The idea for a definitive rock museum was first floated in 1983, with the establishment of the Rock Hall of Fame Foundation to honor all those who have made "an exceptional contribution to modern music." The inductees are selected annually by an international panel of rock "experts," but only those performers who have released a record 25 years prior to their nomination are eligible.
The museum's septuagenarian architect - I.M. Pei - wanted the building "to echo the energy of rock and roll." One of Pei's trademark tinted-glass pyramids (a smaller version of the one he did at the Louvre), a white concrete, steel and glass structure, strikes a bold pose on the shore of Lake Erie. A tall main tower supports sweeping geornetric extensions and dramatic cantilevered offshoots in cylindrical, triangular and rectangular shapes, all fronted by the pyramid (or tent, as Pei likes to call it), which looks spectacular when lit up at night. The base of the pyramid extends into an impressive entrance plaza shaped like a turntable, complete with a stylus arm attachment. It might all look good, but Pei's lavish design means that most exhibits must be placed in the basement.
The museum is much more than an array of mementos and artifacts. Right from the start - the excellent twelve-minute films Mystery Train and Kick Out the Jams - the emphasis is on the contextualization of rock. The exhibits chart the art form's evolution and progress, acknowledging influences ranging from the blues singers of the Delta to the hillbilly wailers of the Appalachians. Look for "The Beat Goes On" display - a bank of interactive computers that reveals the inspirational earlier artists who shaped the sound of a series of contemporary bands.
Elsewhere in the subterranean main exhibition hall, there's an in-depth look at seven crucial rock genres through the cities that spawned them: rockabilly (Memphis), R&B (New Orleans), Motown (Detroit), psychedelia (San Francisco), punk (London and New York), hip-hop (New York) and grunge (Seattle). Much space is taken up by exhibits on what the museum sees as key artists of all time, including Elvis Presley, the Beatles (featuring a collection of John Lennon's possessions donated by Yoko Ono), U2, George Clinton and the Rolling Stones. In 1999, the new exhibit "Beats and Rhymes" opened, tracing the development of hip-hop and rap with costumes, artifacts and special programs.
Above ground, Pei's airy structure feels like a modern art gallery. Several U2 Trabants are suspended from the ceiling, a giant inflatable teacher from Pink Floyd's Wall tour bursts forth every five minutes and photographic portraits by Annie Leibovitz and others adorn the area by the stairwells.
On the top floor is the Hall of Fame itself. Compared with the racket elsewhere, this is a self-consciously reverential darkened space. The images of the hundred-plus inductees are flicked up on tiny screens, beside which are their autographs etched on glass.
The museum is at North Coast Harbor (daily 10am-5.30pm, Wed until 9pm; $15; reservations tel 1-800/493-ROLL). It gets particularly crowded at weekends: if that's the only time you can make it, you'll need to book in advance and be given a time to turn up. However, because it takes a good half-day to see just a decent proportion of the exhibits, it's much better to go on a weekday morning, when you can take full advantage of the interactive displays. Plan a visit to coincide with the extensive series of seminars and workshops that feature Hall of Fame inductees and leading rock writers. Call up details of these events on the Rock Hall's website ( ).
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