Uncovering the Next Generation's Hall of Fame
Using "Women Who Rock" as a Predictor for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
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.