Looking at the wide array of 246 performer inductees and comparing it to the long list of those who aren't in, it's possible to draw some general conclusions about what it takes to get into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The Hall doesn't list any official criteria, but the three primary traits of performer inductees tend to fall into these broad categories:

• Popularity
• Critical Acclaim
• Industry Connections

History has shown that artists who do well in at least two out of the three categories have a solid chance at making the Hall of Fame, and those who check all three boxes likely get in on the first ballot. This is why having massive record sales and radio hits (aka "Popularity") on their own isn't typically enough to break through (e.g. Huey Lewis & the News, Styx, Backstreet Boys, etc.), while the same is true of Critically Acclaimed artists who never fully entered the mainstream (e.g. Can, Hüsker Dü, PJ Harvey). The Industry Connections category can take many shapes, such as having your record executive or manager on the Rock Hall Nominating Committee, but it can broadly be thought of as artists who often show up at awards shows or special events, and play the showbiz game (e.g. John Legend, Alicia Keys, Green Day, Gary Clark, Jr.). Having those industry relationships is often the missing piece of the puzzle that helps separate artists from their musical peers in the eyes of the Hall of Fame.

It should be noted here that there are dozens of artists who satisfy two or three of these categories that aren't in the Hall of Fame yet, but should be considered qualified.

It wasn't long ago that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was criticized for being self-centered and run by elitist critics when it would repeatedly nominate artists like Patti Smith or The Stooges while ignoring (or outright disparaging) populist artists like KISS or Chicago. While there was unquestionably an element of truth to that reputation, the overall list of inductees was fairly balanced between popular and critical favorites.

Over the last decade, there has been a noticeable shift in the Rock Hall's stance towards critically maligned but popular artists, as more and more famous snubs finally broke through with a nomination and then were quickly inducted.

Continuing that trend, take a look at the performers nominated in 2022 and how they best fit in the diagram above (bold artists were inducted):

• C/P/I (1st Ballot): Eminem
• P/I: Lionel Richie, Eurythmics, Carly Simon, Dolly Parton*, Duran Duran
• I/C: Beck
• C/P: A Tribe Called Quest, Judas Priest, Rage Against the Machine
• P only: Pat Benatar, Dionne Warwick
• C only: Devo, Kate Bush, Fela Kuti, MC5, New York Dolls

* - Dolly is critically acclaimed in Country music circles, but generally not considered by the Pop/Rock critics, which are relevant here.

The only common denominator among the winners is Popularity. When evaluating such a musically diverse ballot, voters heavily gravitated towards the most iconic names, most of whom are deeply entrenched in the music industry. Any artist without household name recognition, a significant Billboard chart presence, or couldn't plausibly appear at the American Music Awards were passed over again.

To be fair, the Nominating Committee has tried to create well-balanced ballots, but it has become incredibly predictable to see that the Voting Committee now favors shiny stars over influential pioneers. The Rock Hall's "solution" to this problem is to use their special categories to induct handpick a few artists who can't get past the voters (like Judas Priest, Kraftwerk and LL Cool J), rather than addressing the systemic deficiencies in their ballot construction or voter demographics.

While some may see lack of balance unsettling, those in charge at the Rock Hall and HBO (its induction ceremony broadcast partner) almost certainly see this populist direction as a feature rather than a bug (especially with their new interest in the superstars of Country to choose from). Now that the precedent has been set for the amount of star power expected on stage at induction ceremonies, there's no turning back now.

With the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's backlog of snubbed artists growing bigger every year, frustrated fan groups often turn to online petitions like change.org or Facebook groups to show the strength of their campaigns. But do they have any impact on the process? Is the Nominating Committee, who puts together the ballot, even made aware of their existence?

Let's take a look at just a sampling of the thousands of petitions that are out there:

The fact that a handful of recent inductees had an online petition is likely just coincidental, since there are petitions for hundreds of artists. Each year, Nominating Committee members are allowed to put two names up for discussion, and given huge number or artists to choose from, they won't be nominating anyone they aren't already passionate about.

The best way for fan groups to get the Rock Hall's attention is currently through the Voice Your Choice kiosk at the museum, where visitors can vote for the one artist they want to see inducted in the future. (This does require a trip to Cleveland and a $30 ticket to the museum.)

On the Rock Hall's new 2019 Inductees page, they seem to imply that the Voice Your Choice voting at the Museum kiosks influences the ballot https://t.co/oNgNHcnn8Z #RockHall2019 pic.twitter.com/1RxQeyvMag

— Future Rock Legends (@futurerocklgnds) December 14, 2018

Greg Harris, the president of the Museum, has been known to use the standings of that poll as a reason to nominate artists. Def Leppard, Stevie Nicks and Dave Matthews Band have all jumped from the leaderboard to the ballot.

As for petitions? That energy would be better channeled into trying to encourage the Rock Hall to fix their induction system so more artists can be inducted each year.

Footnote: We first wrote about petitions 15 years ago (paper petitions didn't work either).

In another universe where there isn't an endless backlog, this could be the 2021 Rock Hall ballot — styled after the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. (Illustration by Future Rock Legends)

One of the primary reasons that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame generates so much derision from fans is that there are literally hundreds of artists who can make a Hall of Fame case, but due to the nature of the induction process, will never get a shot on the ballot. The unfairness of the system creates a visceral reaction among casual observers of the Rock Hall who simply can’t understand how legendary artists don't even get a chance after decades of eligibility. Don’t all these artists deserve an opportunity to have their names appear on a Hall of Fame ballot, ideally while they're still alive?

Compare the Rock Hall’s current system, where even once-in-a-generation artists can’t get on the ballot, with the Baseball Hall of Fame induction process where every notable player gets a shot at their first opportunity.

Some quick background: players are eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame five years after they retire. In that first year of eligibility, a six-member Screening Committee adds every reasonable new candidate to the ballot along with all players that met a minimum 5% vote threshold from the previous year. That leads to ballots that typically have anywhere between 25 and 40 names. When the votes come in, marginal candidates quickly fall out of contention for the next year, but others are allowed up to 10 chances to get the 75% approval needed for induction before they fall off the ballot and are left for the Eras Committees to consider (formerly called the Veterans Committee).

The benefits of Baseball's system:

• Every quality candidate gets at least one chance on the ballot.
• A 10-year nomination cap provides enough time to build momentum for those who don’t get in right away, and also provides urgency for the voters when a player’s reaches their final ballot.
• Voters can vote for between 0 and 10 candidates each year, which gives voters plenty of options to give support to all those who deserve it without having to vote strategically.
• A low vote threshold to get back on the ballot allows nominees to get a multiple chances if they get caught in a stacked year.
• Players on the ballot are all from roughly the same era.

All of these attributes stand in stark contrast to the Rock Hall’s system:

• Most quality candidates never get nominated.
• There’s no nomination cap, so voters can endlessly procrastinate voting for certain artists who seem to come up every year.
• Voters are limited to selecting five artists from the ballot which leads people to vote strategically for lesser known candidates over obvious Hall of Famers, which occasionally backfires.
• While some artists get multiple chances on the ballot, many are “one and done,” even after they had never gotten a fair shot at induction because they were nominated in a strong year, or they were pitted against similar artists which split the vote.
• In any given year, voters are forced to compare artists from the 1960s to those up through the 1990s, when the context of their careers could not be more different.
• Nearly every nominated artist is Hall of Fame-worthy, making the voters choices come down to personal preference. Recently, a great induction class can be created by pulling six random artists from the ballot, since they all have their merits.

If the Rock Hall adopted a system like Baseball’s, the image at the top of this post could be the 2021 ballot, with its mix of newly eligible artists and those who have recently missed out. That fantasy ballot has many advantages over a typical Rock Hall ballot:

• Those with Hall of Fame careers clearly stand out from the rest.
• Artists with good careers get a chance at renewed exposure through their Rock Hall nomination.
• Evaluating contemporaries is much easier and a lot more fun to debate.
• It's fair to the artists and their fans.

Could the Rock Hall ever adopt a system like the Baseball Hall of Fame’s? Sure, anything is possible. There is nothing sacred about the current induction process. The Hall of Fame has always had the ability to do whatever it wants and be the type of institution it wants to be. A fair Rock Hall system structured like baseball’s, with the potential for large induction classes, a robust Veteran’s Committee, and a clear and transparent voting process could ultimately lead to a Hall of Fame that doesn't make people so mad.

Spin is marking its 35th anniversary with a series of features and lists, including a ranking of the 35 "most influential artists of the past 35 years." Seventeen of the artists have already been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, including 15 of the top 20. The remaining artists will likely be in the Rock Hall conversation for the next 20+ years.

Here is Spin's ranking, with the eligibility year listed for non-Rock Hall artists:

1. Nirvana
2. Prince
3. Madonna
4. N.W.A
5. Nine Inch Nails
6. 2Pac
7. Run-DMC
8. R.E.M.
9. Public Enemy
10. Rage Against the Machine (2018)
11. Guns N' Roses
12. Beastie Boys
13. Dr. Dre (2018)
14. U2
15. Pearl Jam
16. The Neptunes (2029)
17. Notorious B.I.G.
18. Tori Amos (2017)
19. Michael Jackson
20. Jane's Addiction (2013)
21. Outkast (2019)
22. Radiohead
23. Kanye West (2029)
24. Jay-Z (2021)
25. Eminem (2022)
26. Beyoncé (2029)
27. Ricky Martin (2017)
28. Lady Gaga (2034)
29. Tyler, the Creator (2035)
30. Spice Girls (2022)
31. Bikini Kill (2017)
32. Drake (2035)
33. Billie Eilish (2042)
34. Sublime (2018)
35. No Doubt (2018)

Of the eligible artists, only Rage Against the Machine and Jane's Addiction have appeared on a Rock Hall ballot. The others are still waiting to get an opportunity from the voters.

Is being influential enough to get you into the Hall of Fame on its own? Probably not. It usually takes an additional mix of commercial success, critical acclaim, and industry connections to get you over the top. Fortunately for many of these artists, they can score on multiple fronts.

Journalism professor and former pop music critic Evelyn McDonnell is one of the most vocal advocates for properly recognizing the importance of women's contributions to rock music. Her essays regarding the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's deficiencies in that area have led to a heightened awareness in the media and public that just 7.7% of inductees are women.

In 2018, McDonnell released her edited collection of essays, Women Who Rock, which celebrated the careers of over 100 artists, 30% of whom are already in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. While many of the remaining women highlighted in the book are clearly worthy of the Hall of Fame, most of those eligible haven't even been nominated due to the Rock Hall's flawed induction system.

Will this list predict who the next women inductees will be? The only three women who have been inducted by the Rock Hall since publication were featured in the book, Janet Jackson, Stevie Nicks, and Whitney Houston.

Here is the full list of women from the book (linked artists are not in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame; Hall of Famers noted with their year of induction):

• Bessie Smith (1989)
• Sister Rosetta Tharpe (2018)
• Mahalia Jackson (1997)
• Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton
• Wanda Jackson (2009)
• Patsy Cline
• Nina Simone (2018)
• Odetta
• Joan Baez (2017)
• Carole King (1990 as Non-Performer)
• Celia Cruz
• Tina Turner (1991 with Ike Turner)
• Aretha Franklin (1987)
• Darlene Love (2011)
• Ronnie Spector (2007 with The Ronettes)
• Diana Ross (1988 with The Supremes)
• Dusty Springfield (1999)
• Marianne Faithfull
• Grace Slick (1996 with Jeffeson Airplane)
• Laura Nyro (2012)
• Janis Joplin (1995)
• Carol Kaye
• Cher
• Dolly Parton
• Mavis Staples (1999 with The Staples Singers)
• Joni Mitchell (1997)
• The GTO's
• Yoko Ono
• Patti LaBelle
• Linda Ronstadt (2014)
• Karen Carpenter
• June Millington
• Bonnie Raitt (2000)
• Betty Davis
• Suzi Quatro
• Chaka Khan
• Emmylou Harris
• Stevie Nicks (2019 solo and 1998 with Fleetwood Mac)
• Donna Summer (2013)
• Patti Smith (2007)
• Heart (2013)
• Debbie Harry (2006 with Blondie)
• Joan Jett (2015)
• Grace Jones
• Poly Styrene
• Siouxsie Sioux
• Kate Bush
• Alice Bag
• Chrissie Hynde (2005 with The Pretenders)
• Exene Cervenka
• Poison Ivy
• ESG
• The Go-Go's
• Laurie Anderson
• Diamanda Galás
• Cyndi Lauper
• Madonna (2008)
• Kim Gordon
• k.d. lang
• Whitney Houston (2020)
• Janet Jackson (2019)
• Salt-N-Pepa
• Sinéad O'Connor
• Angélique Kidjo
• Lucinda Williams
• L7
• Selena
• Queen Latifah
• Ani DiFranco
• Kathleen Hanna
• Courtney Love
• Liz Phair
• TLC
• Tori Amos
• PJ Harvey
• Gwen Stefani
• Björk
• Lauryn Hill
• Aaliyah
• Shirley Manson
• Sleater-Kinney
• Fiona Apple
• Missy Elliott
• Erykah Badu
• Neko Case
• Dixie Chicks
• Beyoncé
• Tegan and Sara
• Peaches
• Sharon Jones
• Laura Jane Grace
• Amy Winehouse
• M.I.A.
• Rihanna
• Ana Tijoux
• Taylor Swift
• Adele
• Janelle Monáe
• Lady Gaga
• Santigold
• Nicki Minaj
• Pussy Riot
• Brittany Howard

It should be noted that McDonnell's book is not meant to be a comprehensive list of women who are worthy of induction, because there are many others who should be considered.

Keirstead followed up that work with “The Jam Part II - Long Live Rock & Roll” which continued the project showing the following decades of rock stars (with a slightly more Canadian bias).

For many rock fans, this is what the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame should represent (even if it happens to be almost entirely white). If the Rock Hall also saw it that way, they might even have a chance to induct most of those people. But that’s not the way the Hall of Fame wants to represent rock and roll. They choose a far more ambitious path -- to include many of the different branches that sprung from the roots of rock and roll, including disco, electronic music, pop, and most controversially, hip hop. That makes their task exponentially more difficult. It’s hard enough to properly honor and represent the most important artists of one genre, but to try to capture the essence of popular music from the past half-century becomes an impossible task. There will inevitably be important artists who get left behind which leaves fans of all genres eternally frustrated. The current format of inducting just five artists per year does a huge disservice to their mission “to celebrate the musicians who founded, changed and revolutionized rock & roll,” when their definition of rock and roll includes an ever-expanding number of artists and genres. The Rock Hall has created an intractable problem.

Because the “hard rock” genre definition seems pretty loose here, 34 of the 100 are Rock & Roll Hall of Famers (Update: As of 2017, 36 have been inducted). Apparently, the difficulty for the remaining artists is just getting on the ballot. Only five of the remaining 66 artists have ever been nominated: Nine Inch Nails, MC5, New York Dolls, Bon Jovi and Yes (Update: Yes was inducted in 2017).

Although the Rock Hall doesn’t primarily focus on hard rock, in the last four induction years Deep Purple, Cheap Trick, Green Day, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, KISS, Nirvana, Rush and Heart have all been inducted. Just give them another 30 years to induct the rest.

Here is the full list (linked artists are not in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame):

1. Led Zeppelin
2. Black Sabbath
3. Jimi Hendrix
4. AC/DC
5. Metallica
6. Nirvana
7. Van Halen
8. The Who
9. Gun N' Roses
10. KISS
11. Aerosmith
12. The Sex Pistols
13. Queen
14. Soundgarden
15. Pink Floyd
16. Cream
17. Ramones
18. Ozzy Osbourne
19. The Clash
20. Alice Cooper
21. Pearl Jam 
22. Deep Purple
23. Judas Priest
24. Iron Maiden
25. Cheap Trick
26. Motörhead
27. Iggy Pop
28. Rush
29. Mötley Crüe
30. Red Hot Chili Peppers
31. Def Leppard
32. The Doors
33. Rage Against The Machine
34. Alice In Chains
35. Jane's Addiction
36. Frank Zappa
37. The Yardbirds
38. MC5
39. Neil Young & Crazy Horse
40. Stone Temple Pilots
41. Ted Nugent
42. The Kinks
43. Nine Inch Nails
44. ZZ Top
45. Pantera
46. Scorpions
47. Rollins Band
48. Janis Joplin
49. Smashing Pumpkins
50. Slayer
51. Thin Lizzy
52. Faith No More
53. Korn
54. Sonic Youth
55. Blue Öyster Cult
56. White Zombie
57. Heart
58. Anthrax
59. Bad Company
60. New York Dolls
61. Jethro Tull
62. Ministry
63. Boston
64. Steppenwolf
65. The Cult
66. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts 
67. The Rolling Stones
68. Hüsker Dü
69. Megadeth
70. Living Colour
71. Lynyrd Skynyrd
72. Foo Fighters
73. Twisted Sister
74. Pat Benatar
75. Spinal Tap 
76. Bon Jovi
77. Hole
78. Marilyn Manson
79. Ratt
80. Green Day
81. Pixies
82. Queensrÿche
83. King's X
84. UFO
85. Whitesnake
86. Foreigner
87. King Crimson
88. Tool
89. Lita Ford
90. Rainbow
91. Danzig
92. The Black Crowes
93. Lenny Kravitz
94. Yes
95. Fugazi
96. Meat Loaf
97. Primus
98. Mountain
99. Bad Brains
100. Quiet Riot

In 2011, Rolling Stone released their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All-Time, created by musicians and other experts*. (Rolling Stone originally released a list in 2003 that was just David Fricke’s picks, which is less instructive for this exercise.)

As with the other Rolling Stone lists, there are a large number of Rock and Roll Hall of Famers represented here. Just 29 of the guitarists are not in the Hall of Fame. Since this list was created four years ago, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert King, Freddy King, John Frusciante, Slash, Alex Lifeson, Mike Bloomfield, and Kurt Cobain have been inducted, and Link Wray, Deep Purple and the Smiths have been nominated. That’s a pretty good run. We’ll see if it continues this year.

The full list (linked artists are not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame):

1. Jimi Hendrix
2. Eric Clapton
3. Jimmy Page
4. Keith Richards
5. Jeff Beck
6. B.B. King
7. Chuck Berry
8. Eddie Van Halen
9. Duane Allman
10. Pete Townshend
11. George Harrison
12. Stevie Ray Vaughan
13. Albert King
14. David Gilmour
15. Freddy King
16. Derek Trucks
17. Neil Young
18. Les Paul
19. James Burton
20. Carlos Santana
21. Chet Atkins
22. Frank Zappa
23. Buddy Guy
24. Angus Young
25. Tony Iommi
26. Brian May
27. Bo Diddley
28. Johnny Ramone
29. Scotty Moore
30. Elmore James
31. Ry Cooder
32. Billy Gibbons
33. Prince
34. Curtis Mayfield
35. John Lee Hooker
36. Randy Rhoads
37. Mick Taylor
38. The Edge
39. Steve Cropper
40. Tom Morello
41. Mick Ronson
42. Mike Bloomfield
43. Hubert Sumlin
44. Mark Knopfler
45. Link Wray
46. Jerry Garcia
47. Stephen Stills
48. Jonny Greenwood
49. Muddy Waters
50. Ritchie Blackmore
51. Johnny Marr
52. Clarence White
53. Otis Rush
54. Joe Walsh
55. John Lennon
56. Albert Collins
57. Rory Gallagher
58. Peter Green
59. Robbie Robertson
60. Ron Asheton
61. Dickie Betts
62. Robert Fripp
63. Johnny Winter
64. Duane Eddy 
65. Slash
66. Leslie West
67. T-Bone Walker
68. John Mclaughlin
69. Richard Thompson
70. Jack White
71. Robert Johnson
72. John Frusciante
73. Kurt Cobain
74. Dick Dale
75. Joni Mitchell
76. Robby Krieger
77. Willie Nelson
78. John Fahey
79. Mike Campbell
80. Buddy Holly
81. Lou Reed
82. Nels Cline
83. Eddie Hazel
84. Joe Perry
85. Andy Summers
86. J Mascis
87. James Hetfield
88. Carl Perkins
89. Bonnie Raitt
90. Tom Verlaine
91. Dave Davies
92. Dimebag Darrell
93. Paul Simon
94. Peter Buck
95. Roger McGuinn
96. Bruce Springsteen
97. Steve Jones
98. Alex Lifeson
99. Thurston Moore
100. Lindsey Buckingham

* - Here are the voters who created the list, which includes quite a few members of the Rock Hall’s Nominating Committee (highlighted with links): Trey Anastasio, Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys), Brian Bell (Weezer), Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple), Carl Broemel (My Morning Jacket), James Burton, Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains), Gary Clark Jr., Billy Corgan, Steve Cropper, Dave Davies (The Kinks), Anthony DeCurtis (Contributing editor, Rolling Stone), Tom DeLonge (Blink-182), Rick Derringer, Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars), Elliot Easton (The Cars), Melissa Etheridge, Don Felder (The Eagles), David Fricke (Senior writer, Rolling Stone), Peter Guralnick (Author), Kirk Hammett (Metallica), Albert Hammond Jr. (The Strokes), Warren Haynes (The Allman Brothers Band), Brian Hiatt (Senior writer, Rolling Stone), David Hidalgo (Los Lobos), Jim James (My Morning Jacket), Lenny Kravitz, Robby Krieger (The Doors), Jon Landau (Manager), Alex Lifeson (Rush), Nils Lofgren (The E Street Band), Mick Mars (Mötley Crüe), Doug Martsch (Built to Spill), J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.), Brian May, Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), Roger McGuinn (The Byrds), Scotty Moore, Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), Tom Morello, Dave Mustaine (Megadeth), Brendan O’Brien (Producer), Joe Perry, Vernon Reid (Living Colour), Robbie Robertson, Rich Robinson (The Black Crowes), Carlos Santana, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Marnie Stern, Stephen Stills, Andy Summers, Mick Taylor, Susan Tedeschi, Vieux Farka Touré, Derek Trucks, Eddie Van Halen, Joe Walsh, Nancy Wilson (Heart)

See Also:

• Using Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Songwriters of All-Time as a Predictor for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
• Using Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Singers of All-Time as a Predictor for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
• Using Rolling Stone's List of 100 "Immortals" as a Predictor for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame



Comments

Of the 100 songwriters on the list, there are just 29 who are not yet in the Rock Hall, and many of these are primarily known for country music, so they are long shots for induction anyway (Parton, Haggard, Nelson, Lynn, Kristofferson, Prine, and Hall). Ten more aren’t eligible for induction yet, but will be strong candidates in the future.

Some of the eligible artists on the list who are not in the Hall of Fame who could show up on this year’s Performer ballot are Harry Nilsson, The Smiths, Lucinda Williams, Ashford and Simpson, Björk, and the Replacements.

The full list (linked artists are not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame):

1. Bob Dylan
2. Paul McCartney
3. John Lennon
4. Chuck Berry
5. Smokey Robinson
6. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
7. Carole King/Carole King and Gerry Goffin
8. Paul Simon
9. Joni Mitchell
10. Stevie Wonder
11. Bob Marley
12. Brian Wilson
13. Hank Williams
14. Bruce Springsteen
15. Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland
16. Leonard Cohen
17. Neil Young
18. Prince
19. Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry
20. Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
21. Lou Reed
22. Van Morrison
23. Robert Johnson
24. Elvis Costello
25. Randy Newman
26. James Brown
27. Ray Davies
28. Woody Guthrie
29. Buddy Holly
30. Pete Townshend
31. Dolly Parton
32. Burt Bacharach and Hal David
33. Merle Haggard
34. Michael Jackson
35. Bono and the Edge
36. Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter
37. Jackson Browne
38. Al Green
39. David Bowie
40. John Fogerty
41. Max Martin
42. Sly Stone
43. Johnny Cash
44. Jimmy Webb
45. Robbie Robertson
46. Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong
47. Neil Diamond
48. Elton John and Bernie Taupin
49. Don Henley and Glenn Frey
50. Billy Joel
51. Willie Dixon
52. The Notorious B.I.G.
53. Stevie Nicks
54. Kurt Cobain
55. Tom Waits
56. Madonna
57. Joe Strummer and Mick Jones
58. George Clinton
59. Tom Petty
60. Willie Nelson
61. Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman
62. Harry Nilsson
63. Chrissie Hynde
64. Bert Berns
65. George Harrison
66. Kenny Gamble and Leon A. Huff
67. Morrissey and Marr
68. Jay Z
69. James Taylor
70. Dan Penn
71. Walter Becker and Donald Fagen
72. Fats Domino and Dave Barthomolew
73. Radiohead
74. Patti Smith
75. Isaac Hayes and David Porter
76. Loretta Lynn
77. Allen Toussaint
78. Curtis Mayfield
79. Lucinda Williams
80. R. Kelly
81. Björk
82. Marvin Gaye
83. Nicholas Ashford and Valerie Simpson
84. Kanye West
85. R.E.M.
86. Sam Cooke
87. Kris Kristofferson
88. Barry Mann and Cynthia Weill
89. Felice and Boudleaux Bryant
90. Babyface
91. Eminem
92. Paul Westerberg
93. Billie Joe Armstrong
94. John Prine
95. The Bee Gees
96. Timbaland and Missy Elliott
97. Taylor Swift
98. Otis Blackwell
99. Tom T. Hall
100. Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson

• 1991: Jane’s Addiction, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Living Colour
• 1992: Red Hot Chili Peppers*, Ministry, Ice Cube
• 1993: Primus, Alice In Chains, Dinosaur Jr.
• 1994: Smashing Pumpkins, Beastie Boys*, George Clinton & the P-Funk All-Stars*
• 1995: Sonic Youth, Hole, Cypress Hill
• 1996: Metallica*, Soundgarden, Ramones*
• 1997: The Prodigy, Tool, Snoop Dogg
• 1998-2002: No festivals
• 2003: Jane’s Addiction, Audioslave, Incubus
• 2004: Cancelled
• 2005: Pixies, Widespread Panic, Weezer
• 2006: Red Hot Chili Peppers*, Kanye West, Death Cab for Cutie
• 2007: Pearl Jam*, Daft Punk, Muse
• 2008: Radiohead*, Rage Against the Machine, Kanye West
• 2009: Depeche Mode*, Tool, The Killers
• 2010: Soundgarden, Green Day*, Lady Gaga
• 2011: Eminem, Foo Fighters*, Muse
• 2012: Red Hot Chili Peppers*, The Black Keys, Jack White
• 2013: The Cure*, Mumford & Sons, The Killers
• 2014: Eminem, Outkast, Kings of Leon
• 2015: Paul McCartney*, Metallica*, Florence + the Machine
• 2016: Radiohead*, Red Hot Chili Peppers*, LCD Soundsystem
• 2017: Muse, The Killers, Chance the Rapper, Arcade Fire
• 2018: Arctic Monkeys, Bruno Mars, The Weeknd, Jack White
• 2019: Ariana Grande, Childish Gambino, Twenty One Pilots, The Strokes
• 2020: Canceled
• 2021: Miley Cyrus, Tyler, The Creator, Post Malone, Foo Fighters*

• 2018 Nominees - October 5, 2017
• 2017 Nominees - October 18, 2016
• 2016 Nominees - October 8, 2015
• 2015 Nominees - October 9, 2014
• 2014 Nominees - October 16, 2013
• 2013 Nominees - October 4, 2012
• 2012 Nominees - September 27, 2011
• 2011 Nominees - September 28, 2010
• 2010 Nominees - September 22, 2009
• 2009 Nominees - September 22, 2008
• 2008 Nominees - September 27, 2007
• 2007 Nominees - October 28, 2006

Keep an eye on our Twitter page to find all of the latest Rock Hall news and information.

Let’s take a look at the festival’s past headliners to see if they will prove to be this generation’s Rock and Roll Hall of Famers. (* = already a Hall of Famer - updated in 2021)

• 1999: Beck, Rage Against the Machine, Tool
• 2000: No festival
• 2001: Jane’s Addiction
• 2002: Björk, Oasis
• 2003: Red Hot Chili Peppers*, Beastie Boys*
• 2004: Radiohead*, The Cure*
• 2005: Coldplay, Nine Inch Nails*
• 2006: Depeche Mode*, Tool
• 2007: Björk, Red Hot Chili Peppers*, Rage Against the Machine
• 2008: Jack Johnson, Prince*, Roger Waters*
• 2009: Paul McCartney*, The Killers, The Cure*
• 2010: Jay-Z*, Muse, Gorillaz
• 2011: Kings of Leon, Arcade Fire, Kanye West, The Strokes
• 2012: The Black Keys, Radiohead*, Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg

Update:
• 2013: Blur, Stone Roses, Phoenix, Red Hot Chili Peppers*
• 2014: Outkast, Muse, Arcade Fire
• 2015: AC/DC*, Jack White, Drake
• 2016: LCD Soundsystem, Guns N’ Roses*, Calvin Harris
• 2017: Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Radiohead*
• 2018: The Weeknd, Beyoncé, Eminem
• 2019: Childish Gambino, Tame Impala, Ariana Grande
• 2020: Rage Against the Machine, Travis Scott, Frank Ocean (headliners announced, but event canceled)
• 2021: Canceled
• 2022: Rage Against the Machine, Travis Scott
• 2023: Frank Ocean

There are definitely other big American festivals which will have a similar record -- Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo come to mind -- that we will analyze soon. (Update: See Lollapalooza)

Pearl Jam bought a table at the ceremony so they could watch The Stooges finally get inducted after being nominated eight times. Some quotes from Eddie Vedder:

"The Stooges are exactly what the Hall of Fame needs more of... [They are] the true embodiment of rock & roll... One can only hope that the voting committee starts boning up on their Black Flag, X, Sonic Youth and Fugazi to keep it going in the right direction... Iggy's speech was right on. Appreciative, but delivered with the back of his hand. If it hadn't taken so many years, Ron Asheton would've been there."

Vedder has his eye towards the future of the Rock Hall, hoping the bands that influenced him will get inducted before he does (Pearl Jam is first eligible for the 2017 induction ceremony). Vedder also calls out the Rock Hall's 500+ member voting committee which consists of people in the music industry, including the past inductees. And this is where the generational rub comes to a head. In this same Rolling Stone article, it casually mentions that the members of Genesis "had barely heard Phish's music" when they were told Phish would be inducting them at the ceremony. These same members of Genesis are now Rock Hall voters. This isn't to suggest that the members of Genesis aren't qualified to vote for the Rock Hall, it's just that they apparently don't connect with a later generation of artists, even one as huge as Phish. And unlike the Nominating Committee, which at least attempts to get younger by occasionally adding new members, the Voting Committee will always be dominated with aging rock stars who likely prefer their peers and influences rather than their followers.

Let's take a look at who these artists are:

• Tom Morello (performing with Bruce Springsteen) - His best shot at induction is clearly with Rage Against the Machine, not with the now-defunct Audioslave. Morello inducted the Clash into the Rock Hall in 2003, so he's no stranger to Rock Hall events.
• John Legend (performing with Stevie Wonder) - It seems like Legend is always available for big industry events such as this, but he has a long way to go before he becomes a serious Rock Hall contender himself.
• Lenny Kravitz (performing with Aretha Franklin) - The Rock Hall won't hold it against you if you've sold a lot of records, but that certainly doesn't guarantee induction. Kravitz's career got off to a quick start, but has gone off the rails a bit this decade.
• Annie Lennox (performing with Aretha Franklin) - The Eurythmics have been eligible since 2006, and have been seriously considered by the Nominating Committee, so they have a very good chance at getting in someday. Lennox's solo career has been good, but not Hall of Fame-worthy (yet).
• Update: Darlene Love (performed with Bruce Springsteen) - Love is nominated this year for the Rock Hall, so she may be a Hall of Famer soon enough.
• Update: Peter Wolf (performed with Bruce Springsteen) - Wolf is close friends with the many of the guys on the Nominating Committee, and the J. Geils band was nominated a few years ago, so it's always a possibility he could get in.
• Update: Black Eyed Peas (performed with U2) - The BEP are currently touring with U2, so that's likely how they got involved. Future Rock Hall prospects are pretty slim.

The concert won't be televised or webcast live, but there will be a four-hour HBO special in November and a DVD release next year.

"Only because... Didn't Metallica get in this year or last year or something? And I'm like, oh yeah, they've experienced and experimented with more of a pop angle, so I can definitely see them," he said. "Whether our time comes and people say, 'You're going to go into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.' I'd kind of be surprised if we did because we are the anti-everything."

For our purposes, we're excluding five-star reviews of reissues and compilations, which Rolling Stone hands out fairly regularly and generally are given to artists that are already determined to be "immortals." So let's find the five-star reviewed albums by artists before they were eligible for the Rock Hall. Here are the five-star reviewed albums by non-Rock and Roll Hall of Famers since 1986 (in reverse chronological order):

• Kanye West - Late Registration, 2005
• The White Stripes - Elephant, 2003
• Beck - Sea Change, 2002
• R.E.M. - Automatic for the People, 1992 (inducted in 2007)
• Metallica - Metallica, 1991 (inducted in 2009)
• Pixies - Doolittle, 1989
• N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton, 1988
• Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation, 1988
• U2 - The Joshua Tree, 1987 (inducted in 2005)
• Prince - Sign O the Times , 1987 (inducted in 2005)
• R.E.M. - Document, 1987 (inducted in 2007)
• Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction, 1987
• The Smiths - The Queen is Dead, 1986
• Run-DMC - Raising Hell, 1986 (inducted in 2009)
• Paul Simon - Graceland, 1986 (inducted in 2001)

As you can tell, Rolling Stone is extremely judicious in handing out five star reviews, but when they do, they have a good track record of picking artists who eventually end up in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And of the artists who are not in yet, it's difficult to find any who won't likely end up enshrined in Cleveland someday. The only two artists on the list who are eligible and not in the Rock Hall are The Smiths (eligible since 2008) and Sonic Youth (eligible since 2007). Neither group has received much attention from the Nominating Committee yet, but that is likely to change in the coming years.

One other thing to note is that there is only one debut album on the list (Appetite for Destruction). Usually, the five-star reviewed album follows other notable work from the artist, so Rolling Stone isn't gambling its reputation on a previously unknown artist.

Major thanks go out to Erik J. Heels who has been tracking these five star reviews for many years now. We'll be sure to take note of any new five-star reviews in the future.

Update: We removed Pavement's Slanted & Enchanted from the list above. That album didn't get its five-star review until the reissue came out. Can anyone confirm the others were all from their initial review?

A hefty 72 of the artists listed are Rock and Roll Hall of Famers. That leaves just 28 artists who are not yet in. Quite a few of these are primarily known as country singers (George Jones, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Patsy Clline), and generally wouldn't be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame anyway, although there have been exceptions (like Hank Williams and Johnny Cash). There are seven artists who aren't eligible yet, but a few of them are likely future inductees, like Nirvana, Radiohead and Guns N’ Roses.

Of the notable snubs on the list, Nina Simone ranks the highest, but many rock fans will likely point to Steve Perry's inclusion on this list as another reason for Journey's induction.

The full list:

1. Aretha Franklin
2. Ray Charles
3. Elvis Presley
4. Sam Cooke
5. John Lennon
6. Marvin Gaye
7. Bob Dylan
8. Otis Redding
9. Stevie Wonder
10. James Brown
11. Paul McCartney
12. Little Richard
13. Roy Orbison
14. Al Green
15. Robert Plant
16. Mick Jagger
17. Tina Turner
18. Freddie Mercury
19. Bob Marley
20. Smokey Robinson
21. Johnny Cash
22. Etta James
23. David Bowie
24. Van Morrison
25. Michael Jackson
26. Jackie Wilson
27. Hank Williams
28. Janis Joplin
29. Nina Simone *
30. Prince
31. Howlin' Wolf
32. Bono
33. Steve Winwood
34. Whitney Houston *
35. Dusty Springfield
36. Bruce Springsteen
37. Neil Young
38. Elton John
39. Jeff Buckley
40. Curtis Mayfield
41. Chuck Berry
42. Joni Mitchell
43. George Jones *
44. Bobby "Blue" Bland
45. Kurt Cobain * [inducted in 2014]
46. Patsy Cline *
47. Jim Morisson
48. Buddy Holly
49. Donny Hathaway *
50. Bonnie Raitt
51. Gladys Knight
52. Brian Wilson
53. Muddy Waters
54. Luther Vandross *
55. Paul Rodgers *
56. Mavis Staples
57. Eric Burdon **
58. Christina Aguilera *
59. Rod Stewart
60. Björk *
61. Roger Daltrey
62. Lou Reed
63. Dion
64. Axl Rose * [inducted in 2012]
65. David Ruffin
66. Thom Yorke *
67. Jerry Lee Lewis
68. Wilson Pickett
69. Ronnie Spector
70. Greg Allman
71. Toots Hibbert *
72. John Fogerty
73. Dolly Parton *
74. James Taylor
75. Iggy Pop ** [inducted in 2010]
76. Steve Perry *
77. Merle Haggard *
78. Sly Stone
79. Mariah Carey *
80. Frankie Valli
81. John Lee Hooker
82. Tom Waits *[inducted in 2011]
83. Patti Smith
84. Darlene Love * [inducted in 2011]
85. Sam Moore
86. Art Garfunkel
87. Don Henley
88. Willie Nelson *
89. Solomon Burke
90. The Everly Brothers
91. Levon Helm
92. Morrissey *
93. Annie Lennox *
94. Karen Carpenter *
95. Patti LaBelle *
96. B.B. King
97. Joe Cocker *
98. Stevie Nicks
99. Steven Tyler
100. Mary J. Blige *

* = not yet in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
** = nominated in 2009

Ryan Adams is the first artist featured, and he lists a quite a variety of his influences: Black Flag, The Strokes, Emmylou Harris, Sonic Youth, Nas, Jerry Garcia, Hüsker Dü, and Mariah Carey.

We'll try to keep an eye on this regular feature and take note of what is one of the more difficult Hall of Fame criteria to measure.

Looking down the list at the artists who aren't eligible yet (indicated with an asterisk), there really aren't any slam dunks for induction, although a strong case could be made for a few of them. If ranking high on this list were important to the Rock Hall, then Janet Jackson (the highest ranking eligible artist) should have at least received some serious consideration by the Nominating Committee, but she has not. Clearly the Rock Hall is looking for other credentials in their Hall of Famers besides having a successful singles career.

As far as using this list as prediction tool, we wouldn't recommend it. It's unlikely that over the next 20 years that any more than a handful of the non-Hall of Famers listed below will be inducted.

The complete list follows, with links to the non-Hall of Famers:

1. The Beatles
2. Madonna
3. Elton John
4. Elvis Presley
5. Stevie Wonder
6. Mariah Carey *
7. Janet Jackson
8. Michael Jackson
9. Whitney Houston *
10. The Rolling Stones
11. Paul McCartney/Wings
12. Bee Gees
13. Chicago
14. The Supremes
15. Daryl Hall & John Oates
16. Prince
17. Rod Stewart
18. Olivia Newton-John
19. Aretha Franklin
20. Marvin Gaye
21. Usher *
22. Phil Collins
23. Billy Joel
24. Donna Summer
25. Diana Ross
26. Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
27. The Temptations
28. The Beach Boys
29. Lionel Richie
30. Neil Diamond
31. Carpenters
32. Boyz II Men *
33. The Jackson 5/The Jacksons
34. Connie Francis
35. Brenda Lee
36. Barbra Streisand
37. Kenny Rogers
38. Bryan Adams
39. Cher
40. George Michael *
41. Bobby Vinton
42. John Mellencamp
43. Three Dog Night
44. Huey Lewis & The News
45. Gloria Estefan/Miami Sound Machine *
46. Bon Jovi
47. Ray Charles
48. Chubby Checker
49. Foreigner
50. Kool & The Gang
51. Ricky Nelson
52. Duran Duran
53. Commodores
54. Eagles
55. Paul Anka
56. TLC *
57. Barry Manilow
58. Dionne Warwick
59. Gladys Knight & The Pips
60. Heart
61. The Everly Brothers
62. R. Kelly *
63. Bobby Darin
64. James Brown
65. Paula Abdul *
66. Richard Marx *
67. Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship/Starship
68. Destiny's Child *
69. Linda Ronstadt
70. Celine Dion *
71. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
72. Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
73. Fleetwood Mac
74. Bruce Springsteen
75. The Pointer Sisters
76. John Denver
77. Four Tops
78. Tony Orlando & Dawn
79. The 5th Dimension
80. Alicia Keys *
81. Captain & Tennille
82. Andy Gibb
83. Air Supply
84. Nelly *
85. Roy Orbison
86. The Spinners
87. Queen
88. 50 Cent *
89. Dion
90. Aerosmith
91. Billy Ocean
92. Tommy James
93. Earth, Wind & Fire
94. Brook Benton
95. Michael Bolton
96. Styx
97. Toni Braxton *
98. Neil Sedaka
99. Herman's Hermits
100. Simon & Garfunkel

* = not yet eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

So, for example, if you're arguing that Neil Diamond should be inducted based on the number of hits he has had, you need to be prepared to induct everyone with a higher position on this list. If you can't do that, then it's unwise to use Billboard chart success as a sole reason for induction.

As far as using the list as a predictor for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, there are 45 artists who are Hall of Famers and 41 artists listed who are not. Of the non-Hall of Famers, only the Beastie Boys and Nirvana have two albums listed, and both are almost sure to be inducted in the future.

Other artists who are likely to be inducted after they become eligible are Guns N' Roses, Pearl Jam, Public Enemy, Beck and Jane's Addiction. Some of the artists who might be on the bubble are Modern Lovers, the Minutemen, Hole, Mary J. Blige and Pavement.

Some of the most popular snubbed artists are represented by Randy Newman, Kiss, Gram Parsons, Willie Nelson and The Replacements.

There are obviously a number of hip-hop albums listed, and most of those artists listed would seem to have a good chance at future induction.

The full list is below:

1. Madonna - The Immaculate Collection (Sire, 1990)
2. Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill (Def Jams, 1986) [inducted in 2012]
3. Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited (Columbia, 1965)
4. Stevie Wonder - Innervisions (Tamla Motown, 1973)
5. Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction (Geffen, 1987) [inducted in 2012]
6. Ramones - Ramones (Sire, 1976)
7. Blondie - Parallel Lines (Chrysalis, 1978)
8. Chuck Berry - The Great Twenty-Eight (Chess, 1982)
9. Nirvana - Nevermind (DGC, 1991) [inducted in 2014]
10. Joni Mitchell - Blue (Reprise, 1971)
11. Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (Def Jams, 1988) [inducted in 2013]
12. Metallica - Metallica (Elektra, 1991) [inducted in 2009]
13. Michael Jackson - Off the Wall (Epic, 1979)
14. Beach Boys - Pet Sounds (Capitol, 1966)
15. Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On (Tamla, 1973)
16. Ray Charles - Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (Rhino, 1962)
17. The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico (Verve, 1967)
18. Prince and the Revolution - Purple Rain (Warner Bros., 1984)
19. Neil Young - Rust Never Sleeps (Reprise, 1979)
20. James Brown - Sex Machine (King, 1970)
21. Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde (Columbia, 1966)
22. Robert Johnson - King of the Delta Blues Singers (Columbia, 1966)
23. R.E.M. - Murmur (IRS, 1983)
24. Parliament - Mothership Connection (Casablanca, 1975)
25. Notorious B.I.G. - Life After Death (Bad Boy/Arista, 1997)
26. Van Halen - Van Halen (Warner Bros., 1978)
27. Al Green - Call Me (Hi, 1973)
28. Aerosmith - Rocks (Columbia, 1976)
29. Beck - Odelay (DGC, 1996)
30. Little Richard - Grooviest 17 Original Hits! (Specialty, 1959)
31. Louis Armstrong - The Complete Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings (Columbia Legacy, 2000)
32. Curtis Mayfield - Superfly (Curtom, 1972)
33. Hank Williams - 40 Greatest Hits (Mercury, 1978)
34. Steely Dan - Katy Lied (MCA, 1975)
35. The B-52's - The B-52's (Warner Bros., 1979)
36. Chic - Risqué (Atlantic, 1979)
37. Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique (Capitol, 1989) [inducted in 2012]
38. Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (Atlantic, 1967)
39. Elvis Presley - The Sun Sessions (RCA/BMG, 1976)
40. Hole - Live Through This (DGC, 1994)
41. Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland (Reprise, 1968)
42. Patti Smith - Horses (Arista, 1975)
43. Sly & the Family Stone - There's a Riot Goin' On (Epic, 1971)
44. Dr. Dre - The Chronic (Death Row, 1992)
45. Pearl Jam - VS. (Epic, 1993)
46. Run-DMC - Raising Hell (Profile, 1986) [inducted in 2009]
47. Phil Spector - Back to Mono (1958–69) (ABKCO, 1991)
48. Miles Davis - Kind of Blue (Columbia, 1959)
49. Eminem - The Slim Shady LP (Interscope, 1999)
50. Kiss - Destroyer (Casablanca, 1976) [inducted in 2014]
51. Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark (Asylum, 1974)
52. Randy Newman - 12 Songs (Reprise, 1970) [inducted in 2013]
53. A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory (Jive, 1991)
54. Frank Sinatra - In the Wee Small Hours (Capitol, 1955)
55. Bob Dylan - The Basement Tapes (Columbia, 1975)
56. Rage Against the Machine - Evil Empire E(PIC, 1996)
57. Mary J. Blige - My Life (MCA, 1994)
58. Grateful Dead - American Beauty (Warner Bros., 1970)
59. Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (Loud/RCA, 1993)
60. Paul Simon - Graceland (Warner Bros., 1986)
61. The Coasters - 50 Coastin' Classics (Rhino, 1992)
62. Bruce Springsteen - Darkness on the Edge of Town (Columbia, 1978)
63. Johnny Cash - At Folsom Prison (Columbia, 1968)
64. Gram Parsons - Grievous Angel (Reprise, 1974)
65. Billie Holiday - Lady in Satin (Columbia, 1958)
66. Modern Lovers - Modern Lovers (Berserkley, 1976)
67. Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted (Matador, 1992)
68. TLC - Crazysexycool (Laface, 1994)
69. Lynyrd Skynyrd - (Pronounced Leh-nerd Skin-nerd) (MCA, 1973)
70. Prince - Sign "O" the Times (Paisley Park, 1987)
71. L.L. Cool J - Radio (Def Jam, 1985)
72. Carpenters - The Singles 1969–1981 (A&M, 2000)
73. Pixies - Surfer Rosa (4AD, 1988)
74. Aretha Franklin - Lady Soul (Atlantic, 1968)
75. Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (Columbia, 1998)
76. Muddy Waters - At Newport 1960 (Chess, 1960)
77. Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking (Warner Bros., 1998)
78. Elvis Presley - From Elvis in Memphis (RCA, 1969)
79. Woody Guthrie - Dustbowl Ballads (Camden, 1964)
80. Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral (Nothing/Interscope, 1994)
81. Various Artists - Nuggets: 1965–1968 (Elektra, 1972)
82. De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising (Tommy Boy, 1989)
83. The Minutemen - Double Nickels on the Dime (SST, 1984)
84. Buddy Holly - Greatest Hits (MCA, 1995)
85. Willie Nelson - Red Headed Stranger (Columbia, 1975)
86. Neil Young - After the Gold Rush (Reprise, 1970)
87. R.E.M. - Automatic for the People (Warner Bros., 1992)
88. DJ Shadow - Endtroducing… (Mo'wax/FFRR, 1996)
89. Talking Heads - Remain in Light (Sire, 1980)
90. Weezer - Weezer (Geffen, 1994)
91. Eagles - Hotel California (Asylum, 1975)
92. Lucinda Williams - Lucinda Williams (Rough Trade, 1988)
93. Tori Amos - Under the Pink (Atlantic, 1994)
94. Nirvana - In Utero (DGC, 1993) [inducted in 2014]
95. Harry Nilsson - Nilsson Schmilsson (RCA, 1971)
96. Kid Rock - Devil Without a Cause (Top Dog/Lava/Atlantic, 1998)
97. The Doors - The Doors (Elektra, 1967)
98. The Replacements - Let It Be (Twin Tone, 1984)
99. Stevie Wonder - Fulfillingness' First Finale (Tamla, 1974)
100. Otis Redding - Otis Blue — Otis Redding Sings Soul (Atlantic, 1965)

Other than Sonic Youth, who do you think are the worst omissions? Smashing Pumpkins? Wilco? Soundgarden? Red Hot Chili Peppers? The Flaming Lips? The White Stripes? Devo? Let us know in the comments.

Rolling Stone magazine recently came up with a list of the "100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time." Despite the name, the list isn't really indicative of the best guitar songs, but more of a rundown of the greatest artists of all-time with tracks selected from each.

These types of lists are generally good indicators of who Rolling Stone thinks the important artists are. And because of the overlap between the Rolling Stone writers and the members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominating Committee, it might show who could be headed for future induction.

Here is the list of artists in order, with their Hall of Fame status in parentheses. The guitar song can be found on Rolling Stone's website -- it's irrelevant here.

1. Chuck Berry (yes)
2. The Jimi Hendrix Experience (yes)
3. Cream (yes)
4. The Kinks (yes)
5. The Rolling Stones (yes)
6. Van Halen (yes)
7. The Beatles (yes)
8. Led Zeppelin (yes)
9. The Allman Brothers Band (yes)
10. Nirvana (eligible in 2013)
11. Led Zeppelin (yes)
12. The Jimi Hendrix Experience (yes)
13. Derek and the Dominos (eligible since 1995)
14. Bruce Springsteen (yes)
15. The Who (yes)
16. Neil Young With Crazy Horse (yes)
17. Black Sabbath (yes)
18. Ramones (yes)
19. Prince and the Revolution (yes)
20. The Impressions (yes)
21. The White Stripes (eligible in 2024)
22. The Beatles (yes)
23. The Yardbirds (yes)
24. Rage Against the Machine (eligible in 2017)
25. The Rolling Stone (yes)
26. B.B. King (yes)
27. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band (eligible since 1988)
28. U2 (yes)
29. AC/DC (yes)
30. Bill Haley and His Comets (yes)
31. Queen (yes)
32. Dire Straits (eligible since 2003)
33. Metallica (eligible since 2007)
34. Aerosmith (yes)
35. The Stooges (eligible since 1994)
36. Pink Floyd (yes)
37. Elvis Presley (yes)
38. The Faces (eligible since 1995)
39. Santana (yes)
40. The Who (yes)
41. Television (eligible since 2002)
42. John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers (eligible since 1990)
43. The Sex Pistols (yes)
44. Sleater-Kinney (eligible in 2020)
45. The Beatles (yes)
46. Dick Dale and the Del-Tones (eligible since 1987)
47. Van Halen (yes)
48. The Clash (yes)
49. Jimi Hendrix (yes)
50. Pixies (eligible in 2012)
51. Ozzy Osbourne (eligible since 2005)
52. Radiohead (eligible in 2017)
53. Creedance Clearwater Revival (yes)
54. Stevie Ray Vaughan (eligible in 2008)
55. Cream (yes)
56. The Byrds (yes)
57. Grateful Dead (yes)
58. Link Wray (eligible since 1985)
59. Jeff Beck (eligible since 1992)
60. Funkadelic (yes)
61. Sam and Dave (yes)
62. Albert King (eligible since 1987)
63. Guns n' Roses (eligible in 2011)
64. Lynyrd Skynyrd (yes)
65. The Police (yes)
66. Stevie Ray Vaughan (eligible in 2008)
67. Bruce Springsteen (yes)
68. B.B. King (yes)
69. Pink Floyd (yes)
70. Smashing Pumpkins (eligible in 2015)
71. The Strokes (eligible in 2026)
72. Weezer (eligible in 2019)
73. Blue Cheer (eligible since 1993)
74. ZZ Top (yes)
75. Frank Zappa (yes)
76. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (yes)
77. Pearl Jam (eligible in 2016)
78. Buddy Guy (yes)
79. Sonic Youth (eligible since 2007)
80. Steely Dan (yes)
81. Michael Jackson (yes)
82. The Ventures (yes)
83. Sublime (eligible in 2017)
84. John Mayer (eligible in 2024)
85. Phish (eligible in 2013)
86. Jeff Beck (eligible since 1992)
87. King Crimson (eligible since 1994)
88. Quicksilver Messenger Service (eligible since 1993)
89. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (eligible since 2005)
90. The Smiths (eligible in 2008)
91. The Mars Volta (eligible in 2027)
92. Mick Jagger (eligible in 1995)
93. My Bloody Valentine (eligible in 2010)
94. Dire Straits (eligible since 2003)
95. Moby Grape (eligible since 1992)
96. Hüsker Dü (eligible since 2006)
97. Queens of the Stone Age (eligible in 2023)
98. Red Hot Chili Peppers (eligible in 2009)
99. My Morning Jacket (eligible in 2024)
100. Tool (eligible in 2017)

There are 46 songs from non-Hall of Famers by 43 different artists. Of these artists, 20 are already eligible for induction, with at least seven having been "previously considered" by the Nominating Committee (Albert King, Jeff Beck, Dick Dale, The Faces, The Stooges, Metallica, and The Paul Butterfield Blues Band).

As for the artists that aren't eligible yet, many of them are very likely future Hall of Famers. Bands like Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, The White Stripes, and Radiohead are almost certainly going to be inducted. As for the Mars Volta, the Strokes, and My Morning Jacket, it's probably a little too soon to know if they'll make it, but making this list is a sign they're on Rolling Stone's radar.

Speaking of Guns N' Roses, Slash admits he has no contact with Axl Rose, nor has he heard material from the long-awaited "Chinese Democracy." But any silence between the camps is bound to end come 2012, when the influential hard rock act becomes eligible for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Slash, McKagan and drummer Matt Sorum experienced firsthand what could be in store based on the drama that ensued last year around Van Halen's induction into the Rock Hall. With Eddie Van Halen in rehab and David Lee Roth refusing to attend after a set list squabble, Velvet Revolver ended up jamming with Michael Anthony and Sammy Hagar.

"I never even thought about it until we had to do that," Slash says. "Somebody asked me, 'Do you think you guys will be able to show up for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (induction ceremony) in five years?' I was like, 'Oh, I guess we're eligible.' It never dawned on me before then. If this comes up, I'd hope we'd be mature enough to get up and do that, but I have no idea."

When asked what his gut feeling is about Rose and the other original members coming together, Slash says, "My gut doesn't count because it's not just about me. It's about everybody. And if it was easy to predict, we probably wouldn't have had so many hassles in the first place."

The next artist in the series is a sure-fire Future Hall of Famer, Black Francis of the Pixies. Aimee Mann rounds out the group who have been announced so far, but more are on the way.

Journalist: Would you be honored to get inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Mike D: Will they pay you for that?
Journalist: I think you have to pay for your table.
Mike D: You pay to show up? So what’s the perks? Do you get a key to the city? Do you get a key to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Journalist: Probably.
Adrock: Do they give you a medallion of some sort?
Mike D: Do you get resort perks? Do you get to use a spa, for free?
Journalist: Let’s say all you get is the honor of it, would you be honored by it?
Mike D: You mean so there’s no perks, no spa package…
MCA: Let’s just say, can you get a placard? … I would be honored to receive a placard.
Mike D: I might like a medallion better.
Adrock: A trophy.
Journalist: If invited, would you pull a Johnny Rotten.
Mike D: That letter, was that ever [authenticated]? When I saw it reprinted it looked so fake.
MCA: I don’t think it was, because I was in LA and heard, what’s is name, the guitar player? Steve Jones. And they (Jones and John Lydon) were going on about it. And even Steve Jones, who’s more reasonable, was going on a tear, [mimics cockney accent] “I’m not going out there for a fucking…”   

Thanks, David.

"They're worthy of induction," Stewart said. "They've influenced many other artists. They've also extended their band into almost a lifestyle, through merchandising."

So why hasn't KISS been enshrined?

"It's not a slight," Stewart said.

"The process is rigorous and methodical."

Worthy inductees eventually are honored, just not always quickly enough for fans or the musicians themselves, Stewart said.

Kiss is not a great band, Kiss was never a great band, Kiss never will be a great band, and I have done my share to keep them off the ballot.

The beauty of America is that you can basically start any kind of private club you want to. This one happens to be called the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It's a very impressive name for a club but it's an illusion. It's the creation of a group of industry people and critics who decide who they deem as qualified to be in their little admiration society. It's their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but it's not the people's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Have you ever voted? I know I haven't. That's why the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, besides having people who very much belong in there, have an abundance of people who most people will scratch their head and not even have a clue who they are. I don't have anything against anybody who's been inducted, but more than a couple of them are a joke. A band or musician's impact is measured by how they change and influence society and other musicians. That and how many albums and concert tickets they sell should be what gets them into the Hall of Fame. As far as I'm concerned it's a private club with a misleading name. It's a sham.

Fans can rest assured that the KISS legacy will live on whether they are recognized by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame or not.