With a compressed time frame, only six weeks of voting, we are going to start looking at the objective merits for the nominees on this year's ballot for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. It feels like a little bit of a rush job, so maintaining objectivity while still getting a fair idea of what each nominee brings to the table to advance the evolution and perpetuation of rock and roll is trickier than normal. And with this time frame, I'll also be probably leaning heavily on words of the past for returning nominees. I usually do anyway, but this time, necessity demands it.
So as a reminder, the five categories that I'll be taking into consideration are Innovation, Influence, Impact, Intangibles, and Issues. And a couple quick reminders about the Issues category: first, it's the negative factor, the potential arguments against an artist's nomination; second, these arguments in the Issues category are not always my personal arguments against a nominee, but rather arguments I've actually encountered elsewhere or ones that I could possibly see somebody making, even if I wouldn't agree with it. And it's also important to remember, that if an artist makes the ballot, it's because there's an argument to be made in the first place. Ranking low on this list is not the same as calling an artist unworthy of the Hall, so don't take anything personally. This is, after all, about setting personal tastes aside. I endeavor to give equal weight to each of the I-5 categories and let their own weights move the scales. So, let's look at this year's crop and rank them by merits.
2. PHIL COLLINS
Innovation: A pioneer of the "gated reverb" that was signature to his drumming style and also vocal style on his earlier works.
Influence: He's more influential as a drummer than a singer, but his singing and solo records have had a modicum of influence as well.
Impact: His commercial success and number of charts hits is extensive, including seven #1 hits.
Intangibles: Revered as a drummer as well as a singer, songwriter, producer, and with collaborations with soul and rap artists, he has a decent amount of credibility among Black artists.
Issues: He's one of two artists that epitomize the trope of rock stars mellowing out and going Adult Contemporary (the other being Rod Stewart) to the point where he was the butt of the joke for some time, and in the Jon Sykes era, with the paradigm of defining rock and roll as youthful and having attitude, Adult Contemporary borders on anathema. Additionally, some of solo career is indistinguishable from later Genesis works.
3. JOY DIVISION / NEW ORDER
Innovation: Early post-punk band that helped define the style and on the ground floor for a lot of the synth-pop dance sounds of the '80s.
Influence: Both incarnations were influential in their respective styles that they helped pioneer, often namechecked as influences.
Impact: Two major albums from Joy Division, more from New Order, whereas New Order had more albums and a few charted singles on the pop charts, and much more a force to be reckoned with on the dance charts.
Intangibles: The ubiquity of the album cover for Unknown Pleasures gives them a cultural presence outside of the music itself.
Issues: They've got a few. The infamy of Ian Curtis's death almost outstrips the legacy of Joy Division's music. The stylistic differences between Joy Division's catalog and New Order's are pretty significant, and New Order formed too quickly, relatively speaking, for that difference in styles to be a natural evolution of Joy Division's sound--when put together, it speaks to argue against the joint nomination. Additionally, the fact that both band names have had to be repeatedly defended against allegations of ties to white nationalism doesn't help all that much.
4. IRON MAIDEN
Innovation: They didn't invent heavy metal, but they elevated it with political themes and really helped cement the imagery of heavy metal that is often remembered.
Influence: Easily one of the most influential bands in heavy metal and hard rock.
Impact: A band of mostly middling album sales and nearly non-existent singles recognition in the U.S., they were much bigger in the U.K. Plus, their tours historically sold well, resulting in incredible name recognition.
Intangibles: Though not really a band member, their mascot Eddie just seems to be an X-factor for them. Additionally, they have something of an underdog legacy, overcoming a limited airplay handicap to still be considered a major player in the pantheons of rock, even in the U.S.
Issues: They're a band many know the name of, but not a band casual listeners would instantly recognize if one of their songs came on the radio or streaming service. You've heard of them and know something about them because somebody you can tolerate in small doses is emphatic about them.
5. WU-TANG CLAN
Innovation: Not super innovative, but when you have that many members bringing their own unique perspectives, in addition to their frequent samples of kung fu movies, it certainly is unique.
Influence: In addition to the solo careers they helped launch, they have been incredibly influential, including current big draws in rap such as Childish Gambino.
Impact: Six studio albums that were in the Top 50 of the Billboard 200, and a seventh that would likely have been if they'd allowed the manufacture of more than one copy of it, plus multiple charting compilation albums. Additionally, a handful of charting singles, a name that people have heard of, with members that people have heard of.
Intangibles: As a production outfit, as a whole, they have a staggering amount of cache, especially for the artistry of their creations. In addition, spawning so many solo careers, this was a proving ground of sorts.
Issues: Much like Iron Maiden, they're a name you know, but probably aren't terribly familiar with their actual music. Their legacy may be thought more of as the launching point for many solo rappers, or for the production skills, but not so much for the actual catalog.
6. LUTHER VANDROSS
Innovation: Not terribly innovative, save possibly the way he updated the classic soul sound to the production techniques of the late '80s and '90s.
Influence: With names like Usher, John Legend, as well as contemporaries like Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston all taking influence from him, and Kendrick Lamar sampling him, he's got quite a bit.
Impact: Twelve of his thirteen studio albums went platinum, and the one that didn't was still gold. From a singles perspective, he was a mainstay on the R&B charts; a bit more sporadic on the pop charts, but still had four Top Ten hits, and smatterings across the Top 40 and Hot 100.
Intangibles: Virtually a solitary figure of solo male soul singers during the time he was most relevant. He also was very much at the helm, writing and producing his records, which the industry and the Rock Hall respect.
Issues: The production values of some of his records haven't aged incredibly well. May be considered a little too soft and slow to be called "rock and roll."
7. INXS
Innovation: Not completely groundbreaking, but their blend of funk, soul, new wave, and other assorted rock influences culminated in a very unique sound.
Influence: Several big name bands from the early 2000s and 2010s cite this band as a big influence on their sound, as did R.E.M. on some of their '90s albums.
Impact: Seven Top Ten hits and several other hits here in the U.S., and eleven charted studio albums. Overall, very high name recognition.
Intangibles: The spelling of their name was a gimmick that worked in their favor, but don't overlook the singular charisma and vocal versatility of Michael Hutchence, the true INX-factor (sorry).
Issues: Because they weren't as big as R.E.M. or U2, nor were they really a part of a musical movement, such as synth-pop or hair metal, they're a band that it's easy to forget about when discussing the music of that era.
8. SHAKIRA
Innovation: She wasn't the first Latin pop artist, and probably not the first either whose style was Latin rather than pop, but she was there at the beginning when those things started to get fused with hip-hop, via the featured artists on her songs.
Influence: Massively influential in the world of Latin music and even in the Latin dance music scenes.
Impact: Widely considered the first South American artist to crossover to the U.S. market in a substantial manner, hits on the Hot 100 from 2001 to 2025, and in the Top Ten as recently as 2023, with even more hits on the Latin charts.
Intangibles: She's a talented musician who has played guitar, drums, and even harmonica on her albums, further proven by her famous percussion demonstration during the Superbowl halftime show. And while she has stayed mostly in the Latin pop lane, she has done dance music and post-British-Invasion styled rock, going back to her early records in the '90s.
Issues: Because of the timing of her big crossover breakout, in 2001, at the same time as artists like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, Mandy Moore, and others; Shakira has sometimes been dismissed as a "pop princess," and a latecomer to the scene at that. Additionally, Latin pop is a tougher sell as a genre for the Rock Hall because it's not as direct a line to draw from the blues roots that rock and roll comes from.
9. SADE
Innovation: Taking the "quiet storm" style of R&B and incorporating a jazzy smoothness to it, their bass lines are particularly noteworthy.
Influence: Prior to the 2020s, this would have been a much lesser category. I don't think I'd even heard the term "quiet storm" before hearing of COVID. Nowadays, their influence is showing up in modern R&B and rap artists' styles, who include other elements, but still include them.
Impact: Bigger than most would guess, as they have a decent amount of chart success, both with singles and albums.
Intangibles: The lead singer and namesake of the band has an image of cool and breezy that some call "rock 'n' roll." Additionally, they are recognized as gifted and meticulous musicians who craft actual sonic art instead of just audio product.
Issues: In the collective consciousness of the masses, they're mostly known for one song only. A ubiquitous song, but only one nonetheless, samples notwithstanding. And when one says that rock and roll is an attitude, not a genre, it probably should refer to an attitude that the music conveys and not the behavior of the artists, whether that behavior is wild benders, courting controversy, or just being indifferent to the input of anyone else. To say "Sade is rock and roll because they do what they want on their own schedule" just doesn't hold up to scrutiny.
10. P!NK
Innovation: It might be a stretch to call her songs a blending of a riot grrl rock and pop or dance pop, but there is something a bit edgier in the energy of her songs, perhaps in her voice and the way she sings them.
Influence: Very influential to artists ranging from Demi Lovato to Halsey to Bebe Rexha to Katy Perry to Adele and more.
Impact: Fifteen Top Ten hits, including four that hit #1, plus nine studio albums that made the upper quarter of the Albums charts, only one of those not making Top Ten. A name everyone knows.
Intangibles: Her music is perhaps among the most honest and inspirational to young women, a blend of toughness and tenderness, telling her audience that being ready to throw hands doesn't make a woman less feminine, and that vulnerability doesn't make one weak, and either way, it's still okay to want to have a good time.
Issues: A lot of the punk and riot energy to some of her songs comes from her aesthetics. Would someone who's never seen her call her music punk-influenced, or at least to the same extent that those who know her aesthetic do?
11. BILLY IDOL
Innovation: A unique combination of punk-rock moorings and synth-pop that was contemporary at the time.
Influence: His influence was stunted by the arrival of grunge, but as some, like Miley Cyrus, are discovering him, he's had some influence.
Impact: A dozen or so pop hits, most of them making the Top 40, and a fair amount of album sales as well.
Intangibles: The sneer, the image of a bad boy and tough guy. The punk-rock cred from his time in Generation X.
Issues: His image and sound are really only seeing a resurgence recently, and most would say they overall didn't survive, period. The slower and more synth-laden songs have a production style that is timestamped and is hit or miss with how well it's aged. Additionally, some would probably protest it should be Generation X instead of Billy Idol getting nominated.
13. MELISSA ETHERIDGE
Innovation: Not a strong category, but with her bluesy style and vocal power, it's almost like she found a way to do power ballads without distortion pedal.
Influence: Tremendously influential to women in rock. So much so, she's considered somewhat of an archetypal musician of the Lilith Fair scene despite never having played the Lilith Fair festivals.
Impact: A stronger category than you may think. Seven Top 40 singles and fourteen albums that made the upper half of the Billboard 200.
Intangibles: With solidly bluesy roots, she is unquestionably a "rock and roll" artist; plus, her history of activism and her status as a legend in the LGBTQ+ community means she brings an oft-neglected perspective in the diaspora of rock and roll.
Issues: Not much of her catalog has stuck around, standing the test of time. It requires a deeper dive to remind listeners about her hits and her overall style.
Innovation: Not really
Influence: Hugely influential in both R&B and rap, from artists like Beyonce and Rihanna to Kendrick Lamar and Nicki Minaj.
Impact: One major album with a few hits, a couple more as a featured artist, but a name with serious cache.
Intangibles: Her chops from her time in the Fugees, another act that some feel should be inducted, gives her extra credibility and cache.
Issues: Extremely limited catalog. What we have is amazing, but it's really not much, so is it really a Hall Of Fame career? Additionally, wouldn't it be more prudent to induct the Fugees before/instead of her?
15. NEW EDITION
Innovation: Considered one of the frontrunners of New Jack Swing, bringing that to cultural relevance in the '80s.
Influence: A few big names, such as Bruno Mars, cites them as an influence, but also considered a template for modern boy bands.
Impact: A handful of Top 40 hits on the Hot 100, and a much bigger run on the R&B charts, plus all their non-Christmas studio albums made the upper half of the Billboard 200.
Intangibles: The group launched the solo careers of Bobby Brown and Johnny Gill, plus the members of Bell Biv Devoe.
Issues: Their influence as an R&B vocal group doesn't reach far, ending at Boyz II Men, and with boy bands not taken seriously, this group is also not taken seriously in some ways. In fact, even the name was indicative that they were kind of derivative of the Jackson 5.
16. JEFF BUCKLEY
Innovation: Not super innovative, but some do credit him with updating the confessional, vulnerable singer/songwriter style to a more then-modern and indie sound.
Influence: The exact range of influence might not be as huge as some of the others, but it is sizable, and the ratio of influence to output is extremely favorable to him.
Impact: Only one completed studio album, and three songs on the Billboard charts, two of them posthumous.
Intangibles: Immense critical respect. His version of "Hallelujah" was on the Rolling Stone 500 songs list before it charted, and some might argue that based on what we have, the unfinished second album held a lot of promise.
Issues: Forget Grace, is "Hallelujah" enough? Even though it's not his most streamed song on Spotify, it is far and away his best-known song, to the point where John Q. Public would not be able to name another song. A lot of the heavy lifting is being done with that cover.
17. THE BLACK CROWES
Innovation: Very little, one might give them a little credit for modernizing the classic rock sound.
Influence: Hard to find, but they may have been an influence on the likes of Kings Of Leon and the Black Keys.
Impact: The Black Crowes perform surprisingly well in this category. Though they only had a half dozen songs on the Billboard Hot 100, they've had almost thirty hits on the Mainstream Rock Charts, including six #1s that spent a combined half year in the top spot on that chart.
Intangibles: Despite the drama between the brothers, the revolving door of membership, and the multiple breakups; when they get back together, stow the drama, and get back into the music and into the studio, it's like riding a bicycle almost. They just seem to pick up where they left off and get right back to work. There's something to be said for that level of journeyman consistency that has proved efficacious for them.
Issues: Despite their string of hits on the Mainstream Rock charts, they're mostly remembered for one or two hits, one of them being an Otis Redding cover. Additionally, "modernizing the classic rock sound" could be an epaulet worn by any number of non-grunge rock bands that came out of the '90s, including other Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees like Foo Fighters. Lastly, their imperial phase occurred during the same time as another rock band with an ornithologically similar name. With both being a kind of alternative rock at the same time, it's very easy for the general public to conflate the two. It's not necessarily or entirely either band's fault if the general populace made no effort to differentiate the two, but being essentially in the same lane does hurt their abilities to establish separate identities. I simply can't help but wonder how many people left a Black Crowes concert upset that they didn't play "Mr. Jones," or left a Counting Crows concert upset that "Hard To Handle" wasn't in the set.
And with that, I have ranked all seventeen of the nominees for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame by an evaluation of their merits. Admittedly, this was in a very rushed time frame, so this ranking feels even more imperfect than it's been in other years. There's always something to disagree with, but I definitely feel hesitant hitting "Publish" this time. Like rushing the term paper before you have a chance to check all your references. So feel free to light me up in the Comments or on social media. Next time it'll be all subjective, my personal tastes ranking them. And we'll average them out to see what lands where. Until then, keep listening.
