The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame won’t be announcing the nominees for induction in 2027 for another four months or so, but there is plenty of debate online about who should and should not be considered. See, I’m one of those nerds who takes part in those arguments. Every year, my favorite part of this is that group of detractors who enter the conversation to say – often with great passion and at great length – that none of it matters.
I get that. Really, I do. There are things about the RRHOF that are maddening. The entire concept is questionable – according honors to something that is inherently unquantifiable and subject to vagaries of personal taste. And the Hall does not make it any easier by never really defining what they are looking for, and/or by changing their exact criteria seemingly on a whim and with nary an explanation.
But I suppose that is the entire point. Throw names out there into the public discourse and let said public do what they will. Perhaps they will find music they didn’t know. Perhaps they will get angry and begin promoting a personal favorite. Perhaps they will write a long (but eminently readable) article about 100 potential inductees for the coming year.
That last one is on the agenda for today.
100 artists with a chance for RRHOF nomination in 2027
Here’s why I love this topic. I could give you a list of my 20 top RRHOF snubs. And I could do it in a variety of ways. It could be based on my own personal taste. It could employ a strict interpretation of what “rock and roll” actually means, both historically and culturally. Or it could use the broader definition that has been popular with the Hall for the past several decades.
No matter how I did it or what 20 names I came up with, I guarantee that you could come up with a completely different list of 20 names. I doubt it would even take you very long, and it would almost certainly be equally valid. (You know, unless you want to put Paul Anka or Bloodhound Gang in.)
Then, we could probably find another fan or two who could provide 20 totally different names. And so on and so on.
Today, I’m going to restrict myself to 100. I suppose these are my top 100, though, realistically, I don’t think most of them have much of a chance. Still, if they are on this list, they are here because more than one in my online cohort passionately support their legitimacy. Some have been nominated before. Many have not.
I’ll break them down into genres just for organizational purposes. And I’ll have a little something to say about each. But not a lot. 100 is a lot of names.
We’ll go by my own questionably-defined categories, in ascending order.
Misc (4)
I know, this is the worst category, right? It’s actually made up of several distinct artists who do not conveniently fit anywhere else.
Coldplay
Coldplay became eligible for induction two years ago. They have not been nominated despite being one of the most successful international acts of this century. On paper, their resume is solid. But they are also scoffed at by a lot of the tastemakers for being a soft pop act masquerading as rock and rollers. At some point, I figure they’re getting in, but I suspect they may have to wait out several more pendulum swings.
Pink
Pink was a first-rime nominee last year. I didn’t think she would get in and she didn’t. But I thought she had a very underrated candidacy. This year, she has spoken out on the Middle East situation, and not on the side that seems to be in favor amongst many in music world. She has no chance this year, and perhaps not for many years to come.
Phish
The winner of the fan vote last year does not have much in the way of broad support. They are a niche act, hard-working heirs to the jam-band ethos of the Grateful Dead, but with nowhere near the Dead’s cultural footprint. I suspect they will not be nominated again any time soon.
Neil Sedaka
Sedaka died last February and it is hard to predict how that might affect his chances. He has never been nominated, but you can make a good case for him. But he seems far more likely to be eventually inducted in the “musical excellence” category than as a performer.
R&B/Soul (5)
This is one of those areas where old-school rock fans yell and scream the loudest. These are not rockers, but they Hall has opened its doors to similarly rock adjacent acts and that door is not shutting anytime soon.
Teddy Pendergrass
Of course, we will never know what Teddy Pendergrass might have done if not for the devastating automobile accident that paralyzed him in 1982. He was a dominant figure on the R&B charts both before and after the accident and had decent crossover appeal. With Luther Vandross’ overdue induction last year, the door may open for artists like Pendergrass, though it may take several years.
TLC
TLC is not getting in. Not now and probably not ever. There has not been a major push for them at any point. I’m including them here because I think as a crossover hip hop/R&B/soul act, they deserve more serious consideration than they have received. I think you could make the case that they were more influential than a bunch of artists already enshrined.
Barry White
Personally, I was never a fan of Barry White’s music, either as a solo artist or with Love Unlimited Orchestra. But his importance to R&B and disco is undeniable. He is one of the best cases to test where you draw the line based on style of music. The RRHOF is clearly not restricted to rock and roll, but can it stretch this far? My guess is no, but it would not shock me if a groundswell didn’t build at some point.
Usher
Usher will get in one day. Even if tastes move away from his brand of music for a while, they will eventually swing back. I give it about five years.
New Edition
New Edition was nominated last year. To my ears, there are other more deserving R&B/pop artists for induction but there is no denying their popularity. I think we will see them nominated off and on over the next decade, but I don’t know if they will ever get enough support to get over the hump.
Dance (5)
Similar to the previous category, the hardliners groan at the mention of these acts. To me, many of the dance bands from the late 20th century have a better claim to make on influencing the development of rock than more middle-of-the-road mainstream rock acts.
The Meters
The Meters get nominated every so often but are rarely seen as serious contenders for induction. As a pioneering funk band, they don’t exactly fit with the other dance bands in this eclectic grouping, but they deserve recognition of some sort. As time ticks on, the “influence” and “excellence” categories seem a more likely destination for the New Orleans legends.
Chic
Chic will not get in. Their time and has come and gone. They will probably reign forever as the most-nominated act in RRHOF history. They have been nominated 11 times but none have come since the Hall enshrined founding member Nile Rodgers for musical excellence ten years ago. That’s probably a reasonable outcome, though Chic was a truly awesome disco dance outfit beyond the Rodgers influence.
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys is a bit of a guilty pleasure. This isn’t exactly a Coldplay situation – where their popularity outstrips their critical rep. They were nominated in 2022, but I get this feeling that a lot of older voters have trouble divorcing them from the stigma of disco. To me, they are far more than that, though the fact that they had greater success in the UK than in the USA may dull their chances.
Grace Jones
I don’t imagine Grace Jones’ fascinating career is quite enough to get her into the Hall. I probably wouldn’t vote for her myself, unless I were to broaden the idea of influence to extend beyond music into an entire culture. I’m not even a big fan of her music. Nonetheless, I think she deserves consideration, at least as an influence, for the way she opened doors for new kinds of artistic expression back in the 1970s and ‘80s.
Daft Punk
Daft Punk will be in the RRHOF one day. It will just take a while.
Hip hop (6)
We are long past the days of arguing about whether hip hop acts belong in the RRHOF. With Wu-Tang Clan’s induction last year, there are now 15 acts enshrined as performers, and more if you include affiliated categories. Now it is largely a question of whether there are more obvious choices from pre-2000. Some fans believe Wu-Tang was the last of the required acts.
Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes has performed during induction ceremonies but has yet to crack the Hall in his own right. Rhymes is an essential link in the development of hip hop and his rapid-fire delivery makes him very recognizable. I think there are others who should be in before him but he is close.
De La Soul
De La Soul has also performed in honor of others at the Hall, and they are arguably the most influential early act who is not yet in. But their output is slight compared to some other acts and I suspect that as much as connoisseurs would like to see them enshrined, it is ultimately more likely to come as an influence than as performers.
Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill is a massively influential bridge between neo soul and hip hop. She was nominated last year but was bypassed. In her favor? Universal respect from the music world. Working against her? One solo album and two original albums with the Fugees. Hill’s candidacy points to a gap in the categories. Singles are recognized by the Hall but individual albums are not. If ever an album were ripe for inclusion, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill would seem to be it. I don’t think she gets in as a performer but musical excellence seems like a good bet one day.
Nas
I think Nas is a co-favorite for being the next hip hop artist to be inducted. His career is worthy. Illmatic is iconic. I’m surprised he has yet to be at least nominated, but I think his day is coming soon.
Snoop Dogg
There’s a chance that Snoop’s celebrity outside the world of rap may actually have a negative impact on his chances. He is probably the best-known of the eligible artists who is not yet in. Like Nas, he has not even been nominated despite being eligible for almost a decade. This is a hard one to predict because a lot of people figured he’d be in by now. I still think he gets in one day, but he might be behind several other artists who are dearer to the hearts of hip hop fans.
Erik B. and Rakim
If I were betting, this would be where I’d put my money for the next hip hop act. They have been nominated a couple of times and Rakim is generally recognized among the best ever. The pipeline had to clear out a little bit before the Paid in Full team got in, but that has now happened.
Country (6)
When Dolly Parton was elected a few years back, she initially turned down the honor because she didn’t think she was rock and roll enough to deserve it. Then she thought better of her decision and decided she would accept the honor and earn it by releasing a massive rock and roll album. This is why people love Dolly. The following artists are not exactly rock and roll either, but each can make a good claim for induction.
Buck Owens
The electrified Bakersfield sound that Owens helped establish clearly has one foot in rock and roll. Owens may have been tainted earlier in his career by his association with the atrocious country comedy show Hee Haw, but that has faded and Owens deserves serious consideration.
Shania Twain
As the RRHOF wrestles with the line between rock and pop, it seems only natural that the line between rock and country pop rock will be drawn into the conversation. Twain has been massively successful and “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” is close enough to rock and roll and plenty of the music already included. These days, I hear that song as house music for punk shows.
Loretta Lynn
I don’t think Lynn is getting in, at least not as a performer. She is very country. But if I had a vote, she’d be in already because Loretta Lynn is attitudinally as rock and roll as anyone in the Hall. Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson are in and if Loretta Lynn wasn’t a technically “outlaw” as they were, it is only because no woman could have had a career had she turned her back on Nashville the way the boys did.
Waylon Jennings
While on the subject of outlaws … I can see not enshrining Kris Kistofferson (though they should have recognized “Me and Bobby McGee” as a single), but Jennings should join Cash and Nelson. I haven’t heard much call for it lately though so I imagine it will not happen any time soon, if ever.
Garth Brooks
Brooks’ popularity is unavoidable. But his career took him from megastar to museum piece when he all but dropped from view in the early part of the century. I almost get a Coldplay vibe these days. Everyone knows he is major but who is really clamoring for him to be recognized?
Emmylou Harris
Harris should be in for musical excellence if not as a performer in her own right. Her solo work is quite good, but it is in her collaborations where she rises above the crowd. It would probably be faster to mention the artists she has not recorded with than to list all the ones she has sung alongside. I’ll just point out that she helped Graham Parsons invent country rock and she was the perfect partner for Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt on their vital Trio albums. Parsons, Parton and Ronstadt are all in. Harris should join them.
Metal (8)
It’s a well-known fact that the RRHOF hates metal. They hate punk too and I’m not even including punk as its own category here. Punk artists will be scattered into other groups because I don’t want any RRHOF voters out there to read this and think … “I can’t vote for Television because they’re punk (even though they are not even close to punk).” But with metal I’ll risk it.
Motorhead
I can accept the fact that Iron Maiden had to be inducted before the door opened for Motorhead. That has happened. Ozzy is in twice. Lemmy should be in at least once. They have been nominated once. Time for that to happen again, at the very least.
Tool
Tool has been eligible for almost a decade but has yet to be nominated. Despite the fact that some fans both in and out of the metal world think that the words prog and metal are the oil and water of rock and roll, Tool probably deserves a spot. I think they get in but not for a long time.
Pantera
My informal survey of metalheads suggests to me that this is their biggest complaint. Sade and Luther Vandross got in last year. Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell did not. If metal were treated fairly, Pantera would get in one day. As it stands now, they will not.
Queensryche
Queensryche isn’t well enough known outside the metal community to be a serious contender and they have done nothing to endear themselves to the Hall in recent years. I could see a day in the distant future where a band like Queensryche is recognized as a musical influence, which seems fitting to me.
Slayer
Metallica was a no-brainer for the Hall. But the other thrash giants – Anthrax, Megadeath, Slayer – they do not appear to be on the radar at all. I can live with that. But there really needs to be some mechanism for the Hall to recognize a towering achievement like Reign in Blood.
Ronnie James Dio
Ozzy is in as a solo act and as a member of Sabbath. Dio never crossed over into the mainstream the way Ozzy did but he is still a giant. When they expand the scope of musical excellence to include metal influences, that is the avenue for Dio.
Scorpions
The Scorpions have never been nominated. That ignores their international appeal which has always been greater in their native Germany and on the continent than in the USA and UK. That is a hurdle they are never likely to overcome, though a musical influence spot remains an outside chance.
Motley Crue
I’m not voting for Motley Crue – not that anyone is asking. They are not my thing. I think every other act in this category is more deserving of a spot. But you can’t deny their popularity and that should count for something, shouldn’t it? A nomination at least.
Pop (9)
Pop may well be the thing that gets under the skin of self-proclaimed rock purists more than even country or hip hop. Those adjacent genres share common ancestry with rock and roll. Pop – at least some pop – does not. It is virtually antithetical in that it is by its very definition firmly in the mainstream of popular music. And yet, plenty of rock and roll is as well. Anyway, the barn door is open. Pop artists will continue to find entry. It is now simply a matter of curating which have the best claim.
Mariah Carey
Mariah has been nominated in each of the last three years but has not yet won enshrinement. Is the tide moving against her or did voters just feel like she had to wait her turn? I used to think she was a shoo-in. Now, I am not so sure. Maybe she is the actual line that the RRHOF refuses to cross.
Britney Spears
Britney only recently became eligible so there hasn’t been the same level of conversation about her candidacy. To me, she should eventually be in. I want to compare her to another name who you will sometimes see in conversations like this. Barry Manilow. I know, these are not artists you normally lump together, but as pop sensations, they are similar. How can I argue that Britney deserves recognition and Barry does not even merit a passing thought? It has to do with era. Manilow existed in a time when rock and roll was still a dominant cultural force. Spears existed in a post-rock world, where rock was just one of many, and certainly not the dominant genre. Britney Spears comes from a time in which the RRHOF had to expand itself or risk becoming a footnote in history. Barry Manilow did not. That’s my argument.
Tom Jones
Jones on the other hand, predates even Manilow. But he also was among the boldest, most adventurous pop performers we have ever seen. Rock was just a portion of his output, but it did exist and it still does decades later. Tom Jones would get my vote based on audacity alone, which I think is a legit criterium for being considered an important rock and roller.
Shakira
Shakira was nominated last year which puts her in good stead in the next year or two. It is not unusual for an artist to need a year or two of buildup before actually getting in, especially if they may not seem like an ideal fit. Shakira has better rock credentials than a casual observer may initially think and her global impact is obvious. The debate will come down to whether artists on the fringes of rock can take priority over older musicians who more clearly fit into the rock universe. We have a lot of them still to discuss.
Beyonce
Beyonce becomes eligible in 2027. Are you keeping her out? Of course there will be plenty of complaints about her rock bona fides and that may delay her entry. But this is a matter of when and that when will be soon.
The Carpenters
The Carpenters should not be in the RRHOF and I say that as someone who thinks Karen Carpenter has one of the greatest voices in post-war pop music. “Rainy Days and Mondays” might be the best pop song of the 1970s. And Richard Carpenter did explore – albeit rather shallowly – infusing some rock elements into standard ‘70s pop. Still, they come from an era with too many great actual rock bands to merit induction. Era matters. Plus, their albums stuck to the worst tendencies of ‘70s pop, with far too much below-average filler surrounding the genuine classics.
The Monkees
The Monkees, on the other hand, are a no-brainer as far as I am concerned. Even if they hadn’t eventually insisted on playing their own music and writing their own songs, they would have an excellent case. They did first rate pop rock with style and humor. “Goin’ Down” is one of the best deep tracks there is and its video is a psychedelic touchstone.
Tommy James & the Shondells
The Hall theoretically inducts groups or solo acts, and so Tommy James doesn’t get to draw on his late ‘60s Shondells era alongside his ‘70s solo work. He would need both to mount a case, even though to me, his work with the Shondells far outpaces anything he did as a solo artist. The Shondells brief heyday with James produced some glorious psychedelia but it has been far too long without even a nomination. That is not about to change. Any groundswell of support might make the early influences pathway possible.
Diana Ross
I am not generally a fan of artists being inducted multiple times, though I understand why it happens. I wasn’t really sure Ozzy needed to be in as a solo act since he was already a part of Black Sabbath and I definitely opposed Phil Collins’ second induction last year. Both have better credentials than Ross, who entered with the Supremes back in 1988. She is beloved and did some fine solo work, but this isn’t the right place for her.
The ‘90s (11)
We begin our decades countdown with the ‘90s. Any artist that had their first major label release prior to 2000 is now eligible, and I wouldn’t be surprised if many fans would like to add to these eleven candidates. If the past is prologue, as the years tick by, more and more bands that are currently eligible will begin showing up on these types of lists as their fans begin marshaling support. But for now, we’ll keep it fairly selective.
Smashing Pumpkins
I say this as someone who has never particularly liked the Smashing Pumpkins. They should be in the RRHOF. The fact that they have yet to even be nominated is stunning and says something about the way the Hall currently views ‘90s alt rockers in general. Basically, they’re not quite as untouchable as metal and punk have always been, but they are still ugly cousins to “real” rockers and pop gold mines.
Alice in Chains
See Smashing Pumpkins. Actually, you can see a little more here.
Jane’s Addiction
Unlike the two bands above, JA has in fact been nominated … twice. I presume their limited output is the biggest mark against them. Though there are bands like the Velvet Underground who have been recognized with similarly thin discographies, it is a major obstacle. VU is regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of all time, opening up the world of rock and roll to a much wider range of subject matter. JA has been influential, but not influential enough.
Stone Temple Pilots
As with many of the bands we will now discuss, I can see arguments against STP and I can see why they may have to wait a while. But it really makes little sense to exclude them from the nominations for the past decade. Apparently, grunge is adequately represented by Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. When the latter was inducted in 2025, the Hall could have gone two ways. It could have opened the floodgates or it could have sealed them shut. The second option appears to be true for now. I imagine it will change in time, but it could be another five-ten years.
Black Crowes
I like the Black Crowes and even I was surprised by their nomination in 2025. Then they were nominated again last year. They also have continued putting out solid material. I think they are getting in and I will be pleasantly surprised because I didn’t really think of them as an obvious choice.
Television
I don’t know where to put Television. They released three albums. The third came more than a decade after they had initially broken up and briefly reunited. They were vital figures in the New York punk scene in the late ‘70s without ever really being a punk band. Are they the punk generation’s Velvet Underground? I don’t think so, but those first two albums are indeed special. Musical excellence seems like their lane.
Garbage
I’m surprised that Garbage gets the amount of online support that I see whenever I dive back into these conversations. Garbage is clearly a good band, but I don’t ever remember hearing anyone in a position of significance even dropping their name. Garbage has always struck me as a Hall of Very Good-level band.
Fiona Apple
Sheryl Crow was inducted a few years ago and that should have cleared the way for Apple, who has a very legitimate claim. But non-rock female artists like Missy Elliott and Dolly Parton have been honored in recent years while Apple has still yet to be nominated.
Melissa Etheridge
Etheridge was in fact nominated last year. There’s a decent case to be made for her but it is not exactly overwhelming and I have not noticed any kind of movement in her direction. This is a difficult one to handicap but my sense is she will not be a major contender in the next few years.
Sinead O’Connor
O’Connor received her first – and so far, only – nomination after her death in 2024. She released a lot of music and was certainly a seminal figure during her lifetime. But that career is so overshadowed by two things – the stunning album I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got and the infamous Pope controversy – that I don’t think voters will ever give her an honest evaluation. Even if they did, I’m not sure she would get in, but at this point, I think it is largely a moot point.
Lenny Kravitz
Kravitz was nominated in 2024 and I must admit, I was kind of surprised. Of course his name had been bandied about but I never thought of him as a major contender. A lot of names get bandied about (you are somewhere in the midst of such bandiment). I don’t think he will be back on the ballot this year, but I was wrong about him in 2024, so you never know.
The ‘80s (14)
There is a fairly common perception amongst RRHOF prognosticators that the Hall is mostly done with the 1970s and prepared to address the most egregious omissions from the ‘80s at this point. That does not do a lot for me personally, since I am not a great ‘80s music fan. Still, there are plenty of very strong contenders for a spot. Such as…
The Pixies
The Pixies glory days were short-lived. It roughly consisted of four albums, plus an EP, released over a five-year period at the end of the 1980s. But at least two of those albums – Surfer Rosa and Doolittle – were extraordinarily influential. They may well have been the single most important influence on Nirvana and the development of grunge as a genre. For all those fans who want to point to the Velvet Underground as evidence that their own obscure favorite should be inducted, Pixies fans have the best claim. Black Francis is the closest thing there is to an ‘80s version of Lou Reed.
Bryan Adams
Adams is a very popular topic of debate in RRHOF circles. He had unquestionable success throughout the ‘80s and well into the ‘90s, with a boatload of top ten songs and multiple number 1s. On the other hand, if his induction means I have to hear “(Everything I Do) I Do it For You” even one more time, I will fight it with every ounce of strength I have. So I – and maybe some of you – have a classic dilemma. I think Adams has a good case and there is certainly some of his music that I do not object to. But I personally despise much of the stuff that has made him popular. I could apply this to a dozen other artists, and I’m sure you could to. What to do?
Eddie Money
To me, Eddie Money is a cut-rate Bryan Adams. Assuming you read what I just wrote about Adams, I suppose that comes off a bit harsher than I intend. I don’t mind Money. I just have a hard time associating “Hall of Famer” with him. He certainly had some solid success, but I think the RRHOF at least tries to have a higher threshold than a decent number of modest hits.
Rick Springfield
Ditto Eddie Money, though I could make a much better case for Springfield. It would begin with his time in Zoot and their super-cool “Eleanor Rigby” cover. But Springfield will always be identified with and perhaps haunted by “Jessie’s Girl.” He did put four other singles into the Billboard top ten, so he does deserve consideration. But despite his longevity and a decent catalogue, to me he still comes up pretty short.
Air Supply
Let me give you some insight into how I chose these 100 artists for this particular list. I read through a bunch of online forums where fans discuss the merits of different acts. In most cases, I simply made a quick “yes” or “no” call based on my own impression of each. Air Supply was a clear “no.” But then, their name kept showing up. I kept saying “no.” Eventually, I had to accept the fact that this band, which means nothing to me, does in fact mean a lot to a bunch of people. At least to a bunch who bother to express themselves on RRHOF chat forums. So, basically, we have a really popular soft pop act in the early ‘80s. But to me, not popular enough to merit serious consideration. I suppose you can call me out on my Carpenters take, because even though I don’t think the Carpenters should be in either, I do think they are much closer. But that’s because Karen Carpenter was other-worldly. Russell Hitchcock just has a generic pretty voice.
Tears For Fears
Did you know that “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” was Number 1 in the USA but not in the UK? That to me is one of those pieces of rock trivia that makes no sense. Tears For Fears was generally bigger in the UK, and if that really mattered to the RRHOF, they might be in already (you could say the same thing about a group of other bands as well.) Their other Number 1 in the USA – “Shout” – is a classic slice of ‘80s synth-pop, and it didn’t get to the top in the UK either. In general, Tears represents that pretty typical problem for the Hall. They were very good and pretty important but only for three albums. After the breakup of Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, the Orzabal-led band was never the same.
Siouxsie and the Banshees
I shouldn’t allow myself to be influenced by such things, but I have never typed “Siouxsie” correctly on the very first try. Not once. And I admit, it does bother me. Siouxsie and Steve Severin create really intriguing, potent music. I don’t know that it is the best music to emerge from the early ashes of punk, but it is always ear-catching. Is that enough for the Hall. No. I doubt they have a shot. With virtually no commercial impact in the USA and a steady-but-modest type of success in the UK, I probably wouldn’t even vote for them. But I would definitely consider them a lot more than I think many voters do.
Survivor
Even more than Rick Springfield is tied to “Jessie’s Girl,” Survivor is “Eye of the Tiger.” That doesn’t negate the fact that the band had a few other decent hits in the mid-‘80s, but the only reason anyone would entertain the notion of this band in the Hall is the song from Rocky III – a song which still wields emotional heft more than forty year later. There’s no other reason that I can see for Survivor to enter this conversation and yet, as with every band here, they have their passionate defenders. Actually, if I were to make my best case for Jim Peterik, it would involve his earlier band The Ides of March, who did the awesome Blood, Sweat and Tears clone “Vehicle” more than a decade before “Eye of the Tiger.” But I grant you, it’s not a very good case.
INXS
We are getting into a group of bands who I think have much stronger cases for inclusion. INXS was nominated last year and has some pretty good grass roots support. Australia has not been well-repped in the Hall, with AC/DC as the only true Aussies to make it. (You can count the Bee Gees if you want.) INXS is by no means a shoo-in to me, but when you consider Michael Hutchence’s star power, their international appeal and respectable number of big hits, I don’t see how you can just brush them off either. I have my own favorites who I would prefer to see go in before them, but in a weak year, I would have no problem getting behind Hutchence and the Farriss brothers.
Black Flag
Of all the west coast hardcore bands that emerged in the 1980s, Black Flag is the most important. That doesn’t mean they are the best, and that gets at a little technical problem in considering whether the band should be in the Hall. The music they made – especially once Henry Rollins joined as their fourth lead singer – is vital to what punk was to morph into after its initial big bang in the late ‘70s. But guitarist/founder Greg Ginn’s influence runs much deeper than the band he created. By founding SST Records in the late ‘70s, Ginn exerted a lot of influence over the direction of hardcore music and the very development of the industry. He should be in as an influencer, regardless of where you want to place his band.
Bad Brains
Bad Brains, on the other hand, should be in as a band. They were among the loudest, most aggressive and most provocative bands of their era and unlike so many others who you might apply similar descriptors, they had the artistic chops to rise above sheer noise and attitude. Dr. Know (Gary Miller) was a guitarist of rare gifts, and frontman H.R. (Paul Hudson) wrote and sang songs that stretched the limits of punk and thrash music. Hudson was not without his uglier side, and his homophobic and misogynistic pronouncements have followed the band around through the years. Some voters are not going to look past that so their odds of ever being inducted are slim. Whether that should matter is a topic for a bigger conversation.
The Replacements
There was a time when the Replacements were kind of seen as a joke. A joke with extraordinary talent, but still … how could you really take them seriously when they seemed to go out of their way to … well, not take themselves seriously. The tension that grew out of Paul Westerberg’s remarkably diverse songwriting and Bob Stinson’s take-no-prisoners guitar made the band’s early music raw and riveting. Then, as Westerberg grew and exerted more control, the band’s music got better and better even as the band itself was disintegrating. They are a popular choice as one of everyone’s “favorite bands who no one talks about.” People may know the infamous SNL story (they were banned after performing drunk and cursing on live TV), but listen to the two songs they played that night. Even with sloppy performances, the Replacements played great songs. Finn Wolfhard is planning a movie based on the band which should increase their Q rating in the Hall’s eyes and I think a few years from now Paul and Tommy will reunite on the Hall stage … and who knows maybe Chris Mars will even show up.
The B-52s
I wrote a lot about the previous band, so I’ll make the next two short. The B-52s should be in the RRHOF. They were revolutionary and popular enough to be – at least to me – a no-brainer. But as of today, the band that launched Athens, GA into the indie rock stratosphere has not even been nominated.
The Smiths
Really? They’re not in? I don’t even like the Smiths and I would vote for them. Like so much of the world, I find Morrissey insufferable … and I would vote for them. Prior to last year, when Iron Maiden was finally inducted, old-school rockers were fond of saying “how can (fill in the name of your fav) get in while Iron Maiden is still on the outside?” Now you can replace “Iron Maiden” with “the Smiths.” The knock is that they didn’t produce enough, and I don’t use the Velvet Underground thing lightly. But the same rules should apply. They mattered enough to overcome a thin discography.
The Innovators (14)
This is a bit of a catchall. Some – maybe all – of these artists could have gone into a genre or era-specific category. But I thought they fit a little bit better here. As the name suggests, most of these artists might find it easier to get enshrined through the influence or excellence avenues.
Nick Drake
May as well deal with the “innovator” thing right up front. Drake could just go into the ‘70s group – which we have not gotten to yet. Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks came out a year before Drake’s debut Five Leaves Left (1969) and it was arguably more innovative. That said, Drake did push the stripped down, languid, confessionary style of songwriting significantly farther than Morrison ever would. His three albums may not sound very much like modern emo or shoegaze, but you find their DNA in a lot of those styles today. Drake, who died shortly after releasing his legendary third album Pink Moon, has never been nominated, but the somewhat surprisingly nom given to Jeff Buckley last year, makes me think Drake may get some newfound support in the next few years.
Harry Nilsson
Nilsson is a niche artist but he has a dedicated fan base. He put out a lot of quality music over the years and had a brief run of genuine mainstream success right around 1970. Nilsson doesn’t seem like an innovator at first glance. One of his three top ten singles was basically a novelty song about mixing lime and coconut (and drinking them all up). But Stereogum’s Tom Breihan credits Nilsson with inventing the mash-up and the remix, though he had no idea he was doing it at the time. He just liked putting cool sounds together, and sometimes they resulted in hit records. Again, the influencer door would seem to have his name on it.
Suzy Quatro
This has long been a cause of mine. Suzy Quatro and her sisters – as the Pleasure Seekers – were a kick-ass all-girl rock band in the mid-1960s. That needs to count for something. The fact that she survived and had some success after that initial phase ought to earn her some points too. Her success didn’t survive the ‘70s, but she put out some fine rock and roll at a time when precious few women were allowed to do so.
Captain Beefheart
I don’t know what to say about Don Van Vliet. I don’t think anyone has ever known what to say about Don Van Vliet. But if rock & roll has its roots in challenging the old, accepted ways of producing music, then what Van Vliet did as Captain Beefheart needs consideration. He mixed styles and rhythms. He wrote about the mundane and the esoteric. He conducted music theory lessons for those brave enough to play with him at virtually every recording session. Some artists’ influence can be seen in the more popular acts they inspired. Van Vliet inspired the next generation of iconoclasts. His influence may be hard to decipher, but it’s there virtually any time you hear something weird. More often than not, if you follow the thread far enough, it leads to the Captain.
Bjork
I don’t really know that Bjork and Captain Beefheart have a lot in common, but for artists who don’t sell a lot of records, both have an outsized number of fans amongst some very significant musicians. I would think both would get some influencer attention at some point.
Beck
I am old. I mention that here because it means when I discuss Beck (Beck Hansen, that is) with my contemporaries, they are surprised that Beck is not already in the Hall. That’s because they are thinking of Jeff Beck, who is, in fact, in the RRHOF. Twice in fact. But Beck – the guy who Kanye famously dissed in 2015, only to later retract his disparagement – remains on the outside. This is largely a case of innovation versus commercial success. Beck has had one single – “Loser” – crack the Top 50 in the USA, and has only done marginally better internationally. But from his roots as a NYC antifolk pioneer to his return west as a musical chameleon, few artists have displayed his inventiveness and versatility.
Sonic Youth
Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo did as much to explore the limits of the electric guitar as anyone had ever done before the dawn of the new millennium. SY’s bass player, Kim Gordon, remains a force as a solo artist. I was never a particular fan of SY’s actual output, but I recognize how vital they were to where rock and roll was headed in its post-glory years. Not everyone thinks that influence was a good thing. I’m not convinced that impact offsets their very modest commercial success in RRHOF terms.
Emerson, Lake, and Palmer
The fact that the next three groups have a grand total of one nomination for induction is about all you need to know about the Hall’s attitude to prog rock. Let me note that bands like Yes and Pink Floyd are in fact in the Hall, but denying ELP seems odd. They were popular. They were influential. They weren’t some obscure little project that only your coolest friends knew about. Their albums did pretty well in the USA and better in the UK. It is certainly reasonable to find them pretentious and vaguely underwhelming, given the hype that attached itself in their early days, but to have never been nominated seems pretty harsh to me.
King Crimson
Greg Lake – the Lake in ELP – came from King Crimson, where he had played cutting edge art rock with Robert Fripp. Their first album, In the Court of the Crimson King, was astonishing. These days, I don’t know many fans – even old-school purists – who would deny that “21st Century Schizoid Man” is not vital rock and roll. But back in the day, a lot of rock’s core fans just thought they were weird. And I think that perception lingers. King Crimson may not deserve a slot as a performer, but they should be in as an influencer – and like ELP, they have never even been nominated.
Procol Harum
Procol Harum has in fact been nominated – once, I believe. They are arguably the least worthy of this mini-big three of prog rock acts, even though they are my personal favorite. I get why they are not in. I’m including them here because the fact that they have been nominated while King Crimson and ELP have not is all you need to know about the greatest power in modern popular music – the power of the hit. Procol Harum was nominated because of their first single – the monster hit “A Whiter Shade of Pale.” They never approached that level of success again and I have to believe that when voters who may not be as familiar with their work performed their due diligence and listened to something like A Salty Dog, they didn’t know what to make of it. I love A Salty Dog and I don’t know what to make of it.
Devo
Devo appears to be the perpetual bridesmaid. One day, they may even challenge Chic for the record of most nominations without induction. They still have a long way to go, standing at just three right now. Devo has never had an album in the top 20 in the USA or a single in the top ten. (“Whip It” made it to 14, their only top 40 hit.) I have no real problem with them staying on the outside, though I agree with their supporters that there is a good case to be made.
Brian Eno
I don’t want to brag, but I think I may be the poster child for why Brian Eno is not in the RRHOF – and maybe for why he should be. First things first. He is in as a member of Roxy Music. He was a vital member of that band, though as time went on, he ceded control to the other Brian – the one who spelled his name “Bryan.” (As in Ferry.) Eno’s explorations into the scope of electronic music have been groundbreaking. As an artist, he has produced plenty of fascinating work. As a producer, he has had an even bigger hand in shaping several threads of modern pop. Here’s why I made my opening “poster child” statement. I don’t remember ever liking a Brian Eno song or album. I am not a fan of the direction into which he helped steer modern rock and roll. But that influence is overwhelming and just because I don’t like it, I should probably get over it. Brian Eno is a RRHOF-caliber influencer and he should be recognized as such.
Weird Al Yankovitch
This may be the best discussion you can have in an RRHOF forum. Weird Al has very vocal proponents. And Weird Al is a truly great guy – creative, funny, generous. I see no reason why a parodist would be in the Hall, even though he is in fact the best rock parodist by a wide, wide margin. We’re talking Allan Sherman-level parody, and that is gold standard stuff. But I can’t help but feel that had the RRHOF not pissed off so many old-school rock fans by broadening its parameters and denying so many seemingly worthy acts over the years, that Weird Al would not be as much discussed. I sometimes think most of his support comes as a parody of the Hall itself, which, I admit, is pretty funny.
John Coltrane
Miles Davis is in the RRHOF. Other giants – like Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday – are in as early influencers. But like so many other adjacent genres, jazz is severely underrepresented. Coltrane tops a lot of lists as the biggest single snub amongst the Hall’s current membership and I doubt most rock and roll fans have ever heard a John Coltrane track. At least not knowingly. Should he be in? As an influencer, this seems like a no-brainer. No Coltrane – no Grateful Dead. At least not in the form they became famous for. And it’s not just the Dead. Coltrane’s improvisational experimenting has had an outsized impact on virtually every strand of modern music, rock included.
1970s (18)
We’ve reached the final chapter in our long journey. I’m a child of the ‘70s, as are many of the people who purport not to care about the RRHOF. But you’d be surprised how many of these bands have their passionate defenders from the ranks of those fans who don’t care.
New York Dolls
The Dolls have had a bit of a resurgence of late. At least, it kind of seems that way to me. They were the nexus of glam and punk and they did a lot to shake things up in the NYC underground scene in the early ‘70s. They have been nominated three times and I think there is an outside chance they do get in one of these years, though I guess an MC5-route (through one of the auxiliary categories) seems more likely. The thing is, I wouldn’t do that. Musical excellence is not an option, and though influencer would be, the Dolls were performers. That’s how they should go in if they are to be ever deemed worthy.
Big Star
There are plenty of people who will tell you Big Star is the greatest band you never heard of. And it’s not as if they were some obscure, experimental noise rock outfit or prog monsters. Big Star produced pristine pop rock. You could sing along. You could dance. They really should have been huge. The fact that they weren’t is the topic for a longer story. For our purposes, all I can say is that Big Star simply didn’t produce enough music to be a shoo-in for induction, no matter how good their stuff was and no matter how iconic Alex Chilton was.
Steppenwolf
Steppenwolf was nominated back in 2017. In an odd way, their chances of getting in as a band were probably derailed when the Hall began recognizing important singles the following year. “Born to be Wild,” their signature hit, was honored and support for the band waned. It’s hard to argue with how it turned out. They did some other strong work, but not enough to stand up to the torrent of other bands knocking at the door.
War
War was nominated three times but the last nom came more than a decade ago. They are not trending in the right direction. Prog and funk are not two of the Hall’s favorite genres but I really think War deserves a spot. With Eric Burdon, they were intriguing, Without him, they flourished even more. They sold a lot of records, had success with albums and singles and picked up the baton from Sly Stone in expanding and combining rock with other genres. I’d definitely support their induction.
Little Feat
Little Feat is on the short list of my own personal biggest snubs. They have not been nominated. They have not been included on the ballot. This is insanity. The only legit knock on them is that Lowell George died young and their output wasn’t big enough. So put them on the ballot, nominate than, and then induct them for musical excellence.
Meat Loaf
Meat Loaf should not be in the RRHOF but somehow, the Hall needs to recognize his signature album Bat Out Of Hell. I get that there are plenty of detractors who argue Meat Loaf was simply another instrument in composer/producer Jim Steinman’s toolbox. I think that’s largely true, though there is no discounting Michael Lee Aday’s prodigious vocal talent. I’m not entirely sure what the right answer is here, but I do think it’s fairly obvious that Meat Loaf is not getting inducted as a performer.
Grand Funk Railroad
A long, long time ago, Coldplay was called Grand Funk Railroad. (That’s not literal, you understand. Just a metaphor.) Raging success. Tepid critical acclaim. Cool people didn’t admit to liking them. The very name … I mean, they weren’t funky. Not even close. They had seven straight top ten albums as purveyors of middle-of-the-road arena rock. They were massive and they helped usher in an era of stagnation from which rock and roll really never recovered. You might sense that I am not a fan, but even I have to admit that “Little Johnny Hooker” remains one of my guilty pleasures – and if you squint your ears, it is almost funk.
Thin Lizzy
See Little Feat above. I mean, the bands were not even remotely similar but their trajectory was the same. If Phil Lynott had been able to control his heroin addiction, Thin Lizzy might have soared. (Lowell George didn’t have the exact same story, but it was close enough.) As it was, they are on the edge, having been nominated in 2020. They were a classic twin guitar rock band and Lynott was a genuine star. I still think there will come a time when they get a push, but the clock is definitely ticking as the Hall moves beyond the ignored ‘70s acts.
Blue Oyster Cult
Did BOC simply miss the initial wave? For a long time, I think a lot of us figured the band that did “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” would get in one day. But then a bunch of classic rock staples seemed to get bypassed as the Hall broadened its selection criteria – without ever really explaining itself. Now, my guess is BOC is never getting in. I blame the awkward parenthetical on “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper.” I think if the song were simply “Don’t Fear the Reaper,” as it should be, rock and roll writers would not be so annoyed by remembering where those damned parens go. You may think I am joking. I am not. Bigger decisions have turned on smaller bits of minutiae.
Three Dog Night
It is hard to explain why a band with the commercial success of Three Dog Night has never even been nominated for the RRHOF. I can’t do it. If you want to argue that they were just singers who chose some good material, fine. If you want to say that none of their songs were game changers and that their biggest hit was silly, okay. As if “Jeremiah was a bullfrog” was the biggest sin in rock lyricism. Sure, the guy who wrote it considered that line a placeholder until something better came along. You know what … I don’t want to talk about “Joy to the World” anymore. Three Dog Night had plenty of other hits and they were a key rock harmony innovator. Don’t put them in if you don’t want to. But at least nominate them.
Guess Who
Another band that has never been nominated. Some attribute it to the Canadian thing. (AKA, the Bryan Adams thing.) I don’t. Look, I like the Guess Who. I’d probably vote for them if they were under consideration. But I’m not starting a campaign. They were good. Very good. Based on other acts that are in, they should be in too. But that is a bad standard by which to measure.
Kansas
Let’s kick off the real controversy. The arena rockers who defined the second half of the ‘70s and well into the ‘80s. I’m not just talking Kansas here. They are just one of many. And though each case is unique, the underlying factors remain the same, at least in my read on the situation. And so we have …
Styx
Four straight top ten albums and nine top ten singles, including the Number 1 song “Babe,” For the record, they did much better songs than “Babe.”
Supertramp
They were Brits so they didn’t exactly sound like the American arena rockers. And they didn’t have quite the same extended success in the USA. But I consider them in the same boat.
REO Speedwagon
The only thing that really separates REO Speedwagon from these other bands is that I could have stuck them in the ‘80s group because that’s where more of their success came. But I liked the way they fit here … and it’s my list.
Boston
The granddaddy of them all. If you are at a party and someone asks you if Boston should be in the RRHOF, choose your words carefully. This is the biggest snub there is in a lot of rock fans minds. Boston was massive and their influence was undeniable. You might argue that the preceding bands did little to innovate and that is why they are on the outside. You can’t say that about Tom Scholz. What you can say is that their output was very small. That may be enough for some. For me, it’s an awkward situation. See – I don’t like Boston, and I heard too many of my friends drunkenly swoon to “More Than a Feeling” to ever willingly listen to that song again. So the limited production is a good argument. But I would not object to their induction. They do seem worthy.
J. Geils
Nominated five times. Never inducted. J. Geils is one of my favorite bands. I would vote for them, knock on doors for them, stuff the ballot box for them. And still, I can’t make the case that they should be absolute locks. I think they have a worthy discography but it is not overwhelming. Maybe they were “just another band out of Boston.” (Worcester, really.)
Jethro Tull
I think I made my feelings clear here.
So I have reached the end of this 10,000 monster. And I just realized I forgot to include Fugazi. Oh well. And I just came across posts in one of my RRHOF forums that promote The Raspberries and Barry Manilow. Oh well again. This is a forever shifting field and you can’t always get what you want. I’d toss in more classic lyrics here but I just got a thought about Eric Carmen and the Raspberries. Fortunately, it has nothing to do with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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