The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame needs to honor rock en español—starting with Soda Stereo

Miami Herald

30-01-2025

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame aims to recognize artists who've significantly contributed to the evolution, development, and perpetuation of rock 'n' roll.
However, it never mentions this recognition is limited to a specific language or country, so anyone in the world meeting their induction criteria is supposed to be eligible. But the reality is quite different, for decades they've only looked into the same horizon, mostly inducting white male musicians from the US and UK. It wasn't until recent years when diversity and inclusion movements started putting social pressure everywhere, that they adopted a sort of 'selective inclusion' and began nominating more female and African-American acts. Unfortunately, the rest of the world has remained ignored.
Three out of 1,039, that's the number of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame individual Hispanic inductees born in Latin America. The numbers remain low even if we add inductees of Ibero-American heritage born in the English-speaking world: one in England and eleven in the United States.
As of the 2024 class, the 15 inductees with confirmed Hispanic roots represent just 1.4% of the total members. Furthermore, it's disappointing that exclusively Spanish-speaking acts have never been considered. This statistic not only reflects a low representation of a region with a longstanding and powerful tradition of local rock artists and impressive international concerts packed with passionate fans, but it also presents an opportunity for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to embrace a more inclusive and diverse future - one that highlights how rock 'n' roll brings people from different countries, cultures, and languages together.
I've been running a fan campaign since 2020 to advocate for Argentina's Soda Stereo's induction into the RRHOF as their first Spanish-language band. Despite frequent comments our team effort sparks on social media, I don't believe the Hall is biased against Hispanic artists. It only seems their vision is limited to the local market and that they haven't been exposed to authentic rock en español to consider its inclusion. They still believe Ritchie Valens and Carlos Santana are the only Latin rock legends. Watching the docuseries 'Break It All' on Netflix, which covers the history of rock in Latin America, could start fixing that in less than six hours.
Their Nominating Committee consists of 30 experts, none of whom are Hispanic, this puts our campaign on a collision path against history, and the entire Rock en Español possibilities in the hands of people who may not possess the best expertise on real Hispanic music. This limitation of a constant pool of professionals on the Committee, year in and year out, also raises big concerns about diversity and fairness, some fans feel that their favorite bands, even those anglophone, are being blocked by eternal gatekeepers.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame executives explain controversial multi-genre nominations by referencing Motown Records' old motto, 'The Sound of Young America.' They say they want to bring back the original spirit of the 1950s. However, focusing only on what young people in the United States listen to could limit real inclusion and diminish their global appeal. This is also unfair to followers abroad because rock 'n' roll was born in the US but belongs to the entire planet.
When John Sykes took over the RRHOF foundation he promised more diversity to prevent the institution from becoming irrelevant. I started the Soda Stereo Rock Hall campaign hoping his pledge would finally recognize a Latin American band. According to a June 2024 census.gov press release, Hispanics now represent 19.5% of the US population, a considerable market, and with Spanish being the second-largest language by number of native speakers in the world, and by far the second-most spoken in the United States, it's time to do so. Experts agree that the first band should be Soda Stereo, followed by the other three of the 'sacred tetralogy' of Spanish-language rock: Heroes del Silencio (Spain), Los Prisioneros (Chile), and Caifanes (Mexico).
But it can't stop there, foundational icons of the movement should also be considered: El Tri and Javier Batiz (Mexico), Charly Garcia and Luis Alberto Spinetta (Argentina), Miguel Rios (Spain), and Los Saicos (Peru).
Moreover, full recognition won't be complete without honoring influential acts such as Cafe Tacuba, Mana, Maldita Vecindad, Molotov, Fobia, Botellita de Jerez, Ritmo Peligroso (Mexico); Enanitos Verdes, Miguel Mateos, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Fito Paez, Andres Calamaro, Los Redonditos de Ricota, Rata Blanca (Argentina); La Ley, Los Tres, Lucybell (Chile); La Union, Duncan Dhu, Radio Futura, Hombres G (Spain); Juanes, Aterciopelados (Colombia). And if Madonna and Depeche Mode are in, why not consider Shakira (Colombia), Mecano (Spain), and Aleks Syntek (Mexico)?
Cirque du Soleil paid tribute to Soda's legacy in 2017 and 2018, an honor reserved only for The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, and Soda Stereo. Michel Laprise, director of the show, who spent months talking to fans worldwide to understand the band's legacy, expressed on a video recorded at their Montreal headquarters for our campaign, 'The quality of their rock music, the intensity of what they did is universal and ageless, still very actual. Then we realized they're not in the Rock Hall of Fame, it doesn't make sense, they should be there. Let's correct that and celebrate the timeless quality and relevance of that music.'
Soda Stereo disbanded in 1997 at the peak of their career due to the exhaustion caused by their self-imposed discipline, which made them work long hours together seven days a week, with just a few vacation weeks on their own at the end of their extensive Latin American tours. They reunited for a record-breaking tour in 2007 which, according to drummer Charly Alberti, led to a global tour offer from a US promoter who saw them as the culmination of the Latin music crossover that started with Ritchie Valens and continued with Santana, Ricky Martin, and Shakira.
They intended to resume recording new albums and touring. Sadly, Gustavo Cerati, the band's charismatic frontman, fell into a coma in May 2010 after a solo show in Venezuela and passed away on Sept. 4, 2014. His passing led to an outpouring of love and respect from fans and colleagues around the world. Cerati's massive funeral was compared to the funeral of iconic tango legend Carlos Gardel in 1935.
Coldplay's Chris Martin is without a doubt Soda Stereo's most high-profile and vocal fan; Gorillaz's Seye Adelakan has been a loyal admirer since his teenage years, 'They transcend the Spanish language' he says; Shakira cites them as the inspiration to become an artist; Andy Summers wanted to do more music with Cerati after they recorded together; and Bono prayed onstage for his recovery.
No band on the planet needs to be inducted into the RRHOF, but those who have been a positive influence should be honored with it. Soda Stereo has already secured its place in history and deserves this induction. Thanks to streaming services and Latin migration their music is now being discovered by audiences worldwide. Even non-Spanish speakers are captivated by what Gustavo Cerati, Charly Alberti, and Zeta Bosio created together.
Despite their legacy and positive impact on rock's development in Latin America, the band has yet to be nominated. Our petition has gathered close to 40,000 signatures from 70 countries across all continents and the endorsement of historically significant Hispanic rock stars asking the Rock Hall to take a groundbreaking step. Our campaign's media impact has prompted discussions about clear discrimination against Latin America. Many believe that if Soda Stereo were from the US or Europe and sang in English, they would have been inducted long ago.
The Rock Hall should not induct Soda Stereo only to satisfy a diversity quota. But it should also not discriminate against them because of their Latin American origin, their legacy being unknown to them, or especially because their songs are in a language they don't like or understand. Doing so would mean the diversity, equity, accessibility & inclusion policies stated on their website are just empty words.
It's time for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to look beyond the borders of the United States and Europe and prove that it is the global institution that fans around the world want it to be. This is especially important at this time when multicultural bridges and better social understanding are most needed everywhere. Rock and Roll has always acted as an agent of change and global unity at crucial moments in history. Is the Rock Hall up to the challenge, or are they just interested in selling tickets and putting up high-ratings induction ceremonies? The 2025 nominees will be announced soon, and even if Soda Stereo may not be on that list, we know that eventually, when the RRHOF starts listening to the fans, instead of acting as a dark conclave, they will recognize the first band that united millions of rock fans in every Latin American country and within the Hispanic community in the US, and that proved that it was possible to do world-class Rock sang on Spanish.
Please add your signature to our petition here.
An earlier version of this column originally ran on Billboard.com and Billboardespañol.com on Sept. 5, 2024.
Miguel Gálvez is a journalist and the creator and director of the Soda Stereo Rock Hall campaign.