Bands and Artists Not in the Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Fame That Should be
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductions are coming up on October 19th and here’s the list of who is getting in this year:
Performer Category:
- Mary J. Blige
- Cher
- Dave Matthews Band
- Foreigner
- Peter Frampton
- Kool & The Gang
- Ozzy Osbourne
- A Tribe Called Quest
Musical Influence Award:
- Alexis Korner
- John Mayall
- Big Mama Thornton
Musical Excellence Award:
- Jimmy Buffett
- MC5
- Dionne Warwick
- Norman Whitfield
Ahmet Ertegun Award:
- Suzanne de Passe
The eight “performer” inductees are the ones selected by a ballot sent out to the Hall of Fame voters after the original 15 nominees were announced on February 10th. An international body of more than 1,000 artists, historians and members of the music industry receive ballots each year to determine the inductees. That leaves seven nominees from this year who will have to wait for another crack at getting through the door in 2025. Those left outside this year were Mariah Carey, Jane’s Addiction, Sade, Sinead O’Connor, Oasis, Lenny Kravitz and the duo Eric B. and Rakim.
This got me to thinking about who else we have forgotten to include over the years. I put out some feelers and polls on social media to see what you the people thought about the Hall’s selections. I received a list of over 150 bands via Facebook, Threads, Instagram and X. There is a chunk of very talented and certainly influential musicians that are not enshrined in the walls of this institution. The following is a list of artists that popped up across my platforms that the fans and my friends are demanding satisfaction for.
INXS
This one got the most mentions by far. It’s a real shocker that INXS is not in the Hall of Fame. As one of Australia’s most successful musical acts of all time, INXS has been eligible for the Rock Hall since 2006, though, get this, THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN NOMINATED. If it’s any consolation, they were inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association Hall of Fame in 2001. Lead singer Michael Hutchence passed away in 1997, and I wonder if his demise has anything to do with it. Maybe they didn’t have longevity or enough of a resume? I have a tough time buying that. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), INXS has sold over 15 million units in the United States alone, making them the third-highest selling Australian music act in the United States behind AC/DC and The Bee Gees (both voted in). INXS has sold over 50 million records worldwide.
Motörhead
These fans were the most angry. Most of the comments were in all caps with lots of exclamation points. I agree, the British metal legends Motörhead remain one of the Hall of Fame’s most consistent controversies. The band became eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2002 and weren’t even put on the ballot until 2020, and even then, the Hall of Fame forgot to include guitarist Phil Campbell and drummer Mikkey Dee as members of the band. Ha! How is this even a thing?! Metallica frontman James Hetfield criticized the dismissal of this iconic band in 2020. “I really think that when things like that happen, it might be a generational thing where maybe some of the older people just don’t get it — they just don’t fucking get it.” Hetfield said.
“They don’t see the range of influence and the impact and the inspiration that certain bands have. They don’t hear it, because maybe they’re part of a different generation and were told that vocals sung like that are bad. But they’re not — they’re fucking just another type of vocal…some of those Motörhead recordings are fucking so beautifully raw.”
Joy Division/ New Order
Joy Division came up frequently, but New Order did not. However, I learned something in my research. First off, Joy Division was the poster child for the post-punk sound that influenced Hall of Famers like U2 and The Cure, while New Order (the band that members formed after singer Ian Curtis’ death) helped pioneer modern electronic rock yet no votes until 2023 when they were finally nominated as a joint duo. That’s super odd since they had crossover members but are two completely different bands. New Order took great care not to let the ghost of Curtis define them. Instead of continuing down the path that Joy Division helped forge in the late 1970s, New Order embraced new wave. Founding member Peter Hook said news of Joy Division/New Order dual nomination for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame “made me smile all day” after he learned the news. It also made him laugh out loud a little too.
“To be honest with you, we were always against this sort of thing when we started,” the two groups’ bassist told Billboard from his home in England. “It was the old punk thing — we hope we die before we get old and destroy all the old musicians, etc. etc. and what rubbish awards ceremonies are. Then all of a sudden you get one, and as you get older you realize… yeah, it’s a wonderful thing. I’m humbled, I really am. It’s nice, and it’s fun to be appreciated.” Hopefully their day is coming soon.
TELEVISION
The true music nerds and keepers of music history screamed about this. I am on their team one hundred percent. Yes, the band Television is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! WTF???!!! Television was a New York City band in the 1970s that was an integral part of the CBGB scene and is considered influential in the development of punk and alternative rock. Their 1977 debut album, Marquee Moon, is considered a defining release of the punk era. Again, it might be a body of work thing as the band only had three albums, but their impact alone should earn them one of those “Music Influencer” spots.
Critics contend that Marquee Moon remains a cornerstone of alternative rock as it has experienced a wealth of acclaim. In 2003, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked it as No. 128 in their 500 greatest albums of all time, and in that same year, NME ranked it as the fourth greatest album of all time.
The B-52’s
I don’t even know. Baffling. I mean, listen, the R & R Hall isn’t the very definition of music greatness. I am sure it’s a great award to receive (unless your The Sex Pistols- they declined an induction), but it doesn’t define you. However, what the ever fuck is keeping the 52’s out? The eclectic-campy group emerged in the late ’70s and put incorporated dance, old-school pop, and new wave into a blender, then sprinkled in the distinctive vocals of three singers; Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson, and Cindy Wilson and came up with a delicious concoction that we all ingested happily.
The B-52s were innovators, pushing the boundaries of musical genres. Their debut single “Rock Lobster” initially charted at #56 on the Hot 100, giving the band a modest amount of name recognition right off the bat. They continued churning out infectious albums, building a cult fanbase of folks who appreciated fun and witty music a little left of center.
There are so many other great bands that haven’t made the cut either. Groups like The Guess Who, DEVO, Smashing Pumpkins, Pixies, Soundgarden and on and on. I surmise that the walls are only so big and that this “committee” can only select few, but my rebuttal is C’MON MAN!
