When the official list of 2012 inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame circulated last week, without Joan Jett and the Blackhearts on it, we were all disappointed and sad. But I think I wallowed in it a little longer than I should have. The truth is, we Jettheads still have plenty to be happy about! For example:
1. THEY WERE NOMINATED. I still remember the blinding joy–and total surprise–I felt when I first found out that The Blackhearts were on the ballot. It’s now one of my favorite Jetthead memories, and I’m always going to carry it with me.
2. WE GOT THEM INTO THE TOP 5 OF THE ROCK HALL’S READERS’ POLL. This is the first year the Rock Hall has done one of these polls, although we knew the results would not affect the outcome. The Rock Hall hasn’t published the final results anywhere yet, and the poll has been taken down, but I watched that thing like a hawk up until the last day it was open, and I know Joan Jett and The Blackhearts were in 5th place. And this poll didn’t even allow multiple votes!
3. WE EARNED GOLDMINE MAGAZINE’S VOTE. Goldmine was the only official Rock Hall voter I heard of that gave its readers full reign over its ballot. Our votes in their online poll landed Joan one of the coveted spots. This poll didn’t allow multiple votes either. Great job!
4. WE ARE NOT ALONE. The haters are definitely out there (aren’t they always?), but Jettheads didn’t champion for Joan in a vacuum. Many blogs and articles expressed outrage at The Blackhearts’ exclusion. (Salon.com, sheknows.com, and austinchronicle.com are among the most vociferous in defense of Joan.) Not that we need to care about random bloggers or journalists: Michael J. Fox and Lita Ford are on our side!
Lita’s interview from Examiner.com in October:
Q: What do you think of Joan (Jett’s) nomination for the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame?
A: Oh, it’s great! She absolutely deserved it.
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But the best thing to be grateful for?
5. NEW MUSIC IN 2012 AND BEYOND! Yeah, baby!!
Born to be Jetthead 
i’m agree with you, jjelektric, totally, and i’m disappointed and sad, too…but i might add….who cares? I mean, maybe i’m just talking about things that i don’t know so much, but i’m european, and on this side of the ocean there’s a lot of people who don’t approve the hall of fame’s way of judging…my god, what the hell have to do ABBA with rock ‘n’ roll? Joan is great, and we all know it very well, even without the Hall of Fame judgements. bye!!!!
Perhaps i wrote something wrong….i’m sorry, i didn’t want offend anyone, and i have the utmost respect for the Hall of Fame, even if i allow myself some doubt….by the way, my older sister is a huge fan of ABBA and i remember she was freakin’ out for their induction….that was just my opinion, and we all are just Joan’s fans, isn’t it? bye bye!!!