Most people who follow the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame closely have heard about a supposed “seven year rule” that used to exist, where artists who were nominated seven times without getting in would automatically be inducted on the eighth try. Since the Rock Hall never publishes any rules about the induction process, it certainly seemed in the realm of possibility.

An article in the New York Times announcing the 1994 inductees provides the clearest criteria for the rule:

In most years, the seven top vote-getters gain induction; this year, there is an eighth inductee, under a provision that allows the hall's board to honor someone who has missed election in seven consecutive years.

The only inductee that year that fits that description is Duane Eddy, who appeared on the first seven Rock Hall ballots. Further evidence of his automatic induction is this rundown of the 1994 nominees in the L.A. Times, written by Nominating Committee member Robert Hilburn, which never mentions Duane Eddy.

The previous year, Billboard listed the 1993 nominees in its July 18, 1992 issue:

Strangely, Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers aren’t included even though they were inducted as Performers that year. It now seems clear that they were inducted using the same “seven consecutive years provision,” because like Duane Eddy, they too had appeared on the first seven Rock Hall ballots without being inducted.

While there are other artists who have been nominated at least seven times, these two artists seem to be the only inductees that fit the “seven consecutive years” criteria required for automatic induction. That would also explain why Solomon Burke and Chic were able to be nominated more than eight times, because they never appeared on a string of seven consecutive ballots.

Is the “seven year rule” still in effect? It seems unlikely, although with the Rock Hall, you never know for sure.