I don't exactly like the induction of Bad Company, but Paul Rodgers is hugely respected in British rock circles, and Bad Company made two huge-selling albums in the 1970s that helped pioneer the AOR sound. I would describe their music as proto-AOR.
So I can see why they were inducted.
I usually think that, for each genre, two types of acts should be inducted: pioneering acts and peak acts.
For AOR, Boston should be in as a pioneer of the genre. To some extent, Bad Company was also a pioneering AOR act, and there is a huge overlap between Bad Company's audience and AOR listeners.
Of course, Journey is the obvious No. 1 and Foreigner is the obvious No. 2 in AOR. They represent the peak of the genre. As for bands like Styx, I tend to say no, because if you erased them from history, the sound and style of later acts would not be much different. If later bands never heard Styx but still heard Journey and Foreigner, their sound and style would be essentially the same.
Most other AOR acts were not cultural phenomena. Journey, Bon Jovi, and Def Leppard were, and to some extent, Foreigner was as well.
There are a lot of corporate rock bands that have not aged well.
And enduring corporate rock acts, like Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Journey, and Foreigner, are rightfully included in the RRHOF.
Boston should be in because they were the first breakthrough act in that genre and influenced previously prog bands like Journey, Kansas, and Styx to move toward AOR music. They also directly influenced glam metal and are highly regarded by alternative acts like Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins.
Styx, Kansas, REO Speedwagon, Huey Lewis and the News, and Toto are much smaller draws than these acts on current tours. Maybe some of them have well-streamed songs, but those songs are almost like songs performed by faceless musicians. The songs are influential, but the bands themselves are no longer influential. That's obviously different from Journey, Bon Jovi, and Def Leppard, whose band brands remain popular.
The J. Geils Band was even a level or two below likes of Styx, Kansas, and why they got five nominations is still confusing to me. They may be on similar level or even have a weaker résumé than acts like Eddie Money, Billy Squier, Night Ranger and Dan Fogelberg.
KING - Way too early to post next month's nominations and these will not be counted just yet. Wait until after I post the instructions sometime on the 29th or 30th.
KING JULY 2026 General Song Nominations (3). JUNE 20, 2026.
Celine Dion Featuring Bee Gees - Immortality (1997)
Metallica - Fuel (1997)
The Cars - Tonight She Comes (1985)
Nick B. wrote: