Hard Rock Cafe Top Of The Rock Winners List
Helpful information is provided here on the "Hard Rock Cafe Top Of The Rock" pin series that Hard Rock Cafe has used to award individual cafes.
This site will offer:
- Background information on the Top Of The Rock award
- Pictures of the Top Of The Rock pins available
- Pictures of some of the memorabilia the Cafes can display
- A list of Cafes winning the Top Of The Rock honor
Hard Rock Corporate every month presents to a Cafe the “Top Of The Rock” Cafe honor based on:
- Financial performance
- Unique sales accomplishments
- Community contributions
Every other month the Top Of The Rock honor is rotated between:
- Company-owned Cafes
- Franchise Cafes
Along with special Hard Rock Cafe pins that are produced (generally an Over The Counter one for sale to the public, and a Staff Only pin), the winning Cafe will have the opportunity to display a special collection of memorabilia from one of these three guitars.
The three guitars used for Top Of The Rock honor are:
(CLICK any picture to open up larger picture in new browser)
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Gibson Les Paul smoking guitar from the 1996-1997 Kiss Reunion world tour.
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Jimi Hendrix’s white Gibson SG played during the 1969 Dick Cavett Show.
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Custom-made Alembic Bass guitar created for the Who’s John Entwistle in 1980 for the recording of “Too Late the Hero” album.
To date the Kiss and Entwistle pins have been used only for Franchise Cafes, while the Hendrix pin has been used exclusively for Corporate owned Cafes.
Here are pictures of the Jimi Hendrix Display when it was in Atlanta during 2005.
Hard Rock Cafe TOP OF THE ROCK Winners List
Key: OTC is for Over The Counter Retail; Question Mark (?) means there may be a pin out there, but I do not know the amount; None means I am not aware of a pin available; and various amounts may be given based on different numbers provided (using eBay, Hard Rock Cafe Online Pin Catalog Guide and The Pin Twins PinGuide).
October 2004 Bangkok Kiss Guitar OTC 300-800 Staff 150
Notes: According to Online Pin Catalog: "Came in bag that said 'Top of the Rock pin 300.'- though 800 were made (?)." Staff pin has Date on front and hologram on back while OTC does not have either of these.
November 2004 Copenhagen Hendrix Guitar OTC 150 Staff 75
Notes: Online guide makes it seems like this is an annual award. However Bangkok got it in October 2004 and soon it will be issued monthly.
June 2004 Dubai Kiss Guitar OTC 300 Staff 100
July 2004 Boston Hendrix Guitar OTC 300-500 Staff 100
August 2004 Malta Kiss Guitar OTC 150 Staff 80
September 2004 Toronto Hendrix Guitar OTC 300 Staff 150
December 2004 Bogota Kiss Guitar OTC None Staff 70
January 2005 Orlando Hendrix Guitar OTC 300 Staff 500
Notes: First time more Staff pins have been issued than OTC ones.
February 2005 Ottawa Entwistle Guitar OTC 200 Staff None
Kiss Guitar OTC None Staff 75
Notes: First appearance of the Entwistle guitar, but Staff got a Kiss Guitar. Online will say the Yokohama Entwistle is the first appearance.
March 2005 Berlin Hendrix Guitar OTC 100 Staff 60
April 2005 Nagoya Kiss Guitar OTC 1000 Staff ?
May 2005 Barcelona Hendrix Guitar OTC 100 Staff 170
June 2005 Hong Kong Entwistle Guitar OTC 300 Staff 95
Notes: OTC will say "Hong Kong". Staff pin has "Kowloon" instead of "Hong Kong".
July 2005 Manchester Hendrix Guitar OTC 100 Staff 60
August 2005 Yokohama Entwistle Guitar OTC 300 Staff 90-80
Notes: Online says this is the first appearance for the Entwistle Guitar, but Ottawa had it in February 2005.
September 2005 Pittsburgh Hendrix Guitar OTC 300 Staff 115
Notes: Online says "30" were made. Typo error.
October 2005 Jakarta Entwistle Guitar OTC 300 Staff 175
Notes: A red Entwistle Guitar was also issued out to special guests that often frequented the Jakarta Cafe. This was a Limited Edition of 75.
November 2006 Atlanta Hendrix Guitar OTC 300 Staff 200
Notes: Misprint error on date. Pin was supposed to say November 2005. All OTC ones were sold. No OTC ones were pulled. According to one Staff person only about 50 of the Staff Incorrect ones were released before they stopped giving them out.
November 2005 Atlanta Hendrix Guitar OTC 300 Staff 200
Notes: Nov. 2005 Pin was issued after the misprint.
December 2005 Dubai Kiss Guitar OTC 300 Staff 100
January 2006 Rome Hendrix Guitar OTC 150 Staff 100
February 2006 Cabo San Lucas Entwistle Guitar OTC 300 Staff 52
March 2006 Atlantic City Hendrix Guitar OTC 300 Staff 150
April 2006 Cayman Islands Kiss Guitar OTC 300 Staff 70
May 2006 Berlin Hendrix Guitar OTC 150 Staff 70
June 2006 Buenos Aires Kiss Guitar Staff ?
July 2006 Lake Tahoe Hendrix Guitar OTC 300 Staff 150
August 2006 Dublin Kiss Guitar OTC 300 Staff 100
September 2006 Houston Hendrix Guitar OTC 300 Staff 100
October 2006 Hong Kong Entwistle Guitar OTC ? Staff 100
Notes: Staff pin has "Kowloon" instead of "Hong Kong".
November 2006 Lisbon Hendrix Guitar OTC 100 Staff 100
December 2006 Bali Entwistle Guitar
Notes: Made 120, do not say STAFF, but were given to Staff Only.
January 2007 Amsterdam Hendrix Guitar OTC 150 Staff 120
February 2007 Gothenburg Kiss Guitar OTC ? Staff 100
March 2007 Berlin Hendrix Guitar OTC 150 Staff 75
April 2007 Beirut Entwistle Guitar OTC 150 Staff 100
May 2007 Toronto Hendrix Guitar OTC 300 Staff 150
June 2007 Malta Entwistle Guitar OTC 150 Staff 100
July 2007 San Diego Hendrix Guitar OTC 300 Staff 80
August 2007 Sharm el Sheikh Entwistle Guitar OTC 150 Staff ?
September 2007 Philadelphia Hendrix Guitar OTC 300 Staff 150
October 2007
November 2007 Houston Hendrix Guitar OTC 300 Staff 80
December 2007 Margarita Entwistle Guitar OTC ? Staff 150
| MONTH | CAFE | GUITAR | OTC | STAFF |
| January | PARIS | Hendrix | 300 | 120 |
| February | BUENOS AIRES | Entwistle | ? | 120 |
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