful place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Undersigned,

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Yes Induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Petition to The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was created by and written by Michael Smerconish (petition@mastalk.com).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.