The Biggest Rock Hall Snubs

There are many great artists who have been overlooked by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The vast majority of these artists have never been nominated for induction. Each year, the final ballot of performers is selected by the Rock Hall Nominating Committee, then sent to the larger Voting Committee for election.

Here are the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's biggest snubs:

ArtistYears Snubbed# of Years Nominated
Afrika Bambaataa71
The B-52's80
Bad Company130
Barry White140
Big Star150
Björk100
Black Flag90
Bon Jovi41
The Buzzcocks100
Can190
The Carpenters180
The Cars90
Cat Stevens211
Cheap Trick100
Chic107
Chicago180
Connie Francis290
The Cure91
The Dead Kennedys80
Deep Purple191
Def Leppard80
Depeche Mode60
Devo90
Dick Dale250
Dire Straits90
The Doobie Brothers160
Duran Duran60
Electric Light Orchestra160
Emerson, Lake & Palmer170
Eric B. & Rakim11
Eurythmics60
Faith No More20
The Flaming Lips30
Gram Parsons203
Hall & Oates150
Harry Nilsson200
Hüsker Dü60
INXS70
Iron Maiden80
The Jam100
Jan & Dean270
Jane's Addiction00
Janet Jackson50
Jethro Tull190
Jim Croce210
Johnny Burnette and the Rock N Roll Trio310
Journey120
Joy Division90
Judas Priest130
Kate Bush90
King Crimson180
KISS131
Kraftwerk162
Linda Ronstadt180
Link Wray270
LL Cool J32
Love210
The Marvelettes261
Mary Wells262
MC5211
Megadeth20
The Monkees210
The Moody Blues230
Mötley Crüe60
Motörhead100
My Bloody Valentine20
N.W.A01
New Order60
New York Dolls141
Nick Cave30
Nick Drake180
Pantera40
Peter Gabriel100
Peter, Paul & Mary250
Pixies00
Procol Harum201
The Replacements60
Roxy Music150
The Runaways110
Scott Walker210
Silver Apples190
Slayer40
The Smiths40
Sonic Youth50
Soundgarden10
Sparks160
The Specials80
The Spinners261
Steppenwolf190
Steve Miller Band190
Stevie Ray Vaughan40
Stone Roses20
T. Rex190
Television120
Thin Lizzy160
Tommy James & the Shondells210
War162
Warren Zevon180
"Weird Al" Yankovic80
Whitney Houston30
X90
XTC100
Yes180
The Zombies230

The artists listed above are currently eligible for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and were selected by Future Rock Legends commenters on the Rock Hall Revisited and the Rock Hall Projected pages.


The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has inducted only the lead performer of certain notable groups, with Smokey Robinson and The Miracles being the most famous example. (Update: In 2012, the Rock Hall inducted The Blue Caps, The Comets, The Crickets, The Famous Flames, The Midnighters, and The Miracles, so they have been removed from the list below.) Here are a list of Rock & Roll Hall of Famers with (arguably) snubbed backing groups. Rock Hall Monitors has a comprehensive look at this issue.

Bob Marley & The Wailers
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
Dion & The Belmonts
Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention
Janis Joplin and Big Brother and the Holding Company
Patti Smith Group
Paul McCartney & Wings

Here are some additional notable candidates who deserve consideration for the Rock Hall because of their influence on the rock era.

Big Mama ThorntonBing Crosby
Blind Lemon JeffersonBuchanan & Goodman
Cab CallowayChuck Willis
Crew CutsDjango Reinhardt
Dolly PartonDuke Ellington
Eddie LangElla Fitzgerald
Emmylou HarrisEsther Phillips
Fela KutiFrank Sinatra
George JonesGil Scott-Heron
Herbie HancockJacques Brel
Joan BaezJohn Coltrane
Johnny AceKarlheinz Stockhausen
Lightnin' HopkinsMerle Haggard
Mississippi John HurtNina Simone
Patsy ClineRavi Shankar
Roy BrownScott Joplin
Screamin' Jay HawkinsSister Rosetta Tharpe
Sonny Boy Williamson IIThe "5" Royales
The Carter FamilyThe Clovers
The DominoesThe Four Freshmen
The Kingston TrioThe Mills Brothers
The RavensThe Weavers
W.C. HandyWaylon Jennings
Willie NelsonWynonie Harris