Performers:

• Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble
• The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
• Green Day
• Bill Withers
• Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
• Lou Reed

Award for Musical Excellence:

• Ringo Starr

• The “5” Royales

Inductees will be honored at the Induction Ceremony in Cleveland on April 18, 2015.

The official fan poll voting also wrapped up on December 9th. The top five had been pretty well established for the last couple of weeks, so there were no last minute changes in the polls. The biggest surprise occurred after the poll closed and the Rock Hall posted the enormous final vote totals (which had not been revealed yet -- only the percentages).

1. Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble 31.04% (18,331,506 votes)
2. Nine Inch Nails 22.20% (13,114,449 votes)
3. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts 15.08% (8,907,057 votes)
4. Bill Withers 6.49% (3,830,587 votes)
5. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band 6.25% (3,692,959 votes)
6. Lou Reed 5.29% (3,121,379 votes)
7. War 2.67% (1,575,036 votes)
8. Green Day 2.59% (1,527,135 votes)
9. Sting 1.75% (1,034,505 votes)
10. N.W.A 1.29% (761,395 votes)
11. Kraftwerk 1.15% (681,999 votes)
12. The Smiths 1.12% (662,229 votes)
13. The Spinners 1.12% (661,758 votes)
14. The Marvelettes 0.98% (580,523 votes)
15. Chic 0.98% (578,506 votes)

That’s a total of 59,060,935 votes! Last year, there were only 1,390,504 votes cast in the fan poll (which included KISS and Nirvana). This is what the voting looked like last year -- pretty consistent percentages throughout the voting process.

Now look at this year’s graph:

Those are tumultuous results given the high volume of votes! There are swings in the polls of hundreds of thousands of votes over short periods of time, well after the initial publicity of the poll has worn off.

Internet polls can be very unreliable and subject to votebots. The previous two years, the Rock Hall outsourced the fan poll to Polldaddy.com, who at least specializes in online polls. This year, the Rock Hall hasn’t disclosed who is running their poll or even the simple rules for voting (how often can you vote from a device? an IP address? is there a limit at all?). All we know is that the top five will get one extra vote each, thrown in the with the results from the greater Voting Committee that will determine the 2015 inductees.

We conduct our own unofficial poll here which, unlike the official Rock Hall poll, requires voters to select five artists on their ballot. The results (after 1309 ballots):

1. The Smiths 51%
2. Lou Reed 47%
3. Green Day 45%
4. Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble 45%
5. Nine Inch Nails 43%
6. Kraftwerk 42%
7. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts 33%
8. Bill Withers 31%
9. War 27%
10. N.W.A 26%
11. The Marvelettes 26%
12. Sting 23%
13. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band 23%
14. The Spinners 19%
15. Chic 19%

That is a whole lot of prelude to our predictions, but here are the six artists we predict will be inducted in 2015:

• Green Day: Don’t let their poor showing in the Rock Hall fan poll fool you. This band has been tracking as a first-ballot Hall of Famer since American Idiot was released ten years ago.
• Lou Reed: He was nominated in 2000 and 2001 but for some reason disappeared from the Rock Hall ballot until after he died late last year. He is clearly the sentimental favorite, but no less deserving.
• Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble: The image on our homepage has included Stevie Ray Vaughan since 2006, but this is the first time he has been nominated for induction. We’re betting the voters have been waiting for a chance to make him a Hall of Famer.
• Bill Withers: Although he has been out of the music game for a long time, he likely hits a sentimental sweet spot with the voters.
• Nine Inch Nails: Trent Reznor already has a large trophy case for his Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammys, which just proves the respect that he commands in the industry. He’s #94 on Rolling Stone’s Immortals list, which is full of Hall of Famers.
• Sting: While you’re on that Immortals page, check out who VH1 had as their #63 artist of all-time back in 1998... Sting! (Stevie Ray Vaughan was #70.) Sting has been in the news lately, with his Broadway musical and the recent Kennedy Center Honors.

Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Chic or the Paul Butterfield Blues Band are the most likely candidates that will be proving us wrong. We’ll find out soon enough.

First, the nominee ballot itself:

Bill Withers
Chic
Green Day
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
Kraftwerk
Lou Reed
The Marvelettes
Nine Inch Nails
N.W.A
Paul Butterfield Blues Band
The Smiths
The Spinners
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Sting
War

So, let's break up these nominees and examine them based on different criteria, with an emphasis on the criteria people have claimed in the past made a difference about who gets nominated.

First, by subgenre:

1 - Alternative
2 - Blues Rock
1 - Disco
1 - Electronica
1 - Funk
1 - Gangsta Rap
1 - Hard Rock
1 - Industrial/Alternative
1 - Motown
1 - Philly Soul
1 - Pop/Punk
2 - Singer/Songwriter
1 - Sunshine Pop/Soul

Next, by members, including birthplaces. Asterisks (*) indicates members who will most likely not be inducted, either because they did not appear on an important recording or because they were in Kraftwerk or Nine Inch Nails (yes, I'm blunt).... Any members not listed did not appear on a major recording. ??? indicates unknown birthplace or birthdate:

Bill Withers - 1
B. 04 Jul 1938 in Slab Fork, West Virginia

Chic - 6 
Bernard Edwards (B. 31 Oct 1952, Greenville, North Carolina-d. 18 Apr 1996, Tokyo, Japan of pneumonia)
Nile Rodgers (b. 19 Sep 1952, Greenwich Village, New York, New York)
Tony Thompson (b. 05 Nov 1954, Queens, New York, New York-d. 12 Nov 2003, Encino, California of kidney cancer)
Norma Jean Wright (b. ??? in Elyria, Ohio)
Luci Martin (b. 10 Jan 1955, New York, New York)
Alfa Anderson (b. 07 Sep 1946, Bronx, New York, New York)
Note:  Wright was 17 when she joined local Ohio trio the Topettes.  She then sang background on "Then Came You" by the Spinners/Dionne Warwick, then toured with the Spinners, then joined Chic in 1977.  By that timeline, she was born somewhere around the mid-50's.

Green Day - 5
Billy Joe Armstrong (vocals, guitar) (b. 17 Feb 1972 in Oakland, California; raised in Rodeo, California)
Mike Dirnt (bass) (b. Michael Ryan Pritchard on 04 May 1972 in Berkeley, California)
*John Kiffmeyer (drums) (b. 11 Jul 1969 in El Sobrante (also his nickname), California)
Tre Cool (drums) (b. Frank Edwin Wright, Jr. on 09 Dec 1972 in Frankfurt, West Germany; raised in Willits, California)
*Jason White (bgv, guitar) (b. 11 Nov 1973 in North Little Rock, Arkansas)

Joan Jett & the Blackhearts - 6 
Joan Jett (B. 22 Sep 1958, Wynnewood, Pennsylvania)
Ricky Byrd (B. 30 Apr 1953, Bronx, New York, New York)
Gary Ryan (B. 03 Jul 1964, POB ???)
Lee Crystal (B. 03 Feb 1958, Brooklyn, New York, New York - D. 06 Nov 2013, Maplewood, New Jersey, at the age of 57 from complications of multiple schlerosis.)
Kasim Sulton (08 Dec 1955, Staten Island, New York, New York)
Thommy Price (09 Dec 1956, Brooklyn, New York, New York)

Note: none of the Blackhearts were named in the press release bio - only Joan Jett.

Kraftwerk - 12
Ralf Hutter (20 Aug 1946, Krefeld, Germany)
Florian Schneider-Esleben (07 Apr 1947, Kattenhorn, Germany)
*Andreas Hohmann (???)
*Klaus Dinger (24 Mar 1946, Scherfede, Germany-died 21 Mar 2008, Dusseldorf, Germany (?), of congestive heart failure)
*Klaus Roeder (07 Apr 1948, Stuttgart, Germany)
*Wolfgang Flur (17 Jul 1947, Frankfurt am Main, Germany)
*Karl Bartos (31 May 1952, Berchtesgaden, Germany)
*Fernando Abrantes (14 Oct 1960, Portugal)
*Henning Schmitz (26 Dec 1953, Dusseldorf, Germany)
*Fritz Hilpert (31 May 1956, Amberg, Germany)
*Stefan Pfaffe (22 Oct 1979, Erfurt, Germany)
*Falk Grieffenhagen (1969, Norden, Germany)

Note:  In case the R&RHoF decides to induct the "classic Kraftwerk" (if you may) configuration instead of just Hutter and Schneider, then percussionist Wolfgang Flur and musician Karl Bartos will also be inducted with Hutter and Scheider.  The "classic Kraftwerk" configuration were the four to write and record Radio-Activity, Trans Europe Express, The Man-Machine, Computer World and Techno Pop (a.k.a. Electric Café).  However, only Hutter and Schneider are mentioned in the press release bio.

Lou Reed - 1
B. Lewis Allen Reed, 02 Mar 1942 in Brooklyn, New York, New York - D. 27 Oct 2013 in South Hampton, New York, of liver disease at the age of 71.

The Marvelettes - 6
Gladys Horton (B. 30 May 1940 in Inkster, Michigan-D. 26 Jan 2011 in Sherman Oaks, California from complications from a series of strokes at the age of 66.)
*Georgia Dobbins
Georgeanna Tillman (B. 06 Feb 2043 in Inkster, MI - D. 06 Jan 1980 in Inkster, Michigan from lupus and sickle cell anemia at the age of 36)
Juanita Cowart (Inkster, MI)
Katherine Anderson (B. 16 Jan 1944 in Ann Arbor, Michigan - raised in Inkster, Michigan)
Wanda Young (B. 09 Aug 1943 in Inkster, MI)

Note: the press release bio did not mention Juanita Cowart, who appeared on all the Marvelettes' releases from "Please, Mr. Postman" through "Beechwood 4-5789".

Nine Inch Nails - 23 
Trent Reznor (b. 17 May 1965 in Mercer, Pennsylvania)
*Chris Vrenna
*Ron Musarra
*Richard Patrick
*Gary Talpas
*Nick Rushe
*David Haymes
*Lee Mars
*James Wooley
*Jeff Ward
*Robin Finck
*David Lohner
*Charlie Clouser
*Jerome Dillon
*Alessandro Cortini
*Jeordie White
*Aaron North
*Josh Freese
*Alex Carapetis
*Justin Meldal-Johnsen
*Ilan Rubin
*Josh Eustis
*Pino Palladino

N.W.A - 6 –
Ice Cube (b. O’Shea Jackson on 15 Jun 1969 in Los Angeles, California)
Easy-E (b. Eric Lynn Wright on 07 Sep 1963 in Compton, CA-d. 26 Mar 1995 in Los Angeles, California of complications from A.I.D.S.)
Dr. Dre (b. Andre Rommelle Young on 18 Feb 1965 in Compton, California)
Yella (b. Antoine Carraby on 11 Dec 1967 in Compton, California)
Arabian Prince (b. Mik Lezan on 17 Jun 1964 in Compton, California)
MC Ren (b. Lorenzo Jerald Patterson on 14 Jun 1969 in Los Angeles, California)

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band - 17
Paul Butterfield (b. 17 Dec 1942 in Chicago, Illinois-d. 04 May 1987 in Hollywood, CA, of morphine overdose)
Mike Bloomfield (b. 28 Jul 1943 in Chicago, Illinois, d. 15 Feb 1981 in San Francisco, CA of drug overdose – details unclear)
Sam Lay (b. 20 Mar 1935 in Birmingham, Alabama)
Jerome Arnold (b. 26 Nov 1936 in Chicago, Illinois)
Elvin Bishop (b. 21 Oct 1942 in Glendale, California, from 1952 raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma)
Mark Naftalin (b. 02 Aug 1944 in Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Billy Davenport (b. 23 Apr 1932 in Chicago, Illinois-d. 24 Dec  1999 in ???)
*Bugsy Maugh (b. 07 Mar 1942 in St. Joseph,  Missouri)
*Phil Wilson (b. 08 Sep 1941, St. Louis, Missouri-d. 01 Apr 1992 (some sources 25 Mar 1992) in New York, murdered during an home invasion)
*Gene Dinwiddie (b. 19 Sep 1936 in Louisville, Kentucky-d. 11 Jan 2002 in La Puente, California  of ??)
*David Sanborn (b. 30 Jul 1945 in Tampa, Florida)
*Keith "Whistlin' Willie" Johnson (???)
*Buzzy Feiten a.k.a. Buzz Feiten (b. Howard Feiten on ??? in Centerpoint, New York)
*Rod Hicks (b. 01 Jul 1942 in Detroit, Michigan-died 02 Jan 2013 in Detroit, Michigan of cancer)
*Steve Medaio (b. 18 Jul 1948 in Brooklyn, New York, New York)
*Ted Harris a.k.a. Teddy Harris, Jr. (b. 27 Aug 1934 in Detroit, Michigan-d. 19 Aug 2005 in Detroit, Michigan of cancer)
*Trevor Lawrence (b. on ??? in Brooklyn, New York, New York)

Note: although the press release acknowledged the importance of both the first self-titled album and the second album East West, the bio did not name East West drummer Billy Davenport.

The Smiths - 5
Morrissey (vocals) (b. 22 May 1959 in Davyhulme, England)
Johnny Marr (guitar) (b. 31 Oct 1963 in Ardwick, Manchester, England)
Andy Rourke (bass) (b. 01 Jun 1963 in Fallowfield, Manchester, England)
Mike Joyce (drums) (b. 17 Jan 1964 in Manchester, England)
Craig Gannon (bass/rhythm guitar) (b. 30 Jul 1966 in Manchester, England)

The Spinners - 9
Billy Henderson (B. 09 Aug in Indianapolis, Indiana- D. 02 Feb 2007 in Daytona Beach, Florida at the age of 67 from complications of diabetes.)
Pervis Jackson (B. 16 May in Monroe, Louisiana-D. 18 Aug 2008 in Detroit, Michigan at the age of 70.  No cause of death given, but Jackson had been diagnosed with liver and brain cancer.)
Bobby Smith (B. 10 Apr in Ferndale, Michigan-D. 16 Mar 2013 in Orlando, Florida at the age of 76 from complications of pneumonia and influenza.)
Henry Fambrough (B. 10 May in Ferndale, Michigan)
Philippé Wynne (B. 03 Apr 1941 in Detroit, Michigan, D. 13 Jul 1984, Oakland, California at the age of 43 of a cardiac arrest; died on stage)
*George Dixon (New Orleans, Louisiana)
*Edgar "Chico" Edwards (Ferndale, Michigan) (B. - ??? - D. 03 Dec 2011)
*G.C. Cameron (Franklin Country, Mississippi)
*John Edwards (St. Louis, Missouri)
(Note: there is an argument as to whether the Spinners were really from Ferndale, or if they were actually from next door Royal Oak Township)

Sting - 1
B. Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner on 02 Oct 1951 in Wallsend, England.

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - 3
Stevie Ray Vaughan (B. O3 Oct 1954 in Dallas, Texas - D. 27 Aug 1990 in East Troy, Wisconsin in a helicopter crash at the age of 35.)
Chris Layton (B. 16 Nov 1955 in Corpus Christi, Texas)
Tommy Shannon (B. Thomas Lafitte Smedley on 18 Apr 1946 in Tucson, Arizona)
Reese Wynans (B. ??? in Sarasota, Florida)

Note:  The press release did not include Double Trouble with Stevie Ray Vaughan, even though all releases prior to Vaughan's death were by Stevie Ray Vaugh and Double Trouble.

War - 12
Lonnie Jordan (B. 21 Nov 1948 in San Diego, California)
Howard Scott (B. 15 Mar 1946 in San Pedro, California)
Charles Miller (B. 02 Jul 1939 in Olathe, Kansas-D. 14 Jun 1980 in Los Angeles, California at the age of 40, of murder (stabbing) while being robbed)
B.B. Dickerson (B. 03 Aug 1949 in Torrance, California)
Harold Brown (B. 17 Mar 1946 in Long Beach, California)
Papa Dee Allen (B. 18 Jul 1931 in Wilmington, Delaware-D. 30 Aug 1989 in Solano, California of a brain aneurysm while onstage)
Lee Oskar (B. 24 Mar 1948 in Copenhagen, Denmark)
*Eric Burdon (Walker, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England)
*Alice Tweed Smyth aka Tweed Smith (POB unrevealed)
*Luther Rabb (Seattle, Washington)
*Pat Rizzo (POB unrevealed)
*Ronnie Hammon (POB unrevealed, probably Seattle, Washington)

Next, by previous inductions. Clyde McPhatter was the first person to be inducted more than once into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, as a soloist and as a member of the first incarnation of the Drifters. So, when someone is inducted more than once, we say he has joined the Clyde McPhatter club.  This year, Sting and the late Lou Reed poised to join the Clyde McPhatter Club.  Sting was previously inducted with the Police in 2003.  Lou Reed was previously inducted in the Velvet Underground in 1996.  Eric Burdon, previously inducted with the Animals in 1994, could also join the Clyde McPhatter Club if he is inducted also with War, but I'm guessing that's not likely.


Next, by race:

White: 8 
Green Day, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Kraftwerk, Lou Reed, Nine Inch Nails, the Smiths, Sting, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble

Black: 5 
Bill Withers, Chic, The Marvelettes, N.W.A, The Spinners

Mixed: 2
Paul Butterfield Blues Band, War

Next, by gender*:

Male: 51

Women: 9

*These numbers exclude members with asterisks in front of their names.

Next, by nationality based on place of birth*:

Unknown - 1 (probably U.S., but unless I can find something that says where Gary Ryan of the Blackhearts was born, I'm not going to assume. . .).

Denmark - 1

Germany - 1

United Kingdom – 6, all England

United States - 50
Alabama - 1, California - 14, Delaware - 1, Florida - 1, Illinois - 4, Indiana - 1, Kansas - 1, Louisiana - 1, Michigan - 8, Minnesota - 1, New York - 9, North Carolina - 1, Ohio - 1, Pennsylvania - 2, Texas - 3, West Virginia - 1

*Unlike previous years, these numbers do not include members that have an asterisk (*) by their names in the members section.

Next, by the number of top 40 hits on the Billboard 100*, including noteworthy tracks:

Bill Withers - 6 top 40 hits.  
Noteworthy songs include but are not limited to: 
1971 
"Ain't No Sunshine" (#3 Pop, #6 R&B)
"Grandma's Hands" 
"Harlem"
1972 
"Lean On Me" (#1 Pop, #1 R&B)
"Let Me In Your Life"
"Use Me" (#2 Pop, #2 R&B)
"Who Is He (And What Is He To You)"
"Lonely Town, Lonely Street"
1973
"Kissing My Love" (#31 Pop)
1974 
"The Same Love That Made Me Laugh" (#10 R&B)
1975
"Make Love To Your Mind" (#10 R&B)
"Don't You Want To Stay"
1977 
"Lovely Day" (#30 Pop, #6 R&B)
1980 
"Just The Two Of Us" (Grover Washington, Jr. w/ Bill Withers) (#3 Pop, #2 R&B)

Chic - 5 top forty hits.  
Noteworthy songs include but are not limited to: 
1977 
"Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)" (#6 Pop, #6 R&B)
1978 
"Everybody Dance" (#38 Pop)
"Le Freak" (#1 Pop, #1 R&B) 
"Chic Cheer"
"Savoir Faire"
1979 
"I Want Your Love" (#7 Pop, #5 R&B)
"Good Times" (#1 Pop, #1 R&B)
"At Last I Am Free"
"My Forbidden Lover"
"My Feet Keep Dancing"
"What About Me"
"Will You Cry (When You Hear This Song)"
1980 
"Rebels Are We" (#8 R&B)
"Real People"
1982 
"Soup For One"
1992
"Chic Mystique" (#1 Dance)

Green Day - 12 top 40 hits.
Noteworthy songs include but are not limited to:
1994 
"Long View" (#36 Pop, #1 Mod)
"Basket Case" (#26 Pop, #1 Mod)
"Welcome To Paradise" (#7 Mod)
"When I Come Around" (#6 Pop, #1 Mod)
1995 
"She" (#5 Mod)
"J.A.R. (Jason Andrew Relva)" (#22 Pop, #1 Mod)
"Geek Stink Breath"  (#27 Pop, #3 Mod)
"Brain Stew/Jaded" (#35 Pop, #3 Mod)
1997 
"Hitchin' A Ride" (#5 Mod)
"Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)" (#11 Pop, #2 Mod)
2000 
"Minority" (#1 Mod)
"Warning" (#3 Mod)
2004 
"Jesus Of Suburbia"
"Novocaine"
"American Idiot" (#1 Mod)
"Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" (#2 Pop, #1 Mod)
"Holiday" (#19 Pop, #1 Mod)
"Wake Me Up When September Ends (#6 Pop, #2 Mod)
2009 
"Know Your Enemy" (#28 Pop, #1 Mod)
"21 Guns" (#22 Pop, #4 Mod)
2012
"Oh Love" (#3 Mod)

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - 9 top 40 hits.
Noteworthy tracks include but are not limited to:
1981 
"Bad Reputation" (Joan Jett)
"Victim Of Circumstance" (Joan Jett)
1982 
"I Love Rock 'N' Roll" (#1/7 wks Pop) (originally by the Arrows)
"Crimson And Clover" (#7 Pop) (originally by Tommy James & the Shondells)
"Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)" (#20 pop) (originally by Gary Glitter)
"You Don't Know What You've Got"
1983 
"Fake Friends" (#35 Pop)
"Everyday People" (#37 Pop) (originally by Sly & the Family Stone)
1984 
"Cherry Bomb" (originally by the Runaways)
1986 
"Roadrunner" (originally by the Modern Lovers)
1987 
"Light Of Day" (as the Barbusters) (#33 Pop) (written by Bruce Springsteen)
1988 
"I Hate Myself For Loving You" (#8 Pop)
"Little Liar" (#19 Pop)
1990 
"Dirty Deeds" (as Joan Jett) (#36 Pop) (originally by AC/DC)
1991
"Backlash" (#7 Mod)
 
Kraftwerk - 1 top 40 hit.
Noteworthy tracks include but are not limited to: 
1974 
"Autobahn" (#25 Pop)
1975 
"Antenna"
"Ohm Sweet Ohm"
"Radio-Activity"
1977 
"Hall Of Mirrors"
"Metal On Metal"
"Showroom Dummies"
"Trans-Europe Express"
1978 
"Neon Lights"
"Metropolis"
"The Model" (#1 UK)
"The Man Machine"
"The Robots"
1981 
"Computer Love"
"Home Computer"
"It's More Fun To Compute"
"Numbers"
"Pocket Calculator"
1983 
"Boing Boom Tschak"
"Electric Café"
"Musique Non Stop"
"Sex Object"
"Techno Pop"
"Tour De France" (single version)
2003 
"Elektro Kardiogramm"
"Tour De France" (4-part album version)

Lou Reed - 1 top 40 hit.
Noteworthy tracks include but are not limited to:
1972
"Perfect Day"
"Satellite Of Love"
"Vicious"
"Walk On The Wild Side" (#16 Pop)
1973
"Caroline Says II"
1976
"Coney Island Baby"
1982
"The Blue Mask"
1984
"I Love You, Suzanne"
1989
"Dirty Blvd." (#1 Mod)
1990
"Style It Takes" (John Cale & Lou Reed)
1992
"What's Good" (#1 Mod)
"Magic And Loss"
1997
"Rock & Roll Heart"

The Marvelettes - 10 top 40 hits.
Noteworthy tracks include but are not limited to:
1961 
"Please Mr. Postman" (#1 Pop, #1 R&B/7 wks)
1962 
"Twistin' Postman" (#34 Pop)
"Playboy" (co-written by Brian Holland) (#7 Pop, #4 R&B)
"Beechwood 4-5789" (co-written by Marvin Gaye) (#17 Pop, #7 R&B)
"Someday, Someway" (co-written by Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland) (#8 R&B)
"Strange I Know" (co-written by Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland) (R&B #10)
1963
"Forever" (co-written by Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland) 
"As Long As You Know He's Mine" (written by Smokey Robinson) (#3 R&B)
1964 
"Too Many Fish In The Sea" (written by Eddie Holland and Norman Whitfield) (#25 Pop, #5 R&B)
"You're My Remedy" 
1965
"I'll Keep Holding On" (#34 Pop)
"Danger Heartbreak Dead Ahead"
1966 
"Don't Mess With Bill" (written by Smokey Robinson) (#7 Pop, #3 R&B)
"The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game" (written by Smokey Robinson) (#13 Pop, #2 R&B)
1967
"When You're Young And In Love" (originally by Ruby & the Romantics) (written by Van McCoy) (#23 Pop/#8 R&B)
"My Baby Must Be A Magician" (opening voice by Melvin Franklin of the Temptations) (written by Smokey Robinson) (#17 Pop, #8 R&B)
1968
"Destination: Anywhere" (written by Smokey Robinson)

Nine Inch Nails - 2 top 40 hits.
Noteworthy tracks include but are not limited to:
1989 
"Head Like A Hole"
"Something I Can Never Have"
1992 
"Wish"
1994 
"Hurt" (#8 Mod)
"Closer"
1995 
"Piggy (Nothing Can Stop Me Now)"
1999
"Starf***ers, Inc."
"The Day The World Went Away" (#17 Pop)
2005
"The Hand That Feeds" (#31 Pop, #1 Mod/5 wks, #1 Dance)
"Only" (#1 Mod/7 wks)
"Every Day Is Exactly The Same" (#1 Mod/4 wks) 
2007
"Survivalism" (#1 Mod)
"Capital G" (#6 Mod)
2008
"Discipline" (#6 Mod)
2013
"Came Back Haunted" (#7 Mod)

N.W.A - No top 40 hits.
Noteworthy tracks include but are not limited to:
1987 
"Boyz-n-the Hood" (Eazy-E solo, Ice Cube wrote lyrics)
"8 Ball"
"Dopeman"
1988  
"Express Yourself"
"F*** Tha Police"
"Gangsta Gangsta"
"Something 2 Dance 2"
"Straight Outta Compton"
"I Ain't Tha 1"
"Quiet On Tha Set"
1989 
"A B**** Is A B****"
1990 
"Just Don't Bite It"
"100 Miles And Runnin'"
1991 
"Findum, F***um & Flee"
"Message To B.A."
"Alwayz Into Somethin'" (#1 Rap)
"Appetite For Destruction"
"N***az 4 Life"
"Prelude"
"Real N***az Don't Die"
1999 
"Chin Check" (N.W.A w/ Snoop Dogg) (from the movie Next Friday)

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band - No top 40 hits.  
Noteworthy tracks include but are not limited to: 
1965
"Born In Chicago"
"I Got My Mojo Working" (originally by Ann Cole, first popularized by Muddy Waters)
"Mellow Down Easy" (originally by Little Walter)
"Shake Your Money-Maker" (originally by Elmore James)
"Screamin'"
"Thank You Mr. Poobah"
1966
"East-West"
"Get Out Of My Life, Woman" (originally by Lee Dorsey)
"Mary, Mary" (written by Michael Nesmith)
1967
"Double Trouble" (originally by Otis Rush)
"Driftin' And Driftin'"
"Drivin' Wheel"
1968
Last Hope's Gone"
1969
"Love March"
"Losin' Hand"
"Walking By Myself"

The Smiths - No top 40 hits.
Noteworthy tracks include but are not limited to:
1983
"Hand In Glove"
"Jeane"
"This Charming Man"
1984
"Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now"
"Back To The Old House"
"Handsome Devil"
"Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want"
"Reel Around The Fountain"
"Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others"
"This Night Has Opened My Eyes"
"What Difference Does It Make"
1985
"How Soon Is Now?"
"Asleep"
"The Boy With The Thorn In His Side"
1986
"Ask"
"Bigmouth Strikes Again"
"Frankly, Mr. Shankly"
"I Know It's Over"
"Panic"
"There Is A Light That Never Goes Out"
1987
"Sheila Take A Bow"
"Death Of A Disco Dancer"
"Girlfriend In A Coma"
"Half A Person"
"Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me"
"Shoplifters Of The World Unite"
"Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before"
"Sweet And Tender Hooligan"

The Spinners - 17 top 40 hits.
Noteworthy tracks include but are not limited to:
1961 
"That's What Girls Are Made For" (#27 Pop, #5 R&B)
1965 
"I'll Always Love You" (#35 Pop, #8 R&B)
1970 
"It's A Shame" (#14 Pop, #4 R&B)
1972
"I'll Be Around" (co-written by Thom Bell) (#3 Pop, #1 R&B/5 wks)
"Could It Be I'm Falling In Love" (#4 Pop, #1 R&B)
1973
"One Of A Kind" (#11 Pop, #1 R&B/4 wks)
"Ghetto Child" (written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed) (#29 Pop, #4 R&B)
"We Belong Together"
1974
"Mighty Love" (#20 Pop, #1 R&B/2 wks)
"I'm Coming Home" (written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed) (#18 Pop, #3 R&B)
"Then Came You" (Dionne Warwick and Spinners) (#1 Pop, #2 R&B)
"Love Don't Love Nobody" (#15 Pop, #4 R&B)
"Since I Been Gone"
"Smile, We Have Each Other"
"He'll Never Love You Like I Do"
1975
"Living A Little, Laughing A Little" (written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed) (#37 Pop, #7 R&B)
"Sadie" (#7 R&B)
"They Just Can't Stop It (Games People Play)" (#5 Pop, #1 R&B)
"Love Or Leave" (#36 Pop, #7 R&B)
"I Don't Want To Lose You" (written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed)
1976
"The Rubberband Man" (written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed) (#2 Pop/#1 R&B/#1 Disco)
1977
"You're Throwing A Good Love Away" (#5 R&B)
"I Found Love (When I Found You)"
1979
"Working My Way Back To You/Forgive Me, Girl" ("Working" originally by the 4 Seasons) (#2 Pop, #6 R&B)
1980
"Cupid/Loved You For A Long Time" ("Cupid" originally by Sam Cooke) (#4 Pop, #5 R&B)

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - no top 40 hits.
Noteworthy tracks include but are not limited to:
1983
"Pride And Joy"
"Love Struck Baby"
"Mary Had A Little Lamb" (originally by Buddy Guy)
"Texas Flood" (originally by Larry Davis and his band)
1984
"Scuttle Buttin'"
"The Sky Is Crying" (originally by Elmore James)
"The Things (That) I Used To Do" (originally by Guitar Slim)
"Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)" (originally by the Jimi Hendrix Experience)
"Cold Shot"
1985
"Look At Little Sister" (originally by Hank Ballard & the Midnighters)
1987
"Pipeline" (Stevie Ray Vaughan and Dick Dale) (Originally by the Chantays)
1989
"Crossfire"
"The House Is Rockin'"
"Tightrope"
1991
"Little Wing" (originally by the Jimi Hendrix Experience)
"Life By The Drop"

Sting - 14 top 40 hits.
Noteworthy tracks include but are not limited to:
1985
"If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" (#3 Pop, #1 Mod/3 wks)
"Fortress Around Your Heart" (#8 Pop, #1 Mod/2 wks)
"Love Is The Seventh Wave" (#17 Pop)
"Russians" (#17 Pop)
1987
"We'll Be Together" (#7 Pop)
"Be Still My Beating Heart" (#15 Pop)
"Englishman In New York"
"Fragile"
1991
"All This Time" (#5 Pop, #1 Mod/2 wks)
"The Soul Cages" (#9 Mod)
1993
"If I Ever Lose My Faith In You" (#17 Pop, #4 Mod)
"Fields Of Gold" (#23 Pop)
"All For Love" (Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart, Sting) (#1 Pop/3 wks)
"When We Dance" (#38 Pop)
2000
"Desert Rose" (Sting Featuring Cheb Mami) (#17 Pop, #1 Dance)
2003
"Whenever I Say Your Name" (Sting w/Mary J. Blige)
"Send Your Love (#1 Dance)
2004
"Stolen Car (Take Me Dancing)" (#1 Dance)

War - 11 top 40 hits.
Noteworthy tracks include but are not limited to:
1970
"Spill The Wine" (#3 Pop)
"Magic Mountain"
1971
"All Day Music (#35 Pop)
1972
"Slippin' Into Darkness" (#16 Pop)
"The World Is A Ghetto" (#7 Pop/#3 R&B)
1973
"Gypsy Man" (#8 Pop/#6 R&B)
"Me And Baby Brother" (#15 Pop)
"Deliver The Word"
1974
"Ballero" (#33 Pop)
1975
"Why Can't We Be Friends?" (#6 Pop/#9 R&B)
"Low Rider" (#7 Pop/#1 R&B)
"Heartbeat"
1976
"Summer" (#7 Pop/#4 R&B)
1977
"L.A. Sunshine" (#2 R&B)
"Galaxy" (#39 Pop, #5 R&B)
1978
"Flying Machine (The Chase)"

*Billboard chart positions come from Joel Whitburn’s books, such as Top Pop Singles, Hot R&B Songs, Hot Country Songs or Rock Tracks.

Next, by dead members:
Currently, there are 16 possible. Note: ??? means either the date, place or cause of death remains unreported.  Unlike in previous years, members with asterisks (*) by their names in the member section will not be included in the section.

Chic -2 
Bernard Edwards (d. 18 Apr 1996, Tokyo, Japan of pneumonia)
Tony Thompson (d. 12 Nov 2003, Encino, California of kidney cancer)

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - 1
Lee Crystal (d. 06 Nov 2013, Maplewood, New Jersey, at the age of 57 from complications of multiple schlerosis)

Lou Reed - 1
Lou Reed (d. 27 Oct 2013 in South Hampton, New York, of liver disease at the age of 71)

The Marvelettes - 2
Gladys Horton (d. 26 Jan 2011 in Sherman Oaks, California from complications from a series of strokes at the age of 66)
Georgeanna Tillman (d. 06 Jan 1980 in Inkster, Michigan from lupus and sickle cell anemia at the age of 36)

N.W.A – 1
Eazy-E (d. 26 Mar 1995 in Los Angeles, California of complications from A.I.D.S.)

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band – 3
Paul Butterfield (d. 04 May 1987 in Hollywood, California, of morphine overdose)
Mike Bloomfield (d. 15 Feb 1981 in San Francisco, California of drug overdose – details unclear)
Billy Davenport (d. 24 Dec 1999 in Chicago, Illinois)

The Spinners - 4
Billy Henderson (d. 02 Feb 2007 in Daytona Beach, Florida at the age of 67 from complications of diabetes)
Pervis Jackson (d. 18 Aug 2008 in Detroit, Michigan at the age of 70.  No cause of death given, but Jackson had been diagnosed with liver and brain cancer)
Bobby Smith (d. 16 Mar 2013 in Orlando, Florida at the age of 76 from complications of pneumonia and influenza)
Phillipé Wynne (d. 13 Jul 1984, Oakland, California at the age of 43 of a cardiac arrest; died on stage)

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - 1
Stevie Ray Vaughan (d. 27 Aug 1990 in East Troy, Wisconsin in a helicopter crash at the age of 35)

War - 2
Charles Miller (d. 14 Jun 1980 in Los Angeles, California at the age of 40, of murder (stabbing) while being robbed)
Papa Dee Allen (d. 30 Aug 1989 in Solano, California of a brain aneurysm while onstage)

Next, by number of years eligible:
An act becomes eligible 25 years after its first national release (in parentheses).  *Note: technically, no act can be eligible for more than 29 years, since the R&RHoF was not incorporated until 1985.  For this category, though, the eligibilty of all acts will be calculated the same way.

Bill Withers, 19th year of eligibility (1971 - Just As I Am)
Chic, 13th year of eligibility (1977 - "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)"/"Sao Paulo")
Green Day, 1st year of eligibility (1989 - 1000 Hours (EP))
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, 9th year of eligibility (1981 - I Love Rock-N-Roll (1980's Joan Jett was solo only))
Kraftwerk, 20th year of eligibility (1970 - Kraftwerk)
Lou Reed, 19th year of eligibility (1971 - Lou Reed)
The Marvelettes, 29th year of eligibility (1961 - "Please Mr. Postman"/"So Long Baby")
Nine Inch Nails, 1st year of eligibility (1989 - "Down In It")
N.W.A, 3rd year of eligibility (1987 - Panic Zone (ep))
Paul Butterfield Blues Band, 24th year of eligibility (1965 - The Paul Butterfield Blues Band)
The Smiths, 8th year of eligibility (1982 - "Hand In Glove"/"Handsome Devil")
The Spinners, 29th year of eligibility (1961 - "That's What Girls Are Made For"/"Heebie Jeebies")
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, 7th year of eligibility (1983 - Texas Flood) (Note: the press release does not mention Double Trouble)
Sting, 8th year of eligibility (1982 - "Spread A Little Happiness" from Brimstone & Treacle) (Note: the R&RHoF does not use soundtrack tracks)
War, 20th year of eligibility (1970 - Eric Burdon Declares War)

Next, number of times nominated, including years nominated:
Years reflect the year the nominee ballot came out only and not the year for which a nominee could be inducted if voted in.  For example, a nomination this year would be indicated as “2014” instead of “2015”, when the induction will occur.

Bill Withers - once, 2014
Chic – nine times, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014
Green Day - once, 2014
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - three times, 2011, 2012 and 2014
Lou Reed - three times, 1999, 2000 and 2014
The Marvelettes - twice 2012 and 2014
Nine Inch Nails - once, 2014
N.W.A – three times, 2012, 2013 and 2014
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band – four times, 2005, 2012, 2013 and 2014
The Smiths - once, 2014
The Spinners - twice, 2011 and 2014
Sting - once, 2014
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - once, 2014
War - three times, 2008, 2011 and 2014

Next, influence:

Next to each nominee is a list of several of the acts that either cited the nominee as an influence, has cover or sampled the nominee's tracks, or has collaborated with the nominee.

Bill Withers - Bobby "Blue" Bland, the Dells, the Staples Singers, Buddy Guy, the Shirelles, Freddie King, Aretha Franklin, Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Van Morrison, Jeff Beck, Isaac Hayes, Percy Sledge, Neil Diamond, Bob Marley, Al Green, Paul McCartney, James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Leonard Cohen, Bobby Womack, Michael Jackson, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, the Police, Esther Phillips, Barry White, Diana Ross, Eric B. & Rakim, Luther Vandross, Junior Wells, Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, Sting, Lenny Kravitz, Joe Cocker, Tracy Chapman, the Neville Brothers, Mick Jagger, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Roy Ayers, Barbra Streisand, Glen Campbell, Kenny Rogers, Crystal Gayle, 2Pac, Dr. Dre, Sheryl Crow, Eminem, Babyface, Wyclef Jean, Erykah Badu, Tower Of Power, Big Daddy Kane, Kanye West, Gil Scott-Heron, R. Kelly, Scarface, Nas, Redman, Kid Rock, Grace Jones, Freddie Jackson, Tori Amos, the Geto Boys, Biz Markie, Clarence Carter, Simply Red, UGK, Blackstreet, Betty Wright, D'Angelo, Master P, Twista, the Crusaders, Tom Jones, Aaliyah, Lauryn Hill, DJ Shadow, Ghostface Killah, Todd Terry, Irma Thomas, Scott Walker, Fiona Apple, Naughty By Nature, DMX, Terence Trent D'Arby, Jill Scott, Widespread Panic, Georgie Fame, Fatboy Slim, the Jungle Brothers, Ladysmith Black Mambazo & Des'ree (collaboration), Keith Urban, Will Smith, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Masta Ace, Lyn Collins, E-40, Everlast, Barbara Mason, the Lettermen, Black Eyed Peas, Maxwell, Rihanna, Joan Osborne, Wynonna Judd, Ziggy Marley, Augustus Pablo, Thelma Houston & the Winans (collaboration), Primal Scream, Paul Carrack, Junior Murvin, John Mayer, Maroon 5, Cold Blood, Ben Harper, Juvenile, Bonnie Tyler, Jamiroquai, Savoy Brown, Schoolly D, Kid Frost, Cam’ron, Patti Austen, Roots, Hootie & The Blowfish, Club Nouveau, John Legend, Ja Rule, Damian Marley, Anthony Hamilton, Regina Belle, India.arie, Will Downing, Me'Shell N'Degeocello, Keb' Mo', Umphrey's McGee, Gregory Abbott, Joss Stone, Akon, Warren G, Kendrick Lamar, Onyx, Yo-Yo, Dave Hollister, Van Hunt, Xzibit, Fall Out Boy, Aloe Blacc, Amos Lee, Lucero, Sneaker Pimps, Thievery Corporation, Asher Roth, Starsailor, Better Than Ezra, the Persuasions, Hanson, Mud, Al Jarreau, Grover Washington, Jr., Johnny Mathis, Lee Ritenour, Nancy Sinatra, Richard Marx, Maynard Ferguson, Boney James, Dave Sanborn, Eva Cassidy, John Waite, the Edwin Hawkins Singers, the Clark Sisters, Kirk Franklin, DC Talk, Donnie McClurken, Take 6, Jars Of Clay, Adam Again, Ron Kenoly, Out Of Eden, Tenth Avenue North, Smokey Norful, Bushwick Bill of the Wu-Tang Clan, Tracy Nelson of Mother Earth, Mark Eitzel of American Music Club, Anne Murray, Aaron Neville, Michael Bolton, UB40, Seal, David Cassidy, Tony Orlando & Dawn, Englebert Humperdinck, Elliott Yamin, Paul Young, Jennifer Lopez and the Cover Girls, among many others.

Chic - Power Station, the Isley Brothers, Aretha Franklin, David Bowie, Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, Queen, Peter Gabriel, Blondie, Talking Heads, Prince, Madonna, Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Public Enemy, Brian Eno & David Byrne (collaboration), Afrika Bambaataa, Roxy Music, Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Slick Rick, Luther Vandross, De La Soul, LL Cool J, Janet Jackson, Duran Duran, the B-52's, Robert Palmer, George Michael, the Pointer Sisters, Gang Of Four, Mick Jagger, Gladys Knight, David Lee Roth, Babyface, Carly Simon, Mary J. Blige, Daft Punk, Big Daddy Kane, Boogie Down Productions, Fugees, Art Of Noise, Sir Mix-A-Lot, Nas, Digital Underground, the Prodigy, Shalamar, Kurtis Blow, Spandau Ballet, DJ Shadow, Grace Jones, Brandy, Faith Evans, Sugarhill Gang, Sister Sledge, Orange Juice, Heavy D & the Boyz, Lisa Stansfield, Beenie Man, Deadmau5, ABC, INXS, Jody Watley, Robert Wyatt, ESG, MC Lyte, Egyptian Lover, Style Council, Shakira, Will Smith, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, the Whispers, the S.O.S. Band, Stacy Lattisaw, A Certain Ratio, Jamiroquai, Busy Bee, Justin Timberlake, Arthur Russell, Black Eyed Peas, Cam’ron, Basement Jaxx, Scritti Politti, Thompson Twins, Maroon 5, Rick Ross, the Stray Cats, Enigma, Zhane, Deborah Cox, Change, Lost Boyz, Luscious Jackson, Xzibit, Crystal Method, Liquid Liquid, Robin S., Pizzicato Five, Beverley Knight, Dmitri From Paris, Kid Creole & The Coconuts, My Life With The Thrill Kill Cult, Freeway, Slim Thug, Richie Rich (Gee Street), Stereo MC's, Brotherhood Of Man, the Bucketheads, Wet Wet Wet, Steps, the Vaughan Brothers, Heaven 17, Ric Ocasek, Johnny Marr of the Smiths, Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins, Gwen Stefani, N'Dea Davenport of Brand New Heavies, Kenny Loggins, Donny & Marie Osmond and 69 Boyz, among many others.

Green Day - Elvis Costello, U2, Iggy Pop, Glen Campbell, Alanis Morrisette, Weezer, Dwight Yoakam, Lil Wayne, Sublime, Blink-182, the All-American Rejects, Sum 41, My Chemical Romance, Jimmy Eat World, New Found Glory, At The Drive-In, Screeching Weasel, Norah Jones, Avril Lavigne, Everclear, AFI, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, the Ataris, the Get Up Kids, Face To Face, All Time Low, Boys Like Girls, McFly, Hot Water Music, Brand New, OK Go, Alkaline Trio, the Donnas, Smash Mouth, Good Charlotte, Paramore, Dashboard Confessional, Thursday, Taking Back Sunday, Lit, Bruno Mars, Fall Out Boy, Eve 6, Bowling For Soup, Plain White T's, Yellowcard, Lostprophets, Simple Plan, New Politics, Airwaves & Angels, Saves The Day, the Sick Puppies, 5 Seconds Of Summer, Goldfinger, Truxton, Zebrahead, Busted, MxPx, Anberlin, "Weird" Al Yankovic, Hawthorne Heights and the Jonas Brothers, among many others.

Joan Jett & the Blackhearts - Carl Perkins, Darlene Love, Alice Cooper, Ramones, Blondie, Melissa Etheridge, Joey Ramone solo, Marky Ramone solo, Rev Run of Run-D.M.C., Faith Hill, Desmond Child, Big Daddy Kane, 50 Cent, Hole, Liz Phair, Sleater-Kinney, the Breeders, Babes In Toyland, L7, Bikini Kill, P!nk, the Germs, Britney Spears, Dandy Warhols, New Found Glory, Jawbreaker, Schoolly D, Avril Lavigne, Dresden Dolls, Veruca Salt, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the Donnas, Los Straitjackets, Bratmobile, Peaches, Miranda Lambert, Kelly Clarkson, Team Dresch, Guitar Wolf, Agnes, Pretty Reckless, Showaddywaddy, Bow Wow Wow, Nashville Pu$$y, the Gits, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Kim Deal of the Pixies and the Breeders, Paul Westerberg, Courtney Love, Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls, Nina Gordon of Veruca Salt, Shonen Knife and Miley Cyrus, among many others.

Kraftwerk - Neu!, of course, as well as David Bowie, Blondie, Talking Heads, U2, Joy Division, Afrika Bambaataa, New Order, Depeche Mode, the Cars, Devo, Human League, Eurythmics, De La Soul, Ministry, Duran Duran, the Cocteau Twins, Bauhaus, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Big Black, Meat Beat Manifesto, Iggy Pop, George Clinton, Grandmaster Flash solo, Professor Griff of Public Enemy, Dr. Dre, Timbaland, Wyclef Jean, KRS-One, Jay-Z, Gary Numan, Wire, Radiohead, Redman, Lil Wayne, Beck, Raekwon, Biz Markie, the Chemical Brothers, the Art Of Noise, Suicide, Pet Shop Boys, Bjork, Einsturzende Neubauten, Cabaret Voltaire, Throbbing Gristle, the Orb, Orbital, the Prodigy, Kevin Saunderson, Roni Size, DJ Shadow, Busta Rhymes, 2 Live Crew, Sir Mix-A-Lot, Moby, Tangerine Dream, The The, Jurassic 5, Aphex Twin, the Durutti Column, Spandau Ballet, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, Spiritualized, Front Line Assembly, Big Audio Dynamite, Front 242, the Cardigans, Juan Atkins, Arthur Baker, Coldcut, Ultravox, Mos Def, Erasure, Will Smith, Memphis Bleek, Kool G Rap & DJ Polo, Ultramagnetic MC's, DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, the Legendary Pink Dots, the Young Marble Giants, a-Ha, Man Parrish, Fatboy Slim, Yaz, Klaus Nomi, Skinny Puppy, Coldplay, Stereolab, Nitzer Ebb, MC Lyte, Thompson Twins, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Ciara, Severed Heads, M.I.A., Yello, LCD Soundsystem, A Flock Of Seagulls, Air, Luna, Cornelius, Basic Channel, A Certain Ratio, Nurse With Wound, Heaven 17, Spacemen 3, 808 State, Autechre, Mantronix, UNKLE, Falco, Capone-N-Noreaga, Tom Tom Club, KLF, Basement Jaxx, Lloyd Cole, Kool Keith, Ride, Rammstein, the Associates, Laibach, D.A.F., Die Krupps, the Egyptian Lover, Thomas Dolby, Soft Cell, C+C Music Factory, Snap!, Pizzicato Five, Information Society, Ladytron, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, the Crystal Method, Material, Carl Craig, 'Til Tuesday, Franz Ferdinand, Renegade Soundwave, Compton's Most Wanted, Scissor Sisters, Psychic TV, Sneaker Pimps, Jeff Mills, Cybotron, Oval, Tuxedomoon, Mouse On Mars, Underworld, Alphaville, Death In Vegas, Coil, Camouflage, Tortoise, Electronic, Negativland, Daniele Baldelli, Death Comet Crew, J.J. Fad, Richie Hawtin, Drexciya, Atom Heart, Boards Of Canada, Divine Comedy, Plastikman, the Beta Band, Plaid, The Streets, Green Velvet, Carl Cox, Wamdue Project, Kissing The Pink, Fennesz, P.M. Dawn, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Mannheim Steamroller, Martin Gore of Depeche Mode, David Gahan of Depeche Mode, Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo, Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, Ric Ocasek, Terri Nunn of Berlin, Fergie of Black Eyed Peas, Roger Joseph Manning, Jr. of Jellyfish, 69 Boyz and Girl Talk, among many others.

Lou Reed - Laurie Anderson, of course, as well as Dion, KISS, Peter Gabriel, Talking Heads, U2, R.E.M., Metallica, Nils Lofgren of the E Street Band, Joy Division, Sonic Youth, Television, Mott The Hoople, Jane's Addiction, Duran Duran, the Cars, Eurythmics, Pere Ubu, Matthew Sweet, Nick Cave, Warren Zevon, the Soft Boys, Echo & The Bunnymen, Booker T. Jones of Booket T. & the M.G.'s, John Cale, Mo Tucker of the Velvet Underground, the Tom Tom Club, Herbie Mann, Ruben Blades, A Tribe Called Quest, the Minutemen, the Modern Lovers, Hanoi Rocks, the Jimmy Castor Bunch, Vince Gill, Nico, Chris Whitley, Jonathan Richman, Richard Hell, Squeeze, Suede, Suicide, the Smithereens, Marianne Faithfull, the Pogues, Suzanne Vega, the Birthday Party, Jeff Buckley, Simple Minds, Howard Tate, Moby, the Silver Jews, the Dream Syndicate, Spacemen 3, Mercury Rev, Tommy Keene, Tom Robinson, Eric Andersen, the Cowboy Junkies, Jim Carroll, Soul Coughing, Lloyd Cole, Bruce Hornsby, Modern English, Dresden Dolls, Gorillaz, Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians, Marc Almond, the Strokes, Luna, the Feelies, the Killers, Felt, Placebo, the Bravery, Leo Sayer, Third Eye Blind, Lorde, Crime, Antony & the Johnsons, Smog, Big Country, Metric, the Screaming Tribesmen, Love And Rockets, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Manic Street Preachers, the Fiery Furnaces, Kirsty MacColl, Christian Death, the Andrea True Connection, Razorlight, Wreckless Eric, Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch, Susan Boyle, the Blind Boys Of Alabama, Ric Ocasek, Trey Anastasio of Phish, Porno For Pyros, Morissey, Lydia Lunch of Teenage Jesus & the Jerks, Paul Young and Rolf Harris, among many others.

The Marvelettes - the Miracles, Dusty Springfield, Darlene Love, the Beatles, the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight & the Pips, the Rascals, Martha & the Vandellas, Paul McCartney, the Jackson 5, Bonnie Raitt, Blondie, the New York Dolls, Massive Attack with Tracy Thorn of Everything But The Girl, the Carpenters, Carla Thomas, the Chi-Lites, Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels, Labelle, the Pointer Sisters, Florence Ballard of the Supremes, Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead, George Clinton, Phil Collins, Ella Fitzgerald, Jay-Z, Grace Jones, Dwight Yoakam, Betty Wright, Teena Marie, Lil Wayne, the Three Degrees, Sister Sledge, Melba Moore, the Crystals, the Cowsills, Candi Staton, Dee Dee Sharp, the Orlons, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Jeru The Damaja, Exile, Brenda & the Tabulations, the Tremeloes, Gwen Guthrie, Jazmine Sullivan, Harpers Bizarre, Bananarama, Taylor Dayne, Juelz Santana, J Dilla, the Elgins, the Action, the Flying Pickets, the Jets and Donnie and Marie Osmond, among many others.

Nine Inch Nails - Filter, of course, as well as Johnny Cash, David Bowie, Devo, Jane's Addiction, Robbie Robertson of the Band, Tori Amos, Timbaland, Tool, the Prodigy, Marilyn Manson, Korn, Aphex Twin, System Of A Down, Maxwell, AFI, Clan Of Xymox, Evanescence, Sevendust, Maroon 5, Seether, Fear Factory, Mudvayne, Rammstein, Skrillex, Die Krupps, Powerman 5000, Linkin Park, Lacuna Coil, Orgy, Lostprophets, Machines Of Loving Grace, Porcupine Tree, Queens Of The Stone Age, Coil, Stabbing Westward, the Dillinger Escape Plan, Breaking Benjamin, Mindless Self Indulgence, Bush, Limp Bizkit, 30 Seconds To Mars, Leona Lewis, "Weird" Al Yankovic, Flyleaf, Mae, Adrian Belew, Westside Connection, A Perfect Circle, Puscifer, Insane Clown Posse and Girl Talk, among many others.

N.W.A - Eazy-E, Ice Cube, MC Ren, Dr. Dre and Yella, of course, as well as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ice-T, EPMD, De La Soul, Professor Griff of  Public Enemy, 2Pac, Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, Eminem, Whodini, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Redman, Common, Whodini, Scarface, Method Man, Raekwon, 50 Cent, Nas, Geto Boys, Sublime, Mobb Deep, Meat Beat Manifesto, Kid Rock, Ludacris, Rage Against The Machine, Nelly, Brand Nubian, Sir Mix-A-Lot, UGK, Cypress Hill, Naughty By Nature, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, DMX, 8Ball & MJG, Fat Joe, Big Punisher, E-40, Above The Law, Da Brat, Tha Dogg Pound, Twista, Three 6 Mafia, Mystikal, Das EFX, Silkk The Shocker, Juvenile, Fatboy Slim, Foxy Brown, D.O.C., T.I., T-Pain, Young Jeezy, Jadakiss, Cam'ron, Rick Ross, Lil Jon, Daddy Yankee, Chamillionaire, Spice 1, Masta Ace, MC Breed, DJ Screw, Master P, Ja Rule, House Of Pain, Everlast, Mack 10, Basement Jaxx, Bubba Sparxxx, Tha Alkaholiks, Happy Mondays, Mike Jones, Full Force, Squarepusher, LTJ Bukem, Warren G, The Game, Brotha Lynch Hung, Yo-Yo, DJ Quik, Xzibit, Coolio, Da Lench Mob, Compton's Most Wanted, Lyfe Jennings, Domino, Onyx, C-BO, Diana King, Richie Rich, Ant Banks, Webbie, Kurupt, Kid Frost, J Dilla, Lil' Keke, Boot Camp Clik, Playa, O.G. Ron C., Rappin' 4-Tay, Boyz N Da Hood, Sean Price, Do Or Die, Nate Dogg, C-Murder, Daz Dillinger, D12, Esham, Freestyle Fellowship, Mac Dre, Mr. Mike, The Coup, D-Block, Tela, B.G., Big Tymers, Hot Boys, Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E., Do Or Die, Guerilla Black, Doggy's Angels, Tim Dog, Yukmouth, Candyman, Dayton Family, Project Pat, Tru, Celly Cel, Twinz, Paris, Ray Cash, Bo$$, Eastsidaz, Crime Boss, the Diplomats, Dilated Peoples, Pastor Troy, P.O.D., Westside Connection, GZA of the Wu-Tang Clan, Bushwick Bill of the Geto Boys, Big Mike of the Geto Boys, Willie D of the Geto Boys, Cash Money Millionaires, B Real of Cypress Hill, Kool G Rap solo, Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots, Krayzie Bone of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, L-Burna of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Cold 187um of Above The Law, South Circle, Crunchy Black of Three 6 Mafia, Tear Da Club Up Thugs, Ruff Ryders, Nina Gordon of Veruca Salt, Insane Clown Posse, Ace Of Base, Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch and Girl Talk, among many others.

Paul Butterfield Blues Band - Paul Butterfield, Mike Bloomfield, Elvin Bishop, Mark Naftalin and Electric Flag, of course, as well as John Lee H00ker, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Freddie King, Darlene Love, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Wilson Pickett, Janis Joplin, the Allman Brothers Band, Santana, Grateful Dead, Traffic, Jefferson Airplane, Fleetwood Mac, Rod Stewart, Bonnie Raitt, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, Roy Brown, Free, Percy Mayfield, the Pixies, Otis Rush, Al Kooper, Clifton Chenier, Bad Company, the J. Geils Band, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Richard Thompson, Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers Band, Pinetop Perkins, James Cotton, Bobby Charles, T.G. Sheppard, Steve Miller, the Monkees, Peter, Paul & Mary, Canned Heat, Blues Traveler, Robert Cray, Humble Pie, Ten Years After, Savoy Brown, Big Brother & The Holding Company, UFO, Hoyt Axton, Karen Dalton, Jesse Winchester, Ronnie Hawkins, Foghat, Robben Ford, George Thoroughgood & the Destroyers, Jeff Healey, Johnny Lang, Jimmie Vaughan, Doug Kershaw, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Organized Konfusion, Mother Earth, Maria Muldaur, the Rubinoos, Starship and the Blues Brothersthe Holmes Brothers, Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones, Levon Helm of the Band, New Riders Of The Purple Sage, Derek Trucks of the Allman Brothers Band, Cyril Neville of the Meters, Mick Mars of Motley Crue and Tracy Nelson of Mother Earth, among many others.

The Smiths - Jane's Addiction, My Chemical Romance, the Stone Roses, Radiohead, PJ Harvey, Jeff Buckley, Everything But The Girl, Kid Rock, 10,000 Maniacs, Barenaked Ladies, Throwing Muses, Blur, Suede, the Beautiful South, Belle & Sebastian, James, the Wedding Present, Magnetic Fields, the Decemberists, Happy Mondays, the Posies, At The Drive-In, Panic! At The Disco, Travis, Verve, Interpol, the Sundays, the Dears, Good Charlotte, the National, Brand New, the Promise Ring, Del Amitri, Low, Ride, Heavenly, the Lightning Seeds, House Of Love, Bryan Ferry, Arctic Monkeys, the La's, the Libertines, Doves, Embrace, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Jesus Jones, Manic Street Preachers, Pop Will Eat Itself, the Walkmen, Airborne Toxic Event, Bow Wow Wow, Ocean Blue, Trash Can Sinatras, the Ataris, Smoking Popes, Anberlin, Bernard Butler of Suede, Mark Eitzel of American Music Club, and M. Ward of She & Him, among many others.

The Spinners - the Supremes, the Four Tops, James Taylor, David Bowie, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Elvis Costello, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, Public Enemy, Dionne Warwick, Luther Vandross, Todd Rundgren, LL Cool J, the Doobie Brothers, Hall & Oates, the Afghan Whigs, Charles Mingus, Earl Klugh, 2Pac, Lionel Richie, Boyz II Men, Jay-Z, Bobby Brown, John Hiatt, R. Kelly, Freddie Jackson, Rakim, Atlantic Starr, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Mobb Deep, Dru Hill, DMX, Alton Ellis, Ween, D'Angelo, Georgie Fame, Lisa Stansfield, the Moments, Youssou N'Dour, Monica, Phyllis Hyman, William Bell, Melba Moore, Ray Parker, Jr., Young-Holt Unlimited, Otis Clay, Musiq Soulchild, Jeffrey Osborne, Raphael Saadiq, Regina Belle, Debarge, El Debarge, Next, Joan Osborne, Phil Perry, Will Downing, CeCe Peniston, Rebbie Jackson, Talib Kweli, Grand Puba, Lupe Fiasco, the Family, Monie Love, Rappin' 4-Tay, Candyman, Full Force, Larry Carlton, GZA of the Wu-Tang Clan, Inspectah Deck of the Wu-Tang Clan, Seal, Tony Orlando & Dawn and Donny Osmond, among many others.

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - Jimmie Vaughan and Vaughan Brothers, of course, as well as B.B. King, Buddy Guy, James Brown, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Jeff Beck, Albert King, Bob Seger, Eric Clapton, David Bowie, Dr. John, Bonnie Raitt, Dick Dale, Pearl Jam, Charlie Daniels, Teena Marie, Wynonna Judd, Jeff Healey, John Mayer, the Black Keys, Eric Johnson, Robert Cray, Joe Bonamassa, Johnny Copeland, Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Jennifer Warnes, Susan Tedeschi, the String Cheese Incident, Lou Ann Barton, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Charlie Sexton, Doyle Bramhall II, Eli Young Band, Los Lonely Boys, Zucchero, Derek Trucks of the Allman Brothers Band, Steve Morse of Kansas, Albert Lee of Ten Years After, Brian Setzer and Art Neville, among many others.

Sting - Miles Davis, Les Paul, Johnny Cash, Isaac Hayes, James Taylor, Frank Zappa, Rod Stewart, Herb Alpert, Dionne Warwick, Waylon Jennings, Herbie Hancock, Tina Turner, Sam Moore of Sam & Dave, Phil Collins, Tony Bennett, Christian McBride, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Charles Aznavour, Ruben Blades, Chieftains, 2Pac, Sheryl Crow, Cliff Richard and Barry Gibb (duet), Joan Baez, Richie Havens, Dave Matthews Band, Norah Jones, Nas, Dire Straits, Ramsey Lewis, Grace Jones, Da Brat, Natalie Cole, Monica, Toby Keith, Youssou N'Dour, Live, Trick Daddy, Joe Henry, Bruce Hornsby, Vanessa Williams, Cam'ron, Alison Krauss, Aswad, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, Matchbox Twenty, John Mayer, Fourplay, Mary Black, Black Eyed Peas, t.A.T.u., Arcadia, Blaque, Gotye, Cassandra Wilson, Carl Thomas, Jason Mraz, Jack Johnson, Rusted Root, Stephen Bishop, Pizzicato Five, Anoushka Shankar, Zucchero, Willie Colon, O.A.R., Hurricane Smith, Pato Banton, Jose Feliciano, Razorlight, Julio Iglesias, Chris Botti, Belá Fleck, Eva Cassidy, Afrojack, Shinehead, Pastor Troy, Flying Pickets, Seal, Kirk Whalum, David Sanborn, Nicole Scherzinger, Joe Beck, Take 6, Jars Of Clay, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Alex Acuna of Weather Report, John Kirkpatrick of Steeleye Span, Les Claypool of Primus, Gregg Kofi Brown of Osibisa, Bryan Adams, Michael Bolton, David Archuleta, Sugarbabes and John Tesh, among many others.

War - the Isley Brothers, Paul Simon, Donna Summer, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beastie Boys, Ice-T, Barry White, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Phish, Willie Nelson, De La Soul, LL Cool J, the Doobie Brothers, Janet Jackson, Suicidal Tendencies, Little Feat, the Commodores, the Black Crowes, Blues Traveler, George Clinton, David Byrne of Talking Heads, 2Pac, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Eazy-E, Missy Elliott, Boogie Down Productions, TLC, Sublime, Redman, Method Man, Scarface, Ramsey Lewis, Biz Markie, Whodini, Cypress Hill, Offspring, Shaggy, Portishead, Widespread Panic, Korn, Brand Nubian, the Geto Boys, Rick Ross, Gang Starr, Black Uhuru, Sandy Nelson, Pharoah Monche, L.T.D., Twista, the Dream Syndicate, Kelly Price, Joe, Monifah, DJ Shadow, Fatboy Slim, Guru, Jamiroquai, Mantronix, Smash Mouth, Phil Perry, Will Downing, Spin Doctors, Nice & Smooth, Warren G, Ozomatli, Da Lench Mob, Thievery Corporation, George Benson, Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, Peter Cetera, Terry Kath of Chicago, Dave Matthews of the Dave Matthews Band, Pete Rock solo, Willy DeVille of Mink DeVille, Michael Hutchence of INXS, Poor Righteous Teachers, Dickie Goodman and Insane Clown Posse, among many others.

Much more to come.

• 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.

Obviously this gesture didn’t sway the powers that be at the Rock Hall. Thirteen years later and Checker still hasn’t even been on the ballot for induction. Needless to say, there’s no statue of him in front of the Museum in Cleveland either.

In 2012, a more wistful Checker spoke to Joel Selvin of the San Francisco Chronicle about not getting the same exposure as some of his peers.

”I have only one regret in my whole life," he says. "This is my greatest regret - that my music is not being played and more people aren't seeing Chubby Checker. That's very painful for me. Many nights I have tears in my eyes about that. While I'm praying to God and thanking him for all the good things, I ask, 'Why don't they play my music? Did I do something wrong? Is there something about it?’

”It's not just any music - the No. 1 song in the world, the only song to be No. 1 twice - why don't they play my music? It's so painful. Why isn't Chubby getting his music played like the rest of the white boys?”

Now 72, Checker was asked about the Rock Hall again last month (after taking a break from suing HP):

”I don't want to get in there when I'm 85 years old. I'll tell them to drop dead, so you better do it quick while I'm still smiling. If you put me in when I'm too old to make a living, then it's no good for me to be in there. The Rolling Stones, they're in there. The Beastie Boys are in there, they're young. Hall and Oates were just in there and they're still making money.”

At the 2014 Induction Ceremony, Daryl Hall spoke up for Chubby Checker and other Philadelphia artists (Todd Rundgren, the Stylistics, the Delfonics, the Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, Len Barry) who have been snubbed by the Rock Hall. Philadelphia DJ Jerry Blavat also recently noted many Philadelphia artists who deserve induction.

”Absolutely, Chubby belongs in there. But there are so many artists that belong in it," he said. Blavat thinks it's a shame Checker and other great Philadelphia rock pioneers, such as Frankie Avalon, Fabian and Bobby Rydell - are continually snubbed.

Blavat blames rock and roll Hall of Fame co-founder Jann Wenner for so many rock pioneers being overlooked while modern artists who had less of an impact on the music are honored.

”He knows nothing about rock and roll except past 1965. It took me forever to get Little Anthony and the Imperials and Darlene Love in there," Blavat said. "Everything is political.”

Last year, Philadelphia natives Questlove and Greg Harris joined the Rock Hall Nominating Committee. Questlove openly campaigned for Hall & Oates, so perhaps he and Harris will continue to champion other Philadelphia artists in the future.

Update: Chubby Checker alleges racism is keeping him out.

Mark Andes (bass) and Dennis Carmassi (drums) were members of Heart from 1982 through 1993, during the band’s renaissance period when they had a string of hit singles. When the Rock Hall inducted Heart last year, they chose to only recognize the original 1970s lineup, so Andes and Carmassi were not inducted.

Andes and Carmassi claim that although Heart's most public members, Ann and Nancy Wilson, asked the [Rock Hall] foundation to correct its mistake and include the two members in the 2013 induction, it refused without giving a reason. The Hall of Fame, however, proceeded to use images and videos of Andes and Carmassi and the songs they performed to promote Heart’s induction, the pair says.

When their fans around the world congratulated the two after seeing their images and songs used by the Hall of Fame, Andes and Carmassi say they were humiliated by having to inform their fans and peers that they were inexplicably not chosen for induction.

The pair is not asking the Hall of Fame to induct them but is suing it for portraying them in a false light, misappropriating their name and likeness, and for defamation.

“Defendants knowingly and maliciously communicated to the public by implication that plaintiffs were not valuable members of the band Heart when it failed to induct them, but concomitantly used plaintiffs' images and song performances to promote the band's nomination and induction,” the complaint said.

Andes and Carmassi say they wrote a letter to the Hall of Fame in January 2013, asking why they were excluded and pointed out that its biography for Heart extensively references Heart's success in the 1980s, including its four Grammy nominations, to which they contributed heavily.

The Hall of Fame's CEO [Joel Peresman] responded the following day, defending the decision and ignoring the fact that the Hall of Fame was using the band's success with Andes and Carmassi, the artists say.

The pair has also brought additional counts of injurious falsehood and equitable relief.

The duo is seeking compensatory damages for all losses, treble damages on all trademark claims, punitive damages and exemplary damages.

The issue of which band members get inducted into the Hall of Fame has been an ongoing source of controversy for the institution. The 2014 inductions cast a bright light on the issue when the Rock Hall decided that only the original members of Kiss were being honored, which led to the band opting not to perform at the ceremony. In response to the 2014 controversy, Joel Peresman told USA Today that the Rock Hall will change when they announce which members are being included.

"Going forward, we'll be more clear-cut from the beginning and more public about who's being inducted," Peresman says. "(The next time) we announce the nominees, we'll make sure to say, 'Here are the people being nominated.' “

The lawyer for Mark Andes in both cases is Francis Malofiy of Francis Alexander LLC.

Rock Hall Foundation President and CEO Joel Peresman emerged the shadowy back rooms of the Hall of Fame today to defend the selection process for which band lineups actually get inducted. Peresman spoke to Billboard primarily about the controversy surrounding the induction of just the original lineup of Kiss.

Peresman says that the decision about who to induct from any band is made by the Rock Hall's nominating committee as well as an adjunct group of "scholars and historians" familiar with specific inductees and genres. "This isn't chemistry or physics; it's not an exact science," Peresman acknowledges. "Sometimes there's an entire body of work up until (the artists) are inducted, other times it's a specific period of time that established the band as who they are.”

Examples of bands where most, if not all, of the past and current band members got inducted is much shorter: Red Hot Chili Peppers*, Metallica** and Paul Stanley’s favorite example, the Grateful Dead.

Peresman went on to talk about the decision to only induct the original lineup:

”With Kiss there wasn't one person here who didn't agree that the reason Kiss was nominated and is being inducted was because of what was established in the 70s with Ace (Frehley), with Peter (Criss), with Paul and Gene (Simmons). That's what put them on that map.”

Peresman adds that Kiss "is a unique situation where you have artists who wear makeup as part of what the band's about," but the Rock Hall felt that the later members -- including current guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer, who are wearing Frehley and Criss' makeup, respectively -- "are fine musicians who...basically have the same makeup and are the same characters that Ace and Peter started. It's not like they created these other characters with different makeup and playing different songs. They took the persona of characters that were created by Ace and Peter."

Paul Stanley from Kiss doesn’t accept that explanation. He correctly points out there have been many inconsistencies in the induction “rules.”

Nevertheless, Stanley says Kiss feels that honoring the other six musicians who have played in the band is "a very valid argument considering that there are people who played on multi-platinum albums and played for millions of people and were very important for the continuation of the band. And clearly when you've got a busload of Grateful Dead (members) who have been inducted and guys in the Chili Peppers who nobody knows who they are because they played on the very earliest albums are inducted...The list goes on and on of the inconsistencies. Now, I'm not pointing fingers at any of those people, but I'm certainly pointing a finger at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The only consistencies are inconsistencies and the rules clearly are there are no rules because the criteria for how and who gets in is purely based upon a personal like or dislike. And when I feel we're being treated unfairly, I have issues with that.”

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame continues to attempt to restore its questionable credibility and glimpses behind the facade with nonsense and half truths.

The truth is Joel Peresman and the rest of the decision makers refused to consider the induction of ANY former KISS members and specifically the late Eric Carr and Bruce Kulick who were both in the band through multi platinum albums and worldwide tours and DIDN'T wear makeup.

There is no getting around the reality that the Hall of Fame's favoritism and preferential treatment towards artists they like goes as far as ASKING the Grateful Dead how many members THEY wanted the hall to induct and following their directive while also including a songwriter who was never in the actual band.

Let's just accept the truth as it is and move on.

If the Rock Hall had used the strict “significant era” methodology for the Red Hot Chili Peppers (as they are with Nirvana and Kiss this year), they likely would have only inducted Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Hillel Slovak, John Frusciante and Chad Smith. Early drummers Jack Irons and Cliff Martinez probably wouldn’t have been inducted nor would current guitarist (and youngest Hall of Famer) Josh Klinghoffer.

It’s hard to justify special treatment given to the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the light of the all of the examples of smaller lineup inductions. The Chili Peppers first few albums are not more significant than Nirvana’s first album. The Chili Peppers most recent album is not more significant than Dio-era Sabbath or even Chinese Democracy. This is the precedent that Joel Peresman has established which will continue to anger future Hall of Fame bands as well (Pearl Jam will be an interesting one to watch in three years).

Unfortunately, Peresman didn’t address the recent news that Chad Channing was not being inducted with Nirvana or why Channing had to receive the news via second hand text message four months after the inductees were announced. Peresman also didn’t offer any details about the fast-approaching Induction Ceremony except for, "We have other artists, other inductees showing up and performing when they can.” In related news, there are 3400 tickets available for the ceremony on StubHub, with prices starting below face value.

* - It should be noted that the Rock Hall did not include guitarists Jack Sherman and Dave Navarro, who was with the band for five years during their superstar years.

** - Bassist Robert Trujillo had been with Metallica for five years and one album when he was inducted in 2009. It is also worth noting that Nominating Committee member Cliff Burnstein manages both RHCP and Metallica, so it is possible he may have had a direct hand in selecting which members were honored.

Chad Channing, the band’s former drummer who played on Bleach, had been led to believe that he was being inducted with the band as well. Unfortunately that is not the case. Channing passed along to Radio.com this text message that the Rock Hall sent to Nirvana’s management today :

Can you tell whoever looks after Chad Channing that he isn’t being inducted…  It is just Dave, Krist and Kurt.

So how did we get here, where four months after the inductees were announced, that a text message from the Rock Hall is the only confirmation of which band members from Nirvana are actually being inducted?

Ever since Nirvana was nominated in October, there has been speculation as to which members might be honored. Both Chad Channing and Pat Smear appeared on important Nirvana albums so it would not have been a surprise if they were included, especially given the record of previous inductions (see the Red Hot Chili Peppers for a recent comparable example).

So why is the Rock Hall intentionally withholding that information?

Tom Lane relayed a story from former Nominating Committee member Jeff Tamarkin, where in 1994 the Grateful Dead told the Hall of Fame that “all or none” would be inducted, so the Rock Hall gave in and put in all 12 members. Knowing that the Rock Hall has been flexible on this issue, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons tried to negotiate getting additional Kiss members in this year by using their induction ceremony performance as leverage. The Rock Hall has thus far called their bluff and is moving ahead without a performance by the band, and disappointing fans in the process.

By drawing a hard line with Kiss, there is now a bright spotlight on the Rock Hall’s process for choosing which members get inducted. As with most controversial issues with the Rock Hall, they would be more respected if they were open, straightforward and consistent with their rules. Right now, as we have seen with Chad Channing, it’s the opposite of all of those things.

Future Rock Legends has learned that ex-Nirvana drummer, Chad Channing, will be inducted with the band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 10th. Channing will be included with Krist Novoselic, Dave Grohl and the late Kurt Cobain.

Channing was in Nirvana for two years surrounding the release of their debut album Bleach, but was replaced by Grohl during the recordings of Nevermind.

Chad Channing says he will be in Brooklyn for the Induction Ceremony, but has no plans to perform.

There is often controversy over which band members actually get their names on the Hall of Fame wall in Cleveland. The Rock Hall makes the decision, but doesn’t have any stated criteria for how they make the rulings or have any consistency from band to band or year to year. Look no further than fellow-2014 inductees Kiss to find bitterness and hard feelings over the decision.*

One could infer from their recent decisions that the Rock Hall tends to honor only the band members who were involved in (what they consider to be) significant recordings, although there are exceptions to that vague criteria as well.**

* - Only the original four members of Kiss are being inducted. Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons decided not to perform at the Induction Ceremony because of the Rock Hall’s decision to exclude additional current and former members of Kiss.

** - Just last year, John Rutsey, who like Chad Channing, only played on a debut album, was NOT inducted with Rush.

If you can’t wait for the presales, tickets are already being sold on the secondary markets (stubhub, ebay, craigslist, etc.).

The Rock Hall still has not released any information regarding presenters or performers for the ceremony.

The Rock Hall still has not released any ticket information for the event despite initially announcing that tickets would go on sale in January. Last year, before tickets were released to the general public, there were pre-sales for American Express cardholders, Heart and Rush fan club members, and Rock Hall Museum members. The Rock Hall has announced there will be be a pre-sale for their members this year as well.

Since this is the first induction ceremony open to the public in New York and there is a star-studded induction class, there should be high demand for tickets.

(via O.C.)