Our next 2013 inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is one of my personal musical heroes, Mr. Randy Newman. Newman first became eligible for the Hall in 1988 and was first nominated in 2005. He didn’t make the cut that year but had better luck the second time he made the ballot.

Newman reacted to the news with his usual dry sense of humor, saying “I really thought maybe I’d have to die first. I didn’t think it would happen if it didn’t happen, you know, a little earlier. But this is great. I’m really glad it happened when I was still around to see it.”

Newman has had an extraordinary career as a songwriter for others, a recording artist, and a composer of film scores. He has two Oscars from 22 nominations and seven Grammys from 23 nominations, and all that hardware is focused only on his movie work.

The real gold can be found in his dozen studio albums, including the classic trio of 1970’s 12 Songs, 1972’s Sail Away, and 1974’s Good Old Boys. You’ll find a treasure trove of dark humor, biting satire and earnest emotion on those three albums alone.

Newman has never been a hitmaker but he did score a #2 with the misunderstood ‘Short People,’ a song he tired of quickly after having to explain to too many people that it was a satire about bigotry. His only #1 hit was the great Three Dog Night recording of his ‘Mama Told Me (Not to Come).’

Does Randy Newman belong in the Hall of Fame? His sales would suggest no, and I don’t know if you see much of his influence in modern songwriters. I also don’t know if film songs and scores should enter the equation. But none of that matters. I say Newman deserves Rock Hall inclusion based on his talent alone.