Future Rock Hall Nominees

Since the new inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were recently released, I thought it would be interesting to look ahead to next year's class. I'll put my ideal sixteen nominees in bold for next year's class and throw out some additional artists that deserve recognition. Let's break this class of nominees down into the genre of music with which they're most commonly associated. Just a reminder that artists are not eligible until 25 years after their first album's release.

COUNTRY 

Country music is one of the founding pillars of rock, along with jazz, blues, R&B, and gospel. The Rock Hall acknowledges this with an exhibit in Cleveland. They have inducted some legendary country music stars under the "Early Influences" category, which include names like Hank Williams and Jimmie Rodgers. This is a genre that needs more recognition going forward given the roots of rock that it represents. I'd be fine if these artists are in as early influencers, songwriters, or performers. Here are the top names to consider:

Patsy Cline

Willie Nelson

Garth Brooks

George Strait

Patsy Cline had hits that registered on both the country and pop charts and was the first solo female act inducted into the Country Hall of Fame ten years after her tragic death at the age of thirty. Willie Nelson has had twenty #1 hits and 114 chart singles between 1962 and 1993, establishing himself as a prolific songwriter. According to the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), Garth Brooks is the top selling solo artist in history and second only to the Beatles overall. George Strait has five #1 hits, twenty-one top 10, and 35 total songs that have charted on Billboard's Hot 100.

Other candidates:

Dolly Parton

Waylon Jennings

Loretta Lynn

Glen Campbell

Alison Krauss

Merle Haggard

George Jones

These potential "other" nominees have combined for a staggering fifty Grammys, three top 10 hits, and two #1 hits.

RAP/HIP HOP

The genre of rap and hip hop was first included in 2007 with the induction of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Since then, six other acts have been inducted, including The Notorious B.I.G. this year. Here are the names that should be considered next year:

Jay Z

Outkast

Jay Z has twenty-two Grammy wins from seventy-seven nominations and has been at the top of the rap/hip hop game the entire time, grabbing his last Grammy win just last year (2018). Outkast is known for creating beats and lyrics that get stuck in your head for years, so it's no surprise that they have four top 10 hits and three #1 hits.

Others candidates:

Snoop Dogg

Snoop was part of a legendary Death Row Records lineup that led him to eleven top 10 hits and three #1 hits.

HEAVY METAL

Arguably the least represented major genre in the Rock Hall. Black Sabbath (2006) and Metallica (2009) are really the only two true representatives.

Judas Priest

Motorhead

Heavy metal has been largely neglected as a genre of music, yet Judas Priest and Motorhead stand out with a combined ten songs that have charted. It's time to acknowledge this music exists and matters.

ELECTRONIC/INDUSTRIAL ROCK 

This genre finally cracked the Rock Hall’s glass ceiling this year with the inductions of Nine Inch Nails and Depeche Mode. Having them inducted opens the door for one of the original innovators of this genre:

Kraftwerk

Pioneers of their genre, Kraftwerk, has been innovating in the electronic/industrial rock genre since 1970! Well before the days of Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails.

POP/R&B

The Rock Hall inducted the great Whitney Houston this year, creating more opportunities for more pop centered acts. Throughout the years, the Hall has inducted other artists from genres less easily defined as “rock”; however, they were inducted by transcending and innovating music, taking it to a new place within the industry. Whitney has paved a clearer path for the following artists.

Chaka Khan

Chaka Khan took the torch from Aretha and passed it to Whitney, bridging the diva gap with four top 10 hits and ten Grammys.

Other candidates:

Mariah Carey

Her numbers are mind blowing: Nineteen #1 hits, twenty-eight top 10 hits, and five Grammys.

TRADITIONAL ROCK/CLASSIC ROCK/ALTERNATIVE ROCK

Clearly this is their largest base of nominees/inductees, so this will be my largest pool of candidates. Let’s get right to it!

Warren Zevon

Todd Rundgren

Foo Fighters

The Traveling Wilburys 

Pat Benatar

Dave Matthews Band

Hard to measure these legends by numbers alone. All of these artists have influenced popular music and inspired generations of musicians in a variety of ways, notably Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters (inducted with Nirvana in 2014). If the Traveling Wilburys make it, they would be the most super-powered band ever to enter the Hall with Tom Petty, George Harrison, Roy Orbison, and Bob Dylan as members. George Harrison would make history tying Eric Clapton with three inductions.

Other candidates:

The Monkees

Jethro Tull

Joe Cocker

The Carpenters

Thin Lizzy

The Smiths

The Cranberries

These artists represent an overlooked and underappreciated collection of rock legends that deserve their due credit by joining other music icons.

SUMMARY

My Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominee ballot for the 2021 inductions would:

Patsy Cline

Willie Nelson

Garth Brooks

George Strait

Jay Z 

Outkast

Judas Priest

Motorhead

Kraftwerk

Chaka Khan

Warren Zevon

Todd Rundgren

Foo Fighters

The Traveling Wilburys

Pat Benatar

Dave Matthews Band 

Now that we have the nominees, the real question is, who would get in from this list?




Check out my thoughts on the 2020 induction class here.

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