In a clash of styles, the Midwest meets Northern California in the first round of the 100% fan-voted Ultimate Classic Rock Hall of Fame. The James Gang and Santana are fighting it out for the right to move on to the semifinals.

Coming out of Cleveland, the James Gang served up meat-and-potatoes hard rock with an R&B feel like 'Funk #49' and 'Walk Away.' Led by the guitar heroics of namesake Carlos Santana, San Francisco's Santana combined blues, rock, jazz and Latin music into a psychedelic stew.

Both bands also served as breeding grounds for their members. Joe Walsh left the James Gang in 1971 and went on to greater fame in the Eagles and as a solo act. Tommy Bolin, who was later in Deep Purple, was in the band from 1973-74. In 1972, Neal Schon and Gregg Rolie left Santana, forming Journey in 1975.

Beginning with this group, voting for our Hall of Fame will now take place over a two-month stretch instead of one. You can vote for whoever you’d like once a day from now until 11:59PM ET on Oct. 6. You can read the Hall of Fame’s official rules right here. Be sure to mark your calendars for Nov. 4, when the seventh entrant into the Ultimate Classic Rock Hall of Fame is revealed.

 

 

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September October Hall of Fame Bracket
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