10 Biggest Snubs from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

If I were in charge, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame would have capped membership years ago. There’d be a small and select field of fifty entrants, limiting it to household names like Elvis Presley, James Brown, and The Beatles. But it’s soldiered on, with 351 inductees to date. This makes it tough, as nominators and voters need a broad knowledge of genres as disparate as hip hop and metal. While they’ve often made good decisions, I was disappointed enough by the last class to put forward my own list of Hall of Fame snubs. I’ve largely ignored the 1990s with my selections since artists from that decade haven’t been eligible for as long.

Another grievance is how deserving acts like Chic, Kraftwerk, LL Cool J, and Judas Priest have been sidelined into weird categories like Musical Excellence or Early Influences, rather than receive full recognition. I’m also mystified as to why Jimmy Webb hasn’t been inducted as a songwriter.

Since I wrote this in 2022, Kate Bush has been scheduled for induction. If I was writing this article again I’d include Björk instead.

These ten underappreciated artists are presented in alphabetical order:

Kate Bush The Dreaming

Kate Bush

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is based in America and has a significant US bias. Kate Bush enjoyed massive success in the UK, and her track record of commercial success, critical acclaim, innovation, and influence should make her a no-brainer inclusion. It’s hard to write about an arty female singer-songwriter without comparing them to Bush. She was the first female artist to top the UK chart with a self-written song, achieving the feat while she was still a teenager with ‘Wuthering Heights’. Bush also has an impressive string of classic albums, including The Dreaming, Hounds of Love, and Aerial. Other female art-rockers deserving induction include Björk and Tori Amos.


De La Soul

The Hall of Fame has slowly added hip hop acts, but there are still plenty of worthy artists languishing on the outside. Long Island trio De La Soul emerged in the golden age of hip hop in the late 1980s, charming with their breezy platinum-selling debut 3 Feet High and Rising. They sampled Steely Dan, the Turtles, and Johnny Cash, and introduced jazzy textures to hip hop. They’ve continued to enjoy critical acclaim and impressive chart placement – Macy Gray referred to them as The Beatles of hip hop. Other worthy hip hop acts deserving induction include The Wu-Tang Clan, A Tribe Called Quest, and OutKast.


Iron Maiden Powerslave

Iron Maiden

Heavy metal is underrepresented in the Hall. Black Sabbath, Metallica, and Judas Priest are the genre’s only inductees; the latter were only inducted via the weird Musical Excellence subcategory. Despite their long and ambitious material, Iron Maiden have been wildly successful, recording albums in six different decades, most of which have reached the UK top ten. There are more metal bands that deserve induction, most notably Motorhead.


King Crimson

In a career that has spanned seven decades, Robert Fripp and King Crimson have never stood still, constantly innovating. The term progressive rock has become shorthand for symphonic influences in rock music, but King Crimson have continued to seek progress. 1969’s In The Court of the Crimson King defined the progressive rock genre. 1974’s Red is a powerful record that was beloved by Kurt Cobain, and the group dipped into new wave textures with 1981’s impressive Discipline. Notable Crimson alumni include Greg Lake, Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, John Wetton, and Boz Burrell. Along with Crimson, fellow proggers Jethro Tull are also worthy of a spot.


Fela Kuti

Fela Kuti was a titan of African music. He pioneered Afrobeat, adding African textures to James Brown’s lengthy funk jams. These rhythms found their way into Western popular music in the 1980s via acts like Talking Heads and Peter Gabriel. Paul McCartney recalled catching a Kuti gig in Lagos in the early 1970s: “The music was so incredible that I wept. Hearing that was one of the greatest music moments of my life.” Kuti’s colourful life has inspired an off-Broadway musical.


The Monkees

The 1960s have been picked over thoroughly by the Hall of Fame, but The Monkees are a notable exception. Reportedly, Hall founder Jann Wenner has blocked their inclusion, while they’re sometimes derided for using session musicians on their early work. But their catalogue should rise above such concerns – a string of effervescent hits like ‘Daydream Believer’, ‘Pleasant Valley Sunday’, and ‘Porpoise Song’. Their TV show also remains a fun watch.


New Order and Joy Division

You get two for the price of one here since the two bands share three out of four members. Joy Division were a leading post-punk band with gloomy songs like ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ and ‘She’s Lost Control’. New Order blended synths and dance beats into their rock music, scoring international hits like ‘Bizarre Love Triangle’, ‘Blue Monday’, and ‘Regret’. They also released strong albums like Power, Corruption & Lies and Technique. Other worthy and unrecognised UK bands from the era include The Jam, The Smiths, and Echo & the Bunnymen.


Procol Harum

Procol Harum delivered one of the most iconic hits of the 1960s – ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ combined Bach-inspired music with dreamily impressionistic lyrics. The British band continued to prosper throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s, enjoying success with albums like Shine on Brightly and Grand Hotel. They also spawned the career of guitar hero Robin Trower. From the same era, Fairport Convention made a great string of folk-rock albums and launched the careers of Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson.


The Replacements Let It Be

The Replacements

It’s understandable why The Replacements aren’t in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They never enjoyed a hit single and they’re not a household name. The Replacements epitomised rock and roll, providing a bridge between the punk of the late 1970s and the alternative rock bands like Pearl Jam and Nirvana that hit the mainstream in the early 1990s. Paul Westerberg was a great songwriter. The fertile 1980s American alternative scene is almost ignored by the Hall of Fame, with only R.E.M. inducted. There are a bunch of other American alternative bands from the era that should also be considered, like Sonic Youth, the Pixies, and Husker Du.


Yellow Magic Orchestra

Along with Kraftwerk, Tokyo’s Yellow Magic Orchestra were early electronic pioneers. Ryuichi Sakamoto, Yukihiro Takahashi, and Haruomi Hosono became Japan’s most popular group in the late 1970s and early 1980s, while ‘Computer Game’ was a worldwide hit in 1978. Where Kraftwerk were austere, Yellow Magic Orchestra were fun – their music was influential on early video games.

Who do you think is the most egregious omission from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

100 Comments

  1. I loved the Monkees but they will never get in. They are seen by too many as a manufactured band. I could be wrong, but….

    Anyway, here’s a few. Some, I think, are egregious oversights, notably Geils, Frampton, Jeff Lynne, Tull, John Mayall (inexcusable!)

    Sting
    Boston
    Steppenwolf
    J. Geils
    Bad Company
    Blue Oyster Cult
    Peter Frampton
    Dave Matthews
    Emerson Lake and Palmer
    Jeff Lynne (solo)
    Jethro Tull
    John Mayall
    Little Feat
    Phil Collins
    Thin Lizzy

    • I can see The Monkees getting in if Wenner relinquished some influence.

      I had Jethro Tull on my original list. I think Thin Lizzy should have been in by now – I didn’t realize they weren’t. I’d support Blue Oyster Cult and Boston too.

        • Oops. Thanks for pointing it out – I made the initial list on my phone and auto correct must have got hold of it. I’m a bit laid up with covid today but hopefully I feel up to some editing later.

          • Oh boy. I thought NZ had it so well tightened down there’d be little chance of that. My wife just got over it. How the hell I’ve avoided it till now is beyond me.

          • The Omicron variant is everywhere – it’s not so bad since it’s milder and almost everyone got vaccinated first. Hope your wife is doing well.

    • Wenner is wrong to keep The Monkees out. Should’ve been in from day one. They sang and played on all their songs, and wrote more than half their best songs by themselves. Elvis never wrote anything but he was in on his first try. Procol Harum should be in too. So should ELP. But has no one every heard the name Supertramp? Why are they not in?

        • I can’t really find anything official – just Peter Tork complaining. But it seems clear that Wenner’s personal agenda has loomed large over the Hall.

          • I wish Michelle MB were still blogging. Her blog was entirely about the Hall and she seems to know people. She actually went to one of the induction ceremonies a short while back.

          • She has published a post this year, but back in January. Would be interesting to hear her thoughts on the class of 2022.

          • Yes. Now that you guys have got me all worked up on the Monkees, I just went over to her last post and asked her her thoughts. We’ll see if she responds. I always marvel that some people blog for a while and then disappear.

          • I checked with her on Monkees. To quote, it was Wenner who blocked them but they were high on a LOT of people’s snub lists. And she fears they may be moving past 60s, 70s era. As to 2022, didn’t ask. I suppose she’ll post if so inclined.

      • The Monkees were better instrumentalists than Elvis too.

        I didn’t actually realise that Supertramp wasn’t in. They’ve never been a personal favourite, but I think they have a pretty good case.

  2. You are digging yourself the biggest of all rabbit holes with this one.

    I care about as much about the HOF as I do about the Grammys . (I.e. I don’t).

    It would take forever to go through all of the omissions.

    Springsteen and the Stones have their own sections. I’m totally good with it!

    It’s meant to be a tourist attraction, which it what it is, I suppose. (There’s only like 2 buildings in Cleveland).

    • I got pretty frustrated by the inductees announced last week. Seemed like they missed the most obvious ones in the class, and I think Lionel Richie and Carly Simon are both pretty mediocre. Dolly Parton is pushing the boundaries of what constitutes rock and roll too.

  3. Maybe you’re right that they should have stopped a long time ago, because now there’s just too many frivolous people in there. One-hit hip hop artists and stuff. I think all the people you listed will eventually get picked except maybe Yellow Magic Orchestra and Replacements, just because they never had a big enough name or a big enough audience. They really like big names at the Hall of Fame, I think. Same with a lot of the ones on Jim S list. It’s hard to believe they’re not already there. And they might have to wait even longer because now the Hall of Fame seems to be reacting to pressure to be diverse, so a lot of lesser artists will probably get in before a lot of the more deserving artists do.

    • It’s clearly a profit making business and they need to keep inducting people to keep it fresh and keep interest in it. But the further you go on, the more fragmented the music scene is and the tougher it is for the voters.

      Replacements have been nominated before, which gives them a shot, I reckon. YMO are pretty obscure, but I think they have a pretty strong argument in terms of influence.

      I think it’s still a bit light on hip hop Not so enamoured by their choices of women recently – Carly Simon and solo Stevie Nicks seem like a stretch when Kate Bush and Bjork aren’t in yet.

      • Actually each of the nominees this year I like in one way or another. Pat Benatar and her husband, and Carly Simon even have entire albums that I like. I even like Duran Duran, and Eminem and Lionel Richie are at least okay. Dolly Parton is there simply because she’s Dolly Parton, but any other country artist they inducted was shoved off to the Influences category. But they’re still not very inspiring choices when you think of all the better quality acts they could have chosen from. They could have at least picked Kate Bush If it’s women that they wanted, They didn’t even put Judas Priest in the regular category with the rest of them. They seem to be going out of their way not to have too many male rock bands, even though they can use more heavy metal in there.

        • Eminem and Dolly Parton are good calls IMO – Eminem is huge selling and influential, and once Parton was nominated she deserved to get in.

          I like some of Simon’s singles but listened to a whole album (No Secrets) and wasn’t impressed. Does she have better ones?

          As a whole the class feels like a bunch of unchallenging mainstream artists who didn’t innovate much.

        • I’m surprised that she’s never been nominated. I think she makes more sense as a solo artist than as part of Sonny and Cher.

  4. Exactly!

    In baseball, which has fully measurable and recorded historical statistics of every at-bat ever taken, we still have endless arguments about who should be in cooperstown,NY.

    Music??? Good luck. It’s a fools errand from the start.

    • I think you can quantify some stuff, like sales and influence. But it gets tougher the further on you go.

  5. You’ve got quite a list there, Jim S! I think it’d be hard for any of the list to get in–while they are were fairly popular and had fans, most of these artists faced either critical revulsion or critical indifference. There’s also the case of genres that were perhaps a bit more critically favored at the time isn’t anymore–I’m thinking the case with the “Second British Blues Boom” that produced John Mayall.

    BOC is an interesting case: While they are probably more remembered now for the “More Cowbell” SNL skit, when they started they were considered a “critics” band, due to the involvement of people like Sandy Pearlman, Richard Meltzer, and even Patti Smith! So you figure they would have had an easier “in” as many of these folks were Rolling Stone writers and peers of the selection committee. Or maybe rock critics don’t like it when rock critics make music? 😉

    Then again, things can change. I thought Rush had a snowball’s chance in hell of getting in, as they were pretty much a critic’s punching bag for most of their existence. But they’ve gotten a re-evaluation over the past 10-15 years, so that probably helped their case–I doubt Neil Peart would have gotten a big obit in the New York Times if that hadn’t happened. Then again, Alex Lifeson’s “acceptance speech” at the ceremony may not help future once-ignored groups get in–I’m imagining Jann Wenner cringing/fuming in his chair during that speech, vowing never to be overridden again…

  6. I suppose my principal comment is that Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is skewed and pointless with the in-crowd voting for the in-crowd……

    As to who should be on there who isn’t… I don’t actually know who is so this could be well wide of the mark!

    1 Fairport Convention as being so influential
    2 Richard Thompson for being so damn good as writer, lyricist and above all guitarist
    3 Jethro Tull
    4 Robin Trower Band and yes, Procul Harum

    Are Roxy Music on there? Paul Weller or The Jam? John Martyn?

    Maybe it’s a badge of honour not to be on there?

    • Roxy Music got in a few years back, but I don’t think anyone else you mentioned is. I mentioned most of your choices in my blurbs – I can’t see the more folk-oriented stuff like Fairport and Martyn ever making it. Seems too obscure for American voters.

  7. Totally off topic, I was going through a box of cds I had bought and in it was the cover to the Kate Bush album you showed above. And it was autographed by her. No CD or CD case, only the artwork. I thought it was cool.

  8. For a long time Pat Benatar was overlooked but I’m glad she finally made it this year. Kate Bush is indeed a glaring omission to date. It should have been 3rd times a charm. I’m sure she will overcome the US bias you mentioned maybe next year.

    • I honestly don’t know Benatar beyond the radio hits, but she had sustained success and probably deserves it.

  9. What you first said would have been the smartest thing to do period. Cap who could have gotten in. It shouldn’t have went this far and it has become watered down…but we can’t go back now.

    I agree on who you list…The two that pop out to me the most are The Replacements and The Monkees.
    A question for you…as for influence and that is a qualification or the Sex Pistols would not be in…The Velvet Underground is in and they never sold a thing but they had a huge influence. What about Big Star who influence the next generation after the Velvet Underground?
    I know the Underground had Lou Reed and the backing of Warhol…that helps… I get it.

    I CANNOT believe King Crimson and Kate Bush are not in already.

    • I certainly toyed with the idea of Big Star – feels like the relatively small discography maybe counts against them. But I’d love to see them based on influence.

  10. I hate the whole idea of a music HOF, but now you made me do some research. I fully expected new/Indy rock to be massively underrepresented- and I wasn’t disappointed!

    We are taking about Pat Benetar (??!!) and Lionel Ritchie and Dolly Parton, when the following people are not there:

    The Smiths (??????)
    INXS (?)
    The Cult
    The National
    Oasis (huh?)
    Death Cab (??)
    Coldplay (ok, they might get in one day!)
    Stone Roses
    Blur (I put them beside each other on purpose)
    Snowpatrol

    But don’t worry, cause ZZTop has been inducted!

    So, long ago I stopped paying attention to the Grammys and the HOF. Too frustrating.

    • Andrew, a band can’t get nominated to the Hall until 25 years after their debut album–and it might have to be an album on a major label, I’m not sure. So some of your list isn’t there yet. As for Stone Roses, like the Jam they barely made a dent in the US, and I think the US critical reception was “another British band overhyped by the British music press.” I’d find it very unlikely they’d get in.

        • Yeah, and the fact that the Stone Roses made no impact, nor barely had influence in the US. But a band doesn’t have to have a long career or be American to get into the HOF. Sex Pistols got in in 2006, and as you cheekily pointed out last month, only have one album. They didn’t have any commercial presence in the US (though the Clash def. did!) but their influence is undeniable.

    • The Hall has always been weird about prog. It took Yes forever to get in. I remember reading an article by a Hall voter that said something like prog was an odd man out because it did not come from the African-American tradition of blues or soul or something. WTF?

      • Which is why you’re not gonna see a whole heck of a lot of rock bands being inducted anymore. Political correctness and diversity look like the biggest determining factor nowadays. Which is ridiculous because it’s a stupid and totally unnecessary way to judge the quality of music. In fact, they’re not even judging the music anymore. They’re really just judging the person. We’re not really getting their honest opinion about anything other than that.

      • Lots of British music comes from other traditions – you can hear stuff like folk and music hall in bands like The Kinks, Led Zep, and The Beatles. Apparently Stravinsky is a pretty big influence on prog.

    • I would think Oasis and Blur have enough visibility in the US that they might get a shot. Smiths would be good as well. I’m not a huge Coldplay fan but they’ve enjoyed sustained success for a long time.

      • Oasis def. had US visibility, so there’s a shot, more so than Blur. And Smiths def. have US visibility now. But as I alluded to earlier, I wonder how much the snubbing is because they don’t want a Morrisey or LIam Gallagher on the stage, ranting for a half hour?

        Coldplay could get in, looks like they’ll qualify next year.

        • Have you seen Mike Love’s rant – it’s pretty legendary.

          Is Blur’s Song 2 well-known in the US?

          • I have not seen that rant, don’t know if I want to!

            Yeah, Song 2 is well-known here, probably the only song that a casual listener could name, though they’d call it the “Woo-hoo” song.

          • Yeah, Song 2 is well-known here, probably the only song that a casual listener could name, though they’d call it the “Woo-hoo” song.

      • “Song 2” is very well known in the US but -like every Moby song- mainly because it
        was used in commercials. It’s actually a clever strategy. Moby had a party once every track on “Play” was eventually used in a commercial.

        Not enough to get Blur in

        I was kind of joking about Stone Roses – no chance

        Coldplay – first ballot shoe-in IMO

        Oasis and Death Cab – very likely to get in eventually

        The Smiths – who knows? But I think it’s a band where the passage of time works in their favour.
        “How Soon is Now?” Is still considered the “Stairway to Heaven” of new rock.

        Also as someone pointed out, “The Cure” are already inducted.

        • I didn’t know Moby got that exposed – I heard Play a bit when it came out but haven’t listened for years.

          I don’t know about Death Cab – I am a fan, but not sure if they’re widely known enough. Arcade Fire might have more chance for an indie band from that era.

        • Maybe it’s because his new album drops today, but I think the biggest “First Ballot Shoo-In” around is Kendrick Lamar. He’s not eligible for years but he has big sales, critical acclaim, and a Pulitzer Prize.

  11. Because the Rock Hall of Fame is an American institution, it’s got an inherent US bias. There are certain bands and certain eras of British music that can transcend that bias, but a lot of what you listed hasn’t. Most of your list has acts that were at best moderately successful in the US. The Jam/Paul Weller barely made a dent in the US, and while The Jam had a degree of critical respect (Paul solo, no) I’m guessing it’s not enough to get on the list. The Clash, however, got in during the first year they were eligible…

    • So, it’s just about US success and sales rather than acts being worthy of interest, merit or value. The institution really is completely pointless and just a marketing pitch for acts with declining royalties to shift some product…… it’s perfect – MAGA !

      • I mean, a lot of this type of stuff (hello, Grammys) isn’t exactly about “acts being worthy of interest, merit, or value”. But I try not to get too worked up about it–it really doesn’t matter in the long run.

        • Its nice to see a favorite get recognition. I would be excited to see The Replacements get in, even if it’s maybe a little unlikely.

          • I’m sort of surprised that the Mats haven’t gotten in–despite their reputation, they were pretty beloved by rock writers in the 80s.

      • Of course it’s gonna be dominated by U.S. music, because the U.S. has produced about 90% of it, and has a population about 10 times larger than the average country. The only other place that has produced a lot of it is Britain, which is really well represented in the Hall of Fame by percentage.

    • But that would make too much sense, and we can’t allow that. lol. Those other kinds of music don’t even see themselves as BEING rock and roll. They consider themselves to be a completely different and even opposite thing. And they don’t even like it for the most part. Not to mention that you won’t find any Rock or heavy metal in the Country Hall of Fame or the Rap Hall of Fame or the R&B Hall of Fame. So I have no idea why they think it makes sense to have any of these In the Rock Hall of Fame. Especially when so many deserving rock artists are getting left behind just to make room for everything else.

      • Considering how under appreciated rock music is in the Grammys, rock and heavy metal music isn’t taken seriously. That’s why the artists in the rock n roll hall of fame are so random.

        • There was a lot of condescension toward hard rock and metal back in the day – Led Zep are clearly one of the best bands of their era but got critically savaged.

          I kind of understand why as I get older and have children and responsibilities- it’s hard to have the same time to get my head around dense prog and metal albums that I had in my teens and early twenties.

    • I’m pretty sympathetic to hip hop being in the hall – kind of feels like the successor to the danger and edge of rock and metal. But it would maybe be simpler if hip hop had its own Hall.

  12. All good! Your response could be attributed to many of the above comments about the HOF and it would stick!

    I think I will do an Indy/alt-rock/new music hall of fame in my basement. With the Smiths and the Cure etc.

    Probably nobody would come , but at least it’s not in Cleveland.

    • The Cure have been in the Hall of Fame for a few years. But I wonder if there really is an Alt-rock Hall of Fame somewhere. ha ha. There might be. You never know. Maybe in Seattle or something. lol

  13. The Smiths, INXS, the Cult, Oasis and Death Cab (Postal service) are all older (and better) than the Foo Fighters – who are in.

    • Andrew-
      Yes, some of your list has bands/artists that released albums more than 25 years ago. I’m not arguing that. INXS and The Cult were seen more as novelties by the US Critic Establishment, same with Oasis. The Smiths weren’t that big at the time in the US, but respected and have become more important in retrospect. But getting them in means giving a platform for Morrisey to speak, and I’m guessing that they’d be worried about that…

  14. My son and I went to the HOF back when they had a major Stones exhibit, 2012 I think it was. Had a hell of a time. Say what you will about the voting. They museum is pretty good.

    • Yup, I imagine visiting the museum would be cool. I wonder if they consider selecting acts based on who has the coolest memorabilia for the museum.

      • Actually they have boatloads of memorabilia but, like any other museum, they move it in and out periodically. What I enjoyed most was the listening areas where you can put headphones on and listen to decades worth of stuff from way back. Gospel, field hollers too, I suppose.

  15. I actually double-checked my choices against the published list just to be sure I wasn’t getting it wrong. But alas, no, none of them. I would love to have seen Geils get in and I’m puzzled as to why they didn’t. They were a fairly recent vote but seem to have dropped out.

  16. Interestingly, I first read about BOC in Rolling Stone. Yes, they were the “thinking man’s” hard rock band. “Reaper” isn’t a bad song but for me it didn’t form my opinion of them and it’s a side show. (The bit is hilarious though.) Their first album is great, one of the debuts ever IMHO. They still tour like mad. I saw them pre-COVID for the first time in years. Still sound great.

    • My favorite part was the exhibit for the instruments, and all the clothes. It was great. I kept saying things like “Oh my God, I can’t believe I’m in the same room as So and So’s guitar!!!”, or “I can’t believe I’m actually two feet away from Janis Joplin’s dress!!! LMAO

    • Yeah, I reckon it would probably work better as a museum than as a definitive list of significant rock acts of the era.

  17. Just going through the official “snubbed” list-

    Beck
    Dave Matthews
    Brian Eno
    Billy Idol
    BOC
    Blur
    Flaming Lips
    INXS
    The Jam
    Husker Du (who are from the Midwest!)
    Joy Division / NO
    Nick Cave
    Nick Drake
    Oasis
    The Pixies (?)
    Smashing Pumpkins (?? Also from the MW)
    The Offspring
    The Smiths
    Wilco (? Also MW – via Chicago)
    Weezer
    Warren Zevon (?? His hair was perfect!)

    The list is a lot longer. I’m only including Indy-related people that I care about.

    And I’m excluding people where I only know a couple of their songs- XTC, Blur, Tool, steppenwolf, Procul Harem, my Bloody Valentine, Alice in Chains

  18. I totally agree with the Tull vote. Boc is so underrated, Listen to shooting shark. Just don’t understand why the Guess Who and Uriah Heep are so overlooked. Their music is amazing

    • Thanks for writing in! I only really know Scorpions’ one big song. 100 million sales and keeping the band going for more than 50 years probably deserves some recognition though.

  19. Sorry, the “official” snubbed list I referenced above is from Wikipedia (I think). Obviously, there is just as much subjectivity in deciding who is a snub vs who is not as there is in deciding who actually gets into the RRHOF.

    Some are obvious like Dave Matthews and Billy Idol, INXS, the Smiths. But I wouldn’t have “My Bloody Valentine’ on the snubbed list. And probably not Blur.

    • Here’s the list of bands that have been nominated but not inducted (from https://futurerocklegends.com/The_Snub_List/):

      First number is years eligible, second is nominations.

      A Tribe Called Quest 8 1
      Afrika Bambaataa 17 1
      Bad Brains 15 1
      Beck 4 1
      Dave Matthews Band 4 1
      Eric B. & Rakim 11 1
      Iron Maiden 18 1
      Jane’s Addiction 10 1
      Mary J. Blige 5 1
      Mary Wells 36 1
      Motörhead 20 1
      Procol Harum 30 1
      The Replacements 16 1
      Soundgarden 11 1
      Steppenwolf 29 1
      Thin Lizzy 27 1
      Link Wray 39 2
      The Marvelettes 36 2
      The Smiths 14 2
      Devo 20 3
      Gram Parsons 30 3
      Kate Bush 19 3
      New York Dolls 24 3
      The Spinners 36 3
      War 26 3
      Rage Against the Machine 5 4
      Rufus with Chaka Khan 24 4
      MC5 31 6
      Chic 20 11

  20. Rufus with Chaka Khan were nominated 4 times?

    I have never even heard of the first three on Gs list!

    That’s what happens as you get older. You get stuck more in your music lanes (preferred genres).

    But life is short. You wouldn’t start a novel and invest the time to read it if the author/dust cover description didn’t seem to interest you.

    • It gets less clear-cut the more inductees you have already. Music scene has become more fragmented. Easy call that James Brown and Bob Dylan are in, less easy to weigh up Coldplay vs Chaka Khan.

  21. We definitely agree that Iron Maiden is one of the biggest Rock and Roll Hall of Fame snubs. No band has influenced more bands and artists than this sextet from England. Maybe the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will recognize Maiden as an influential act, much like Yes and Rush.

  22. I understand that music (like all art ) is in the eye of the beholder. But to compare Shaka Khan with Coldplay is a bit out there.

    In any case, we all have our favourite bands. It’s not that important if they win a Grammy or get into the RRHOF.

    It’s a personal journey, with a soundtrack in your head.

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Graham Fyfe has been writing this website since his late teens. Now in his forties, he's been obsessively listening to albums for years. He works as a web editor and plays the piano.

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